Jackson County football players named to ASWA all-state teams
Story By Jason Bowen
The 2025 season saw a record five Jackson County teams qualify for the AHSAA state football playoffs, with two teams advancing to the state semifinals.
Now, a total of 13 Jackson County players have been recognized by the Alabama Sports Writers Association for their efforts during the 2025 season.
The ASWA released its 2025 Alabama All-State High School Football Teams today:
CLASS 5A — Scottsboro had three players named Class 5A first-team all-state and another collected an honorable mention nod after its 2025 team won nine games, repeated as the Class 5A Region 8 champion and advanced to the 5A semifinals.
Senior running back Jacobi Edmondson, senior offensive lineman Taygan Harris — Edmondson and Harris were honorable mention all-state last season — and sophomore defensive back Conner Vaden were Class 5A first-team selections while senior punter Cole Raeuchle was honorable mention all-state.
Edmondson, who finished his career as Scottsboro’s third all-time leading rusher, ran for 1,841 yards and 17 touchdowns this past season. The three-year starter averaged 141.6 rushing yards per game and 7.6 yards per carry, and was also a factor in the passing game with 316 receiving yards and three touchdowns on a team-high 33 receptions.
Harris was a key contributor on both the offensive and defensive lines for the Wildcats. The UNA signee helped the Scottsboro offense average 31.3 points per game and amass 4,356 total yards (2,708 rushing yards and 1,648 passing yards). He also led the Wildcats in tackles for loss on defense.
Vaden finished the season with 36 tackles and 11 pass break-ups while tying Scottsboro’s single-season interception record with 10. He also had four receiving touchdowns on offense.
Raeuchle punted 27 times for the Wildcats, averaging 39.8 yards per punt and pinning six inside the 20-yard line. He handled all of Scottsboro’s kicking duties, making 7-of-8 field-goal attempts with a long of 36 yards, was 51-of-52 on extra-point attempts and recording 47 touchbacks on 72 kickoffs.
CLASS 4A — North Jackson juniors Haven Massengile and Nick Price Jr. were all-state selections in Class 4A after helping the Chiefs win seven games and reach the state playoffs.
Massengile was a first-team selection as a defensive back after posting 64 tackles and a team-high six interceptions. He also contributed 29 catches for 474 yards and eight touchdowns from his wide receiver position on offense.
Price was a second-team all-state pick at running back after putting together one of the top rushing seasons in North Jackson history with 2,138 yards and 24 touchdowns on 250 carries. He had five 200-plus rushing yard games and two 300-plus yard games. Price also had 14 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns, including a 27-yard touchdown catch on the final play of the Chiefs’ 27-21 win at Randolph.
CLASS 2A — Pisgah senior wide receiver Landon Watkins, senior defensive back Caleb Jenkins and sophomore quarterback Cutter Mays were tabbed Class 2A first-team all-state while senior offensive lineman Chad Smith was a second-team selection and senior receiver Cape Duncan was honorable mention all-state after helping the Eagles win 11 games, repeat as the Class 2A Region 7 champion and reach the state semifinals.
Meanwhile, North Sand Mountain senior running back Kade Davis was a Class 2A second-team all-state selection.
Watkins, who was selected all-state for a second consecutive season, accounted for 25 total touchdowns for Pisgah in 2025. He caught 60 passes for 1,132 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 610 yards and six touchdowns. Watkins returned four kickoffs and one punt for a touchdown and threw a 65-yard touchdown pass.
Mays took over the starting quarterback position for the Eagles this season and completed 172 of 233 passes for 2,565 yards and 35 touchdowns, and Smith played a key role on a Pisgah offensive line that helped the Eagles amass nearly 5,000 total yards and score 39.7 points per game.
Jenkins finished with 63 tackles and a team-high seven interceptions for the Pisgah defense to go along with 11 pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. He also caught eight receiving touchdowns for the Eagles on offense.
Duncan, a tight end/wide receiver who also led the Pisgah defense in tackles with 99, was an honorable mention receiver after totaling 30 catches for 526 yards and eight touchdowns.
For NSM, Davis rushed for 1,559 yards and 23 touchdowns on 194 carries while helping the Bison win eight games — their most in five years — and reach the playoffs for a county-leading 11th consecutive season. He had two 200-plus yard rushing games and also caught 12 passes for 129 yards.
CLASS 1A — Woodville junior running back Jonah Sparks was a Class 1A second-team all-state selection.
Sparks rushed for 1,661 yards and 21 touchdowns on 215 carries, had 20 catches for 472 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass for the Panthers, who won a program-record seven games, had a program-best region runner-up finish and hosted a playoff game for the first time.
