The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Woodward Academy’s Bowles a ‘complete player’
The Woodward Academy girls basketball team went 9-19 when Sydney Bowles burst onto the scene as a freshman in the 201819 season. Things got better in a hurry. A lot better.
The War Eagles went 78-7 in the remaining three seasons of Bowles’ high school career, culminating with a win over Forest Park three weeks ago in the Class 5A championship game that gave Woodward Academy its second consecutive state title. Woodward has won five state championships overall.
“This was the goal pretty much since we started the preseason this year,” Bowles said after the championship game. “It feels so sweet to actually complete the goal. I’m just really proud of my team. I think we battled. I think that we’re one of the most talented teams in the state, and I think we could go toe-to-toe with anybody.”
Bowles, the AJC’s all-classification player of the year, averaged 20.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.0 steals this season, leading the War Eagles in each category, for a team that went 29-2 and dominated its competition. She was named Miss Georgia Basketball by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and the Gatorade Georgia Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
The 6-foot guard has scored 2,441 points in her career (in 2,368 minutes played) and grabbed 953 rebounds. The four-star recruit signed with Georgia and is the No. 37 senior prospect nationally, according to ESPN.
“Sydney is a wing who can score from all levels; she can knock down the 3 ... strong enough to get to the basket at will and also has a very good midrange game,” St. Pius coach Kyle Snipes said. “She sees the floor really well, and when you think you have her guarded, she is able to find one of her open teammates. She really does create a ‘pick your poison’ type situation for teams defensively. No surprise she is the Gatorade
player of the year, Miss Georgia Basketball and AJC Player of the Year. Most complete player I have seen since Asia (Durr, a state player of the year at St. Pius in 2015).”
Woodward Academy won its five playoff games this season by an average of 32.2 points. That includes wins over Forest Park, Warner Robins and Jackson-Atlanta, which finished Nos. 2, 3 and 4 in the final rankings. The War Eagles also won three games against state championship teams: Lovejoy of Class 6A, Mount Paran Christian of A Private and Hoover of Alabama.
“She’s made history here,” Woodward Academy coach Kim Lawrence said. “She helped put Woodward back on the map . ... And that’s just the things she’s done on the court. Off the court, our admissions team trusts her to be one of the faces of Woodward Academy . ... Her grades, AP classes, honors classes … she’s getting it done on both ends.”