Messenger file photo by Gary Wells
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
A Panther and a Conqueror highlight the 2019-2020 All-Messenger boys and girls basketball teams.
Southside’s Chris Lengyel and Coosa Christian’s India Brown were the respective girls and boys Player of the Year for the 2019-20 All-Messenger basketball team.
A senior center, Brown averaged 18.5 points and 16.5 rebounds this past season while helping the Lady Conquerors make it to the Class 1A sub regional playoffs, where they lost to Talladega County-Central by two points. Brown, who was a Class 1A All-State first team selection, signed a scholarship with Shelton State in late February.
After being sidelined for much of his sophomore year with a knee injury, Lengyel (pictured above) rebounded this season to help the Panthers post a 17-12 record, win the Etowah County Schools Tournament and qualify for the Class 5A subregional playoffs, where Southside lost to Springville by two points.
The junior forward averaged 14.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 39 percent from the three-point line and 69 percent at the free throw line.
Joining Brown on the girls first team were Hokes Bluff senior guard/forward Kristin Shields, Southside senior Savannah Nunn, Gadsden City junior Camille Jenkins and Glencoe senior Ashley Morgan.
A Class 4A honorable mention selection, Shields averaged over 11 points per game while helping the Lady Ea-gles to a 25-9 record, an area championship and a berth in the Northeast Regional Tournament.
Nunn, who signed a scholarship with Auburn-Montgomery earlier this year, averaged 13.3 points along with 115 rebounds, 49 assists, 39 pass deflections, 36 blocks and 26 steals while helping the Lady Panthers to a 15-13 record and a second straight berth in the Northeast Regional Tournament.
Jenkins played a big part in the Lady Titans’ 26-6 record, Class 7A, Area 4 Tournament championship, GCHS defeated Oak Mountain in the Northeast Regional Tournament semifinals before falling to eventual state runner-up Hoover in the regional finals. She recently was named to the North roster for the AHSAA North-South All-Star Girls’ Basketball Game in July
Morgan averaged 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds along with 75 steals and 15 blocks as the Lady Yellow Jackets went 20-6 and won a second straight Etowah County Schools Tournament title.
Girls Coach of the Year award went to Gadsden City’s Jeremy Brooks.
Joining Lengyel on the boys first team were Etowah junior Trent Davis, Coosa Christian junior Evan Delp, Gadsden City senior Trey Woods and Westbrook Christian freshman Cade Phillips.
Davis averaged 17.4 points while shooting 38 percent from three-point range and 74 percent from the foul line.
Delp averaged a double-double of 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks along with 51 steals and 36 assists.
Woods helped the Titans win 15 games and the Gadsden Area Holiday Tournament title while averaging 10.9 points and 3.4 assists.
Phillips was a force for the Warriors on both ends of the floor with 11.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game along with 61 steals and 43 assists. Westbrook went 20-13 and fell to top-ranked and undefeated Lafayette in the Class 2A sub-regional playoffs.
Boys Coach of the Year was Southside’s Chad Holderfield.
The All-Messenger girls second team features Gadsden City senior Adrianna Jones, Glencoe senior Anna Beth Giles, Hokes Bluff junior Maddie Smith, Southside senior Macie Williams and Coosa Christian freshman Bella Millirons.
Giles averaged 12.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.9 steals. She signed a scholarship with Birmingham Southern earlier this year. Jones averaged 10 points and 2.3 assists. She signed a scholarship with Gadsden State during the season. Although limited to 15 games due to injury, Williams averaged 17.2 points and 6.4 rebounds. Smith averaged 7.4 points while shooting 36 percent from the three-point line. Millirons averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 steals from her point guard position.
The All-Messenger boys second team includes Southside senior Colton Morrison, Gadsden City junior Jay Lawson, Sardis senior Jacob Hopper, Glencoe senior Cole Contris and Coosa Christian junior Deontae Ford.
Morrison was good for 11 points a game while shooting 35 percent from the three-point line. Lawson averaged 10 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 88.4 percent from the free throw line. Hopper helped the Lion cause with 12 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Contis finished with a team-high 11.4 points per game along with 2.6 blocks. Ford averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals for the Conquerors.
The girls third team is comprised of Southside senior Kaylee Brown (8.7 points), Gadsden City sophomore Tameah Gaddis (10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 2.2 assists), Hokes Bluff junior Madi Wolfe (7.2 points), Glencoe senior Aubrey Gray (9.4 points, 6.0 rebounds) and West End junior Madison Parker (15.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 blocks).
Making the boys third team were Westbrook senior Joseph Gilchrist (8.5 points), Gadsden City junior DeMarcus Mason (9.8 points, 7.1 rebounds), Gaston junior Nick Lewis (14.3 points, 5.1 steals, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists), Sardis senior Jay Owens (10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds) and Glencoe senior Caleb Wilson (10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds).
Named to the girls honorable mention team were West End senior Kayley Dobbins, Coosa Christian senior Kaylee Hasley, Gaston senior Alyssa Gargus and Westbrook freshman Brielle Woods.
Westbrook senior Andrew Lockridge, Gaston junior Kendall Blackwell and Hokes Bluff freshman Jordan Presley re-ceived honorable mention recognition.
Selected to the girls All-Defensive team were Glencoe senior Abby Vice, Southside senior Savannah Nunn, Sardis senior Emily Kate Jones, West End senior Lessie Decker, Hokes Bluff sophomore Bailee Latronico, Coosa Christian sophomore Erin Snow, Gadsden City freshman Ajainay Tinker and Westbrook freshman McKayla Bean.
Named to the boys All-Defensive team were Southside senior Jordan Grantland, Gadsden City senior Quinton Densmore, Sardis senior Braxton Brooks, Hokes Bluff senior Ashton Gulledge, Glencoe senior Isaac Barkley, Coosa Christian senior Dartavious Britton, Etowah junior Trent Davis, Gaston sophomore Jeremiah Dupree and Westbrook freshman Cade Phillips.
Editor’s note: members of the All-Messenger basketball teams were selected based on season statistics submitted by area schools. Several teams did not submit statistics prior to the publishing deadline.