By By Matthew Nascone
The Escambia County Blue Devils had a season to remember and the rewards from that season kept flowing Sunday, as senior Jarrod Jefferson and junior Cody Sprinkle were named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State team.
"It is real special for us," head coach Kyle Davis said. "These guys work as hard as some championship teams and it is good to see their hard work and effort has gained the attention of people across the state."
Jefferson was named to the team as a defensive end and Sprinkle was given honorable mention as a defensive back.
"This is just another accolade for Jarrod," Davis said. "He deserves every bit of it and he needs to stay humble through all this and keep working hard. I know he will do that. He has been blessed with such talent and it is good to see the folks across the state recognizing this fact."
On the season Jefferson compiled 89 tackles, 30 tackles for a loss, 18.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries. Sprinkle had 52 tackles and six interceptions from his cornerback position.
"Cody has always been the underdog," Davis said. "He has been beat before, but he never gives up and he always bounces back. He had six picks this year and that is saying something because quarterbacks kept picking on him and he kept coming up with the big play. The best thing about Cody is that he is here for the Atmore Blue Devils, he is not here for himself."
Sprinkle had his best game of the season when it mattered the most to the Blue Devils. The team had not beaten the T.R. Miller Tigers in more than a decade and Sprinkle grabbed half of his season total of interceptions in the Miller game. Davis said one of them was the most crucial.
"He intercepted the ball on our 10-yard line," he said. "They were driving for the score and it could have been a completely different game, but that pick sealed the game for us."
The recognition of these two players' accomplishments is something Davis hopes the state writers will continue to keep track of.
"They were able to reap their rewards this year," he said. "And I hope this said to the writers that Atmore is coming back into prominence."