Story By Heath Hambrick
Sand Mountain’s rich tradition of elite girls’ basketball added another chapter Tuesday as two of DeKalb County’s finest were honored at the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) Basketball Banquet at the Renaissance Hotel.
For the first time in 24 years, DeKalb County produced multiple ASWA Players of the Year, as Plainview junior Sawyer Kate Hulgan (Class 4A) and Ider senior MaKinley Traylor (Class 1A) earned top honors in their respective classifications.
Hulgan led Plainview to a remarkable 34-3 season and a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state championship game, where the Lady Bears fell to Good Hope, 59-54. Along the way, Plainview captured DeKalb County, Sand Mountain, Area and Northeast Regional titles, with Hulgan earning MVP honors in all four tournaments.
Her dominance extended statewide, as she was named Class 4A Player of the Year over Deshler’s Reece Davis and Montgomery Catholic’s Hannah Smith. Hulgan also earned a spot on the prestigious ASWA Super Five All-State Team alongside Hoover’s Khloe Ford (Miss Basketball), Serenity Rutledge of Moody, Belle Hill of Mars Hill Bible and Albertville’s Lani Smallwood.
Hulgan continues to rewrite the record books. She currently holds both the state and national record for made three-pointers with 659 and has amassed 3,436 career points — third all-time in DeKalb County history. With one season remaining, she trails only Fyffe’s Heather Mays (4,148 points) and Ider’s Julie Beaty (3,745).
During the 2025-26 season, Hulgan averaged 26.8 points, four rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
“I’m so excited to be named 4A player of the year. It was such an honor to be included with all the great players throughout our state. I’m very thankful for the ability the Lord has given me to play the sport I love. I’m also thankful for my coaches, teammates, and family that helped make it possible,”said Hulgan.
Traylor, a Faulkner signee, capped off a stellar career at Ider by being named the Class 1A Player of the Year, edging out Winterboro’s Katelyn Brown and Brilliant’s Hadlee Sanderson. She guided the Lady Hornets to a 24-8 record and their fourth consecutive Elite Eight appearance, where they fell to Winterboro, 49-42.
Traylor averaged 22 points, 3.3 rebounds and four steals per game in her senior campaign. She earned all-tournament honors at the Sand Mountain, DeKalb County, Area and Northeast Regional tournaments, in addition to first-team all-state recognition, DeKalb County Co-MVP honors and a place on the Sand Mountain Super 8 team.
She concludes her career with 2,891 points, ranking fourth in DeKalb County history.
”I would not be where I am today without God giving me this ability. I have been blessed far more than I deserve. Being named Player of the Year means so much to me because it represents all the hard work, early mornings, and sacrifices that went into this season,”said Traylor. “I’m incredibly grateful for my parents, coaches, and teammates who pushed me every day and made this possible. This award isn’t just mine—it reflects the support and dedication of everyone around me. I am beyond grateful to end my high school career with this accomplishment.”
With their selections, Hulgan and Traylor become the sixth and seventh players from DeKalb County to earn ASWA Player of the Year honors — and the first since Geraldine’s Shasta Dingler in 2002.
Previous winners from DeKalb County include Julie Beaty (Ider, 1985), Heather Mayes (Fyffe, 1992, 1994, 1995), Rebecca Long (Fyffe, 1999, 2000), Brandi Roberts (Geraldine, 2001) and Dingler (Geraldine, 2002).
The 2026 honors not only highlight individual excellence but also reaffirm Sand Mountain’s enduring legacy as one of Alabama’s premier regions for girls’ basketball.
