SPORTS LEDGER Read Free Online at www.TheSportsLedger.com The PAGE 6 May 2022 SSCC Softball Advances to DI Championship By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The Snead State
Softball team has advanced to the Division 1 NJCAA National Championship Tournament which is set for May 23-28 in Yuma, Arizona. Snead State punched its ticket by winning the 2022 NJCAA Mid-Atlantic District Championship. The Lady Parsons picked up two wins over Spartanburg Methodist to claim the Mid-Atlantic title. Snead State also recently claimed the runner-up spot in the Alabama Community College Conference softball championship. Snead lost the championship game 8-0 to Wallace-Hanceville. Following the 2022 conference tournament Madison Wright and Molly Pendley earned First Team All-Region honors and they qualify for All-American honors. Blakely Burr and Aaliyah Byrd were Second Team All-Region selectees.
Submitted Photo
The Snead State Community College Softball Team finished as runner-up at the 2022 Alabama Community College Conference Tournament. With the win Snead State advanced to and won the NJCAA Mid-Atlantic District Championship. The program has advanced to the NJCAA National Softball Tournament on May 23-28 in Yuma, Arizona.
Albertville Student Athletes Earn Ledger Leader Honors
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Each year The Sports Ledger honors rising junior student athletes around Northeast Alabama who have excelled both on and off the playing field. To receive this honor each student must have a 3.80 or better GPA. The students must compete in various athletics and school organizations, and also be involved in the community. Two Albertville High School junior athletes have been selected for the 2022 Ledger Leader award, along with students from other schools that will be mentioned on the following pages of this edition.
Sarah McCullars and Tillman Troy Plunkett are the 2022 Albertville representatives. Sara is a member of the Aggie Golf program and she has a 3.8 GPA. She is both the SGA and Junior Civitans President. She has worked as an Aggie Mentor and with Blessings in a Backpack. Additionally she is involved with Interact, FBLA, NHS, and Aggie Leadership. Tillman is a multi- sport star for the Albertville Aggies, competing in football, basketball, and track. He has also played Baseball and Golf.
Sarah McCullars
Tillman Troy Plunkett
In addition to athletics he has challenged himself academically by taking AP courses and Dual Enrollment Classes and with a 3.878 GPA he has been successful in this endeavor.
He is also a member of
the NHS and FLBA.
Outside of the school, Tillman has helped with the Miracle League and Youth Sports. He also takes time to help his family and he is involved in his church.
Ready, Set, Swing! Jonah Dutra attempts to hit the ball during a recent youth baseball game in Guntersville. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Seven Alabama Players Drafted The University of Alabama football program had seven former players selected at the 2022 NFL Draft, including Jalyn Armour-Davis (No. 119, Baltimore Ravens) who heard his name called in the fourth and final round, while the Crimson Tide has had at least seven draft picks for 11 straight years (2012 – present).
With the selection of Neal and Williams on the opening night of the draft, head coach Nick Saban has now produced 46 first-rounders in his career, including 41 at Alabama. Those 41 selections have all come in the last 14 years. The players drafted in the opening round are below: Draft Pick NFL Team College Team 1. Travon Walker Jacksonville Georgia 2. Aidan Hutchinson Detroit Michigan 3. Derek Stingley Jr. Houston LSU 4. Sauce Gardner NY Jets Cincinnati 5. Kayvon Thibodeaux NY Giants Oregon 6. Ikem Ekwonu Carolina NC State 7. Evan Neal NY Giants Alabama 8. Drake London Atlanta USC 9. Charles Cross Seattle Miss State 10. Garrett Wilson NY Jets Ohio State 11. Chris Olave New Orleans Ohio State 12. Jameson Williams Detroit Alabama 13. Jordan Davis Philadelphia Georgia 14. Kyle Hamilton Baltimore Notre Dame 15. Kenyon Green Houston Texas A&M 16. Johan Dotson Washington Penn State 17. Zion Johnson LA Chargers Boston 18. Treylon Burks Tennessee Arkansas 19. Trevor Penning New Orleans N. Iowa 20. Kenny Pickett Steelers Pitt Panthers 21. Trent McDuffie Kansas City Washington 22. Quay Walker Green Bay Georgia 23. Kaiir Elam Buffalo Bills Florida 24. Tyler Smith Dallas Tulsa 25. Tyler Linderbaum Baltimore Iowa 26. Jermaine Johnson II NY Jets Florida State 27. Devin Lloyd Jacksonville Utah 28. Devonte Wyatt Green Bay Georgia 29. Cole Strange New England UTC 30. George Karlaftis Kansas City Purdue 31. Daxton Hill Cincinnati Michigan 32. Lewis Cine Minnesota Georgia
The Former Crimson Tide defensive back joined offensive lineman Evan Neal (No. 7, New York Giants), wide receiver Jameson Williams (No. 12, Detroit Lions), wide receiver John Metchie III (No. 44, Houston Texans), defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis (No. 47, Washington Commanders), linebacker Christian Harris (No. 75, Houston) and running back Brian Robinson Jr. (No. 98, Washington). Since 2009, Alabama has produced 111 draft picks, the most by any college football program during that span,
Jacksonville State will face college football's other Gamecocks in 2023, when it will travel to play South Carolina on No. 4 in Williams-Brice Stadium. South Carolina, a member of the Southeastern Conference, announced on Wednesday that it would host the other NCAA school to share its nickname. The matchup will be the first between the two schools on the gridiron and marks the JSU's first game with a Power 5 program after making the move to the Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2023 season. "This is an exciting opportunity for our football program and our University," JSU Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "This will be our first game against the SEC after moving up to the FBS and this is the type of opportunity that we envisioned when we decided to make that move. It will be a fun atmosphere for our team and our fans and will be exciting to square off against the other Gamecocks in college football." USC will be Jacksonville State's first game against a member of the Southeastern Conference since 2016, when JSU played LSU. South Carolina will be the eighth SEC team to host JSU in football. The 2023 season will be Jacksonville State's first in the FBS and first in Conference USA. The Gamecocks will join Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston as the newest members of C-USA for the 2023-24 academic year. JSU Head Football Coach Rich Rodriguez Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger Jax State To Play South Carolina
Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal (73) Photo by Evan Pilat, UA Athletics
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker