By By Bruce Hixon Standard Sports Editor
T.R. Miller's Tyler Chapman and Tyler Shehan along with W.S. Neal's Mario Daniel have all received spots on this season's Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 3A All-State Football Team.
Chapman, a 6-3, 212-pound senior, made the squad on the offensive side as a lineman. Chapman, who handled a tackle position, helped anchor a T.R. Miller offense that averaged 36 points a game.
Shehan, a 6-1, 195-pound senior, made the defensive team as a linebacker. Shehan was one of T.R. Miller's top tackler's on a defense that allowed a touchdown or less against six opponents.
Daniel, a 5-11, 175-pound junior, who was W.S. Neal's top rusher with 781 yards with 10 touchdowns, made the squad as a defensive back.
T.R. Miller quarterback Jordan Cauley and W.S. Neal lineman Jared Cooper were both Honorable Mention selections.
Cauley, a 5-8, 145-pound junior, threw for 1,583 yards with 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Cooper, a 6-4, 280-pound sophomore, gave the Blue Eagles both pass and run protection with his blocking. He also gave W.S. Neal a formidable pass rush.
The First Team Offense consisted of quarterback Sylvester Mencer of Midfield, running backs Drake Hall of Winfield, Miguel Hurtado of Oneonta and Jeffrey Wood of Cherokee County, wide receivers Brandon Byars of Hokes Bluff and Calvaunta Brooks of Lafayette, tight end Kurt Smith of Susan Moore and linemen Chapman, Will Miller of Cherokee County, Jermarcus Ricks of Colbert County and Will Vickery of Winfield.
On the defensive side, defensive backs included Daniel, Damike Tobb of Midfield, Colby Thigpen of Rogers and Jared Gates of Clarke County, linebackers Shehan, Matt Garmany of Hokes Bluff, Patrick Hanrahan of Springville and Jarmon Barrow of Pike County, and linemen Michael Medley of Weaver, Patrick Pinchon of Danville, Eric Ropp of Rogers and Cameron LaRue of Oneonta.
Special teams players included Straughn's Bobo McVay as punter, Alabama Christian's Cody Lange as kicker and Slocomb's Ty Jones as all-purpose.
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Former T.R. Miller Lady Tiger basketball standout Ashley Samuel made a quick impact for Alabama A&M.
Samuel knocked in 15 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out two assists, came up with two steals and added a blocked shot in Alabama A&M's 70-55 victory over Tuskegee.
Samuel, a freshman, was the state's Class 3A Player of the Year the last two seasons with the Lady Tigers and finished second on the school's all-time career scoring list with 2,197 points.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association has made its boys and girls tennis postseason assignments for next season.
Both T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal have been assigned to Class 1A-3A Section 1 along with perennial state title contenders Houston Academy and Bayside Academy.
The AHSAA has still not made its assignments for boys and girls track along with boys and girls golf.
Earlier the AHSAA assigned T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal in Class 3A Area 1 in both softball and baseball along with Straughn and Clarke County.
W.S. Neal Middle School will hold its athletic awards night January 20 at 6 p.m. at the W.S. Neal Middle School cafeteria.