After another season that involved a trip to the GHSA state final championship game, the Lake Oconee Academy girls basketball program saw three of its players get recognized for their talents at the All-State level.
Seniors Jada Williams and Hannah Heinen were accompanied by junior Georgia Bosart in earning All-State honors, and Lady Titans’ head coach Savannah Soles couldn’t have been more proud of the girls earning awards for their hard work.
“I think it’s just an incredible honor that’s well deserved for all three of these girls and a testament to what they’ve meant to our program,” Soles said. “A lot of it was the competitive nature of these girls, day in and day out, and they know the hard work that goes into performing at a high level. I think the girls next year will definitely be able to learn from these girls’ work ethic.”
Williams’ 2023 season was impressive enough to earn her Player of the Year honors for Class A Division II.
She did it all on both ends of the court, averaging around 18 points per game on offense while also contributing on defense with a couple steals per contest. On top of that, Williams was able to use her athleticism to secure around eight rebounds per game, which is even more impressive given the fact that she is 5-foot-4.
Williams also recently earned an invitation to play in the GBCA-GABA All-Star Senior Game, which was held last Saturday Soles acknowledged that Williams was always the first one in the gym and the last one to leave for practices during the regular season, and that her work ethic always kept her prepared for the moment.
“Jada’s honor is well deserved, especially seeing as how there were a lot of good players in Division II last year, and the time she and Hannah put in during the offseason is something all the other girls could learn from,” Soles said. “Jada would even text me on the weekends during the year, begging to get in the gym. She is a true leader that sees the game very well, so I won’t be surprised to see her playing at the next level at some point.”
Heinen was the other Lady Titan senior to earn All-State honors along with Williams.
Heinen ended up being named as a member of the All-State Second Team for Class A Division II while also being recognized as the division’s best shooter. She shot over 30 percent from beyond the arc during the 2022-23 season and was one of the main contributors to the Lady Titans’ deep postseason run.
Soles highlighted that she and the team knew that Heinen was the division’s best shooter and that it’s good to see her finally get recognized for it, especially after all the hard work she’s put in as well.
“I mean, the team and I knew it the entire year, just being able to watch her put shots up, but for everyone else in the division to see that and recognize that is pretty incredible,” Soles said. “[Heinen] has put in a lot of hard work, even before I got here, including putting up something like 40,000 shots one offseason. That’s led her to shoot over 30 percent from the 3-point line which is a huge deal in high school girls’ basketball.”
Bosart is the only Lady Titan All-State honoree that will be returning for the 2023-24 season and has already proved why she’s one of the best in the state.
Bosart was named part of the Class A Division II All-State First Team as well as getting recognized as being the division’s best passer. She averaged over six assists a game during the regular season which included multiple games with double-digit assists.
A few double-double performances from Bosart helped lead the Lady Titans to back-to-back state championship appearances, and Soles is excited for what she’ll bring to the team her senior year.
“[Bosart] earning All-State honors and being recognized for best passer didn’t surprise any of us with how effective she is, and we’re excited she’s returning,” Soles said. “She just has a natural ability to play the game, and she trusts her teammates to be there when we need to get the ball into our playmakers' hands. We view this award as a bigger deal than most, and we’re just really proud of her for that.”
Moving forward, Soles hopes to be able to build off the momentum the program has gained over the last couple years, and the foundation that these three girls built will be instrumental in that.