Video: Student Athlete of the Week: Garrison Howell, Houston HS, Baseball

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) — Garrison Howell has been playing baseball for the Houston Hilltoppers since the seventh grade. He also played basketball a year and quarterback in football for three years, but he’s focused on baseball right now and will continue his career on scholarship next year at Northeast Community College.

“It’s more like a family than a team up there and they have a great relationship with their coaches and I have a great relationship with Coach Scott and Coach Harrleson up there, so that’s what got me, said Student Athlete Garrison Howell.”

Garrison’s favorite subject is U.S. History and he wants to major in Secondary Education and become a head coach one day.”

“I just can’t imagine not being around the game, so that’s an excuse for me to be around the game as long as possible,” said Howell.

Houston has played in the North-Half Finals in 2000, 2006, 2014 and this year, but they’ve never won it and made it to the State Championship series. Howell is a key part of this year’s effort to clear that hurdle.

“He’s the guy that’s going to lead on an off the field. When we need things done he’s one of the first guys to get up and make sure it gets done. He’s always grabbing guys to help him out. He’s never the guy pointing fingers,” said Head Coach Scott Gann.

“He works harder or just as hard as anybody else on this team,” said teammate Denver Mcqueary.

“He’s been a great leader and he’s been a great stick for us these last two years and he always gets the team up and we all rally around him,” said teammate Reid Carter.

Howell’s roots run deep in Houston. His mother Leigh Ann Howell was a cheerleader at Houston and his father Thomas Howell played baseball for the Hilltoppers.