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Coosa backer highlights All-Messenger football

Photo courtesy of Average Joe’s Sports Talk 

By Chris McCarthy,, Publisher

If Clete O’Bryant has not yet decided on a field of study in college, he might consider pre-med.
The Coosa Christian senior linebacker (pictured below) made quite a career for himself as a top-notch diagnostician of an opponents’ strategy.
“I’m not blessed with a whole lot of speed, but I know where the ball is going to go,” said O’Bryant in an earlier interview with The Messenger. “It’s hard to explain, but I just know what going on during a game. A lot of times, I can read off a lineman about what kind of play it’s going to be. I don’t know how I can see a play [develop], but I do. I get a sense of how [a team] is going to move and I usually know where it’s going to go.”
This season alone, O’Bryant’s nose for the football resulted in 125 tackles, including 25 for a loss, in only nine games. His superior play helped Coosa post a 9-1 record on the field. Following their Week 10 victory over eventual Class 2A state runner-up Tuscaloosa Academy, the Conquerors were stripped of several victories by the AHSA, making Coosa Christian ineligible for the postseason.
O’Bryant (pictured at far right) recorded his 500th career tackle during the Conquerors’ 49-8 victory over Cold Springs on Oct. 11, making him 13th overall on the AHSAA all-time career tackle list. He is an ASWA first-team Class 2A All-State selection and is among 42 finalists for the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Lineman of the Year award. He was also a finalist for the award in 2023.
Making O’Bryant’s 2024 numbers even more impressive is the fact that he played the second half of the season with a hyperextended elbow. For his production, O’Bryant is the All-Messenger Football Team’s Overall MVP for the second year in a row.
Also making quite a splash this past season was Westbrook Christian sophomore Brody Blevins, who is the team’s Offensive Player of the Year.
In his first year starting at quarterback, Blevins amassed almost 3,000 yards of combined offense. He rushed for 1,435 yards and 26 touchdowns and passed for 1,161 yards and 10 scores.
Earning Defensive Player of the Year honors was Southside senior linebacker Brayden Bowers, who finished with an area-best 135 tackles along with four sacks and two interceptions. He also had a pair of fumble recoveries and scored two touchdowns.
The Overall Athlete award went to Levi Martin, a two-way starter for Sardis. The versatile junior halfback/linebacker rushed for 1,026 yards and nine touchdowns on offense and had 128 tackles, including 19 for a loss, on defense.
Offensive Athlete of the Year honors were shared by Etowah senior quarterback Jameson Scissum and Hokes Bluff junior signal-caller Bryce Whitaker. In his third year as a starter, Scissum finished with 2,991 combined rushing and passing yards along with 33 touchdowns. He was 124 for 205 in passing for 2,056 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 935 yards and 12 TDs. Whitaker produced 2,056 yards passing and rushing while scoring 24 touchdowns.
Ashville junior J.B Potter, the pick for Defensive Athlete, was rarely on the sidelines. Starting at both free safety and quarterback, he ended up with 72 tackles and four interceptions on defense and passed for 1,534 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense. He also was the Bulldogs’ primary kick returner and punt returner.
The Special Teams Player of the Year was Coosa Christian sophomore kicker Jorge Cantellano, who was 42-for -44 in extra point attempts, went 5-for-7 in field goal attempts with a long of 43 and punted 15 times for 598 yards and a 40.0 average.
Ben Stewart earned Coach of the Year honors. In his first year at Southside, he guided the Panthers to a 6-4 regular season record following a 1-3 start along with the program’s fifth straight berth in the state playoffs.

2024 All-Messenger football team
Most Valuablel Player

Clete O’Bryant, Coosa Christian

Offensive Player of the Year
Brody Blevins,

Westbrook Christian

Defensive Player of the Year
Brayden Bowers, Southside

Overall Athlete

Levi Martin, junior, Sardis

Offensive Athlete
Bryce Whitaker, Hokes Bluff; Jameson Scissum, Etowah

Defensive Athlete
J.B. Potter, Ashville

Special Teams Player of the Year
Jorge Cantellano, Coosa Christian

Coach of the Year
Ben Stewart, Southside

First team offense
Quarterback: Kai Franklin, junior, Gadsden City
Running back: T.J. Worthy, senior, Gadsden City; Koal Garrett, senior, Southside; J’Alan Terry, junior, Coosa Christian
Receive

r: Zayden Knight, senior, Etowah; Rush Whidden, junior, Sardis; Bo Kilgo, junior, Westbrook Christian
Tight end: Josh Peoples, junior, Southside
Line: Jamin Brown, senior, Southside, James Wood, junior, Gadsden City, Dylan East, senior, Coosa Christian; Leon Chenn, senior, Hokes Bluff; Mike Tindall, senior, Ashville
Kicker: Read Barber, sophomore, Westbrook Christian

