FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Hayston Scott, Soph., Phil Campbell
RB: Cameron Phinizee, Jr., Russellville
RB: Hayden Wingo, Sr., Phil Campbell
OL: Neyland Baker, Sr., Russellville
OL: Zach Sparks, Jr., Vina
OL: Johan Vasquez, Sr., Phil Campbell
OL: Eddi Velasquez, Sr., Russellville
OL: Logan Wright, Sr., Phil Campbell
WR: Gunner Sappington, Sr., Russellville
WR: Branson Vick, Fr., Vina
WR: Ty Willis, Sr., Russellville
TE: Hagen Raper, Jr., Phil Campbell
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Logan Cooper, Jr., Phil Campbell
DL: Jon Isaac Wilson, Sr., Phil Campbell
LB: Keifer Hallmark, Soph., Russellville
LB: Cai Lawler, Sr., Vina
LB: Richard Scott, Sr., Russellville
LB: Mason Weeks, Sr., Phil Campbell
DB: Zaye Hubbard, Sr., Russellville
DB: Christian McCarley, Sr., Vina
DB: Jah Williams, Sr., Russellville
FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P: Manny Martinez, Sr., Russellville
KR/PR: Jah Williams, Sr., Russellville
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
QB: Whit Goodwin, Fr., Russellville
RB: Cai Lawler, Sr., Vina
RB: Jaxson Vinson, Jr., Red Bay
OL: Luis Dircio, Jr., Tharptown
OL: Reed Hamilton, Sr., Red Bay
OL: Angel Morales, Soph., Tharptown
OL: Bryan Ruiz, Sr., Russellville
OL: Jayden Smith, Red Bay
WR: Chandler Benford, Soph., Phil Campbell
WR: Cody McCluskey, Fr., Tharptown
WR: Javon Poss, Sr., Russellville
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL: Sam Wilson, Soph., Russellville
LB: Austin Chaney, Soph., Tharptown
LB: Lane Easterling, Jr., Vina
LB: Trevor Baker, Sr. Vina
DB: Chandler Benford, Soph., Phil Campbell
DB: EJ King, Sr., Russellville
DB: Joby Wilcoxson, 8th, Tharptown
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB: Christian McCarley, Sr., Vina
RB: Tarus Davis, Soph., Russellville
RB: Anthony Bonilla, Jr., Tharptown
RB: Skyler Vickry, Belgreen
OL: Landon Cantrell, Sr., Belgreen
LB: Hunter Woodruff, Sr., Belgreen
DB: Landon Cox, Sr., Belgreen
2024 Franklin County Coach of the Year: Cody Renfrow, Vina (2nd season)
The Franklin Free Press has announced its 2024 All-Franklin County Football Team. The players selected for each team were chosen by the FFP sports editor based on nominations by each head coach. (Due to Belgreen’s varsity football status with the AHSAA, BHS did not nominate for the All-County Team; the FFP made the late decision to include a few BHS players as honorable mentions based on on-field performance.) Coach of the Year was voted on by the coaches.
Class 5A Region 7 runner-up Russellville led the way with nine selections on the First Team offense and defense. Junior running back Cameron Phinizee, who rushed for 2,331 yards, averaged over 10 yards per carry, and scored 28 touchdowns, led the way for the Golden Tigers on offense. Wide receiver Gunner Sappington, who ended his senior season with 601 yards receiving and four touchdowns was joined by another senior wide receiver, Ty Willis, who had 158 yards and two touchdowns. RHS had two offensive lineman garner First Team nods: seniors Neyland Baker and Eddi Velasquez, neither of which allowed a sack, graded 90 percent or higher all season, and paved the way for 3,149 rushing yards.
On defense, sophomore linebacker Keifer Hallmark and senior defensive back Zaye Hubbard were Russellville’s two leading tacklers with 133 and 126 tackles, respectively. Both were ballhawks, as well, with nine interceptions, two blocked kicks and three caused fumbles between them. Senior linebacker Richard Scott, who had 100 tackles and a caused fumble, joined them along with defensive back Jah Williams, who finished with 63 tackles and three INTs.
The Golden Tigers, who closed their campaign with a 7-4 overall record, also swept the two First Team special teams positions going to senior kicker and punter Manny Martinez and punt and kick returner Jah Williams. Martinez, who hit 48 of 49 extra point attempts, knocked through four field goals with a long of 40 yards. Punting the ball, Martinez had a long of 50 yards and pinned opposing offenses inside the 20-yard line five times. Williams had 12 kickoff returns for an average of 17 yards per return and had one kickoff return for a touchdown.
Phil Campbell had eight First Team selections. The Bobcats, offensively, were led by sophomore quarterback Hayston Scott, who did it with both his arm and his legs. Scott threw for 605 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring 12 rushing touchdowns. Scott was preceded in the 1,000-yard rushing club by fellow First Team selection, senior running back Hayden Wingo, who eclipsed 1,300 yards for the campaign, averaged nearly 12 yards per carry, and tallied 15 rushing touchdowns. Senior linemen Logan Wright and Johan Vasquez, who was named the team MVP, paved the way for Scott and Wingo’s thousand-yard rushing seasons and join them on the First Team. Rounding out the Bobcats’ offensive First Team picks is junior tight end Hagen Raper, who had four touchdowns on 172 yards receiving and did his part in the run game, too, with his blocking ability.
On the defensive side for PCHS, the Bobcats had three First Team nods. Senior defensive lineman Jon Isaac Wilson, despite drawing double teams all year as the Bobcats’ nose guard, still recorded 25 tackles, while the flexible junior Logan Cooper recorded 60 total tackles and a team-high 13 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. Senior linebacker Mason Weeks, PCHS’ final First Team selection, was the team leader in tackles with 92 and, as a four-year starter and two-time defensive MVP for the Bobcats, provided valuable experience on that side of the ball.
Vina finishes off the First Team with four selections—two on offense and two on defense. Red Devil wide receiver Branson Vick had the distinction of being the only freshman player selected to the First Team. Vick was Vina’s go-to target through the air, amassing 306 yards receiving to go with four touchdowns. Junior Zach Sparks joins Vick on the offensive side as the Red Devils’ top offensive lineman and the heavy up front Vina relied on to open up holes in its run-heavy attack.
Another distinction goes to Vina’s two defensive First Team selections, seniors Cai Lawler and Christian McCarley: they’re the only two players to receive recognition on both sides of the ball. Lawler received his First Team nod as a linebacker, who made 102 tackles, including 11 tackles-for-loss. McCarley comes in as a First Team defensive back, who recorded 52 tackles, 40 of which were solo, and he nabbed five interceptions. Lawler, there for every defensive snap for Vina this year, and McCarley played both sides of the ball and rarely left the field.
The FFP Franklin County Coach of the Year is Vina’s Cody Renfrow. The second-year head coach led the Red Devils to quite a turnaround, from one win in his first season to a winning 6-4 record in 2024. Though the Red Devils, playing in a tough region, came up just short of the postseason, their six victories gave Vina its first winning campaign since 1989, snapping the longest drought in Alabama high school football history, according to AHSFHS.org.
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