Lindsey, Halbrooks top all-area team

By Staff
Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
Priceville’s football team reached the state playoffs last fall for the first time since the school reopened in 2001 despite entering the season facing the loss of 16 seniors from a team that had gone 6-4 a year ago.
Even in a rebuilding year, though, the Bulldogs finished 6-5 after losing in the first round of the playoffs to St. Clair County.
Priceville head coach Donald Weeks and defensive standout Will Halbrooks headline the 2007 Hartselle Enquirer all-area football team.
The Bulldogs finished the year with their second-straight winning season. Over the past two years, Priceville has won 12 of 21 games while competiting in Class 4A.
Weeks was voted as the coach of the year, while Halbrooks was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Halbrooks recorded 92 tackles this season to pace the Bulldogs’ defensive unit. He added four sacks and recovered a fumble.
Falkville’s Steven Lindsey was named as the top offensive player in the area after finishing the year with 53 catches for 730 yards. He had 10 touchdowns receiving.
Lindsey also scored on a punt return and two fumble recoveries.
Danville’s Levi George, who picked up 59 percent of the votes on the internet, finished second in the voting for the top offensive player. He is one of three running backs to earn first team honors.
Just a sophomore, George rushed for more than 1,500 yards this season.
Hartselle’s tandem of Montrell Murphy and Marquez Jones finished with 11 touchdowns each. Murphy rushed for 1,057 yards, while Jones added 614 yards on just 91 attempts.
The Tigers’ Tony Weaver joined Lindsey as a first-team wide receiver. He had 52 catches for 749 yards with seven touchdowns.
Offensive linemen earning first-team honors are Priceville’s Chase Martin and Jonathan Hopkins; Hartselle’s Caleb Murphy and Russell Powell; and Nathaniel Thomas of Brewer.
Murphy and Powell both graded out at over 87 percent this season and helped the Tigers rush for 2,166 yards.
Brewer’s Zack Graham, regarded as a solid blocker and receiver, was the first-team tight end. He also had a solid year on the defensive side of the ball with 74 tackles and five sacks.
Halbrooks topped a first-team defense that includes linemen Chris Dickerson and Dominique Burton of Brewer, and Hartselle’s Carrington Bibb and David Reeves.
Burton had 40 tackles and was a key component in the Patriots’ defensive set.
Carrington had 82 stops, while Reeves finished with 94 tackles.
Linebackers earning first-team honors include Priceville’s Halbrooks and Kyle Bunnell; Brewer’s Miles Cloer; and Michael Reed of Hartselle.
Bunnell had 64 tackles with four sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Cloer finished with 72 tackles and he returned an interception for a touchdown this year.
Reed led Hartselle with 126 tackles.
The top defensive backs are Priceville’s Eli Allen, Falkville’s Jonathan McNatt and Hartselle’s Manquez Jones.
Jones intercepted two passes for the Tigers and finished the season with 28 tackles.
Allen had five interceptions this season for Priceville with 65 tackles. He also rushed for 801 yards.
Falkville’s Brandon Clark was the top punter after averaging 42.1 yards per kick for the Blue Devils. Clark had a season long punt of 67 yards.
Danville’s Clint McAbee earned first-team honors as a return specialist, while the Hawks’ Corey Evans was the top kicker.
McAbee had a 26-yard return average for the Hawks.
Evans hit 95 percent of his extra point attempts.