By By Chandler Myers
It’s been a big week for this rookie sports editor. This marks the first time that the selection of the Atmore Advance All-Area football team has been in my hands. It also marks the first celebration of Christmas in my new city.
First, the Atmore Advance’s All-Area team is in its fourth year and the players and coach of the year now making its second appearance. This is a great thing for the paper, the teams and even the fans.
For the paper, we get to honor those players who stood out during the season.
This season was a rough one for all of the teams in the area. That’s understandable because all the teams are young and faced top-level competition.
Finding a Player of the Year was difficult on offense because of the production by several players. Rico Stallworth was chosen because he displayed exceptional play all year long and guided his team through a tough season in Class 5A as a sophomore.
The other top contenders for the Offensive Player of the Year were Northview senior Jay Jackson and EA senior Kawetta Coon. Jackson and Coon each displayed great numbers this season, but Stallworth was able to push his way to the front of the pack.
Defensively, the Player of the Year came a little easier. While there are several players who could have won the award, only one really stood out as a true leader on the gridiron. Eric Coley displayed his determination every game and led his team in tackles for the second straight season. He was also trusted by his coaches to make calls on the field.
Coach of the Year simply went to the coach with the best record.
ECHS head coach Kyle Davis said his team’s move up into Class 5A was tough, when he could have stayed the big fish in a small pond. He added the move was hard to swallow at first, but he wants his team to face better competition, and they did just that this season.
The Blue Devils might have finished with a 3-7 record, but they were in every game. It’s kind of hard to argue with logic like that.
The rest of the All-Area team is on page 2B of this section and I hope everyone thinks the selections are justified by each players’ perfomances on the field of play.
The other first was my first Christmas in Atmore. It has been different for me living so far from home, but it gets a little easier every day.
I was worried Christmas wouldn’t be the same without my extended family around me. I was wrong though. Christmas was the same. My parents came down and shared this time with me.
After my parents headed home on Christmas afternoon, I had dinner that night with my girlfriend and her family. It was a great night and I enjoyed spending time with her family.
Overall, I’d have to say this has been one of my best weeks in Atmore.
Chandler Myers is sports editor of the Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123.