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2022 - The Year in Sports
By Michael Butler
It was not only a banner year but a banner career for Tallassee High athlete Jalyn Daniels. Daniels excelled in football, basketball and track. And his accolades did not go unnoticed.
Daniels was second-team all-state in football his senior season. He rushed for 1,421 yards with 20 touchdowns. His highlight performance was his 321-yard rushing night in the Tigers 34-13 win over Reeltown during the 2020 campaign. He also had 35 points in a 65-39 basketball victory over the rival Rebels last season.
Daniels was a third-team all-state selection in basketball. He surpassed 1,000 points in his hoops career.
But his greatest achievement might be the state title he picked up in track. He was the best in Class 5A in the 100-meter event at Gulf Shores. Daniels is now a freshman on the football squad at the University of North Alabama.
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Coach John Mask putting on the rings from the previous season during a recognitionfor Stewart at a Tallassee football game |
Another state titleist in 2022 was Tallassee swimmer Macey Stewart. Stewart is no stranger to the podium. Her two state titles in the December event in Auburn brought her overall number of individual state championships to seven. The junior set the record in the Class 1A-5A in the 100-meter freestyle event. Stewart was also tops in the 100-meter backstroke.
Two gentlemen with Tallassee ties are now hall-of-famers. Rusty Baynes, a THS graduate, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Officials Hall of Fame. THS varsity boys basketball coach Keiven Mixson was selected to the 2022 Class of the Faulkner Athletics Hall of Fame.
Tallassee head baseball coach Kyle Hammonds stepped down after one season with the program. Longtime coach John Goodman was picked to head the program again, a position he held from 1993-2008.
Several youth baseball and softball teams made runs in all-star tournaments. Tallassee's 10U baseball squad claimed a state championship and reached the World Series in Gulfport, Miss.
Four THS softball players were named all state. Seniors Chloe Baynes and Belle Haynes were first-team choices. Avary Lumpkin, another senior, was a second-team pick. Junior Brooke Royster was honorable mention. The Tigers softball team came up one game short of a return to the state tournament falling to Brewbaker Tech in regionals.
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Bo Burton shows off his state championship ring |
The Tallassee soccer team had its best season since the program was launched in 2008 going 9-7-1. The team finished the season with a four-game winning streak. Junior Will Blocker set the school record for goals in a season with 28. He also had nine assists. Blocker was a state all-star pick as well.
The Tigers wrestling team went 29-1 in duals matches for the 2021-22 season and reached the quarterfinals of the state duals tournament. Four grapplers qualified for the state tournament; Land Bell, Brendan Emfinger, Bry Hathcock and Christian McCary.
The Tallassee football team reached the second round of the state playoffs going 7-5 in 2022. It was the deepest playoff run for the program since the 2017 season.
The Year in News
The Year in Pictures |
