As Lake Highland’s athletic department adds more trophies to its collection each season with Fall, Winter, and Spring sports, one program that has consistently dominated the trophy case is Girls’ Basketball. Over the past four seasons, the Girls’ Basketball team won four state championships, had 12 players commit to a Division 1 school to continue playing basketball, and had four players commit to play at a Power Five conference school, including programs like the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. Led by head coach Al Honor, the girls have won seven state championships. However, winning titles is not the only impact Coach Honor has had on the team. Coach Honor has coached a MaxPreps Florida Girls Player of the Year, five Central Florida Players of the Year, nine All-State Players, three Naismith Player of the Year Finalists, a McDonald’s All-American, and a Jordan Brand All-American. How does Coach Honor keep producing this talent and success? How can Coach Honor find a way to bring another trophy to the case each year with new players, transfers, and talent?
It is no secret that Coach Honor is one of the best girls’ basketball coaches Lake Highland has ever had and easily the most successful. With state-wide dominance leading to national rankings, and producing national talent, Coach Honor has made the Lake Highlands Girls’ Basketball program a force to be reckoned with. This year the team is led by two Seniors: Ari Woodard and Sofia Muñoz Acevedo.
Sofia is Lake Highland’s newest player, transferring for her Senior year. She describes her transition to Lake Highland as a positive experience: “My transition to this new school has gone great. Of course, it is a different environment and experience, but everyone here makes the transition easy.” Not only has she experienced a change of scenery and classrooms, but she has also had a change in her style of play on the court with her new teammates. This transformation happened under the instruction of Coach Honor, in practice and the weight room. She states, “A lot of this had changed. It has been in a different way than just playing style. It’s been off the court and putting in the work every day and having energy during practice.”
Another noticeable standout player on the team this year is returning Sophomore Eadyn Rivera. Eadyn was a part of the state championship team last year, but as she returns to the court this season, her mindset has completely shifted: “Winning states as a Freshman was an amazing experience, but I wasn’t as appreciative because I was not a key contributor to the team. This impacted how I view my Sophomore season because it allows me to understand that I must work even harder this year to have a chance at States, as I play a greater role on the team this year.” With Eadyn’s strong mindset, it is easy to understand why Coach Honor would make her one of the main leaders on this team.
With Eadyn’s growth as a player on the court with new ranges of skill and her growing leadership skills, her role as a leader has been more challenging. Eadyn explains, “It is harder for me to be a leader, especially since most of my teammates are older than me. So it is a skill I am still working on. On the other hand, understanding that being a leader doesn’t depend on your age but on the willingness to set a positive example others can follow. So overall, being a leader is a skill I am working on, but I approach this challenge by having an open mind, disciplining myself, and leading by example in practice and games.”
Also returning from last year’s state championship team is Junior guard Myanna Hatchette, who has big shoes to fill from last year seniors. With Myanna’s experience from last season, Coach Honor challenged her to fill in that big role. She explained, “My role is very different from last year. Last year I was more so a ‘shadow’ player, meaning I didn’t really have a big role within the team and was just following the footsteps of those ahead of me while learning the system and culture of the program from them. This year, I’ve had to fill in the shoes of those players and pursue a role as a leader and captain, which has been a big change for me, but I am embracing it.”
With this new role on the team, Myanna’s skill set has significantly improved and shaped her mindset for this season. She stated, “Winning a state championship was such a great moment, and I am so lucky to get the opportunity to be a part of and experience such a great moment, surrounded with such talent. It has given me motivation to strive for big goals and push through times where everything doesn’t go perfectly.”
One of the team’s leading scorers is making her Lake Highland debut this season. Junior guard Eryn Griffin, tore both of her ACLs in her Freshman year, preventing her from playing in her Freshman and Sophomore seasons. During her time cheering her teammates on from the bench, Eryn was able to raise her basketball IQ and become of the teams biggest leaders. Eryn commented that her lessons from watching her team from the bench have taught her, “To always play with poise and not be selfish. If you can’t hit a shot right now, lock someone up on defense or get some rebounds. I apply the knowledge and IQ of the game from last year to my game this year. My coach just lets me know that I’ve got this and that he believes in me.” This has driven Eryn to push her teammates not just in practice, and the weight room but also on the court, whether she is setting up a play or setting up the defense. However, Eryn is an extremely humble player, and this directly connects with her mindset heading into this season from last year’s success. She says, “It keeps me humble, and I’m just trying to do the same this year and contribute to the team in any way I can.”
While a great coach can help a team win games, the players skills, determination, and chemistry on and off the court are what make each other stronger on and off the court. With new players and returning stars from last years state championship the team chemistry is stronger than ever, reflecting their play on the court. Looking to defend their state title and improve not only their state but also their national ranking, the girls are working harder than ever, improving each practice with Coach Honor’s guidance. With a more challenging schedule and higher expectations, the pressure on this team is higher than ever. However, the team does not flinch with the increase in pressure. Lake Highland watch out and make more room in the trophy case because Girls’ Basketball is bringing home another title!
