White, Washington earn Player of the Year; three area coaches honored

Lee-Scott’s Jessie Washington and Loachapoka’s Tommy White Jr. already had a state title to show for their senior seasons.

Now they each have something else to put in the trophy case.

Washington was named the AISA girls Player of the Year and White got Class 1A boys Player of the Year honors, which were released in tandem with the all-state teams by the Alabama Sports Writers’ Association.

Washington, teammate Melissa Maddox and White were also the only area players to earn first-team honors.

White averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Indians this season, including 18 and 12 in their 53-37 title game win over Parkway Christian.

“I thought Tommy would do good this year, but I had no idea he’d be so good,” Loachapoka coach Terry Murph said. “He was our go-to guy inside.”

Washington averaged 20.7 points per game for the Warriors and made 127 3-pointers this season. She scored 32 points in Lee-Scott’s 71-49 title game win over Taylor Road, and was named MVP of the AISA All-Star game a week later.

“She was incredible all year,” Lee-Scott coach Chad Prewett said. “You knew you were going to get 20 or so from her every night. Sometimes more.”

Murph and Prewett also earned Coach of the Year honors for guiding their teams to state championships, along with Smiths Station’s Shana Johnson.

Murph, who played for Loachapoka’s first state finals team in 1976, led the Indians to a 22-8 record, including wins over the Nos. 1, 2 and 6 teams on their way to the title.

“All credit goes to the guys,” Murph said. “If they don’t perform, I don’t perform.”

“It’s just validation on something you spend a lot of time on.”

Prewett not only led the Warriors’ girls to a title after they bowed out in the semifinals the previous two years, but also led Lee-Scott’s boys to the AISA semifinals.

He posted a combined 51-8 record this season — 28-2 with the girls and 23-6 with the boys.

“It’s a lot easier when you have the AISA player of the year,” Prewett said with a laugh.

Johnson, who won a state championship with Notasulga in 2003, took the Panthers to their first Final Four in school history, where they fell 58-33 to Hoover.

Smiths Station, which finished the year at 29-5, had not even been to the regional round before this season.

“It was a great group of girls that worked really, really hard,” Johnson said. “They make it worthwhile.”

Smiths Station’s Erika Jones was named second team All-State in 6A after averaging 13 points and 17 rebounds per game this season. Central’s Joseph Thompson made the 6A boys second team, averaging 16 points, 10.7 rebounds and four blocks per game to help lead the Red Devils to the state semifinals.

Loachapoka’s Jontavius Willis, who averaged 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals per game, also earned second-team honors in 1A.

Lyman Ward’s Justin Minor earned second-team AISA honors after averaging 23 points per game this season, and Lee-Scott’s Olivia Maddox was named to the AISA girls second team for being the lynchpin of the Warriors’ pressure defense.

Despite averaging 23 points, 14 rebounds and six steals per game, Loachapoka junior Chantal Hall earned only an honorable mention for 1A girls. She is joined by Beauregard’s Valeeta Bellamy (5A), Booker T. Washington’s Carman Freeman (5A), Dadeville’s Amilia Boone (3A) and Lanett’s Cortney Sims (2A) in the honorable mention category.

On the boys side, Dadeville’s Dominique Wilkerson (3A), Damien Carr (1A) and Chambers Academy’s McKeldric Daniel (AISA) earned honorable mentions.

The boys Super 5 consists of Parker’s Eric Bledsoe, LeFlore’s DeMarcus Cousins, Madison Academy’s Kerron Johnson, Leeds’ David Murray and Vestavia Hills’ Jordan Swing.

The girls list is Bob Jones’ Jala Harris, Hazlewood’s Amber Jones, Talladega’s Jessica Merritt, Woodland’s Courtney Strain and Sparkman’s Adrienne Webb.

Mr. and Miss Basketball will be chosen from those lists and announced at the ASWA prep basketball Player of the Year banquet April 2 at The Birmingham News.

dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568

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