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Special to the Advance

MONTGOMERY — Spring Garden junior Ace Austin and Buckhorn sophomore Caleb Holt won the state of Alabama’s top high school basketball awards Tuesday.

Holt and Austin were named Mr. and Miss Basketball, respectively, by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

The awards are sponsored by ALFA Insurance and were awarded at a banquet sponsored by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association.

Holt is the seventh underclassman to win Mr. Basketball and Austin is the third to win Miss Basketball, but 2024 marks the first time underclassmen won both awards in the same year.

Holt is the first sophomore winner.

Both led their teams to state championships this year.

Austin, a 5-7 guard, averaged 19.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the Panthers, who went 31-1 and won a second straight Class 1A state title. In her five seasons, Spring Garden is 167-9.

Holt, a 6-6 guard, averaged 20.2 points for the Bucks, who finished 23-5 and won a second straight Class 6A championship.

 

 

 

MISS BASKETBALL

Ace Austin, Spring Garden

MR. BASKETBALL

Caleb Holt, Buckhorn

 

SUPER ALL-STATE

(top 5 players regardless of classification)

GIRLS

Ace Austin, Spring Garden (Miss Basketball)

Leah Brooks, Hazel Green

Jordan Hunter, Hewitt-Trussville

Ivey Maddox, Good Hope

Belle Hill, Mars Hill Bible

 

BOYS

Caleb Holt, Buckhorn (Mr. Basketball)

DeWayne Brown, Hoover

Caleb Harrison, Huntsville

Ty Davis, Mountain Brook

Cam Dooley, Valley

 

CLASS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

GIRLS

7A: Jordan Hunter, Hewitt-Trussville

6A: Leah Brooks, Hazel Green

5A: Missy Odom, Jasper

4A: Ivey Maddox, Good Hope

3A: Maddie Smith, Trinity

2A: Belle Hill, Mars Hill Bible

1A: Ace Austin, Spring Garden

AISA: Takayla Davis, Glenwood

BOYS

7A: DeWayne Brown, Hoover

6A: Caleb Holt, Buckhorn

5A: Cam Dooley, Valley

4A: Micah Caster, Jackson

3A: Trey Simpson, Hillcrest-Evergreen

2A: Carson Thrasher, Mars Hill Bible

1A: Trey Kellogg, Covenant Christian

AISA: Haiden Harper, Lee-Scott

 

COACHES OF THE YEAR

(originally named March 16)

GIRLS

7A: Krystle Johnson, Hoover

6A: Freeah Smith, Park Crossing

5A: Blake Laney, Jasper

4A: Justin Aby, Good Hope

3A: Blake Smith, Trinity

2A: Jamie Pruett, Ider

1A: Ricky Austin, Spring Garden

AISA: Haley Rosa, Evangel Christian

BOYS

7A: Rhett Harrelson, Enterprise

6A: Lucas McDonald, Helena

5A: Jairus Jackson, Vigor

4A: Austin Grammer, American Christian

3A: Terean Pinkney, Hillcrest-Evergreen

2A: Michael Merriman, Gaston

1A: Kirk Norris, Georgiana

AISA: Scott Phillips, Edgewood

 

 

NOTABLE

* Brooks, Austin and Holt are two-time Super All-State players.

 

* Maddox is Good Hope’s first Super All-State player.

 

* Brown is Hoover’s first Super All-State boys player. Overall, he is Hoover’s 14th Super All-State player, which is an ASWA basketball record. Butler ranks second with 12 (seven boys, five girls). Bob Jones (four, six) and LeFlore (seven, three) have had 10 each.

 

* Hoover has had seven Super All-State players in the last six years.

 

* Brooks is Hazel Green’s seventh Super All-State player in the last seven years. Hazel Green has had nine overall (three boys, six girls).

 

* Holt, Austin, Hill and Brooks are two-time class players of the year.

 

* Odom and Maddox are the first class players of the year in Jasper and Good Hope history, respectively.

