Five Stanhope Elmore baseball players sign to next level

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

Five Stanhope Elmore baseball players signed National Letters of Intent to play college baseball on Monday morning.

Seniors Colton Walls, Colin Woodham, Evan Duncan, Zach Stevens, and Chase Williams each signed their NILs with their respective schools.

Walls signed with Troy University, Woodham signed with Jacksonville State University, Duncan signed with Gulf Coast State College, Stevens signed with South Alabama, and Williams signed with UAB.

“This is really special,” head coach Kaleb Shuman said. “To see where they started and where they’ve been able to get through work, I wish I could take credit but I can’t. It’s all been them and their work ethic and drive to be the best. That’s what makes each of them special. I couldn’t be more proud of them and I’m really excited to see what they do in the future.”

Walls was the first of the group to sign on Monday, and he signed a scholarship with Troy. He will be on both the baseball and football teams at Troy.

He has been committed to Troy for over a calendar year, and he was committed as both an infielder and pitcher. He plays third base for the Mustangs, and he hit .360 with 40 hits, nine doubles, seven home runs, and 29 RBIs.

On the mound, he finished with a team-best 1.33 earned run average with 48 strikeout in 42 innings pitched.

In football, he specializes in long snapping but also plays tight end for Stanhope.

“It feels amazing that I get to play college ball in both sports and that I don’t have to give anything up,” Walls said. “I get to keep doing what I’ve been doing since I was little and it feels amazing. I feel like I can definitely make a difference for them.”

Woodham has had the lengthiest high school career out of the crew. He’s been playing on the varsity team in some capacity since he was in eighth grade, and he has been the team’s No. 1 pitcher for seemingly his entire career.

Woodham committed to JSU earlier this fall. He doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, as he sits between 81 and 84 miles per hour, but he does a great job of keeping hitters off balanced with movement.

He can throw every pitch for a strike, and he’s proved that over his high school career. As a junior last season, he recorded a 1.65 ERA with 91 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 68 innings pitched. Batters only had a .180 batting average against him.

“It feels great,” Woodham said. “It just proves that all the hard work that I’ve put in has been worth it. I think I bring a lot to the college level. I can dominate on the mound but I can be a good teammate and be a leader and do my best on the field.”

Duncan had the most recent commitment of the five signees, as he committed to Gulf Coast State College on October 17. Duncan, who stands at 6-foot-6 and is a large human being, will have the chance to both pitch and hit at the next level.

Duncan plays in right field for the the Mustangs, and he serves as one of the team’s top relief pitchers.

He had a stellar junior season where he hit .436 with 48 hits, eight doubles, seven home runs, and 32 RBIs. He was just as good on the mound as he went a perfect 8-0 in relief with a 1.73 ERA with two saves and 41 strikeouts in 32 innings.

“All the hard work that I’ve been doing throughout my life has paid off,” Duncan said. “Now I can go and show off my true talents. I really liked how the coaches at Gulf Coast communicated with me and showed me I was family there.”

Stevens also serves as one of the team’s top infielders and pitchers. He plays shortstop for the Mustangs, but he is also one of the top three starters. He committed to USA over a calendar year ago.

He is signing as a pitcher, but could possibly get

Smoke finishes his career in Lexington with 291 carries for 1,583 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He is 20th all-time in Kentucky history for rushing yards.

He averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his career, which ranks Top 10 in school history.

Smoke earned four starts to begin the year while teammate Chris Rodriguez was suspended, and he rushed 51 times for 263 yards and a touchdown during that stretch.

By DALTON MIDDLETON Sports Editor

The Edgewood Academy players served as part of the East All-Star team, and they helped lead the East to a 36-22 win over the West team.

Champion, playing as one of the two quarterbacks on the team, passed for two touchdown passes in the game. He tossed a 60-yard touchdown pass to put the East up, 22-15, in the third quarter, then passed for his second touchdown late in the fourth.

Following a safety that put the East up, 24-22, Champion connected on another deep touchdown pass to extend the East’s lead to 30-22.

Both Bradley and Bryson Boone played on defense and helped hold the West to only one touchdown in the second half.

That included 80 yards against Florida, 66 yards against Youngstown State, and 85 yards against Northern Illinois.

For the last eight games of the season, Smoke earned only seven carries for 14 yards.

Smoke was a standout at Wetumpka high school. He was a three-star prospect and ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the state of Alabama in 2018 despite not earning an offer from Auburn, which he held out hope for.

Smoke was one of Wetumpka’s driving forces in the Indians’ state championship run in 2017. During his senior season, he rushed fro 1,508 yards and 28 touchdowns.

the chance to play in the infield in the future as well.

In 59 innings of work as a junior, Stevens recorded a 2.74 ERA and struck out 85 batters and walked only 26.

He had a team-high 10.1 strikeouts per seven innings, and he allowed only a .211 batting average form opposing hitters.

“It’s very exciting,” Stevens said. “I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little kid. Hopefully this isn’t the last time that I sign a piece of paper allowing me to play baseball at the next level.”

Williams has been committed the longest of any of the five, as he committed to play for UAB over two years ago. He has stayed committed to the Blazers through a coaching change, and they have never wavered on wanting Williams in Birmingham.

He brings both an elite bat and elite speed to the next level, and he’s shown that over the course of his high school career.

Williams had the highest batting average of anyone in the county last season. He hit .475 with 58 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, and 19 RBIs. He was a nightmare for opposing pitchers on the base path as he scored 46 runs and stole 28 bases.

“I can’t wait to get to UAB and see what they have in store for me,” Williams said. “They made me feel like home since the start, and they’ve continued to make me feel like that. I want to continue my stellar defense and get my arm stronger and start swinging it better.”

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