The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com
Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com
PAGE 5B May 2024
Guntersville Soccer Field Named in Honor of Mike Jones Wildcat Soccer Teams Fall in 2024 State Playoffs
Buckhorn High School sophomore Caleb Holt and Spring Garden High School junior Ace Austin have been named 2024 Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball. Holt is the first sophomore to win the Mr. Basketball Award in its 42-year history. He led the Bucks, Coached by Patrick Harding, to back-to-back Class 6A state championships as a freshman and sophomore. Holt averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.4 assists for the Bucks (23-5) this past season. He was named MVP of the Class 6A state tournament and both the Gatorade and MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year. “It feels great being honored with 6A Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball,” he said. “The Alabama sports writers put a lot of hard work into these awards. It’s special for me to receive both of them.” Holt scored 1,798 points in his high school basketball career and he is Buckhorn’s first Mr. Basketball winner. He was also named to the ASWA Super All-State team, the top five players in the state regardless of classification or position. He was joined by Hoover’s DeWayne Brown, Huntsville’s Caleb Harrison, Mountain Brook’s Ty Davis, and Valley’s Cam Dooley. Austin led Spring Garden to the Class 1A state championship three times in her five years with the school's varsity program. She also helped the team's overall record improve to 167-9. She is just the third junior selected for the award in its 35-year history. Austin also earned Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year in 2024 and was named ASWA Class 1A Girls’ Player of Year for the second year in a row. Austin averaged 19.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists with 117 steals, converting 239-of-480 field goals for 50 percent while making 83-of-111 from 3-point range for 37 percent. Spring Garden finished 33-1 in 2024. Panthers head coach Ricky Austin is Ace’s father, and her mother Dana Austin is an assistant coach. Dana teamed with her twin sister Jana in high school to capture Spring Garden’s first girls’ state basketball championship in 1987. Both earned All-America status in high school and played collegiately at Jacksonville State University. Ricky Austin earned a berth in the state tourney at Spring Garden as a senior in his school and has directed the Lady Panthers to eight state titles while compiling a 754- 168 career record through 2024. Ace, who was named after former University of Tennessee guard Ace Clement, has compiled 2,901 points, 1,058 rebounds and 1,175 assists in her career with another year remaining. The only juniors to win the award previously were Eufaula’s Gwen Jackson in 1998 and West Morgan’s Hayden Hamby in 2011. The ASWA 2024 Girls’ Super All-State Team is anchored by Austin, Hazel Green’s Leah Brooks, Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter, Good Hope’s Ivey Maddox, and Mars Hill eighth grader Belle Hill. Austin and Brooks were also Super All-State last season. A total of 48 players, three girls’ and three boys’ finalists in each of the AHSAA’s seven classifications and one class in the AISA. Boys’ and girls’ players of the year were named in each classification. The ASWA’s 2024 winners and finalists in classifications 1-7 include: Class 1A Girls Ace Austin, Spring Garden (Player of the Year) Sarah Davis, Shoals Christian Kaina King, Skyline Class 1A Boys Trey Kellogg, Covenant Christian (Player of the Year) Class 2A Girls Belle Hill, Mars Hill Bible (Player of the Year) Katelyn St.Clair, Sand Rock Ella Wheeler, Sulligent Class 2A Boys Carson Thrasher, Mars Hill Bible (Player of the Year) JaKaleb Faulk, Highland Home Vederrian Story, LaFayette Class 3A Girls Maddie Smith, Trinity Presbyterian (Player of the Year) Ava Card, Saint James Sawyer Kate Hulgan, Plainview Class 3A Boys Trey Simpson, Hillcrest-Evergreen (Player of the Year) Emmanuel Clarton, Sumter Central Jonathan Fitch, Sumter Central Class 4A Girls Ivey Maddox, Good Hope (Player of the Year) Kayden Carr, Prattville Christian Reece Davis, Deshler Class 4A Boys Micah Caster, Jackson (Player of the Year) Davis Dare, American Christian Evan Griffin, Geneva Class 5A Girls Missy Odom, Jasper (Player of the Year) Mia Hollingsworth, Jasper Tamya Smith, Pleasant Grove Class 5A Boys Cam Dooley, Valley (Player of the Year) Nasir Cheatham, Georgiana Javen Poindexter, Red Level Class 6A Girls Leah Brooks, Hazel Green (Player of the Year) Jareah Branch, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa Tamiria Jones, Huffman Class 6A Boys Caleb Holt, Buckhorn (Player of the Year) Ty Davis, Mountain Brook Peyton Wiggins, Huffman Class 7A Girls Jordan Hunter, Hewitt-Trussville (Player of the Year) Syriah Daniels, Auburn Jabria Lindsey, Central-Phenix City Class 7A Boys Dewayne Brown, Hoover (Player of the Year) Caleb Harrison, Huntsville |Jacoby Hill, Central-Phenix City Terrel Johnson ,Vigor Joshia Jones, Fairfield 2024 Mr and Miss Basketball Awards
The soccer field at Guntersville High School has been named in honor of Guntersville High School teacher and head girls’ soccer coach Mike Jones. During the event Jones was honored for his outstanding coaching career, as well as him major positive impact on the many student-athletes he has mentored throughout his 17-year tenure at GHS. Jones has a 264-48 coaching record at Guntersville. He has led Guntersville’s soccer team to three state titles (Class 1A-4A in 2008 and 2010 and Class 4A-5A in 2016). His teams also reached the state championship match in 2011 and 2018. Prior to this year, his Wildcat program has reached the AHSAA State Soccer Final 4 a total of 12 times and the his team's have been Area Champs 16 times. The 2024 Guntersville Varsity Girls soccer team reached the State Semifinals. The girls program opened the state playoffs with a 3-2 victory over Russellville and went on to defeat East Limestone 2-0 in the second round. However, Guntersville fell to Springville 4-1 in the state semifinals. Springville went on to defeat Gulf Shores 5-2 to win the Class 5A Girls State Championship. Guntersville's varsity boys finished as the Class 5A State Runner-up. The Wildcats forced Gulf Shores into overtime in the championship game, but came up just short, falling 3-2. The varsity boys program reached the state finals with wins over Brewer, Russellville, and Southside.
Photo Courtesy of AHSAA
Guntersville High School girls’ soccer coach Mike Jones displays a sign that was recently unveiled in his honor.
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Guntersville High School Senior Ashley Zeisset in action during the opening round of the 2024 Class 5A AHSAA State Playoffs.
Photos Courtesy of FPHS
Fort Payne's Luke Stephens has committed to play basketball at the University of Montevallo in the fall of 2024. He has had a four-year career at FPHS and was most recently coached by Robi Coker. Stephens averaged 19 points, three assists, seven rebounds, and two steals per game while with the Wildcat's program. As a senior, Stephens helped lead Fort Payne to a 25-4 record while averaging 16 points, five assists, six rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. In 2023, Stephens was named an All-State Honorable Mention selection and North-South All-Star game selection. He plans to study Exercise Science. Showing support for his decision during a recent signing day was his FPHS teammates and coaches. FPHS Standout Headed To Montevallo
Fort Payne's Conner Kinsley and Ruthie Jones have both been selected for the 2024 Ledger Leader Awards. Conner plays football and track and participates in numerous clubs at FPHS. He has a 4.43 weighted GPA and 32 ACT score. Ruthie is on the Track and Field and Cross Country Teams. She won the 2021 4x400 State Championship. She has a 4.48 GPA and a 31 ACT Score. 2024 Fort Payne Ledger Leaders
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