American Heritage hopes to extend championship run
Girls’ basketball in Broward County this season features the No. 1 shooting guard in the nation and several legit contenders for state titles.
The shooting guard is 5-9 American Heritage senior Ta’Niya Latson, who signed with Florida State last month. Overall, the five-star recruit is ranked the 10th-best player in the nation’s Class of 2022, and she’s all but guaranteed to be a McDonald’s All-American.
Greg Farias, who is in his seventh year at American Heritage, has led the Patriots to four straight state titles. But he had never had a five-star recruit or a McDonald’s All-American until Latson enrolled at Heritage following last season.
“What’s amazing about Ta’Niya is her defense,” Farias said. “That’s how she creates a lot of her offense.”
Last season, she played in Georgia for Westlake, which finished No. 1 in the nation, according to MaxPreps. Latson averaged 23.7 points, 2.9 steals and 2.8 assists.
At the GEICO national semifinals, she scored 26 points. In the national title game, she pumped in 31 points in a 70-50 win.
Here’s a closer look at Broward’s top teams this season:
1. St. Thomas Aquinas: The Raiders, the reigning state champs in Class 6A, have at least three Division I players in their starting lineup: 6-1 junior forward Alancia Ramsey, 5-8 junior guard Karina Gordon and 6-0 senior wing Jada Green.
Ramsey, a transfer from Delray American Heritage, was a co-Player of the Year in West Palm Beach last season, averaging 19.5 points and 14.0 rebounds.
Gordon averaged 17.5 points last season. She scored 24 in the state semifinals, helping Aquinas rally from an 11-point deficit with three minutes left in the third quarter.
“She’s one of the best three-point shooters in the country,” Aquinas coach Oliver Berens said.
Green, who averaged 10.0 points and 9.3 rebounds last season, signed last month with the University of Richmond. She had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the state final.
Breanna Gustave, a 5-7 senior shooting guard who made the gamewinning three-pointer with seven seconds left in last season’s regional semifinals, and 5-5 senior point guard Maya Williams round out the starting lineup. Nyla McFadden, a 6-0 freshman with an offer from Ohio State, leads the bench.
2. Blanche Ely: The Tigers are coming off an impressive 18-2 season. They beat Aquinas three times. They defeated Westminster Academy and Miami Christian twice each. They beat Norland, too.
However, the Tigers lost the game that counted most – a 48-44 defeat to Aquinas in the regional semifinals.
This season, third-year coach J.R. McNabb will rely on 6-1 senior Mya Kone, who signed with James Madison last month.
The Tigers also have 5-8 senior Michiyah Simmons, who has an offer from FIU; 6-0 sophomore Gianna Corbitt, who missed last season due to a knee injury but already has an offer from Florida; and 5-2 junior point guard Ashleigh Battle, who has an offer from South Alabama. Battle is a transfer from Cardinal Gibbons, where she made firstteam All-Broward last season.
3. American Heritage: The Patriots go only eight deep, but there’s quality there.
Beyond Latson, there’s 5-10 senior Joey Delancy, who averaged 14.1 points and 10.0 assists last season, ranking ninth in the nation in the latter category, according to Farias.
Delancy already has a triple-double this season – 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists – and she is choosing between FAU, Tulane and Air Force for college.
“She has one of the best mid-range games I’ve seen for a high school kid,” Farias said. “From 15 feet in, she’s money.”
Emani Theodule, a 5-6 senior shooting guard, transferred last season from Miami Country Day but then missed the year due to an ACL knee injury.
“She’s fully cleared and playing,” Farias said. “She’s just a little hesitant to start.”
The Patriots also have 5-9 junior Sydni Studesville, whose father is Dolphins co-offensive coordinator Eric Studesville; 5-6 junior Gaby Dumas; and 6-0 freshman Dezuray McGill.
4. Westminster Academy: The Lions have state title aspirations in Class
3A, but they will likely have to get past powerhouse Miami Country Day to get to Lakeland.
Lions coach Shannon Wallhoff will rely on 5-7 senior point guard Claire
Erickson and 5-11 freshman guard Lena Girardi, who both averaged 14.0 points last season and are being recruited by Division I and D-II schools. Girardi, the daughter of Phillies manager Joe Girardi, can defend four positions due to her length.
Taelynn Carey, who is the sister of former Duke star Vernon Carey, is a 6-2 junior center who averaged 10.0 points and 10.5 rebounds last season.
“She blocks so many shots,” Wallhoff said, “and she gets to the foul line more than anyone.”
The Lions also have 5-10 sophomore Aylana Mergilles, 5-10 freshman Maddie Wallhoff, who is the coach’s daughter and whose sister plays for Southern Miss; and 5-10 freshman Abby Price, whose father, Jeff Price, is the men’s basketball coach at Lynn University.
THIS AND THAT
Chloe Celler, a 5-10 senior wing at Cardinal Gibbons, has committed to Brandeis University. She made second-team AllCounty in 2020 and thirdteam in 2021.
North Broward Prep standout guard Madison Henningsen will miss her junior year because of an ACL knee surgery.
Cypress Bay is led by Peyton Looky, a 5-7 sophomore guard who averaged 12.0 points as a freshman. Her father is Jason Looky, the Cypress Bay boys’ basketball coach.
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