Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Hokes Bluff senior Jordan Presley recently received one final accolade for his high school basketball career.
The Hokes Bluff senior was recently named Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 All-Etowah County Schools boys basketball team as voted on by the six school system coaches.
A 6’5 senior guard, Presley (pictured above at right) averaged 18.5 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 81 percent from the foul line. He helped the Eagles go 21-7 and make it to the subregional playoffs. He recently signed a scholarship with Belhaven. University in Jackson, Mississippi.
Named Coach of the Year was Glencoe’s Ryan Chambless. In his second year at the school, he steered the Yellow Jacket to their first county championship in six years, an area title and a berth in the Northeast Regional Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Joining Presley on the all-county team from Hokes Bluff were junior Landon Davenport, senior Colby Smith and sophomore Anderson Morgan.
Selected from Gaston were sophomore Mica Merriman, senior Brock Bagley and sophomore Devon Green.
Representing Glencoe were sophomore Garrett Morgan, junior Aiden Cornutt, sophomore Wade Segrest and senior Andrew Green.
Sardis selections were senior Luke Martin, junior Eli Morton and junior Kason Moore.
Picked from Southside were senior Will Shirley, junior Cayden McMichael and senior Brenton Heath.
Named from West End were seniors Thad Pearce and Eli Golden.
Fresh off her selection to the Class 3A All-State second team, Jaxson Sizemore earned one final plaudit for her prep career last week.
The Glencoe High senior guard was named Most Valuable Player for the 2022-23 All-Etowah County Schools boys basketball team as voted on by the six school system coaches.
Sizemore contributed 17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while helping the Lady Yellow Jackets go 19-11, finish as the county and area tournament runner-up and make it to the Northeast Regional Tournament for the first time in five years. She has committed to play basketball at Gadsden State this fall.
Coach of the Year honors went to Southside’s Justin Bowen, who in his first year guided a team that had won five games the year before to a 23-8 record, an area championship and the program’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance.
Joining Sizemore from Glencoe were senior Kinslee Gray and sophomore Alli Jo Amos.
Selected from Southside were senior Madison Shaw, junior Graceanne Rose, junior Sarakate Yancey and junior Mallory Brooks.
Named from Sardis were seniors Caroline Johnson, Jayda Lacks and Kytha Edwards and sophomore Kaylen Wallace.
Representing Hokes Bluff were seniors Kayla Traylor, Haley Kate Wellingham and
Ava Dodd.
From Gaston were senior Randi Morgan and sophomore Bella Holland.
West End selections were junior Hope Jenkins and sophomore Aubrey Haynes.