class 5a back of the year: ‘a dream come true’€¦ · season and calls him the aswa’s class...

2 January 23 - 29, 2014 | The Trussville Tribune

NIck Gibson wrote his speech beforehand just in case.

He said it was best to be pre-pared for the opportunity if it arose.

“I’ve got to be prepared,” Gib-son said.

He took his time. He wrote that he felt “extremely honored to be receiving such an important award.” He wrote that he was grateful for the recognition be-cause the other nominees for the award, Southside-Gadsden se-nior running back Dantley Coker and Spanish Fort sophomore quarterback Tyler Johnston, were just as deserving.

He complimented the Alabama Sports Writers Association on its hard work, and thanked his fam-ily, principals, coaches, teachers, teammates and the Pinson Valley community for their support.

“They are the reason I go hard and give my all every game,” Gibson wrote.

Good thing the Pinson Valley junior running back was pre-

pared. He was named the Class 5A Back of the Year by the Ala-bama Sports Writers Association at a banquet in Montgomery last week.

“It means everything,” said Gibson, an All-State player who rushed 293 times for 2,205 yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior.

Oxford’s Roc Thomas, an Au-burn commitment, was named

Mr. Football after rushing for 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. Gibson said he feels he’ll be a contender for the state’s top individual award as a senior next season.

“It’s a competitive thing,” he said. “I was actually trying to battle Roc Thomas for it this year. I’ll just work hard and al-ways strive to be the best.”

Pinson Valley senior offensive lineman Sam Hancock said he saw Gibson’s work ethic pick up last season, when Pinson Valley posted a 7-5 record and reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

“Nick definitely deserved win-ning that award for this year, and there is no doubt in my mind he will be in the running for Mr. Football next year,” Hancock said.

Gibson has scholarship offers from Arkansas State, Clemson, Florida State, Kentucky, Missis-sippi State and Tennessee. Ala-bama head football coach Nick Saban and offensive coordina-tor Lane Kiffin visited him last week. He’s “pretty sure” Ala-bama will offer him this year.

Gibson said he plans to make his college commitment this summer or right after his senior football season. He said there’s a “slight, little chance” he waits until National Signing Day next year.

Pinson Valley senior quarter-back Brooks Garrett sees another year in high school as a good thing for Gibson.

“Nick definitely deserved the award this year, and with him having another offseason to get even faster and stronger I’m sure he will be in the running for the award again next year,” Garrett said.

Gibson was widely recog-nized for two games last season. He rushed for 460 yards and six touchdowns against Mortimer Jordan, and for 369 yards and six more scores against Moody.

“Great honor and (I’m) real proud of him,” said Pinson Val-ley head football coach Matt Glover. “He represented Pinson with class.”

The award Gibson won shows him running during a game last season and calls him the ASWA’s Class 5A Back of the Year for the 2013 season. He’ll cherish the award because you never know when your career may end, he said.

“It was like a dream come true, another day of working paying off,” Gibson said.

Contact Gary Lloyd at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.

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Pinson Valley junior running back Nick Gibson rushes the ball against Center Point last season.

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by Gary Lloyd

Editor

Class 5A Back of the Year: ‘A dream come true’SportS

A Pinson Valley senior baseball pitcher made his college commitment last Thursday.

Brent Stephens com-

mitted to play at Calhoun Community College in Tanner.

Stephens said he relies a lot on his fastball when pitching.

“It feels good to know that what I’ve worked hard for paid off,” Stephens

said.Pinson Valley head base-

ball coach Shane Chap-pell said Stephens’ fast-ball reaches the 86 to 88 mph range and that he has a power slider. Stephens didn’t pitch many innings last season due to a deep

staff, four of which are now pitching in college.

“Brent is an extremely hard worker and is a tre-mendous competitor,” Chappell said. “He works to get better each and ev-ery day. He has always had a plus arm but has really

developed his control on all pitches since the end of last year. We are expecting him to help lead another quality pitching staff this year along with anchoring the middle of our order.”

Pinson Valley posted a 32-14 record last season,

reaching the Class 5A state semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Hartselle.


Pinson Valley pitcher makes college commitmentby Gary Lloyd

Editor

January 23 - 29, 2014 | The Trussville Tribune Page 13

Heath Williamson is 20 per-cent of the way to his goal.

He won the Class 6A individu-al wrestling state championship in the 106-pound weight class last year as an eighth-grader.

The Hewitt-Trussville fresh-man wants four more.

Winning an individual state championship is Williamson’s best wrestling memory, a sport he’s participated in since he was 4. Williamson had been training since the sixth grade to be pulled up to the varsity level. That hap-pened last year. More than two

years of training was worth it.“I was thinking that all my

work paid off,” Williamson said of his first thoughts after win-ning the state title.

Williamson, when he was just of elementary age, would come watch his older brother, Trent, a 2008 Hewitt-Trussville High School graduate, wrestle. He wore a singlet to matches.

“I was a fan,” he said. “I al-ways loved wrestling.”

