Latson, Dohler named top high school athletes
American Heritage’s Ta’Niya Latson dazzled with her basketball skills, showing prowess in every facet of the game to prove that she was not just one of the best players in the state but also in the country.
North Broward Prep’s Christian Dohler showed off his versatility with success on the gridiron, the pitch and track.
The two seniors will continue their athletic careers in college, with Latson going to Florida State for basketball while Dohler is heading to Georgetown to compete in football and track.
They also capped their careers as the Miami Herald’s Broward 5A-2A Athletes of the Year.
Latson, a Miami native who transferred to American Heritage from Atlanta Westlake for her senior year, dominated in her lone season at American Heritage to help the Patriots claim their fifth consecutive state title.
Latson averaged 27.2 points, eight rebounds, seven assists,
5.3 steals and two blocks per game.
She was a McDonald’s AllAmerican and Gatorade’s Florida Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year. She was the No. 14 ranked prospect for her signing class, according to ESPN.
A pretty incredible rise considering Latson started taking basketball seriously only when she was in the eighth grade.
Did she know she had this type of talent in her?
“Honestly,” Latson said without hesitation, “I did. I knew I had the ability since birth, so I just kept going. I knew that it was something that I wanted to take serious.”
As for Dohler, he is North Broward Prep’s first Miami Herald Boys’ Athlete of the
Year, and joins Rochelle Moncreiffe (2006-07) as the only ones for the school all-time.
The senior’s athletic success stems from soccer even though that’s not the sport he’ll be pursing in college. Dohler has been North Broward Prep’s team captain on the pitch each of the past three years, scoring 81 goals with 24 assists in that three-year span. He began playing the sport when he was 3 and participated in international youth tournaments along the way.
“It’s just something that is always going to be close to my heart no matter what I do in the future,” Dohler told the Miami Herald last month.
The immediate future has him heading to Georgetown to play football and compete in track and field.
He began playing football this season, initially to be the team’s kicker. While he held his own there, with 12 of his 20 kickoffs going for touchbacks while averaging 46 yards per punt attempt, he also became a reliable
defensive back, recording 10 pass deflections and an interception in eight games.
On the track, Dohler finished third in the triple jump at state as a junior and won district and regional titles in the event last year. He also competed in the 200 and 400 meter dashes as well as the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays. An injury sidelined him in the spring and kept him from a chance to follow up on his success.
OTHER FINALISTS Male Athletes
American Heritage senior Jaeden Kinlock was first-team All-County for football after leading the Patriots with 88 tackles and tying for the team
lead with 16 tackles for loss to go along with seven sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. He was also a state qualifier in wrestling, going 20-3 overall in the 220-pound weight class.
Cardinal Gibbons junior
Nicolas Yancey went a perfect 40-0 this year en route to a Class 1A individual state wrestling title in the 126-pound weight class.
Calvary Christian senior
Taylor Hendricks averaged 15 points and 8.1 rebounds per game to lead the Eagles to a second consecutive state basketball title.
Chaminade-Madonna senior
Kenyatta Jackson was the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year for football after recording 80 tackles and 18 sacks for the Class 3A state champions.
American Heritage senior
Luke Clanton capped his high school career with his third individual golf state championship.
Female Athletes
South Florida HEAT sophomore Erika Pelaez won two individual swimming titles this fall, breaking the state record in the 100-yard backstroke and nearly breaking the record for the 50-yard freestyle.
Coral Springs Charter senior
Brianna Godfrey once again was integral in Panthers softball making an appearance at state. The pitcher posted a 0.67 ERA with 246 strikeouts in 126 innings.
Westminster Academy senior Claire Erickson was the central piece to a Lions team that won its first state basketball title in more than three decades. The point guard averaged 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
American Heritage sophomore Ashley Fitzgerald was the top state finisher in the county in cross country, finishing as state runner-up in the Class 3A meet. She also had top finishes in the county in both the 1,600-meter run and 3,200 meter runs in track and field.