By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Amanda Noah (pictured above) and Landon Johnson were named the respective Most Valuable Player for the All-Etowah County Schools girls and boys basketball teams. (Alex Chaney)
A pair of Eagles soared to new heights during the 2017-18 high school basketball season.
Hokes Bluff seniors Amanda Noah and Landon Johnson were named the respective Most Valuable Player for the All-Etowah County Schools girls and boys basketball teams.
A senior forward, Noah averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds as the Lady Eagles went 22-9, won the area championship and made it to the Northeast Regional Tournament for the fourth year in a row.
Johnson averaged 15.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists along with 39 steals and 29 blocks. He will continue his basketball career at Gadsden State this coming season.
Joining Noah on the girls’ all-county team were Lauren Hunt, Alexis Thompson, Adrianna Jones and Emilee Coker from Southside; Anna Beth Giles, Ashley Morgan and Lauren Cole from Glencoe; Logan Black from Hokes Bluff; Amayiah Hill and Sidney Oliver from Gaston; Meg Waldrop from Sardis and Madison Parker from West End.
Joining Johnson on the boys’ all-county team were teammates Hayden Lipscomb, Donovan Greaves and Braydon Hill; Southside’s Gavin Orr, Tristan Riggan and Dawson Nunn; Glencoe’s Brandon Bishop, Cam Harris and Colton Stone; Sardis’ Chase Bright, Harley Cook and Landon Haygood; Gaston’s Davin Wyatt and Sawyer Bryson; and West End’s Jeremiah Roberson.
Glencoe’s Daniel Cook and Southside Kim Nails shared girls’ Coach of the Year honors. Cook led the Lady Yellow Jackets to a 23-9 record, an area championship and finished as the Class 3A Northeast Regional runners-up. Nails guided the Lady Panthers to a 23-2 record, the program’s first-ever county tournament championship, the Class 6A, Area 13 title and a berth in the subregional playoffs.
Jeff Noah was named the boys Coach of the Year after helping the Eagles go 24-6, win the county and area tournaments and make it to the subregional round of the Class 4A state playoffs.