Here are 99 Tuscaloosa area high school athletes to look out for in 2024
Here are 99 high school athletes to watch in the Tuscaloosa area in 2024 for all high school sports fans.
Henry Livingston
Northside, Jr.
Sport: Cross Country
Why chosen: Livingston is coming off a 2023 cross country season where he finished in 11 place at the Class 4A state meet with a time of 17:07.28.
Anglin Young
Northridge, Jr.
Sport: Cross county
Why chosen: Young finished his sophomore cross country season with a fifth place finish in the Class 6A state meet with a time of 15:54.09. He was the fastest runner for the Northridge squad in the state meet.
MORE: Tuscaloosa News All-Area high school boys and girls cross country teams for 2023
Jackson Fikes
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: The goalie finished his sophomore season with 74 saves and five shutouts for Northridge.
Anna Pezent
University Charter School, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Pezent came in 10th place in the Class 1A-2A state meet and finished with a time of 21:01.20.
Matthew Cash
Bibb County, Sr.
Sport: Baseball
Why chosen: The reigning Tuscaloosa News' 2023 player of the year is committed to Jacksonville State. He finished his 2023 season with a .432 batting average.
Lucy Guthrie
American Christian Academy, Jr.
Sport: Cross county
Why chosen: Guthrie came in ninth place at the Class 5A state meet, finishing with a time of 19:29.09.
Spencer Nicholas
Tuscaloosa County, Sr.
Sport: Baseball
Why chosen: The pitcher finished the 2023 season with a 2.15 ERA, along with 62 strikeouts and seven walks.
Dorians Herrera
Holt, Jr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: Herrera dominated Holt's back line during the 2023 season, along with scoring 10 goals and recording seven assists.
Amelya Grace Russell
Sipsey Valley, Jr.
Sport: Volleyball
Why chosen: Russell leads Sipsey Valley in volleyball and basketball. She was the Bears' offensive player of the year for volleyball in 2023.
MORE: Tuscaloosa News All-area high school volleyball team, highlighted by Megan Fairburn
Christian Richey
Hillcrest, Fr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Richey made quite the name for himself during his freshman season. He had 56 carries for 360 yards and five touchdowns.
MORE: Tuscaloosa News Class 4A-7A All-Area high school football team for 2023
Ellis Dykes
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: Dykes was an instrumental part of Northridge's 6A state tournament run in 2023, scoring 27 goals along with 11 assists.
Preston Lancaster
Tuscaloosa Academy, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Lancaster was a passing yards leader across all classification during his junior season, going 254-of-365 for 3,941 yards and 46 touchdowns.
MORE: Preston Lancaster adds to impressive 2023 campaign in TA's 42-20 win over UCS
Jordan Leverette
Bibb County, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Leverette went 85-of-152 passing for 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2023. He also ran the ball 86 times for 568 yards and five touchdowns.
Brooks Bozeman
Sulligent, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Bozeman had 46 solo tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions in 2023.
Sky Latham
Gordo, Fr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Latham has been playing on the Gordo varsity team since 7th grade. She has had a great start to her freshman basketball season, having multiple games with more than 20 points.
Blakeley Nixon
Hillcrest, So.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: After an impressive freshman season, Nixon has gotten off to a hot start for her sophomore campaign, helping lead the Lady Patriots to a 13-5 start.
Jareah Branch
Hillcrest, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Branch is a reigning all-state and all-area team member. She averaged 8.6 points, six rebounds and 3.2 assists per game last season.
Brody Martin
West Blocton, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Martin, a senior leader for the Tigers, entered the season averaging 7.2 points per game last season. He also scored a season-high 29 points in West Blocton's win over Holt.
DJ Hamlett
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Hamlett, a reigning member of The Tuscaloosa News' all-area honorable mention team, entered this season averaging 15.5 points and 3.8 assists in 2023.
Javion Taylor
Central, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Taylor is a reigning third team All-State Selection and a member of The Tuscaloosa News Super 5 first-team all-area. He has scored more than 1,000 points during his career with the Falcons.
CJ Thompson
Holy Spirit, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Thompson plays a huge role for Holy Spirit, coming off his sophomore season where he averaged 16 points per game.
Alvin Edwards
Hale County, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Edwards had a stellar season for Hale County last year, helping it reach the Class 4A semifinals. He is a reigning The Tuscaloosa News Super 5 first-team all-area member.
