Naya Burney is proud of her family heritage and where she came from, but she is also quick to point out that she is her own person.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell people all of the time that my last name doesn\u2019t define me,\u201d she said. \u201cCoach Bev Marley instilled that my freshman year at Southwest and that has stuck with me. It has made me who I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n
And what Burney is today is Jacksonville\u2019s head girls\u2019 basketball coach.<\/p>\n
Yes, that\u2019s right, someone with last name Burney \u2013 a name that\u2019s royalty in the Southwest High community \u2013 traded in the Stallions’ orange for the Cardinals\u2019 red.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say once a Stallion, always a Stallion, but I just didn\u2019t want to settle and sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. I feel like there\u2019s more out there,\u201d Burney said. \u201cIt never crossed my mind that I would ever coach at Jacksonville or even be coaching at all. But honestly, this is home, and I love it. They welcomed me with open arms, from the athletic director to my assistant coaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burney took over as coach from Kerry Pearce, who was 39-13 in two seasons at the helm before he stepped down to take another job outside of the area.<\/p>\n
In her first season, Burney has led Jacksonville to an 10-8 overall record and a 3-1 Big Carolina 6-A\/7-A Conference. The Cardinals enter Tuesday’s conference home game with J.H. Rose having won four of five.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are starting a foundation,\u201d Burney said. \u201cWe are looking to continue to rebuild this program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Burney was a three-sport athlete at Southwest, playing volleyball, basketball and softball at Southwest before she graduated in 2013. She returned to The Corral for one year in 2019 to help coach before she started working at Wilson Preparatory Academy.<\/p>\n
Then the Jacksonville girls\u2019 basketball job opened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came to me,\u201d Burney said. \u201cI thought about it and I prayed about it. I said maybe this was my time. This was my leap of faith … and it\u2019s been the best decision I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n
The animated Burney then smiled when asked how often she catches herself giving the same instructions to her players that she heard from Marley and other coaches during her high school days.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell the girls all the time that they act like I did. So, I guess I am getting my karma,\u201d Burney quipped. \u201cBut these girls have embraced me and we all have clicked. We are a family and we move as one.\u201d They want to work and they give it all to God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Izabella Hernandez believes Burney is a good fit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little nervous about her, but now I like how hard she pushes us,\u201d she said. \u201cShe stresses to us about not being complacent, being good teammates, having a family culture, not being selfish and playing hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that Hernandez is one of the Cardinals\u2019 key players in her third season as a starter as she averages 18.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.4 assists per game.<\/p>\n
But Jacksonville has other players who also contribute.<\/p>\n
Junior Destini Benton averages 12.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 1.1 assists while juniors Jamia Davis, Destiny Holmes and Karleigh Swann and senior Addison Whetzel also play solid roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told them at the beginning of the season that there will be some adjustments, but if we work together and play fundamentally as a team, the wins will take care of themselves,\u201d Burney said. \u201cIf I pour everything I have into them, they will pour everything they have into me. I believe in them and they believe in me and we will give it all we have.\u201d<\/p>\n