Ware County Gators Memorial Stadium • Capacity: 12,000 • Waycross, GA • www.warecountygators.net NeNe Rewrites The Record Book The Lady Gators’ basketball season came to an early end in the state playoffs but not before senior Dinecia “NeNe” Howard rewrote the record books. She ended her high school career with 1,551 points to set a new recent school mark. On February 7, during the Lady Gators’ final home game of the season, Howard was honored for scoring over 1,000 points in her career. Coach Mandy Lingenfelter said that in the three years she has coached her, Howard has never asked how many points she has scored. “I have coached NeNe since she was a sophomore and not one time has she ever asked me that question.” But it was just a few days after she was honored that one shot got away. During the region championship game against Effingham County, there were 1.8 seconds left in the game, and the Lady Gators were down by two points. Howard stole the ball and heaved up a half-court shot that went around the rim and bounced out. Although Ware lost the game, Howard wound up with 26 points. She hopes to one day play in the WNBA and says her favorite part of the game is the physical play.
by Rob Asbell She enjoys “diving for the ball, hustling, rebounding, and running up and down the court the entire game.” As a junior, Howard led the Lady Gators to a 1711 record and a berth in the state quarterfinals. She continued to burn the nets as a senior, averaging 18 points per game. This year, the girls’ team went 21-8 and again made it to the state playoffs. Defensively, Howard moves quickly, and opponents never know if she is coming at them from front or back. She averaged four steals and eight rebounds per game this season. Offensively, the 5’5” point guard can hit from anywhere on the court, especially from behind the three-point line where she is always a threat to score. She is also a leader on the court and averages four assists per game. In addition to playing basketball, Howard is also on the Gators’ softball and track teams. In the spring she qualified for the state track meet and in the fall was voted as Region 3-AAAAA Softball Player of the Year at centerfield. She hit .460 as the lead-off batter for the Lady Gators where, once again, it was her speed that made her a force, giving her opportunities to beat out routine grounders into base hits. Howard has spent her four years at Ware County High School collecting athletic awards. Following
her freshman year she was named to the second team all-region squad in softball and was the team’s best defensive player. In her sophomore year she was first team all-region in softball and basketball and won the Golden Shoe Award as the best field athlete. In her junior year she repeated as first team all-region in softball and was also honored as the team’s MVP and top defensive player. In basketball she was also first team all-region, team MVP, and best offensive player. She also repeated as the Lady Gators’ best field athlete in track and finished seventh at the state meet in both the discus and shotput and eighth in the pole vault. This year she was, again, first team all-region in softball and second team all-state. Her athletic accomplishments have left Howard with a difficult decision to make soon. “I am being recruited by many schools. I just have to make a decision on which sport and where I want to go.” Howard is being recruited in basketball by Middle Georgia College, Coffeeville in Kansas, Sante Fe Community College, Southern Poly, Chattahoochee Valley, East Georgia, Piedmont, and Gadsden State. She hopes to major in nursing. “NeNe is fearless, and she never quits,” Coach Lingenfelter says. “I will miss her strength and power.” Ware County High School
Dinecia Howard is honored for scoring more than 1,000 points during her career at Ware County High School. Pictured (left to right) is Howard, with her mother, Felicia Howard, and WCHS girls basketball coach Mandy Lingenfelter holding the banner.
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