2024-25 All-Franklin County Boys’ Basketball First Team
Braycen Johnson, guard, Belgreen
Austin Elliott, guard, Phil Campbell
Khalil Luster, forward, Red Bay
EJ King, guard, Russellville
Christian McCarley, point guard, Vina
Second Team
Hayden Wingo, guard, Phil Campbell
Jaxon Vinson, forward, Red Bay
Jah Williams, point guard, Russellville
Cameron Phinizee, forward, Russellville
Dalton Maldonada, guard, Tharptown
Honorable Mention
Jake Dill, guard, Belgreen
Jonathan Mendoza, forward, Belgreen
Madden Welch, guard, Phil Campbell
Connor Humphries, guard, Red Bay
Brody Raper, forward, Vina
Franklin County Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year: John Torisky, Red Bay
The Franklin Free Press has announced its All-Franklin County Boys’ Basketball team for the 2024-25 season. The team, chosen by the FFP sports editor, is based on nominations by the head coaches. Each school had at least one selection to one of three teams. The First and Second Teams had five players each and there were five Honorable Mentions. The Coach of the Year was voted on by the county coaches.
The FFP All-Franklin County First Team consists of Belgreen junior guard Braycen Johnson, Phil Campbell sophomore guard Austin Elliott, Red Bay freshman forward Khalil Luster, Russellville senior guard EJ King, and Vina senior point guard Christian McCarley.
Johnson was the Bulldogs’ top scorer this past season and reached the 1,000 career point milestone during the campaign. The junior finished with 470 total points for an average of 21.2 points per game. He also totaled 72 steals, added 5.2 rebounds per game, and finished the season shooting 36 percent from three.
Phil Campbell’s Austin Elliott was a prolific scorer for the Bobcats under first-year head coach Shannon Benford. Elliott totaled 475 points for an average of 15.3 points per game. He also averaged five rebounds per game and had 82 steals, 71 assists and 18 blocks.
Red Bay’s Khalil Luster was a force around the basket for the area and county champion Tigers. Luster averaged a double-double with 17 points per game and 12 rebounds per game. This season he had a season-high 29 points against Humboldt and a season-high 22 rebounds against Deshler.
Russellville’s EJ King was by far the most prolific scorer on this year’s all-county team. The senior guard averaged 31.4 points per game and ended the year with around 800 total points. Early in the season against Haleyville, King surpassed the 2,000 career point milestone. He also averaged 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Rounding out the First Team selections is Vina senior point guard Christian McCarley, who averaged a double-double for the season with 21.8 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. McCarley also averaged 3.8 assists per game and during the season passed the 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds mark.
The All-Franklin County Second Team consists of Phil Campbell’s Hayden Wingo, Red Bay’s Jaxon Vinson, Russellville’s Jah Williams and Cameron Phinizee, and Tharptown’s Dalton Maldonada.
Wingo, a senior guard, totaled 366 points for an average of 11.8 per game and averaged five rebounds per. Vinson, lauded for his defensive ability, averaged nine points and six rebounds per game, the second-leading contributors in those two categories for his Red Bay team. Williams, Russellville’s senior “motor,” averaged 10.4 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per, and four assists per game. He was joined on the Second Team by teammate Cam Phinizee, a physical junior, who recorded over nine points and six rebounds per game for the Golden Tigers. The Wildcats’ Maldonada, a senior guard, finished the year averaging 14 points per game and drew one charge per game.
The Franklin County Coach of the Year is Red Bay’s John Torisky, who led the Tigers to a Franklin County Tournament title, a Class 2A Area 10 championship, and a spot in the AHSAA Northwest Regional tournament.
Belgreen’s Jake Dill and Jonathan Mendoza, Phil Campbell’s Madden Welch, Red Bay’s Connor Humphries, and Vina’s Brody Raper rounded out the all-county selections as Honorable Mentions.
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