Youth clearly was served in the Tennessee Valley this basketball season.
Westminster junior Chase McCarty and Buckhorn freshman Caleb Holt both led their teams to their respective championship games and have been named Co-Players of the Year on the AL.com All-Tennessee Valley boys basketball team.
RELATED: ASWA Boys All-State team
Both McCarty and Holt are also finalists for Player of the Year in their respective classifications – McCarty in 4A and Holt in 6A. Oakwood Academy’s Melvin Allen was named Coach of the Year after leading his team to the Class 1A championship game for the first time.
The trio headline this year’s All-Tennessee Valley team, which includes a first, second and third team along with a list of honorable mention selections. AL.com names a coach of the year, player of the year and newcomer of the year. The teams are comprised of the five best players regardless of class or position.
The Tennessee Valley team is compiled through voting from area coaches, AL.com staff insights and opinions of experts in the area. It includes players from Madison, Morgan, Limestone, Marshall and Jackson Counties.
Here is the 2023 team:
THIRD TEAM
Isaiah Matthews
School: Whitesburg Christian
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Matthews averaged 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game for Whitesburg in carrying the team to its first area title and Sweet 16. He was a second-team Class 2A All-State selection.
Chandler Sullivan
School: North Sand Mountain
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
The skinny: A first-team Class 2A All-State selection, Sullivan averaged a double-double with 19.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. He also had 83 steals.
Cameron Collins
School: Austin
Height: 6-foot-3
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Collins averaged 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds for 20-10 Austin.
Simon Walker
School: Huntsville
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
The skinny: Walker averaged 13 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists for Christian Schweers’ team. He was MVP of the Lighthouse Classic.
Julius Winston
School: Bob Jones
Height: 5-foot-10
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Winston averaged 11 points and 7.2 rebounds a game for Bob Jones. He also had 35 blocks and 21 steals.
SECOND TEAM
Alabama's Carson Muse of West Morgan brings the ball upcourt against Mississippi in the first half of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Basketball Classic on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com)
Carson Muse
School: West Morgan
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Guard/forward
The skinny: A second-team Class 4A All-State selection, Muse averaged 20.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for 23-7 West Morgan.
Grissom's R.J. Johnson (11) and Huntsville's Duncan Gibbons (5) and Xavier Fuell (1). Huntsville vs. Grissom boys basketball at Grissom High School Friday Jan.24, 2020. (Bob Gathany / Preps@AL.com)AL.com
R.J. Johnson
School: Grissom
Height: 6-foot-3
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: The Alabama commit, despite playing just 19 games, averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 rebounds a game for coach Jack Doss. He was a second-team Class 7A All-State selection.
Huntsville's Caleb Harrison (23) controls the ball against Spain Park's Zach Gray (22) during regionals at Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Caleb Harrison
School: Huntsville
Height: 6-foot-9
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Harrison, an honorable mention Class 7A All-State selection, averaged 14 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Panthers. He was the MVP of the 7A, Area 7 tournament.
Madison Academy's Michael Stanford and Cody Baerlocher box out against Ramsay's Jayden Williams during a 5A regional playoff game in Hanceville, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt
Cody Baerlocher
School: Madison Academy
Height: 6-foot-6
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Baerlocher averaged 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Mustangs. He also had 41 steals.
Sparkman's Will Hawkins (10) dunks the ball against Spain Park during regional play at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala., Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Will Hawkins
School: Sparkman
Height: 6-foot-4
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Hawkins averaged 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Senators. The Huntsville Classic MVP also had 106 steals. He was a third-team Class 7A All-State selection.
FIRST TEAM
Huntsville's Ja'Mari Arnold (4) shoots against Spain Park's Jared Smith (23) during regionals at Jacksonville State in Jacksonville, Ala., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Ja’Mari Arnold
School: Huntsville
Height: 5-foot-10
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: A second-team Class 7A All-State selection, Arnold averaged 13 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The MVP of the Memphis Hardwood Classic had 51 steals for the 24-9 Panthers. He also was a first-team selection in 2022.
Keshawn Watkins
School: Columbia
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
The skinny: Watkins averaged 28.3 points and 17 rebounds for Class 6A Columbia. He was a third-team ASWA All-State selection.
Scottsboro's Tyson Sexton (2) grabs a rebound against Valley's Cam'Ron Dooley (5) during an AHSAA 5A semifinal game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Tues., Mar. 1, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Tyson Sexton
School: Scottsboro
Height: 6-foot-5
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Sexton averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game for the Wildcats. He also had 42 steals. He was a second-team Class 5A All-State selection.
Brandon Fussell
School: Guntersville
Height: 6-foot-1
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: A Class 5A first-team All-State selection, Fussell averaged 23.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He had 95 steals and is one of three finalists for Class 5A Player of the Year.
Grissom's Izzy Miles shoots against Oak Mountain during a 256-205 Challenge game at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, Ala., Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. (Dennis Victory | preps@al.com)
Izzy Miles
School: Grissom
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
The skinny: Miles averaged 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists for Grissom. He had 48 steals and was MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. He was a third-team Class 7A All-State selection.
CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Westminster Christian's Chase McCarty (21) shoots against Jacksonville during an AHSAA 4A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Mar. 3, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Chase McCarty, Westminster Christian
The junior guard/forward led Westminster to the Class 4A championship game.
He averaged 23.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and is a finalist for Class 4A Player of the Year. McCarty scored double figures in every game he played and had 45 steals and 24 blocks.
He was the AL.com Newcomer of the Year in 2021 and was a second-team All-Tennessee Valley selection in 2022.
Buckhorn's Caleb Holt shoots against Mountain Brook's Julius Clark during an AHSAA 6A championship game at BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Sat, Mar. 4, 2023. (Marvin Gentry | preps@al.com)
Caleb Holt, Buckhorn
A year after making the Tennessee Valley first team as an eighth-grader, Holt led his team to the Class 6A state championship as a freshman.
He averaged 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists throughout the season for head coach Patrick Harding, but clearly he saved his best games for last.
In the state semifinals against McGill-Toolen, Holt rallied his team from a double-digit third-quarter deficit. The 6-foot-5 standout scored 24 of his game-high 33 points in the second half. He went 16-of-19 from the foul line, including hitting his first 13, and added 14 rebounds and five steals.
In the championship game win over Mountain Brook, Holt finished with 32 points and 18 rebounds in a 65-56 Buckhorn victory. Mountain Brook coach Tyler Davis called him a “generational talent” following the game.
Recent Tennessee Valley POTY winners
2023: Caleb Holt, Buckhorn; Chase McCarty, Westminster (Co-players)
2022: Jacari Lane, Lee-Huntsville
2021: Brody Peebles, Hartselle
2020: Tony Toney, Mae Jemison
2019: Kobe Brown, Lee-Huntsville
2018: Kira Lewis, Hazel Green
2017: John Petty, Mae Jemison
2016: John Petty, J.O. Johnson
2015: Joshua Langford, Madison Academy
2014: Lewis Sullivan, Hazel Green
2013: Joshua Langford, Madison Academy
2012: Justin Pride, Butler
2011: Trevor Lacey, Butler
2010: Trevor Lacey, Butler
2009: Kerron Johnson, Madison Academy
COACH OF THE YEAR
Oakwood coach Melvin Allen works with Oakwood's Eleazar Williams during an AHSAA Class 1A championship game at BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Mar. 2, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)
Melvin Allen, Oakwood Academy
One year after his team forfeited its regional semifinal game for religious reasons, Allen led Oakwood Academy – a seventh-day Adventist school – all the way to the Class 1A state championship game.
Oakwood finished 28-9 after losing 50-46 to two-time champion Covenant Christian, but the moment wasn’t lost on Allen.
“We wanted to win this game, but the big picture is we are 28-9 and not 9-28,” he said immediately following the loss. “The final game won’t determine the success of this team. They fought hard, and I’m proud of that.”
Allen also was named Class 1A Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
Recent Tennessee Valley Coaches of the Year
2023: Melvin Allen, Oakwood Academy
2022: Frankie Sullivan, James Clemens
2021: Greg Brown, Lee-Huntsville
2020: Brian Wright, Brooks
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Westminster's Kaden Rickard works for a shot with Jacksonville's Caden Johnson defending during an AHSAA Class 4A championship game at BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Friday, Mar. 3, 2023. (Vasha Hunt | preps@al.com)
Kaden Rickard, Westminster Christian
The 6-foot-4 sophomore guard helped lead Westminster to the Class 4A championship game.
Entering the state semifinals, Rickard had hit 103-of-183 field goals and 40-of-58 free throws. He had 119 rebounds and 70 assists.
Recent Tennessee Valley Newcomers of the Year
2023: Kaden Rickard, Westminster Christian
2022: Simon Walker, James Clemens
2021: Chase McCarty, Westminster Christian
HONORABLE MENTION
Kiah Key, Hartselle
Colin Patterson, West Limestone
Skylar Townsend, Tanner
Jayden Nesbitt, Oakwood Academy
Malachi Mitchell, Bob Jones
Terrance Pruitt Jr., Hazel Green
Jaylen Blackwell, Madison Academy
Wyatt Bolden, New Hope
Jordan Johnson, Austin
Landon Townsend, Athens
Isaiah Slaughter, Decatur
Will Cavender, Arab
Parker Bell, Scottsboro
Cole Linderman, Priceville
Mykell Murrah, Elkmont
Bo Mitchell, Decatur Heritage
Isaiah Warrick, Falkville
Jakob Kirby, Pisgah
Walker Brand, Athens Bible
Brayden Suggs, Athens Bible
Eleazar Williams, Oakwood Academy
John Walden, Oakwood Academy
Chase Bickers, Skyline
DaKarian Bryant, Mae Jemison
Ryan Dunn, Hartselle
John David Gossett, Huntsville
Will Waites, Randolph
Pierce Roper, James Clemens