VALDOSTA –– It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Lowndes Vikettes guard Mikyla Woods is a firm believer in that philosophy. Woods’ journey started under former coach Brittany Bell, for whom she played her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. During her first three years, Woods spent much of her time as a reserve on Bell’s Vikettes squads.

Once Bell stepped down as coach of the Vikettes prior to last season, Woods found an opportunity under first-year head coach Antonia Tookes. The 5-foot-8 combo guard served as a team captain and helped lead the Vikettes to a 13-13 record this past season.

On Wednesday, Woods took another step forward in her journey –– signing a letter of intent to attend Central Georgia Tech in the fall.

“With Coach Bell, I thought she pushed me to do more than I thought I could do,” Woods said of her growth over her career at Lowndes. “After she left, Coach Tookes came and she was one of the coaches that was like, ‘You’re gonna do it because I know you can. Whatever you don’t do, I’m gonna get it out of you.’ I feel like I grew a lot compared to my ninth grade year and my 12th grade year –– averaging more points and everything.”

Woods and Tookes share a strong player-coach bond, as evidenced by Woods earning the role of team captain. Tookes opened the signing by expressing her thoughts on what Woods has meant to her, taking pride in Woods being the first player under her to sign with a school in her first year with the Vikings.

“I’ve only coached you for one year, but I feel like I’ve known you for 40 years,” Tookes said to Woods. “I hate to lose you. I wish you could come back one more year, but I know you can’t –– you’ve got to go on to bigger and better things. It’s a great opportunity for you and it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. I’m super proud of you and you’ll be my first signing here at Lowndes High School and that means a lot to me.

“She’s a very good person. Anything I asked her to do, she did it. She works hard, sets her goals and success will be yours. I love you.”

Woods hopes to bolster the Titans’ lineup led by coach Antonio Harris. The Titans finished last season 15-16, posting a 10-4 record at home and a 12-7 mark in conference play.

After having her recruiting visit and a tryout for Harris and his staff, Woods came away impressed.

“I went there for a tryout and I felt very welcomed,” Woods said of choosing CGTC. “I felt like they were there for me in terms of showing me what to do. It wasn’t like they were just there and saying, ‘Okay, let me see what you can do.’ They were more hands-on. They showed me around, I saw everything and I felt like it would be a perfect fit for me.”

In her senior season with the Vikettes, Woods averaged 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 20.7 minutes per game. As a combo guard, Woods shared time with fellow senior point guard Tiffany Smith, which allowed her to play off the ball and be a secondary playmaker.

Woods posted nine double-figure scoring games, highlighted by a season-high 16 points on Jan. 18 against region rival Tift County. In that game, Woods buried a season-high four 3-pointers in six attempts. Woods’ steal and rebound averages illustrate her impact on the defensive end as well –– Woods snagged at least four steals three times this past season and finished with a season-best 11 rebounds in another region game Feb. 7 against Tift County.

Since blossoming into a more featured player on both ends of the court for the Vikettes, Woods believes she fills a pressing need for the Titans moving forward.

“In terms of me playing there, they were needing some guards,” Woods said of the type of feedback she got from Harris. “It’s a two-year school so they needed guards and Coach Harris felt I could play both guard positions with my height and size. I’m a tall guard and I can play in the post so Coach feels I’ll fit in very well there. With playing time, once I get there and show what I can do, I think everything will be fine.”

Once enrolled, Woods plans to major in either criminal justice or sports medicine.

With her parents, Michael and Kourtney Woods, in attendance as well as Tookes, her friends and teammates, Woods spoke about what her signing day meant to her.

“It means a lot knowing that I can go to the next levels of school and play basketball at a higher level –– that’s something I’ve been planning to do my whole life,” Woods said. “It’s really exciting. I just want to thank everybody who pushed me to do this. … I’ll miss my teammates, definitely but more so, my coaching and my teachers. They were really there for me when I needed them. … It’s a great high school to go to and I’ll definitely miss it.

“This past year was exciting. I feel like I’ve done more this year than I’ve done in all my years. I’m just thankful. Thank God for letting me get this opportunity.”