VH’s Owens chooses hoops at GSW

She’s earned the nickname “Tank” when she’s been out playing her favorite sports. Her initials indicate what happens to anyone who attempts to get in her way of helping her teams to victory.

A well-rounded student-athlete at Veterans High School, Khayla Owens went in the direction of the sport – basketball – relatively new to her when she committed to sign her national letter-of-intent with Georgia Southwestern State University.

Behind Owens, Veterans just won its first Region 2-AAAA championship in girls basketball, sat at No. 1 in state rankings and reached the GHSA Final Four all in her senior season. But before she ever bounced a basketball, Owens kicked a soccer ball into various nets since the age of 4 and is looking to get her other Lady Warhawk team into its second straight state title match before graduating.

In the world of club soccer – which she’s been involved with since age 11 – Owens was part of a team that’s traveled to Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina and even received an invitation to play in California. Add to that team basketball camps with the Lady Warhawks at all kinds of Georgia colleges, including Mercer.

“Never a dull moment,” said Owens. “Always busy, whether it’s soccer or basketball.”

Nicole Miranda, her basketball coach at Veterans, didn’t hold back in describing Owens as a “beast.” She called it a “badge of honor,” and nobody would argue when seeing how much aggression Owens brings to her performances.

“She was just a beast in there,” said Miranda. “That means you can’t stop me when my mind is right and my game is on.”

“They used to call me ‘Tank’ because I used to keep going and going,” said Owens. “That’s been a big part of me, just trying to be the fastest, trying to be the strongest. There have been people faster than me, but I stay up in the pack.”

Owens was a highly sought-after recruit in the collegiate soccer world, and she’s already been rewarded for her academic work with scholarships. She turned her attention to college basketball, and with the help of Miranda had visits and tryouts at a few schools in the NCAA Division II level, including Georgia Southwestern State in Americus.

“I just felt Georgia Southwestern was a fit for me,” said Owens. “I fell in love with basketball. It’s where I belong. The coaches and team at Georgia Southwestern made me feel at home.”

Owens’ last game for Miranda turned out to be a crushing heartbreaker, a loss to Carrollton High at West Georgia which denied the Lady Warhawks a shot at Buford and the AAAA title game.

“Crazy,” she said. “I think some of our girls got kind of nervous being in that kind of atmosphere. Carrollton made a great run at us, and it just didn’t go our way. We were up by 10 most of the game, and a crazy shot went in. It happens in basketball … I think it taught the girls a lot about humility and being able to take a loss and keep working harder. I think they will be great next year.

“If we had gotten to the championship, I believe we would have won. Buford is a great team, too, and would have been a good match-up.”

Owens finished her high school career as Veterans’ all-time leading scorer with 779 points, 292 coming as a senior. She had more than 200 rebounds last season, and in another school record she made 263 foul shots.

“When she came to me in the 9th grade, she was a raw athlete,” said Miranda. “She could jump out of the gym and was as fast as could be. When she got the ball, she could not keep her feet still. I know it was from all those years of soccer. Quick feet.

“At 5-8, she is undersized, but she used her athleticism, heart and grit.

“She wanted more to know about her rebounds and what it took for us to win. Always asking me what the next team has and what we need to do.”

One year ago, Owens and the Lady Warhawks had a crazy semifinal soccer win over Columbus in Perry but then ran into a powerful Marist club that took the final 3-0 in Kennesaw.

“Those girls are really good … from the front to the back,” said Owens, who sees that same talent on the club scene. “Stacked.”

The 2015 regular season concludes on April 22, and Veterans’ girls are unbeaten and ranked No. 5. Marist is sitting at No. 1 and 12-0, and the potential for a rematch would be in the playoff Elite 8 round. Owens said she’s hopeful to see what they have this year and how the Lady Warhawks measure up.

Owens does more than measure up academically, especially in her own family.

“My mom (Pam) wouldn’t let me live it down if I got a bad grade,” she said. “It helps me to be motivated in the classroom. Academics is the No. 1 priority.

“It’s either going to be (a major) in political science or biology. I love U.S. history. I took AP history with coach Sheppard. He really peaked my interest. I’ve always liked law shows, ‘Criminal Minds.’

“My brother majored in biology, and my other brother majored in chemistry. So it’s a long line of that. I think it’s interesting.”

She’s even a bit of an outdoors type who enjoys fishing and hiking. Church involvement and familyt time is also important to her.

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