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Photo by Erin Nelson
Hewitt-Trussville’s Amiya Payne (32) drives the ball towards the goal during the AHSAA girls Class 7A state semi-final game against Theodore at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Bartow Arena on Monday, March 2, 2021. The Huskies defeated Theodore 73-39 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game against Hoover. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylard (2) dribbles the ball guarded by Hewitt-Trussville’s Jordan Hunter (2) in the AHSAA Class 7A Northeast Regional final at Pete Matthews Coliseum at Jacksonville State University on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. The Huskies defeated the Rebels 48-46 to advance to the Class 7A State semi-final at Bartow Arena on March 2, 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
The 2020-21 high school basketball season was a banner one for the Starnes Media coverage area. Six programs advanced to the state final four, with three of them lifting a blue map as state champions when all was said and done.
Mountain Brook’s boys won their sixth state title in the last nine years, led by first-year head coach Tyler Davis and forward Rayven Turner. As a result, Davis earns Starnes Media’s All-South Metro Coach of the Year honors, while Turner is the Player of the Year.
For the second time in three years, Hoover’s girls beat Hewitt-Trussville in the Class 7A state championship game. Three first-team players were featured in that game, including Player of the Year Amiya Payne from Hewitt. Oak Mountain’s boys won the 7A title for the first time in program history as well.
Jason Harlow is Coach of the Year on the girls side after leading Chelsea to the state final four for the first time in school history.
Here is the entirety of the All-South Metro team.
BOYS 1st TEAM
► Guard: Win Miller, Vestavia Hills; led the Rebels with 16.6 points per game as a sophomore. The 6-foot-3 guard has already amassed 872 career points.
► Guard: DJ Fairley, Hoover; the Alabama A&M signee posted 16.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game for a Bucs team that advanced to the regional final.
► Guard: Cam Crawford, Spain Park; capped off his career with 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while leading the Jags back to the final four.
► Forward: Rayven Turner, Mountain Brook; led the way for the Spartans’ title, going for 16.4 points and 6.1 boards per game in his senior season.
► Center: Will Shaver, Oak Mountain; the 6-foot-11 post player posted 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He was a force at the rim, blocking 50 shots and altering many more.
BOYS 2ND TEAM
► Guard: Greedy Williams, Pinson Valley; put together a stellar senior season after transferring to Pinson, posting 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.
► Guard: Landon Nuyt, Briarwood; paced the Lions offense with 17 points per game. He scored 25 points or more in seven games.
► Guard: Donovan Shangase, Clay-Chalkville; led the Cougars to the program’s best season, registering 14.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
► Forward: Noah Young, Oak Mountain; the North Alabama football signee did it all for the Eagles, going for 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
► Center: Colin Turner, Spain Park; went for 10.8 points and 5.1 boards per game and blocked 45 shots.
BOYS 3RD TEAM
► Guard: Jo Jo James, Pinson Valley; had a breakout senior season, going for 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per night.
► Guard: Isiah Daniel, Clay-Chalkville; scored 13.7 points per game for the Cougars, including 30 points in the regional semifinals.
► Guard: Bo Barber, Mountain Brook; as the Spartans’ point guard, averaged 10 points and 4.2 assists per game.
► Forward: Chip Culpepper, Hoover; capped off a great career with 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also blocked 28 shots and picked up 29 steals on the year.
► Center: Christian Thompson, Homewood; averaged 15 points and nine rebounds over the final eight games of the season.
BOYS HONORABLE MENTION
► Guard: Paul Lanzi, Chelsea; Jude Cleary, Vestavia Hills; Colby Carter, Hoover; Riley Edmiston, Chelsea; Evan Smith, Oak Mountain; Paulson Wright, Mountain Brook; Josh Harrington, Spain Park; JR Lambert, Spain Park; Blake Floyd, Spain Park; Holton Smith, Chelsea; Aaron Malpass, John Carroll; Oneal Merchant, John Carroll; Grant Uldrich, Vestavia Hills
► Forward: Carter Hollis, Hewitt-Trussville; Tyler Pickett, Hewitt-Trussville; John Elliott, Briarwood; Mac Swoger, Mountain Brook
BOYS AWARDS
► Player of the Year: Rayven Turner, Mountain Brook
► Coach of the Year: Tyler Davis, Mountain Brook
GIRLS 1ST TEAM
► Guard: Amiya Payne, Hewitt-Trussville; led the area in scoring with 21.4 points per game, while pulling down 7.4 rebounds. The Middle Tennessee signee finished with a school record 2,420 points in her career.
► Guard: Reniya Kelly, Hoover; led the Lady Bucs to the state title as a sophomore, putting up 15.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and three rebounds per game.
► Guard: Emma Smith, Vestavia Hills; led the Lady Rebels to a 30-win season, as she went for 15 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest.
► Guard: Ellen Fleming, Chelsea; led the Lady Hornets in scoring with 10.7 points per game as they went to the state final four for the first time.
► Forward: Aniya Hubbard, Hoover; scored 14.4 points and 6.9 rebounds after recovering from a knee injury suffered in the 2020 playoffs.
GIRLS 2ND TEAM
► Guard: Jada Knight, Hoover; as the floor general for the Lady Bucs, she posted 10 points per game.
► Guard: Jordan Hunter, Hewitt-Trussville; the sophomore filled up the stat sheet regularly, finishing the year with 10.1 points, 4.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. She also picked up 68 steals on the season.
► Guard: Emma Stearns, Mountain Brook; led the Lady Spartans with 10.4 points per game.
► Guard: Alison Stubbs, Vestavia Hills; capped off her career with 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
► Forward: Charity Shaw, Oak Mountain; led the Lady Eagles offense, posting 9.1 points and seven rebounds a game.
GIRLS 3RD TEAM
► Guard: Tamyia Muse, Clay-Chalkville; nearly averaged double figures for the Cougars, going for 9.9 points and six boards per game.
► Guard: Camille Chase, Spain Park; averaged 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Jags after recovering from a knee injury.
► Guard: Sophia Brown, Chelsea; led the Lady Hornets in rebounds and steals, with 5.1 rebounds per game and 62 steals for the season.
► Guard: Bryanna Williams, Pinson Valley; posted 16.2 points and six rebounds per game.
► Forward: Yari Sigler, Pinson Valley; led the Lady Indians with 17.4 points and seven boards per game.
GIRLS HONORABLE MENTION
► Guard: Maddie Vaughn, Briarwood; Anna Grace Gibbons, Homewood; April Hooks, Hewitt-Trussville; Sydney Schwallie, Chelsea; Raegan Whitaker, Oak Mountain; Michelle Jones, Clay-Chalkville; Abby Gordon, Oak Mountain; Avery Masdon, Spain Park
► Forward: Kristen McMillan, Hoover; Emily Straughn, Mountain Brook; Josie Edwards, Vestavia Hills; Mackenzie Titus, Chelsea; Cheyenne Pearson, Clay-Chalkville
GIRLS AWARDS
► Player of the Year: Amiya Payne, Hewitt-Trussville
► Coach of the Year: Jason Harlow, Chelsea
Starnes Media produces seven monthly publications (280 Living, Hoover Sun, Village Living, The Homewood Star, Vestavia Voice, Cahaba Sun, Iron City Ink) and its sports coverage consists primarily of high school athletics at Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain, Westminster-Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Homewood, John Carroll, Hewitt-Trussville, Clay-Chalkville and Pinson Valley.
