All-South Metro Football Team: Hand named Defensive POY

The 2018 high school football season saw many local student-athletes put together exceptional campaigns, and the inaugural Starnes Publishing All-South Metro team aims to honor those outstanding players.

From the Starnes Publishing coverage area, Pinson Valley won its second consecutive state championship, as the father-son and coach-quarterback dynamic between Patrick and Bo Nix capped off a record-breaking run. In Class 7A, Thompson knocked off Hoover to thwart the Bucs’ hopes of a three-peat. Clay-Chalkville, Briarwood, Hewitt-Trussville, Mountain Brook and Homewood also put together playoff seasons.

Hoover running back Larry McCammon is the Offensive Player of the Year, as the recent Florida Atlantic commit bruised opposing defenses to the tune of 1,413 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. He also racked up over 300 yards receiving and another touchdown.

Briarwood linebacker Mark Hand is the defensive player of the year, as the three-year starter and team captain capped off a stellar career for the Lions. Hand was named a finalist for Class 5A lineman of the year and his head coach, Fred Yancey, called him one of the best linebackers in school history. Hand racked up 138 tackles as the Lions’ reached the second round of the 5A playoffs.

Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager is the Coach of the Year, following what he dubbed a “surprising” season. The Spartans certainly surprised many by starting the season 7-0 and rode a dominant defense to a second-round playoff berth. During the year, Yeager registered his 100th win at Mountain Brook.

Briarwood head coach Fred Yancey earns the Career Achievement Award, as the longtime coach announced his retirement in November following 29 years as the Lions’ head coach. Over the last three years, Briarwood finished with a combined record of 35-6. Yancey’s teams posted a 278-94 record in his tenure. Matthew Forester was named his successor in late December.

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FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback: Bo Nix, senior, Pinson Valley; broke the state record for total offense in a career, surpassing 12,000 total yards. The Auburn signee threw for 3,496 yards and 48 touchdowns to lead the Indians to their second straight Class 6A championship. He also won Mr. Football as the state’s top player.

Running back: Larry McCammon, senior, Hoover; the Florida Atlantic commit had over 1,700 all-purpose yards and scored 17 touchdowns on the year.

Running back: Armoni Goodwin, sophomore, Hewitt-Trussville; ran for 1,458 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year with the Huskies.

Receiver: George Pickens, senior, Hoover; the dynamic athlete put together a big senior season, hauling in 73 passes for 1,368 yards and 16 touchdowns and returned a punt for a touchdown. He was also named a finalist for Class 7A back of the year.

Receiver: Ja’Varrius Johnson, senior, Hewitt-Trussville; piled up over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns for an explosive Huskies offense. He caught 87 passes for 1,683 yards.

Receiver: Keyonteze Johnson, junior, Pinson Valley; finished with 91 receptions for over 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns for the state champions.

Receiver: Michael Vice, senior, Vestavia Hills; the three-year starter caught 25 passes for 482 yards and five touchdowns and was selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.

Offensive line: Pierce Quick, senior, Hewitt-Trussville; registered over 100 knockdowns and won Class 7A Lineman of the Year, awarded by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Offensive line: Ellis Adams, senior, Hoover: graded out at 92 percent for the season, racking up 47 knockdowns without allowing a sack.

Offensive line: Trent Howard, junior, Briarwood; two-year starter whose head coach, Fred Yancey, calls the “finest offensive lineman I’ve had the privilege to coach.”

Offensive line: Michael Mancuso, senior, Mountain Brook; recorded 61 knockdowns and 27 pancakes while allowing just three sacks all season.

Offensive line: Clay Collins, senior, Oak Mountain; two-year starter at guard that has accepted a preferred walk-on spot at UAB.

Kicker/punter: Will Reichard, senior, Hoover; the Alabama signee converted 27-of-31 field goal attempts (long of 54) and made all 109 of his extra point tries. He also sent 99 percent of his kickoffs through the end zone for touchbacks.

Athlete: JR Tran-Reno, senior, Briarwood; the most versatile player in school history, according to Yancey. The Vanderbilt signee rushed for 439 yards and caught 22 passes for 366 yards on the year, totaling 20 touchdowns.

Defense

Defensive line: DJ Dale, senior, Clay-Chalkville; the Alabama signee capped off his career with another strong season, leading the charge for another outstanding Cougars defense.

Defensive line: Eric Taylor, junior, Hewitt-Trussville; racked up 10 tackles for loss and three sacks. He also returned an interception for a touchdown against Hoover.

Defensive line: Antoine McGhee, senior, Homewood; anchored the middle of a stout defensive line, piling up a whopping 21.5 tackles for loss on the year to go along with 7.5 sacks.

Linebacker: Greg Russell, senior, Hoover; led the Bucs with 121 tackles on the season, including 12 for loss. He also had three sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Linebacker: Mark Hand, senior, Briarwood; led the Lions with 138 tackles on the year, including 5.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. He also picked off three passes and scored three touchdowns on the year.

Linebacker: Clark Griffin, junior, Mountain Brook; led a strong Spartans defense with 74 solo tackles, four forced fumbles and two touchdowns.

Linebacker: John Firnberg, senior, Homewood; tallied 16.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interception and two fumble recoveries for the Patriots.

Defensive back: Creed Parker, senior, Hewitt-Trussville; was the team’s leading tackler with 98 on the season. He also intercepted six passes for the Huskies.

Defensive back: GaQuincy McKinstry, sophomore, Pinson Valley; picked off six passes, but made an impact on both sides of the ball. He caught eight touchdowns as a receiver.

Defensive back: Alex Washington, senior, Mountain Brook; intercepted two passes and guarded the opponent’s best receiver in his first season of organized football.