Savannah Gibson
Bibb County, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Gibson ran a 23:24.96 at the Class 4A state meet, finishing in 69th place to cap off her freshman season.
Emmanuel Clarton
Sumter Central, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Clarton is a big part of the Sumter Central squad, coming into this season holding offers from Troy and Tennessee Tech. He also is a reigning member of The Tuscaloosa News' Super 5 honorable mention team in 2022.
Ben Richardson
Sipsey Valley, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Richardson averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game during his junior year. He is having a good start this season for the Bears.
Mackenzie Harper
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: The Shelton State commit is a reigning Class 6A all-state and The Tuscaloosa News' Super 9 all-area team member. She finished her junior season with a .346 batting average to go with 26 RBIs and one home run. She also had 167 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA on the mound.
Brooke Mathewson
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: Mathewson, a dual-threat player for Hillcrest, is committed to play at Snead State.
Jewel Brooks
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: The Northeast Alabama commit had a 2.98 ERA along with 57 strikeouts last season. She also batted .329 with 15 RBIs and 16 runs.
Nichole Dockery
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: Dockery is committed to play at Marion Military Institute.
Emily Rice
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: The Marion Military Institute commit is preparing for her final season at Hillcrest.
Tamaris Harris
Holt, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Harris, who started on every unit for the Ironmen in 2023, finished the season with 105 tackles, 15 of those being for loss, and two sacks.
Adrian Wooley
Paul W. Bryant, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The reigning The Tuscaloosa News player of the year and Kennesaw State basketball commit finished his junior year averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game.
Reshawn Charleston
South Lamar, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Charleston, who is an instrumental part of the South Lamar squad, finished his junior season averaging 15 points along with eight rebounds per game.
Chartavia Conwell
Bibb County, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The reigning Tuscaloosa News Super 5 all-area second team member has near 1,400 career points and 800 rebounds, along with more than 300 career steals and blocks.
Jakyler Smith
Sumter Central, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Smith entered her senior season averaging 12 points, five assists and three steals per game.
Adrienne Hunt
Paul W. Bryant, So.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Hunt was a member of The Tuscaloosa News Super 5 all-area honorable mention after her freshman year. She has had a good start to the season for the Stampede, scoring in double digits in multiple games.
Kyree Patrick
Tuscaloosa County, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The junior averaged 12 points and four rebounds per game during her sophomore season.
Jack Sanderson
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Baseball
Why chosen: Sanderson is an Auburn baseball commit, being named to The Tuscaloosa News' all-area second team in 2023. He also plays basketball for the Jaguars.
Jake Rickman
Fayette County, Fr.
Sport: Football and basketball
Why chosen: During his freshman season, Rickman went 145-of-259 passing for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.
MORE: Full circle moment: From coach and player to now watching sons compete 30 years later
Rowdy Christensen
Northridge, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Despite being able to play four games in 2023 due to injury, Christensen went 97-of-136 passing for 1,569 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Shawn Stephenson
Northridge, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Stephenson is coming off a 17th place finish at the Class 6A state meet in 2023 with a time of 16:15.07.
Alexander Haefner
Tuscaloosa Academy, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Haefner was the lone Tuscaloosa Academy runner to qualify for the state meet in 2023 with a time of 19:45.
Keilyn Edwards
Linden, So.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Edwards finished the 2023 season with 857 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns along with 357 yards receiving and three scores.
Jace Neel
Gordo, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Neel went 79-of-121 for 1,481 yards passing and 18 touchdowns along with rushing for 540 yards and 10 scores in 2023.
MORE: Tuscaloosa News AISA-Class 3A All-Area high school football team for 2023
Bryson Kimbrough
Hillcrest, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Kimbrough went 72-of-131 for 1,280 yards and 15 touchdowns during his first season starting for the Patriots.
CJ Hutchins
Tuscaloosa County, So.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Hutchins led the Wildcats rushing game in 2023, rushing for 820 yards and seven touchdowns on 120 carries.
Drew Keller
Tuscaloosa County, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Keller finished his junior season with 17 solo tackles, 36 assisted tackles, two tackles for loss and four interceptions. He also scored a defensive touchdown.
Sarah Lee
Northside, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: The Mississippi College commit who is a catcher and utility player is preparing to play her final high school season at Northside.
