Scoring machine Javonte Howard wins ACA Athlete of the Week

CAMPTI, La. (KALB) - Lakeview’s Javonte Howard is a five-foot nine-inch point guard that plays with the heart of a lion.

In his senior year, he led the team in scoring 16 points a game. This season, even though he dropped a team-high 25 in the semifinal round, it’s the loss to end the senior year that still haunts him.

“It’s the end of my high school career, and I don’t have a chance to get another ring,” said Javonte. “I just feel like I didn’t get the job done and bring back a championship to Lakeview.”

However, Howard did something that most wouldn’t do and that’s challenging himself. He was not allowed to shoot the ball in his freshmen and sophomore year. Now, he leaves as the Gators as one of the top scorers and it was all due to the hard work he put in over the summer.

“All I did was play defense back,” said Javonte. “I didn’t let the coach know I have been working on my game over the summer. Going to AAU practices and doing everything I can do to fit in and be better for the team, that’s all I wanted to do.”

Beyond the court, Javonte struggled in the early part of his career, not knowing if the sports were for him. But, something clicked and now he is happy to see the man he has become not only for his teammates, but for himself.

“I turned into something I didn’t see back in the days,“ said Javonte. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t see myself coming back after my 11th-grade year. I felt I was going to be the same person, just playing defense because I thought I wasn’t going to fit in on the court, but I adjusted to the game, and I turned into a beast.”

Head coach Brian Williams said there is a lot he is going to miss about his star point guard. The one thing that sticks out is his ability to push himself mentally about the game.

“It doesn’t matter what I say, he is going to challenge it,” said Brian. “I like it because it shows that he wants to understand the game. I’m going to miss that because it shows a lot of growth and IQ on the court.”

Javonte’s heart, mindset and ability to push himself are what earned him our ACA Athlete of the Week honors.

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