Walters-Smith earns All-State honors
Apr. 1—MOULTRIE — Colquitt County's Amira Walters-Smith continues to earn accolades after her outstanding junior season for the Colquitt County girls basketball team.
Walters-Smith was named the Region 1-7A Offensive Player of the Year after averaging 17.0 points a game while leading the Lady Packers to a 23-6 record and a first-round state tournament victory over Archer.
She also has joined Taylor Rietveld of Camden County and Aryana Thomas of Lowndes on the Georgia Athletic Coaches All-South Georgia team.
Walters-Smith also received honorable mention on the Atlanta-Journal Constitution's All-Class 7A team.
Rietveld also received honorable mention on the team All-Class 7A team, which was dominated by undefeated state champion Grayson.
The Rams' Danielle Carnegie was named the All-Classification Player of the Year and the Class 7A Player of Year.
Grayson's Tim Slater was named the Class 7A Coach of the Year.
Erin Rodgers and Tatum Brown of Grayson were named to the All-Class 7A team and teammate Malaya Jones received honorable mention.
Walters-Smith will be one of the top returning players in the state next season.
Although the 2023-2024 season was her first at Colquitt County, she already has scored 1,600 points in her high school career.
She played her freshman season at Camilla's Westwood School, a Georgia Independent Athletic Association program in Camilla, where she scored 448 points and averaged 17.2 points a game.
As a sophomore, she moved to Mitchell County High School, where she scored 660 points and averaged 22.8 points a game.
At Mitchell County, she scored 30 or more points in a game 10 times and had 42 against Quitman County and 35 against both Miller County and Pataula Charter Academy.
Although Colquitt County lost seniors D'Zeriyah Polite, Nyleigha Knighton, Jamya Moore, Ameris Johnson and Dalivia McBride from the 2023-2024 team, Walters-Smith and Amareyia Knighton, who averaged 13.7 last season, will be back as seniors next season.
Knighton is just 25 points away from reaching 1,000 for her Lady Packers career.