Holly Beth Brooks
Tuscaloosa County, Jr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: Brooks, an Alabama softball commit, is coming off her sophomore season where she helped lead the Wildcats to an area championship after finishing the season with a 99.8% fielding percentage and one error and one passed ball through 259 total innings played.
Jesiah Rainer
Central, So.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Rainer recorded 65 solo tackles, 23 assisted, five for loss and one sack in 2023.
Miles Madden
Paul W. Bryant, Fr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Madden starred during his freshman year for the Stampede. He had 21 receptions for 278 yards and five touchdowns along with 48 tackles, three sacks and one interception.
Kai Young
American Christian Academy, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: During his junior season, Young went 128-of-206 for 1,826 yards passing and 22 touchdowns.
Keishawn Rowser
Demopolis, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Rowser ran the ball 159 carries for 1,208 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023.
Maggie Mauldin
Berry, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Mauldin comes into her junior season after leading the team in scoring and free throw percentage last season.
Abbie Downs
Bibb County, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Downs ran a 23:24.82 at the Class 4A state meet, finishing in 68th place during her freshman season.
Lillie Gould
Northridge, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Gould finished in 43rd place in the Class 6A state meet, with a time of 20:46.69.
Levi Carey
West Blocton, So.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Carey had 85 solo tackles in 2023, one interception and one forced fumble.
Xavier Rhine
Bibb County, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Rhine had 76 solo tackles, 33 tackles for loss along with seven sacks and two interceptions.
Lance Cormier
Sipsey Valley, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Cormier went 181-of-324 passing for 2,666 yards and 27 touchdowns.
CJ Lark
Gordo, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Lark had 103 carries for 990 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. He also had 18 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns.
Audrey Spillers
Winfield, eighth grade
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: As an eighth grader, Spillers qualified for the Class 3A state meet, finishing in 35th place with a time of 21:51.87.
AJ Lowe
Sulligent, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Lowe had 191 carries for 1,786 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2023.
Amarii Johnson
Hillcrest, Jr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: Johnson was a leader for Hillcrest in 2023 recording 43 goals and one assist.
Kenley Myers
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: Myers was a huge part of a Northridge state runner-up squad and she recorded 19 assists and nine goals in 2023.
John Walker
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The dual-threat player in an instrumental part of a Northridge team that is off to a hot 15-2 start and was previously on a nine-game win streak.
Cole Brand
Hubbertville, Fr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Brand had 25 carries for 157 yards and one touchdown in 2023, along with 27 receptions for 408 yards and four touchdowns.
Katelyn Patton
Northside, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: The freshman came in 36th place in the Class 4A state meet with a time of 22:20.70.
Reagan Lightsey
American Christian Academy, eighth grade
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: The eighth grader ran a 22:18.29 at the Class 5A state meet, earning her a 60th overall finish.
Anna Robbins
American Christian Academy, Jr.
Sport: Soccer
Why chosen: Robbins tallied up 32 goals and 19 assists during her sophomore season at ACA, setting a school record for goals scored.
Nate Barron
West Blocton, Jr.
Sport: Football
Why chosen: Barron rushed for 1,023 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2023.
Ava Lacoste
University Charter School, Jr.
Sport: Volleyball
Why chosen: Lacoste was a big part of the UCS volleyball team that made it to the Class 1A semifinals. She finished the 2023 season with 85 aces, 11 kills, 379 digs and 38 assists.
Brinkli Wood
University Charter School, Jr.
Sport: Volleyball
Why chosen: As a captain of the UCS team in 2023, Wood racked up 143 aces, 331 kills, 271 digs and 10 assists.
Kemara Thomas
Paul W. Bryant, Fr.
Sport: Volleyball
Why chosen: The freshman started every game during 2023 for the Stampede and tallied up 35 aces, 127 kills, 59 blocks and 112 digs. She also had a 93.6% serve rating.
Sarah Helms
Demopolis, Jr.
Sport: Volleyball
Why chosen: During her junior season, Helms racked up 236 kills, 85 aces and 19 solo blocks.
Nigel Senkbeil
Holy Spirit, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: The freshman had a top time of 17:32 and qualified for the Class 1A/2A state meet where he finished with a time of 17:36.1
Lolo Coma
Holy Spirit, 7th grade
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: As a seventh grader, Coma ran a personal best time of 17:32 along with finishing with a time of 18:27.1 at the Class 1/2A state meet.