 

* Brooks is Hazel Green’s ninth class player of the year (six girls, three boys), which ties for second most in ASWA basketball history. Midfield has had 10 (five boys, five girls), while Lauderdale County (all girls) and Tuscaloosa Academy (five, four) have had nine each.

 

* This year, there were 777 nominations received from 266 schools (389 girls, 388 boys). There are 240 All-State spots (120 per gender) plus a maximum of 64 honorable mentions. One team that finished 4-19 nominated seven players.

 

 

ALL-TIME MISS BASKETBALL

2024: Ace Austin, Spring Garden

2023: Reniya Kelly, Hoover

2022: Samiya Steele, Hazel Green

2021: Karoline Striplin, Geneva Co.

2020: Sarah Ashlee Barker, Spain Park

2019: Annie Hughes, Pisgah

2018: Zipporah Broughton, Lee-Montgomery

2017: Bianca Jackson, Brewbaker Tech

2016: Jasmine Walker, Jeff Davis

2015: Shaquera Wade, Huntsville

2014: Shakayla Thomas, Sylacauga

2013: Marqu’es Webb, Hoover

2012: Jasmine Jones, Bob Jones

2011: Hayden Hamby, West Morgan

2010: Kaneisha Horn, Ramsay

2009: Jala Harris, Bob Jones

2008: Courtney Jones, Midfield

2007: Katherine Graham, Ramsay

2006: Shanavia Dowdell, Calera

2005: Whitney Boddie, Florence

2004: Starr Orr, Speake

2003: Sidney Spencer, Hoover

2002: Kate Mastin, Boaz

2001: Donyel Wheeler, Huffman

2000: Natasha Thomas, Lawrence Co.

1999: Tasheika Morris, Butler

1998: Gwen Jackson, Eufaula

1997: April Nance, Butler

1996: Nicole Carruth, Sulligent

1995: Heather Mayes, Fyffe

1994: Pam Duncan, Carrollton

1993: Leah Monteith, Cherokee Co.

1992: Yolanda Watkins, Decatur

1991: Tonya Tice, Hamilton

1990: Karen Killen, Mars Hill Bible

1989: Leslie Claybrook, St. James

1988: Jeaniece Slater, Hartselle

 

ALL-TIME MR. BASKETBALL

2024: Caleb Holt, Buckhorn

2023: Labaron Philon, Baker

2022: Barry Dunning Jr., McGill-Toolen

2021: J.D. Davison, Calhoun

2020: J.D. Davison, Calhoun

2019: Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook

2018: Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook

2017: John Petty, Jemison-Huntsville

2016: John Petty, J.O. Johnson

2015: Dazon Ingram, Theodore

2014: William Lee, Dallas Co.

2013: De’Runnya Wilson, Wenonah

2012: Craig Sword, Carver-Montgomery

2011: Trevor Lacey, Butler

2010: Trevor Lacey, Butler

2009: Kerron Johnson, Madison Aca.

2008: JaMychal Green, St. Jude

2007: Courtney Fortson, Jeff Davis

2006: Stanley Robinson, Huffman

2005: Richard Hendrix, Athens

2004: Ronald Steele, John Carroll

2003: Ronald Steele, John Carroll

2002: Kennedy Winston, Blount

2001: Chris White, Grissom

2000: Gerald Wallace, Childersburg

1999: Marvin Stone, Grissom

1998: Sam Haginas, UMS-Wright

1997: Anthony Williams, Loachapoka

1996: Isaac Spencer, Jeff Davis

1995: Brian Williams, Jeff Davis

1994: Rod Willie, Lee-Huntsville

1993: Howard Pride, Butler

1992: Darryl Wilson, South Lamar

1991: Victor Newman, Houston Academy

1990: Cedric Moore, Woodlawn

1989: Queintonia Higgins, Fairhope

1988: Terrence Lewis, Ramsay

1987: Bryant Lancaster, Valley

1986: Larry Rembert, Keith

1985: Vincent Robinson, Bridgeport

1984: Jeff Moore, Midfield

1983: Terry Coner, Phillips-Birmingham