In her lone season at American Heritage, Ta’Niya Latson made quite an impact.
The ESPN-rated five-star prospect, and the No. 1 guard and No. 14 player in the 2022 class, helped the Patriots crush Bishop Moore for the Class 5A title in Lakeland with a 69-31 win.
It gave American Heritage (25-4) a Broward County record with the five consecutive state titles from 2018-22. After winning two state titles with Westlake (Georgia), she transferred to American Heritage for her senior year.
Latson, a McDonald’s high school All-American, said she felt the pressure entering the season as American Heritage lost half of the roster from the squad that won a fourth straight girls state championship in 2021.
“Me being who I am, of course I felt the pressure, but I knew I had to do it for the city, for them and the program,” said Latson, who averaged 27.1 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and six steals per game. She has signed with Florida State University.
“They made it easy for me,” she continued. “The chemistry on the team was great. There was no drama. It was a good vibe during the season, and we stuck together and got the mission done. Scoring comes easy for me, so my job was to be a leader and get all my teammates involved. I can’t wait to get the ball rolling and start my new chapter.”
American Heritage coach Greg Farias called Latson a “perfect fit” to the program.
“She was a team player,” Farias said. “She worked hard. She believed in our system which was defense first above anything.
“The first time I met her at the school, she said ‘coach, I have three goals – play hard, I am here to win, and I want to get my last state championship. Of all the elite players I have had here over the years, she is on the Mount Rushmore of our players. She is amazing. She is a special young lady.”