First team defense
Line: McCade Wright, senior, Southside; Nemo Samples, senior, Gadsden City; Br

yson Henry, sophomore, Etowah; Cade Mickler, junior, Coosa Christian
Linebacker: Fysher Patterson, junior, West End; Titus Jones, sophomore, Westbrook; Chris Butler, junior, Gadsden City; Colten Shields, senior, Hokes Bluff
Secondary: Kylen Johnson, freshman, Coosa Christian; Ty Sims, junior, Gadsden City; Anderson Morgan, senior, Hokes Bluff; Zyan Gibson, junior, Gadsden City
Punter: Seth Cooper, senior, Sardis

Second team offense
Quarterback: Brian Chapman, senior, Sardis
Running back: Blaine Barron, senior, Hokes Bluff; Jake Boggs, senior, Glencoe; Kanon Wilson, senior, Coosa Christian
Receiver: Jackson Mayo, senior, West End; Matthew Sparks, senior, Gadsden City; Brodie Johnson, junior, Westbrook Christian
Tight end: Josh Hopper, senior, Sardis
Line: Jalen Grear, senior, Etowah; Hudson Lowe, senior, Westbrook Christian; Daylon Reeves, senior, Hokes Bluff; Luke Wilson, senior, Sardis
Kicker: Cooper Yancey, sophomore, Southside

Second team defense
Line: Cito Williams, senior, Etowah; Jake Haney, junior, Westbrook Christian; Zayden Franklin, junior, Coosa Christian; Drake McDevitt, senior, West End
Linebacker: Noah Wright, Westbrook; Kolby Dodd, junior, Southside; Cooper Gomez, junior, Glencoe
Secondary: Drew McCarver, junior, Hokes Bluff; Cash Hayes, senior, Etowah; Max Legg, senior, Westbrook Christian; Dylan Edwards, senior, Coosa Christian

Third team offense
Quarterback: John David Justus, senior, Cosa Christian
Running back: Brenton Hale, sophomore, Hokes Bluff; Keller Skaggs, senior, Gaston; Jevonte Strong, senior, Southside
Receiver: Lamont Richardson, senior, Etowah; Alex Swafford, senior, Gadsden City; Nate Huckbay, junior, Ashville
Tight end: Bennett Reeves, senior, Etowah
Line: Evan McDonald, senior, Southside; Eric Kirkpatrick, senior, Westbrook Christian; Joe Coleman, senior, Glencoe; Reece Thompson, senior, Southside
Kicker: Connor Montgomery, senior, Glencoe

Third team defense
Line: Kolt Johnson, freshman, Southside; Radley Mayes, junior, Coosa Christian; Tony Sims, senior, Sardis; Taylor Barber, senior, Gadsden City
Linebacker: D.J. Mackey, senior, Coosa Christian; Kaden Walters, sophomore, Sardis; Jalen Hunter, sophomore, Glencoe
Secondary: Kodie Bogle, senior, Gaston; Jaxon Hamby, junior, West End; Silas Osborne, senior, Southside; Canyon McGee, senior, Sardis

Honorable mention
Quarterback: Ethan Surratt, Southside
Running back: Jamal Boyd, sophomore, Southside; Alex Hudson, Glencoe
Receiver: Jordan Bryan, senior, Southside
Offensive line: Jayden Dumas, senior, West End; Rance Brown, sophomore, Southside; Grant Golden, senior, Southside
Defensive line: Halen Palmer, sophomore, Coosa Christian
Linebacker: Grant Coe, junior, Sardis
Secondary: Jacob Payne, junior, Sardis; Aiden Johnson, Glencoe

 

 

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