Staff Reports

Spring Garden sophomore point guard Ace Austin, Sand Rock senior point guard Jacob StClair and Piedmont senior point guard Alex Odam all wear the number 1, but that isn’t the only thing they have in common.

All three basketball players have been selected as finalists for the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Players of the Year banquet. The awards are sponsored by Alfa Insurance.

The winners, Super All-State and Mr. and Miss Basketball will be named at an April 6 luncheon banquet sponsored by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association. The banquet will be held at the Montgomery Renaissance.

Austin averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 4.9 steals for the Class 1A state champion Spring Garden Lady Panthers (36-1). She is a 1A girls finalist along with Linden senior center Timya Thurman and Elba sophomore guard A’Lyric Whitfield.

Thurman averaged 22.5 points, 15.2 rebounds and four assists for the Lady Patriots. She is an Auburn signee. Whitfield averaged 23.4 points, five rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Lady Tigers (25-6).

StClair averaged 27 points, 6.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and a steal per game in leading the Wildcats (22-11) to their first Final Four berth since 2011. Joining StClair as a 2A boys finalist is Aliceville senior guard Jatavius Colvin and North Sand Mountain senior forward Chandler Sullivan.

Colvin averaged 17 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the state champion Yellow Jackets (21-1). Sullivan averaged 19.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Bison (25-6).

Odam, a Jacksonville State signee, averaged 25.6 points, 9.2 boards, 7.1 assists and 2.5 steals for the Bulldogs (25-6). Joining Odam as a 3A boys finalist is Plainview senior forward Luke Smith and Cottage Hill senior forward Tyler Thomas.

Smith averaged 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the state champion Bears (27-6). He is an Alabama-Huntsville signee. Thomas averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Warriors (25-3). He is a UAB football signee.

The complete list of finalists is below.

CLASS 7A GIRLS

Syriah Daniels, Auburn

Reniya Kelly, Hoover

Jabria Lindsey, Central-Phenix City

CLASS 6A GIRLS

Jazmyn Bigham, Theodore

Leah Brooks, Hazel Green

Takya Norman, Carver-Montgomery

CLASS 5A GIRLS

Julie Nekolna, Holtville

Tamya Smith, Pleasant Grove

Olivia Vandergriff, Guntersville

CLASS 4A GIRLS

Hannah Jones, Prattville Christian

Naomi Jones, Jackson

Chloe Siegel, Deshler

CLASS 3A GIRLS

Jorda Crook, Ohatchee

Cali Smallwood, Susan Moore

Emma Kate Smith, Trinity

CLASS 2A GIRLS

Belle Hill, Mars Hill Bible

Briley Merrill, Ranburne

Macey Roper, Pleasant Valley

CLASS 1A GIRLS

Ace Austin, Spring Garden

Timya Thurman, Linden

A’Lyric Whitfield, Elba

AISA GIRLS

Lindsey Brown, Edgewood

Grace Davis, Clarke Prep

Takayla Davis, Glenwood

 

CLASS 7A BOYS

Jacoby Hill, Central-Phenix City

Win Miller, Vestavia Hills

Labaron Philon, Baker

CLASS 6A BOYS

Ty Davis, Mountain Brook

Caleb Holt, Buckhorn

Caleb White, Pinson Valley

CLASS 5A BOYS

Austin Cross, Charles Henderson

Cam-Ron Dooley, Valley

Brandon Fussell, Guntersville

CLASS 4A BOYS

KJ Anderson, Deshler

John Broom, Jacksonville

Chase McCarty, Westminster-Huntsville

CLASS 3A BOYS

Alex Odam, Piedmont

Luke Smith, Plainview

Tyler Thomas, Cottage Hill

CLASS 2A BOYS

Jatavius Colvin, Aliceville

Jacob StClair, Sand Rock

Chandler Sullivan, North Sand Mountain

CLASS 1A BOYS

Thomas Curlee, Faith-Anniston

Trey Kellogg, Covenant Christian

Jaden Nixon, Autaugaville

AISA BOYS

Lukas Holman, Glenwood

Joseph Horne, Lee-Scott

Jacob Wilson, Macon-East