Ciel Coma
Holy Spirit, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Coma finished with a time of 23:05.7 at the Class 1/2A state meet, her fastest time of the season.
Chloe Moore
Holy Spirit, Fr.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Moore finished her freshman season with a personal best time of 23:08 and ran a 23:45.4 at the Class 1/2A state meet.
Harley McNeal
Northridge, Sr.
Sport: Track and field
Reason chosen: The University of North Carolina track and field commit came in second place in the girls Class 6A 400-meter dash last season with a time of 58.23.
Davis Dare
American Christian Academy, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Dare wrapped up his final football season at ACA and jumped right into basketball season. He is one of the Patriots leading scorers, putting up a career-high 38 points earlier in the season.
Charli Kyzer
American Christian Academy, Sr.
Sport: Softball
Why chosen: The senior is committed to play softball at Samford University.
Elijah Benton
Fayette County, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Benton was a leader on the Tigers cross country squad in 2023 and ran a personal best time of 18:11 at the Class 3A state meet.
Shaniah Jones
Hale County, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Jones helped lead the Wildcats to a Class 4A state tournament semifinal appearance in 2023, averaging 11.2 points, four rebounds and 2.6 steals per game.
Alaysha Jones
Demopolis, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Jones returns to the court for Demopolis as one of the team's leading blockers last season.
Justin Walker
Sipsey Valley, So.
Sport: Cross country
Why chosen: Walker ran a personal best time of 20:09.82 during the 2023 season.
Jonni Kneer
Tuscaloosa Academy, So.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: Kneer is a reigning AISA state champion in singles and doubles from the 2023 season. He is also rated as one of the top college prospects in the sophomore class in Alabama.
Yasmine Jackson
Hale County, Sr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Jackson is coming off her junior season where she averaged 14 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 steals per game. She also is a reigning Tuscaloosa News Super 5 all-area second team member.
Anderson Wilken
Northridge, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The junior returns to the court for the Jaguars this season after averaging 12 points and four assists during his sophomore season.
Ella Wheeler
Sulligent, Jr.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Wheeler, a key part of the Sulligent squad, recently eclipsed her 1,000-career point mark earlier this season.
Ryan Bardenwerper
Northridge, So.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: The sophomore was a scoring leader for Northridge during her freshman season. She has started her sophomore season off strong, helping lead the Jaguars to a 12-5 start.
Jakeya Horton
Northridge, So.
Sport: Basketball
Why chosen: Horton has already hit 300 career points as a sophomore. She was averaging a double-double per game last season.
Kameryn Brown
Hillcrest, Sr.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: Brown, who also plays volleyball, is coming off of a 2023 season where she became the leader in Hillcrest school history for match wins. She is committed to play volleyball and tennis at Coastal Alabama Community College South.
Ava Thomason
American Christian Academy, Sr.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: The three-time all-area selection made it to round three of the Class 4A/5A singles state championships in 2023.
Emily Huang
Fayette County, Sr.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: Huang returns for her senior season as one of the Tigers' top veterans.
Griffin Armstrong
Hillcrest, So.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: Armstrong is entering his fourth year of playing varsity at Hillcrest. He made it to the third round of the Class 6A singles state championships in 2023.
Grayson McCafferty
American Christian Academy, Fr.
Sport: Tennis
Why chosen: The freshman will be entering his third season of playing varsity at ACA. He will be returning as one of the Patriots No. 1 singles players.
Kayori Ryan
Central, Jr.
Sport: Flag football
Why chosen: The leader of the Central squad in touchdowns, total yards and yardage per game in 2023, Ryan will be the only Falcon to play all four years of flag football. She is a versatile player, able to play all positions.
Cynia Spraggins
Brookwood, Fr.
Sport: Flag football
Why chosen: Spraggins had six interceptions and five total touchdowns in 2023, along with leading the team in pass breakups.
Haley Templeton
Northside, Jr.
Sport: Flag football
Why chosen: As the Rams team captain in 2023, Templeton recorded 78 tackles and one interception on defense in 2023 along with 91 receptions for 11 scores.
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @annaesnyder2
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 99 Tuscaloosa area high school athletes to watch for in 2024
