Winter Haven coach Johnnie Lawson is the 8A coach of the year. Both are now finalists for the Dairy Farmers' awards
WINTER HAVEN – It’s just a good year for girls basketball in Polk County.
Haines City junior guard Fuji Nimmo, who was an All-County first-team player for The Ledger as a sophomore, has been named the Class 9A player of the year and an automatic finalist for the Florida Dairy Farmers' player of the year honor, which will be named next week.
Additionally, Winter Haven girls basketball head coach Johnnie Lawson was named the 8A coach of the year and is also a finalist for the Dairy Farmers' coach of the year honor.
Nimmo averaged 27.4 points and six rebounds while dishing out 5.2 assists and gathering 2.8 steals this season. She was the main force on a rebuilding team for the Hornets and helped the team to a 19-7 record, a District 7 championship and a trip to the regional quarterfinals this year.
Lawson led Winter Haven to its third-consecutive state championship this month at the RP Funding Center and a 32-1 record. Its lone loss came at Montverde in February.
He also guided the program to its first national-tournament berth. Winter Haven will play March 30 in New York City at the Geico High School Nationals.
Also collecting player of the year honors were Tallahassee Lincoln freshman guard Erin Turral in 8A, Fort Myers senior guard Destanni Henderson in 7A, Tampa Robinson junior guard Kaliah Henderson in 6A, Ocala Trinity Catholic sophomore forward Sydney James in 5A, Miami Country Day junior forward Koi Love in 4A, Miami Somerset Prep senior guard Tyesha Battle in 3A, Kissimmee City of Life junior guard Debra Buggs in 2A and Wildwood senior forward Kari Niblack in 1A.
Coach of the year finalists are Kelvin Hamm (9A) Port Orange Spruce Creek, Chad Terrell (7A) Fort Myers, Greg Farias (6A) Plantation American Heritage, Tracey Wolfe (5A) Oxbridge Academy, Ochial Swaby (4A) Miami Country Day, Henry McNabb (3A) Somerset Prep, Ray Buggs (2A) and Richard Hampton (1A) Wildwood.