FROM THE ASWA

MONTGOMERY – Madison Academy’s Kerryon Johnson was named the 33rd recipient of the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Mr. Football Award on Wednesday at the ASWA’s annual Player of the Year Awards luncheon, presented by the Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association. The annual luncheon was held at the Alabama Activity Center in Montgomery.

Johnson, a 6-1, 205-pound senior, bounced back from injuries as a junior to help the Mustangs to their third-straight state title by rushing for 1,659 yards and 25 touchdowns, caught 22 passes for 598 yards and eight TDs and had 71 tackles, forced five fumbles and picked up six interceptions, returning three for touchdowns. The three-time first-team All-State selection was the Class 3A Back of the Year, MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and the Under Armour All-American Bowl and has committed to Auburn.

Since the ASWA first released point totals in 2003, Johnson’s win was the closest three-player race since 2004 when 15 points separated Hoover’s Jarod Bryant, Pinson Valley’s Desmond Jennings and Trinity’s Tommy Trott.

Johnson picked up 148 points and eight of the 13 first-place votes from the ASWA prep committee. Dale County’s Jamarius Henderson, the Class 3A Lineman of the Year, and Clay-Chalkville quarterback Ty Pigrome, the 6A Back of the Year, tied for second with 137 points each and Shades Valley running back Keith Mixon was fourth with 81 points. Central-Tuscaloosa’s Lester Cotton and Fyffe running back Austin Stiefel were fifth and sixth with 62 and 47 points, respectively.

All six players were selected for the ASWA Super 12 team, along with Southside-Gadsden’s Tyler Carr, Dora’s A.J. Smoot, Keaton Anderson of Florence, Troy Dixon of UMS-Wright and Hoover’s Darrell Williams and R.J. Arnold.

In winning the Mr. Football award, Johnson becomes the first winner from the Huntsville area and first private school winner since the ASWA started choosing winners after the 1982 season, and the third running back in the last four years. He is the second member of his family to win the ASWA’s highest post-season honor; his brother Kerron Johnson was the ASWA’s Mr. Basketball winner in 2009.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
1982 Tommy Compton, Vigor
1983 Freddie Weygand, Emma Sansom
1984 Roderick Green, Gardendale
1985 Pierre Goode, Hazlewood
1986 Larry Ware, Lee-Montgomery
1987 Robert Jones, Parker
1988 Darrell Williams, Vigor
1989 Steven Coleman, Pike Co.
1990 David Palmer, Jackson-Olin
1991 Robert Davis, Homewood
1992 Freddie Kitchens, Etowah
1993 Thomas Banks, West Jefferson
1994 Dawud Rasheed, Shades Valley
1995 Gorman Thornton, Jeff Davis
1996 Antoneyo Williams, Central-Tuscaloosa
1997 Mac Campbell, Alexandria
1998 DeMarco McNeil, Blount
1999 Cory Whisenant, Springville
2000 Carnell Williams, Etowah
2001 Brandon Cox, Hewitt-Trussville
2002 JaMarcus Russell, Williamson
2003 Chris Nickson, Pike Co.
2004 Jarod Bryant, Hoover
2005 Andre Smith, Huffman
2006 Larry Smith, Prattville
2007 Julio Jones, Foley
2008 Clint Moseley, Leroy
2009 Coty Blanchard, Cherokee Co.
2010 Jamal Golden, Wetumpka
2011 T.J. Yeldon, Daphne
2012 Jeremy Johnson, Carver-Montgomery
2013 Racean Thomas, Oxford
2014 Kerryon Johnson, Madison Academy

Back/Lineman voting lists top 3 vote getters only, *-AISA totals are unavailable; Super 12/Mr Football voting is top 12 only; 34 players received votes on the ASWA Super 12. Voting for Back/Linemen of the Year and Super 12 are two different votes.

AISA Back
*-Josh Crawford, Edgewood Academy

AISA Back
*-Garrett Kirk, Escambia Academy

Class 1A Back
Tyler Crumpton, Phillips, 60
Kendarius Bradley, Maplesville, 44
Chandler Rigdon, Chickasaw, 36

Class 1A Lineman
Tyler Armstrong, Maplesville, 48
Jake Mintz, Cedar Bluff, 38
Justin Foster, Donoho, 28

Class 2A Back
Austin Stiefel, Fyffe, 67
Peyton Gilliland, Cleveland, 51
DeAnthony Holcombe, Washington County, 44

Class 2A Lineman
Deshon Kilpatrick, Sweet Water, 63
Austin Lewter, Tanner, 62
Dakota Newsome, Fyffe, 52

Class 3A Back
Kerryon Johnson, Madison Academy, 70
Thomas Ozmint, Glencoe, 44
Zack Simbeck, Lauderdale County, 35

Class 3A Lineman
Jamarius Henderson, Dale County, 56
Jeffery Whatley, Dale County, 37
Mason Brown, Glencoe, 30

Class 4A Back
Troy Dixon, UMS-Wright, 55
Kyle Nalls, Fayette County, 53
Octavius Matthews, North Jackson, 47

Class 4A Lineman
Anfernee Jennings, Dadeville, 70
Josephus Smith, Leeds, 45
Riley Cole, Oneonta, 40

Class 5A Back
Brandon Baynes, Tallassee, 50
Ostin McPherson, St. Paul’s, 46
ShaKeith Tyes, Calera, 45

Class 5A Lineman
A.J. Smoot, Dora, 47
Lester Cotton, Central-Tuscaloosa, 37
Richard McBryde, Charles Henderson, 31

Class 6A Back
Ty Pigrome, Clay-Chalkville, 68
Keith Mixon, Shades Valley, 46
Chris Weaver, Saraland, 36

Class 6A Lineman
Tyler Carr, Southside-Gadsden, 71
Keaton Anderson, Florence, 69
Darryl Williams, Bessemer City, 54

Class 7A Back
Grey Jackson, Fairhope, 31
Traveon Samuel, Central-Phenix City, 25
Maceo Booker, James Clemens, 24

Class 7A Lineman
R.J. Arnold, Hoover, 36
Darrell Williams, Hoover, 27
Kenny Thomas, Prattville, 22

SUPER 12
Kerryon Johnson, Madison Academy, 148
Jamarius Henderson, Dale County, 137
Ty Pigrome, Clay-Chalkville, 137
Keith Mixon, Shades Valley, 81
Lester Cotton, Central-Tuscaloosa, 62
Austin Stiefel, Fyffe, 47
Tyler Carr, Southside-Gadsden, 46
A.J. Smoot, Dora, 42
Darrell Williams, Hoover, 38
Keaton Anderson, Florence, 34
R.J. Arnold, Hoover, 26
Troy Dixon, UMS-Wright, 22