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S U N D A Y , D E C E M B E R 25 , 2011
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ALL-STATE
Austin Grammer
Demarko Hall
Grammer, Hall on Super 12 team By Alex Scarborough Sports Writer
The 2011 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State team should be a familiar refrain for high school football fans across West Alabama, with nearly two dozen local athletes honored as fi rst-team All-State selections and many more receiving honorable mention. American Christian Academy quarterback Austin Grammer and Pickens County wide receiver Demarko Hall received the added honor of being named to the ASWA Super 12. L i n d e n coach A ndro INSIDE Williams took ALL-STATE: home the Complete All- Coach of the State list | 7C Year award in Class 1A . In his fifth seaCOMING g uiding MONDAY son the Patriots, Williams comThe Tuscapiled a 13-2 reloosa News cord, includSuper 11 football team ing two wins and West over arch-rival Alabama Sweet Water. All-Stars Linden hadn’t beaten Sweet Water in nearly a decade. More impressively, W il liams did it all without a fi eld to call home. The Patriots did not play a single game within the city limits of Linden after a dispute with the owners of L inden Athletic Field, the home to the red, white and blue of Linden High for more than three decades. T he A ll - St ate squad for Class 1A housed more local athletes than any other. Terris Lewis, Anthony Bates, Ryan Preston and Anthony Robinson made fi rst team for Linden. Pickens County sported four fi rst-teamers: Hall, Devonte Simon, Kiloe Cole and William Stewar t. Terrance Hollingsworth and Jake Smith of Berry also made the team, along with John Essex’s Terry Fountain. ACA’s Grammer — a University of Houston commitment who threw for 30 touchdowns and ran for 12 more — and defensive end Kyle Sappington made it for Class 2A. Defensive lineman James Brown of Greensboro was the representative for Class 3A. In Class 4A, Bibb County’s C.J. Cutts was joined by a pair of Sumter Central standouts: Quinton Chaney and future Alabama lineman Darren Lake. Paul W. Bryant junior wideout Tony Whitehead and Demopolis senior offensive lineman Steven Foster made the cut in Class 5A. Hillcrest dominated the state’s largest classification, Class 6A, with four players selected to the fi rst team. Offensive tackle Luke Lawrence, safety James Scott, linebacker Deddric Williams and kicker Melvin Gueler made the grade for Hillcrest. Tuscaloosa Academy defensive lineman Terrell Bush was also fi rst-team in the AISA.
Reach Alex Scarborough at alex. scarborough@tuscaloosanews. com or 205-722-0193.
Proving the critics wrong Bama commitment makes big jump in Most Wanted rankings By Greg Ostendorf
INSIDE
Sports Writer
MOST WANTED: DAPHNE | Daphne High School linebacker ker R Rya Ryan yan n An Ande Anderderrelie el ieve vess he he’s ’s tthe he son doesn’t care where he’s ranked. He believes time he he steps step st epss best player, and he’s out to prove it everyy time on the field or in the weight room. DNA that ttha hatt he “I think Ryan has something in his DNA er tthan han ha n ev ever eryywants to prove to everyone that he is better everyMike ke V Vic icke kery ry one else,” Daphne assistant coach Mi Vickery said. Going into the 2011 season, Anderson was a relative ar by most reunknown. He was considered a three-star cruiting services, and in The Tuscaloosaa News Top 50 as at No. 13. Most Wanted Recruits in Alabama he was ent took exThe University of Alabama commitment nior seaception to the rankings and spent his senior son out to prove all his critics wrong. Hee has pjumped up to No. 3 in the state in the updated Most Wanted list, the biggest leap of any player. Running back T.J. Yeldon, Anderson’s teammate and a recent Alabama commitment, jumped from No. 6 to No. 2 in another big move. “I just wanted to prove people wrong,” Anderson said. “Most of the time, I just want to show people that they can’t rate a high school player or some-body else on something they don’t know. I want to let everybody know that I’m the best.” After just four games, Anderson already had close to a double-digit sack total and quickly became recognized as one of the most feared defensive players in the state. The hybrid linebacker fi nished with 104 tackles, including 32 for a loss and 12.5 sacks. Even after his season came up short with a second-round playoff loss at Prat-n tville, Anderson created more attention e. at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. est During practice, he was not only the best est linebacker — many believed he was the best player on the field for Alabama. p on “I think Ryan always plays with a chip omehis shoulder,” Vickery said. “It could be something thing from a ranking or it could be something that somebody he’s playing against said about nd he’s him. He can manufacture motivation, and ff of on really good at that. That’s what he lives off the football field.” SEE A NDERSON | 3C
FILE PHOTO | STEWART GWIN
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Hueytown’s Jameis Winston is No. 1 on The Tuscaloosa News Most Wanted list. He is a Florida State commitment.
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Capsules of The Tuscaloosa News Top 50 Most Wanted Recruits | 4-5C
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Daphne’s Ryan Anderson is No. 3 on The Tuscaloosa News Top 50 Most Wanted list. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound linebacker is an Alabama commitment.
PHOTO | THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS
PHOTO | MOBILE PRESS-REGISTER
PHOTO | THE HUNTSVILLE TIMES
Daphne’s T.J. Yeldon is No. 2 on The Tuscaloosa News Most Wanted list. He recently de-committed from Auburn and switched to Alabama.
Bob Jones’ Reggie Ragland is No. 4 on The Tuscaloosa News Most Wanted list. He is an Alabama commitment.
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