Colquitt County High's Janiah Ellis, Region 1-7A girls basketball Player of the Year

MOULTRIE – A program as consistent as the one Rondesha Williams built for the Colquitt County Packers in girls basketball usually begins with players.

One area these ladies are dominating over the past five years is the top postseason honor.

Senior Janiah Ellis duplicated the feat of Diamond Hall before her as she is the 2019-20 Region 1-7A Player of the Year. She won this award for the 2018-19 season as well. Hall was a repeat winner for 2016-17 and 2017-18, and Za’Nautica Downs shared the honor as a sophomore in 2016 (Region 1-6A).

Hall’s career led to a chance to play NCAA Division I women’s basketball at Alcorn State. Ellis has D-1 hoops in her future as well as she signed with Troy University. Downs is playing for Florida Northwestern State.

For the season, Ellis averaged 20 points per game on a team that is taking a 21-5 record into the GHSA 7A playoffs that begin tonight (Friday). She also led Colquitt in rebounding average (6.8), assists average (2.8) and steals average (2.8).

During the season Ellis surpassed 1,000 career points – something also done by Hall and Downs – and she will take 524 points for the season into the playoffs. She scored a career-best 42 with 14 made baskets vs. Douglass in Atlanta on Dec. 20.

The Lady Packers finished third in Region 1-7A and must hit the road. For the third time since 2016, Colquitt is paired with 19-8 North Cobb out of Region 3-7A.

1st Team All Region 1-7A girls

Malerie Brooks, Senior, Camden County

Shakiria Chaney, Sophomore, Tift County

Kayla Ellis, Senior, Camden County

Carliss Johnson, Freshmen, Colquitt County

Faith Johnson, Freshmen, Lowndes

Nicole Jones, Senior, Camden County

Jamia Level, Senior, Tift County

Camille Singletary, Junior, Colquitt County

2nd Team All Region 1-7A girls

Daejah Bailey, Senior, Tift County

Cali Conner, Junior, Tift County

Amyah Espanol, Freshmen, Lowndes

Kiersten Graham, Junior, Lowndes

Brianna Lavalais-White, Senior, Camden County

Taje Middleton, Junior, Lowndes

Gracie Belle Paulk, Sophomore, Colquitt County

Audreyanna Rowland, Junior, Colquitt County

From the Colquitt County High boys basketball team, senior Elijah Scott was named the Region 1-7A Offensive Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season. He will look to lead the Packers past the first round Saturday when Kennesaw Mountain visits William Bryant Court to start the GHSA 7A boys tournament.

ALL REGION 1-7A boys

Jyamier Beckhom, Tift County

Chandler Conner, Camden County

Ezekiel Fordham, Camden County

Torrance Galmer , Tift County

Jaylen Jones, Lowndes

Paul-Michael Montgomery, Lowndes

Montavious Ponder- Colquitt County

Andre Rogers, Camden County

Azaria Smith, Tift County

Kobee Smith, Tift County

Tyler Walker, Colquitt County

DyQuavious Williams, Colquitt County

Jacqves Williams, Lowndes