NSM’s Reyes, Pisgah’s Barron, Section’s Cloud finalist for ASWA Player of the Year awards
Story By Jason Bowen
The Alabama Sports Writers Association has released its Player of the Year, Miss Basketball and Mr. Basketball Award finalists and three Jackson County players are in the running.
North Sand Mountain senior guard Kayden Reyes and Pisgah senior guard Campbell Barron were named finalists for the ASWA Class 2A Girls Basketball Player of the Year award while Section sophomore guard Jake Cloud is a finalist for the Class 2A Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
As finalists in their respective classifications, they are also eligible for the ASWA’s Miss Basketball or Mr. Basketball awards.
The ASWA Player of the Year, Miss Basketball and Mr. Basketball award winners as well as the ASWA Super All-State Teams will be announced during the 2025-26 ASWA Basketball Awards Banquet at the Renaissance hotel in Montgomery April 14.
Barron and Reyes being finalists in the Class 2A Girls division marks the first time two Jackson County players have been finalists for the same award in the same season, per ASWA historian and Florence Times-Daily sports editor A. Stacy Long. The other Class 2A Girls Player of the Year finalist is Cold Springs senior Ella Dickerson.
Both Barron and Reyes are three-time ASWA all-state selections. They were first-team selections the past two seasons after being second-team all-state picks during their sophomore seasons.
Reyes finished as NSM’s all-time leader in career points (2,635), assists (721) and steals (430). The Berry commit averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game this season and was named the Class 2A Girls State Tournament MVP after helping NSM win the program’s first state championship. She also collected All-Northeast Regional, All-Jackson County Tournament, All-Sand Mountain Tournament and Sand Mountain Super 8 honors.
It’s the second time Barron has been a finalist. She was the Class 2A Girls Player of the Year as a junior after helping the Eagles win the 2024-25 state title. The Sewanee signee was part of two Pisgah state championship teams during her career while finishing with 2,394 career points. Barron helped the Eagles reach the regional finals this past season and win an area tournament title while averaging 20.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She also received All-Northeast Regional, All-Jackson County Tournament, All-Sand Mountain Tournament and Sand Mountain Super 8 honors.
Meanwhile, Jake Cloud is a finalist for the Class 2A Boys award after averaging. 17.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while helping Section win the program’s fourth all-time state championship and second in four years. Cloud was the Jackson County Tournament MVP and also garnered Class 2A All-State Tournament, All-Northeast Regional, All-Sand Mountain Tournament and Sand Mountain Super 8 honors. The other Class 2A Boys Player of the Year finalists are Providence Christian senior forward Pearce Boone and Red Bay sophomore forward Khalil Luster.
