Yasmeen Chang, 14, is a freshman basketball player at Riverdale High School.
Ja’Miah Bland, 15, is a sophomore basketball player at Dunbar High School.
Destanni Henderson, 17, is a sophomore basketball player at Fort Myers High School.
Dunbar junior Dekeriya Patterson
Autumn Giles, Fort Myers High.
The News-Press All-Area All-Stars are released.
How we select All-Area teams
At the conclusion of each high school season, The News-Press staff sends area coaches a nomination form to select and rank players for our All-Area first teams and to nominate athletes for second team and honorable mention.
A combination of The News-Press’ research and the coaches’ player rankings lead to the teams being selected and three athletes are named finalists for player of the year. The three finalists are invited to The News-Press All-Area Stars Banquet to be held Tuesday, May 31 at Germain Arena in Estero where the players of the year will be announced.
Emmitt Smith named keynote speaker for All-Area Stars banquet
Player of the Year finalists
Destanni Henderson
School: Fort Myers
Position: Guard
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Henderson did not have to dominate the scoring column to make a huge impact for the Green Wave. The 5-foot-9 guard shot 53 percent from the field while averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 3 steals per game for the Class 6A champions. She went off for season-high 32 points in a loss to Lakewood Ranch and routinely dominated opposition.
Ja’Miah Bland
School: Dunbar
Position: Forward
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: The 6-foot forward became the go-to scorer and rebounder for the Tigers, pocketing 19.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. She shot 59-percent from the field and hauled in 158 offensive rebounds. She also added four 30-point games and 77 steals for the Class 5A semifinalists.
Yasmeen Chang
School: Riverdale
Position: Guard
Year: Freshman
Highlights: The 5-foot-9 point guard burst on the scene as the area’s best, and perhaps the most surprising, leading scorer, posting 27.3 points, 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game for the 16-win Raiders, who clinched their first district title since 2004. It was in large part thanks to Chang, who had monster games that included 44 points against Cypress Lake (Nov. 12), 43 points against Palmetto Ridge (Dec. 10) and 55 points against North Port (Jan. 26).
First team
Fort Myers girls basketball win first state title
Second team
Aleisha Curry, Lehigh, freshman
Respect Leaphart, Dunbar, senior
Holly Golden, ECS, senior
Jarya Outten, Fort Myers, junior
Deidre Cheremound, Cape Coral, junior
2016 News-Press All-Area Boys Basketball
Third team
Alexxis Mendoza, Lehigh, senior
Shonteria Blanks, Cypress Lake, junior
Rebekah Bergquist, SFCA, freshman
Cherelle Washington, Island Coast, sophomore
Olivia Woolam, Bishop Verot, junior
Honorable mention
Bishop Verot: Cassidy Kramer, Claire Woolam
Canterbury: Alexis Sewell, Karlie Olmstead
Cape Coral: Allie Fornal, Katara Gaymon
Cypress Lake: Kira Gandy, Mackenzie Ackerman
Dunbar: Keva’shay Edison, Kenbranya Patterson
East Lee County: Kylana Campbell, Skylar Albert
Estero: Melanie Marchione, Mackenzie Swartzman
Evangelical Christian School: McKenzie Lynk, Lashonda Gott
Fort Myers: Bethany Brunson, Alexsis Johnson
Gateway Charter: Tamia Battle, Tiara Duckworth
Island Coast: Hailey Kalamaras, Shania Church
Ida Baker: Bre Kelly
LaBelle: Arielle Green, Madolyn Lofton
Lehigh: Haylie Holloway, Cassidy Delva
Mariner: Kiera Bateman, Sabrina Robles
North Fort Myers: Tiffany Brumagin, Sajarie Jones
Riverdale: C’Dara Manuel, Anna Presson
Oasis: Daria Aho, Kelsi Arentsen
SFCA: Sarah Kate Sheffield, Aubree Matyas
South Fort Myers: Dy’Quashia McLean
Coach of the Year
Fort Myers High School girls basketball coach Chad Terrell waves to fans during a pep rally to honor the state championship team on Tuesday. Fort Myers High School girls basketball coach Chad Terrell waves to fans during a pep rally to honor the team on Tuesday.
Chad Terrell, Fort Myers
Highlights: While the first-year head coach inherited a strong team that reached the Class 7A semifinals in 2015, it was his in-game adjustments, weekly motivational tactics and everyday presence that made this Green Wave squad go from good to great. Fort Myers was 27-5 and went 16-0 to finish the season, winning the Class 6A title.