Year in Review: Walker showed off speed at AHSAA state meet

Published 6:58 pm Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Editor’s Note: Through Jan. 1, the Times-Journal will look back on the top sports stories of 2017. Here’s the year in review for April-June:

All-county Girls Basketball team

Selma High’s Areyana Williams, Jacquetta Dailey, Kynadra Lewis, Jamaya Smith and Aaliyah Hatcher each earned spots on the 2017 all-county girls basketball team. Williams, Dailey and Lewis were first-team selections along with Keith’s Shatavia Moore and Meadowview Christian’s Mallory Freine. The second-team was rounded out by Southside’s Christina Watts, Sharita Benjamin and Keith’s Ambreya Snow.

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All-county boys basketball team

Dallas County’s Andre Hall, Ellwood Christian’s Loveless Craig, Keith’s Justyn Pettway, Meadowview Christian’s Justin McGuire and Selma High’s Jeffery Huff Jr., were named to the boys basketball all-county first team.

The second team is led by Ellwood Christian freshman Justin Bufford. He’s joined by Keith senior Jimmie Powell, Dallas County senior Josh Benford, Meadowview Christian senior Sam Dabit and Morgan Academy junior Sawyer Hopkins.

Selma track team sets 14 personal bests

Keashia Collins, Tanika Smiley, Brittany Johnson, Trederin Phillips, Brandon Hope, Jonathan Pressley, Jondarius Evans, Kiyani Day, Keloni Rudolph, Lakira Falls, Jakira Simmons and Dewayne Harris each set a new personal best at the Falcon Invite at Central High School this past March.

Morgan tennis teams win AISA title

For the first time since 2011, Morgan Academy won both the boys and girls AISA state championship in tennis. The Senators split the title with Tuscaloosa Academy, and finished ahead of both Glenwood and Fort Dale Academy.

Dallas County coach resigns

DCHS head football coach Marty Smith resigned this past March. Smith was 15-17 in his three years as the Hornets’ head coach. DCHS hadn’t made it to the playoffs since 2004, and Smith led the Hornets to the post season twice.

Johnson’s annual football and cheer camp

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end and Selma native Michael Johnson hosted a Career Readiness Day at Wallace Community College Selma for eighth graders. The MJ93 foundation also put on the eighth annual Johnson football and cheer camp for kids ages 7-17.

Selma football coach resigns

Former Selma High head football coach Keon Handley resigned from his position the past March to take the head coaching job at his alma mater, Fairfield High. His record at Selma High was 1-9.

Edmundites donates $5,000 to city for pool

Edmundite Missions CEO and president Chad McEachern presented a $5,000 check to Ward 8 councilman Michael Johnson this past June for the Dinkins Pool on the corner of Division Street and Dexter Avenue. The donation brought the total count up to $40,000 since the pol reopened in 2015, and ensured that kids would be able to swim for free.

Seventh grader wins two track titles

Ellwood Christian seventh grader Rashni Walker won both the 1A 100-meter hurdles and 300m hurdles at the AHSAA 1A-3A state track and field meet in Cullman this past May. She finished the 100m hurdles in 15.89 seconds and the 300m hurdles in 47.37 seconds.

WCCS trio sign to play at four-year schools

Wallace Community College Selma basketball players Gene Davis, Kent James and LaByron Harris each decided to move on to four-year schools. Davis led the Patriots in scoring with 16.4 points per game and chose to attend Alabama State University. Harris, who chose to go to Blue Mountain College, averaged 10.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. James chose to continue playing at Miles College.