Staff Reports
JACKSONVILLE – Curry’s Ambrey Taylor and Hewitt-Trussville’s Steele Hall won the state’s biggest high school baseball and softball awards Sunday, while Fruitdale’s Sid Hobbs was applauded for his fight vs. cancer.
Hall was named Mr. Baseball, Taylor won Miss Softball, and Hobbs was honored with this year’s Jimmy Smothers Courage Award by the Alabama Sports Writers Association at its annual convention.
The Smothers Award is named for the late Jimmy Smothers, a longtime sports editor of the Gadsden Times, and goes to a high school athlete who overcame adversity and starred in their sport.
Hobbs, in the midst of this baseball season, learned his cancer had returned for a seventh time. The next day, he played in a game and reached base with each at-bat.
Hobbs finished all but one game before beginning treatment in Memphis and ended the season with a .444 average with 15 steals in 16 attempts in 14 games.
Taylor had one of the best seasons in national high school history, leading Curry to a Class 4A runner-up finish and a 54-5 record.
According to the National Federation record book, Taylor’s 103 runs scored rank first and her 100 RBIs rank second all-time. Her 26 home runs tie for only fourth.
Taylor hit .597 with .662 on-base and 1.267 slugging percentages.
Hall posted a .484 batting average with 35 RBIs and 46 runs scored on 37 games, helping the Huskies reach the Class 7A quarterfinals and finish with a 33-4 record.
His 27 extra-base hits included eight home runs and gave him an .871 slugging percentage. Hall recorded a .554 on-base percentage.
Hall has signed with Tennessee, and Taylor has signed with Alabama.
MISS SOFTBALL
Ambrey Taylor, Curry
MR. BASEBALL
Steele Hall, Hewitt-Trussville
JIMMY SMOTHERS COURAGE AWARD
Sid Hobbs, Fruitdale
SUPER ALL-STATE
(top 10 players regardless of classification)
Softball
Ambrey Taylor, Curry
Gerritt Griggs, Central-Phenix City
Gracie Dees, Saraland
KG Favors, Orange Beach
Vic Moten, Daphne
Emily Needham, St. James
Corey Goguts, Hewitt-Trussville
Lilly Bethune, West Limestone
Ava Hodo, Orange Beach
Kendall Trimm, Moody
Baseball
Steele Hall, Hewitt-Trussville
Eric Hines, American Christian
Mason McCraine, Glenwood
Aiden Poe, Vincent
Aiden Hughes, Chelsea
Garrett Reid, Deshler
Jace Meadows, Hartselle
Tanner Hermesch, Bob Jones
Rock Gearhart, Fairhope
Demetrius Hardnett, Lakeside
