By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — Biloxi’s Zaniyah Johnson is the SouthMiss6 Sports “Girls Prep Basketball Player of the Year” for the 2025-2026 season.

Each season, the sports staff here at SouthMiss6 Sports, along with a few selected local head coaches, vote on both a female and male “POY” in the “Southern Six” and Johnson was the unanimous selection for the second straight season on the female side.

The award is sponsored annually by David Baria, Attorney-Mediator.

Johnson, the 6-foot-5, standout junior center, has led the Lady Indians to a sparkling 28-1 record so far this season and a Region 4-7A title for the second straight season. Biloxi is on a program record 27 game win streak as it heads into the Class 7A South State playoffs later this week.

Johnson was named to the prestigious “Dandy Dozen” team for the second straight season as well. This season, she is averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots per game.

She is receiving national attention for her play from some of the most prestigious college basketball programs in the nation. Rated as a 5-star prospect by the 24/7Sports Composite, and as the 13th overall prospect for the Class on 2027 by ESPN , she was also named to the national Naismith 2025-2026 Girls’ High School POY Underclassmen Watch List prior to this season.

Johnson has offers from South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Auburn, Texas Tech, Arizona, Miami and quite a few others with still a year of high school ball left to play.

Johnson is rated as a 5-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite. She “owns a 6’4″ frame that allows her to command the frontcourt. She is able to finish through contact with ease…” according to one national recruiting service.

Yet another says “Johnson has the type of legitimate size that colleges nationwide covet in the frontcourt. She is more than capable of serving as a force around the paint.”

Johnson has made quite an impact on opposing head coaches as well.

“Big ‘Z’ has emerged as one of the premier players in the nation, a testament to her relentless work ethic and unwavering commitment to growth.” St. Martin head coach Jason Kennedy said. “She embraces coaching, applies feedback immediately, and continues to elevate every facet of her game. Beyond her skill development, she competes with poise, grace, and genuine humility — qualities that make her impact just as strong off the court as it is on it.”

Kennedy wasn’t alone in his praise for the stalwart.

“A player of her size, athletic ability, and coachability is rarely ever seen,” Ocean Springs head coach Jonathan Lawler said. “She impacts games in ways that very few others can, and because of that it makes her one of the top players in the country. Besides the two or three times a year we play against her, she is fun to watch.”

Johnson and her Lady Indian squad start their quest for a second straight trip to the overall Class 7A Final Four Friday night at home against Pearl.

The Baria Law Firm, the Gulf Coast branch of Cosmich, Simmons and Brown, provides a beacon of trust and reliability in a complex legal landscape. Our firm’s unwavering dedication to you is at the core of everything we do. Choose David Baria of Baria Law as your legal ally, and let us handle the details while you focus on what matters most. Reach out to David at 228-395-8303 or dbaria@barialaw.com and at https://barialaw.com.