Defensive back: Will Brooks, senior, Vestavia Hills; intercepted four passes and picked up 51 tackles on the year.

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SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback: Paul Tyson, senior, Hewitt-Trussville; set the school record in passing yards and touchdowns with a strong senior season. He threw for 3,193 yards and 33 touchdowns for the Huskies.

Running back: Jalen Henderson, senior, Spain Park; scored 16 touchdowns and rushed for 1,010 yards for the Jags, while carrying the ball over 200 times. He was also selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.

Running back: Cooper Bishop, senior, Vestavia Hills; rushed for 1,166 yards and 16 touchdowns as the Rebels’ primary rushing option.

Receiver: Dazalin Worsham, junior, Hewitt-Trussville; eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving and scored 13 touchdowns on 87 grabs.

Receiver: Demarion Holloman, senior, Pinson Valley; caught 20 touchdowns and finished just shy of 1,000 yards receiving on the year.

Receiver: Marcus McGhee, senior, Homewood; led the Patriots with 66 receptions, racking up 698 yards and five touchdowns.

Receiver: Trae Ausmer, junior, Homewood; the 5-foot-6 speedster burst onto the scene in 2018, catching 62 passes for 707 yards and three touchdowns.

Offensive line: Jack Jones, senior, Clay-Chalkville; anchored a line for a strong Cougars offense that advanced to the semifinals for the second straight season.

Offensive line: David Bodden, junior, Hoover; graded out at 95 percent and picked up 41 knockdowns as the Bucs’ center.

Offensive line: Grayson Kelley, senior, Homewood; graded at 88 percent for the season, registering 19 pancakes and giving up just one sack.

Offensive line: William Mote, senior, Spain Park; three-year starter and Samford commit graded out at 88 percent on the year, with 20 pancakes.

Offensive line: Gabe Wood, senior, John Carroll; made an impact on both sides of the ball, as one of the Cavs’ top offensive and defensive linemen.

Kicker/punter: Parker Colburn, senior, Hewitt-Trussville; converted on 9-of-12 field goal attempts (long of 40) and made 58-of-62 extra point attempts as a four-year starter.

Athlete: Luke Percer, senior, Oak Mountain; rushed for 956 yards and 11 touchdowns, and caught 18 passes for 134 yards. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Hewitt-Trussville.

Defense

Defensive line: Dalton Brooks, senior, Briarwood; caused problems in the backfield all season, notching 4.5 sacks, 20 quarterback pressures, 15.5 tackles for loss and two blocked punts.

Defensive line: Cedric Tooson, senior, Spain Park; tallied 46 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and six sacks, in his final season with the Jags.

Defensive line: Hunter Salmon, senior, Vestavia Hills; totaled just 40 tackles, but registered 12 tackles for loss and five sacks on the year.

Linebacker: Jeppa Kilgore, junior, Hoover; racked up 113 tackles as part of a strong middle tier of the Bucs’ defense.

Linebacker: Colton Yeager, senior, Mountain Brook; the three-year starter tallied seven tackles for loss and recorded 41 solo tackles despite missing two games.

Linebacker: Traveon Allen, senior, Homewood; racked up 18.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks for a strong Patriots defense.

Linebacker: Rob Barrentine, senior, Vestavia Hills; was the Rebels’ leading tackler with 70 tackles and picked up 12 tackles for loss and five sacks.

Defensive back: Jaylin Mack, senior, Clay-Chalkville; helped lead the Cougars back to the Class 6A semifinals for the second straight year.

Defensive back: Jabari Moore, senior, Hoover; picked off a pair of passes and recovered four fumbles in his final season for the Bucs.

Defensive back: Myles Spurling, senior, Hoover; intercepted two passes and recovered three fumbles for the Bucs.

Defensive back: Cade Dickinson, senior, Briarwood; tallied 60 tackles, five pass break-ups, two interceptions and a blocked punt for the Lions.

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HONORABLE MENTION

Quarterback: Willie Miller, Clay-Chalkville; Robby Ashford, Hoover; Larkin Williams, Homewood; Evan Smith, Oak Mountain

Running back: Luke Prewett, Briarwood; AJ Gates, Mountain Brook

Receiver: Logan Pruett, Clay-Chalkville; Lando Nichols, Chelsea; Hamp Greene, Mountain Brook

Offensive line: Jaylen Hatcher, Pinson Valley; Hugh Lawson Joy, Mountain Brook; Douglas Thompson, Vestavia Hills

Defensive line: Cole Garner, Briarwood; Todd Justice, Chelsea; Jaylen Thomas, Oak Mountain

Linebacker: Kam Robinson, Hoover; Cal Reebals, Briarwood; Jacob Fitzgerald, Oak Mountain; Josh Wallace, Spain Park; Crawford Doyle, Homewood.

Defensive back: Drew Heller, Clay-Chalkville; Malachi Moore, Hewitt-Trussville; Deshazio Williams, Pinson Valley; Grant Griffin, Mountain Brook

Kicker/punter: Noah Nall, Briarwood; Cooper Neal, Chelsea

Athlete: Kenyon Hines, Spain Park; Isaiah Ambroise, John Carroll

Offensive Player of the Year: Larry McCammon, Hoover

Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Hand, Briarwood

Coach of the Year: Chris Yeager, Mountain Brook

Career Achievement Award: Fred Yancey, Briarwood

Starnes Publishing produces seven monthly publications (280 Living, Hoover Sun, Village Living, The Homewood Star, Vestavia Voice, Cahaba Sun, Iron City Ink) and its sports coverage consists primarily of high school athletics at Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Homewood, John Carroll, Hewitt-Trussville, Clay-Chalkville and Pinson Valley.