Story By Heath Hambrick
A trio of young ladies from DeKalb County has been named finalists for Player of the Year in their respective classifications.
According to ASWA historian and Florence Times-Daily sport editor A. Stacy Long, this is the first time that three players from DeKalb County have been finalists in the same year.
Fort Payne junior Zimri Craig is a finalist for 6A girls’ player of the year, along with Kristian Johnson of Hazel Green and Maliyah Meeks of Park Crossing. Craig led the Lady Wildcats to a 27-5 record and their first Final Four since 2009. Craig finished the season with impressive stats: 19.1 points per game (ppg), 6.9 rebounds per game (rpg), 4.6 assists per game (apg), and 115 steals. She went over the 1000-point mark this season.
Plainview junior, Sawyer Kate Hulgan, is a finalist for 4A girls Player of the Year along with Reece Davis of Deshler and Hannah Smith of Catholic-Montgomery. Hulgan led the Lady Bears to a 34-3 record and to the state championship game, where they fell to Good Hope. Hulgan broke the state and national records for career three-pointers made. Hulgan was named DeKalb County Co-MVP for the second straight year and currently sits second on the County all-time scoring list with 3,441 points. Hulgan, just a junior, will have one more season to catch Heather Mayes, who has 4,149 points.
Ider senior Makinley Traylor is a finalist for the 1A girls Player of the Year, alongside Katelyn Brown of Winterboro and Hadlee Sanderson of Brilliant. Traylor, the Faulkner signee, led the Lady Hornets to a 24-8 record and their fourth straight trip to the Elite Eight. Traylor was the 2024 state finals MVP, DeKalb County MVP or Co-MVP the last four years, and finished her career as the fourth leading scorer in County history with 2,891 points.
These three young ladies could join an elite group in DeKalb County history. DeKalb County has not had an ASWA Player of the Year in girls’ basketball in over a quarter-century. Fyffe’s Rebecca Long was the last to win the honor in 2000. Before that, Heather Mayes and Julie Beaty took home the award.
The three players are eligible to be named ASWA Super All-State, which DeKalb County hasn't had since 1995, when Heather Mayes received this honor.
In addition to Craig, Hulgan, and Traylor, the Sand Mountain area had five other players named finalists for Player of the Year. In Jackson County, North Sand Mountain's Kayden Reyes and Pisgah's Campbell Barron are finalists for 2A girls, while Section's Jake Cloud is a finalist for 2A boys. In Marshall County, Albertville's Lani Smallwood is a finalist for 7A girls, and Guntersville's Kenna'D Buie is a finalist for 5A girls.
With a total of nine players named as finalists, it is safe to say that some of the best basketball in the state of Alabama is played in Northeast Alabama.
The winners of the ASWA Player of the Year, Miss Basketball, Mr. Basketball, and Super All-State will be named at a lunch banquet on April 14 at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel.
Here is the complete list of finalists for each class.
CLASS 7A GIRLS
Khloe Ford, Hoover, Sr., C, 6-3
Lani Smallwood, Albertville, Sr., G, 5-9
Ja'Kyah Smith, Bob Jones, Sr., G, 5-10
CLASS 6A GIRLS
Zimri Craig, Fort Payne, Jr., G, 5-11
Kristen Johnson, Hazel Green, Sr., G, 5-8
Maliyah Meeks, Park Crossing, Sr., C, 6-2
CLASS 5A GIRLS
Kenna'D Buie, Guntersville, 8th, G, 5-7
Caia Campbell, Charles Henderson, Jr., G, 5-9
Serenity Rutledge, Moody, So., G, 5-6
CLASS 4A GIRLS
Reece Davis, Deshler, Jr., G, 5-7
Sawyer Kate Hulgan, Plainview, Jr., G, 5-9
Hannah Smith, Catholic-Montgomery, Sr., F, 6-2
CLASS 3A GIRLS
Natalie Barton, St. James, Jr., G, 5-8
Belle Hill, Mars Hill Bible, So., G, 6-1
Kamiya Webb, Midfield, Jr., C
CLASS 2A GIRLS
Campbell Barron, Pisgah, Sr., G, 5-9
Ella Dickerson, Cold Springs, Sr., G, 5-10
Kayden Reyes, North Sand Mountain, Sr., G, 5-5
CLASS 1A GIRLS
Katelyn Brown, Winterboro, Sr., G, 5-6
Hadlee Sanderson, Brilliant, Sr., F, 5-11
Makinley Traylor, Ider, Sr., G, 5-4
AISA GIRLS
Diamond Chankio, North River, Jr., F, 5-10
Tori Patillo, Springwood, Sr., G, 5-10
Jamya Powell, Macon-East, Sr., F, 5-10
CLASS 7A BOYS
Diggy Coleman, Dothan, Sr., G, 6-0
Jackson Sheffield, Hoover, Sr., F/C, 6-10
Evan Toms, Huntsville, Jr., F, 6-9
CLASS 6A BOYS
Jaylen Alexander, Oxford, Sr., G, 6-2
Sam Dorough, Cullman, Sr., G, 6-5
JaKobi Sharp, Gadsden City, Sr., G, 6-3
CLASS 5A BOYS
Corien Coleman, Williamson, Sr., G, 6-5
Brendon Davis, Wenonah, Jr., G, 6-4
Kobe Johnson, St. Paul's, Sr., F, 6-5
CLASS 4A BOYS
Milton Jones Jr., Fairfield, Sr., F, 6-5
JB Potter, Ashville, Sr., G, 6-2
Garrett Reid, Deshler, Sr., G, 6-1
CLASS 3A BOYS
Braylen Alexander, Glenwood, Fr., G, 6-4
Braden Gordon, Montgomery Academy, Jr., G, 6-3
Gage Mayfield, Hale Co., Sr., F, 6-8
CLASS 2A BOYS
Pearce Boone, Providence Christian, Sr., F, 6-5
Jake Cloud, Section, So., G, 5-11
Khalil Luster, Red Bay, So., F, 6-7
CLASS 1A BOYS
Noah Lee, Jacksonville Christian, Sr., F, 6-4
Devin Melton, Brantley, Fr., F, 6-9
Kane Rushing, Hubbertville, Jr., G, 6-1
AISA BOYS
Ahmod Billins, Abbeville Christian, Sr., G, 6-2
Jayden Buckhannon, Abbeville Christian, Sr., G, 6-1
Kori Key, Springwood, Sr., G, 6-3
