Lakewood Ranch’s LaDazhia Williams adds two honors

Lakewood Ranch High School senior LaDazhia Williams added two more accolades this week.

The Mustangs’ frontcourt standout was named the senior all-star MVP of District 16 by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and also was named the district’s Class 8A player of the year.

Williams has some company at Lakewood Ranch in the voting, too. Mustangs head coach Tina Hadley was named the district’s 8A coach of the year.

Lakewood Ranch, however, fell short of the state final four, falling in the Class 8A Region 3 tournament.

Bradenton Christian wound up as Manatee County’s longest-lasting playoff team before losing 73-37 to Tampa Carrollwood Day in the Class 3A semifinals Tuesday. For their run, the Panthers are pulling in recognition, too.

Bradenton Christian head coach Janelle Hochstetler took the district’s overall coach of the year honor. Hochstetler was also the district’s 3A coach of the year, and junior guard Sophie Giardina was named the district’s player of the year.

Two others from the county were recognized as part of the district awards. Bayshore head coach Jamaal Sanders was named the district’s Class 6A coach of the year, and Palmetto forward Tina Stephens finished fourth in senior all-star voting behind Williams, Sarasota’s Madison Pack and Sarasota Booker’s Cellexia Foster.

This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch’s LaDazhia Williams adds two honors."