Williamson perused websites and forums last year, reading people’s posts about him not having a chance at winning a state championship because of his age and inexperience. His motivator?

“Just thinking I can do some-thing that not many people have done before,” he said.

Williamson is always working out and practicing. When he’s home, he practices more.

“You can’t just stop,” he said.Before matches, Williamson

thinks to himself about all the work he’s put in. He tells him-self he’s worked too hard to lose a match.

“I’ve always had that go through my mind, just how hard I’ve worked and how hard it is to cut weight before I wrestle,” he said.

Williamson will likely have another chance at a state cham-pionship next month at the Von

Braun Center in Huntsville. The state tournament is scheduled for Feb. 13-15. Williamson is dedicated to the sport and com-peting for state championships.

“I think what you’d describe all wrestlers as is dedicated because you’ve always got to watch yourself and always be on weight,” Williamson said. “I’ve had great coaches that have helped me with that and great teammates who have al-ways helped me and pushed me through.”


Big goals for Hewitt-Trussville freshman wrestlerby Gary Lloyd

Editor

photo by Gary Lloyd

Hewitt-Trussville freshman wrestler Heath Williamson

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Hewitt-Trussville senior pitcher Austin Treglown signed his national letter of in-tent with Wallace State Community Col-lege last week.

Treglown thanked Hewitt-Trussville coaches, his parents, and friends and team-mates at a signing ceremony at Hewitt-Trussville High School last Wednesday.

“I just can’t wait for another year,” Treglown said of the upcoming season, which begins next month.

Treglown, a right-hander, pitched in limited action last season for a Hewitt-Trussville team that posted a 34-13 record and reached the Class 6A state champion-ship series against Pelham.

Hewitt-Trussville head baseball coach Jeff Mauldin called Wallace State one of the best community colleges for baseball in the nation. Mauldin said Treglown has a fastball in the upper 80 mph range, and a solid curveball and changeup.

“We’re hoping he can really give us a

shot in the arm this year,” Mauldin said. “He gives us some depth on our staff. He projects so well at the next level.”


Hewitt-Trussville pitcher signs with Wallace Stateby Gary Lloyd

Editor

photo courtesy of Hewitt-Trussville Athletics

Austin Treglown

submitted photo

The Hewitt-Trussville varsity boys soccer team last season

Hewitt-Trussville High School earlier this week released schedules for the up-coming golf, soccer and tennis seasons.

The varsity girls golf team will open the 2014 season Feb. 27 in the Auburn Invita-tional at Indian Pines Country Club. The team’s first head-to-head match is March 4 at Trussville Country Club against Hoover.

The varsity boys golf team will open the 2014 season March 3-4 in the West Ala-bama Classic at Ol Colony Golf Club in Tuscaloosa. On March 11, the team plays a match against Clay-Chalkville at Gray-son Valley Country Club.

The varsity boys soccer team opens the season Feb. 13 at Homewood at 7 p.m. On March 4, the team travels to Clay-Chalkville for a 7 p.m. game and hosts the Cougars on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. for senior night.

The varsity girls soccer team opens the season Feb. 12 at home against Mountain

Brook at 7 p.m. On March 4, the girls play at Clay-Chalkville at 5:30 p.m.

The varsity girls and boys tennis teams open the 2014 season Feb. 6 at home against Oak Mountain.


Hewitt-Trussville releases spring schedulesby Gary Lloyd

Editor

January 23 - 29, 2014 | The Trussville Tribune

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Clay-Chalkville senior de-fensive lineman Jalen Harvey flipped his college commitment from South Alabama to Western Kentucky over the weekend.

Harvey had committed to South Alabama in November and was also offered by Boise State earlier this month.

One big reason Harvey flipped his commitment is that

he found out on his weekend trip to Western Kentucky that Martavius Mims, a Muscle Shoals defensive back, is his cousin. Mims also committed to Western Kentucky.

“We were at breakfast and our moms recognized each other,” Harvey said.

Harvey said he is now done with his recruitment, that he will sign with Western Ken-tucky on National Signing Day on Feb. 5.

“I fell in love with the cam-

pus and facilities,” Harvey said.The 6-foot-3, 300-pound

Harvey was fourth on the Clay-Chalkville defense in 2013 with 46 tackles. He led Clay-Chalkville with 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

In other recruiting news, Clay-Chalkville sophomore wide receiver T.J. Simmons was offered by South Alabama last week. He also has a Cin-cinnati offer. Simmons caught 15 passes for the season for 309 yards and six touchdowns

last season. He also totaled 167 kickoff return yards.

Hewitt-Trussville senior de-fensive end Joseph Roberts was offered by Jacksonville State last week. As a senior, Roberts totaled 76 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks and three pass breakups.

Contact Gary Lloyd at [email protected] and fol-low him on Twitter @GaryAL-loyd.

Clay-Chalkville DL flips commitmentby Gary Lloyd

Editor

file photo by Ron Burkett

Clay-Chalkville senior defensive lineman Jalen Harvey

class 5a back of the year: ‘a dream come true’€¦ · season and calls him the aswa’s class...

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