While Escambia Academy’s Trae Lee didn’t win the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s AISA Lineman of the Year Award, the senior defensive end said it was an honor to be considered for the distinction.

“This was a great experience,” Lee said after the Mr. Football Banquet on Jan. 18. “You can’t always win awards. It’s an honor to be nominated for an award such as this, especially such a prestigious award.”

Lee was one of three AISA Lineman of the Year finalists. Autauga Academy’s Jakerrius Wyatt won the Player of the Year Award.

“It went to a great guy in Jakerrius,” Lee said. “He’s going to go and do great things in college.”

Lee said going to the banquet will help him at the college level.

“It kind of gives me a sense to go on to college and win more awards, to be nominated for more awards and strive to be always the best you can be,” he said. “To be recognized for all of your hard work, it’s a great honor.”

Lee was the third-straight EA player to be named a finalist for the ASWA Lineman/Back of the Year Award.

Lee said the past four years at EA have helped him in a big way.

“My years at EA were the best four years of my life,” he said. “I made the best decision to go to EA. We won a state championship in 2014 and played for another one.”

Beauregard’s La’Damian Webb was named the 35th recipient of the ASWA’s Mr. Football Award at the ASWA’s annual Player of the Year Awards luncheon, presented by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association. The annual luncheon was held at the Renaissance Hotel at the Convention Center in Montgomery.

Webb – a 5-foot-8, 184-pound junior running back – added his name to the AHSAA record books this season, setting a single-season touchdown record with 47, and rushed for the second-highest season total in AHSAA history with 3,242 yards. In two years, Webb has rushed for 74 touchdowns and rushed for 5,017 yards; in the Class 5A championship game against Wenonah, Webb set Super 7 records in all classifications with 51 carries for 359 yards and five touchdowns in his team’s 33-13 win. Since Webb began varsity play, the Hornets are 24-2.

Webb finished with 147 points and three first-place votes in the vote by the ASWA’s prep committee, while Park Crossing’s wide receiver Malik Cunningham had 132 points and one first-place vote. Spanish Fort linebacker Thomas Johnston was third with 116 points, while Blount athlete Kadarius Toney and James Clemens defensive end LaBryan Ray tied for fourth with 113, and Maplesville running back Terence Dunlap was sixth with 109. In all, a record eight finalists received first-place votes from the prep committee

Webb was named the ASWA Class 5A Back of the Year and was chosen to the group’s Super 12 team. He is also the first junior to win the Mr. Football award in its history.

In winning the Mr. Football, Webb becomes the third running back to win the award in the last four years and fourth in the last six, joining T.J. Yeldon of Daphne in 2011, Roc Thomas of Oxford in 2013 and Kerryon Johnson of Madison Academy in 2015.