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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

While 11-man football draws a significant amount of attention from the public, some of the best 8-man football in the state of Alabama is played right here in Shelby County.

That was on display once again in 2024 as the Cornerstone Christian Chargers won their second-straight AISA 8-man championship while the Evangel Christian Lightning extended their state championship streak to three years in a row in the always-competitive ACSC.

In addition, the Coosa Valley Rebels made great strides in their return to 8-man play, securing three victories with a team full of mostly newcomers to the sport as the program looks to gain momentum for the future.

All three programs are more than worthy of recognition, which is why the All-County 8-Man Football team spotlights the top players from the area’s programs after a memorable season.

 

Offense

Quarterback: Zeke Adams, senior, Cornerstone. Adams put together another insane offensive campaign as he totaled 3,422 all-purpose yards to help the Chargers repeat. He finished with 1,968 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns off 150 carries and was 46-for-91 passing for 1,245 yards and 17 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Adams was also a threat on defense with 84 tackles, 12 interceptions, three sacks and three defensive touchdowns to earn AISA All-Star and Gatlinburg All-American honors.

Quarterback: Kemp Swords, senior, Evangel. Swords never lost an 8-man game in two years, and a large part of that was due to his leadership under center. He completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,676 yards and 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions and ran for another 819 yards and 19 touchdowns off 99 carries. The ACSC MVP and Gatlinburg All-American also earned 32 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks from the linebacker spot to close out his Lightning career.

Running Back: Nick Cloud, senior, Evangel. While Cloud was a defensive leader with 57 tackles and seven sacks, he had the most rushing yards of any 8-man running back with 639 yards and 12 touchdowns off 103 carries, and he also caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive Lineman: Landon Alexander, senior, Cornerstone. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Alexander cleared the way for the Chargers’ potent rushing attack with 16 pancake blocks as the AISA All-Star also added 43 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks as a defensive tackle.

Offensive Lineman: Henry Rhodes, senior, Evangel. Rhodes never missed a start in Evangel’s championship-winning season and was a consistent presence for the Lightning offense as a senior.

Offensive Lineman: Emerson Dollins, senior, Evangel. Dollins capped off his Lightning career by starting all 12 games, providing protection for Kemp Swords while opening up holes for Evangel’s triple threat of rushers.

Receiver: Noah Schober, senior, Cornerstone. Schober provided explosive offense through the air for the Chargers, going for 653 receiving yards and scoring off 11 of his 20 receptions. In addition, the AISA All-Star had 314 kickoff return yards and 117 punt return yards to set up the offense and finish with 1,084 all-purpose yards, and he had 57 tackles, nine interceptions and three defensive touchdowns as a standout cornerback.

Receiver: Jake McArthur, junior, Coosa Valley. McArthur made a big on the Rebels offense with 382 receiving yards off just 12 receptions and earned 81 rushing yards off six carries. He also scored three times during Coosa Valley’s three victories in 2024.

Receiver: Cade Joiner, senior, Evangel. Joiner’s output was hampered by two injuries during the season, but in the seven games that he did suit up for, he went for 30 receptions for 298 yards and three touchdowns along with 35 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Athlete: Seth Dillard, senior, Cornerstone. Dillard was a crucial part of the Chargers offense as a tight end primarily responsible for blocking, and he earned Gatlinburg All-American and AISA All-Star honors for his roles in Cornerstone’s state championship season.

Athlete: Landon Payton, senior, Coosa Valley. In his first year as the Rebels starting quarterback, Payton rushed for 10 touchdowns and passed for 616 yards in Coosa Valley’s three victories, providing a potent dual threat for the offense.

 

Defense

Defensive Lineman: Reed Castleberry, senior, Evangel. Castleberry racked up 89 tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and 30 solo tackles along with 9.5 sacks to lead the Lightning’s defensive front as a Gatlinburg All-American.

Defensive Lineman: Malachi Adams, sophomore, Cornerstone. Adams had another standout season as an underclassman, earning Gatlinburg All-American and AISA All-Star honors after securing 86 tackles, including 72 solo tackles, 21 tackles for loss and a whopping 19 sacks plus 13 quarterback hurries. He also secured 22 pancake blocks as a center.

Defensive Lineman: Hampton Etheredge, senior, Cornerstone. Etheredge’s year was cut short to just eight games due to injury but still secured 68 tackles, including 56 solo tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks along with 266 receiving yards and four touchdowns off eight receptions for the season as a wide receiver.

Defensive Lineman: Ethan Stallings, senior, Evangel. Stallings secured 61 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks while playing on both sides of the line and earned his third-straight selection to the Gatlinburg All-American Bowl, giving him another statement season to finish his time with Evangel.

Linebacker: Eli Black, sophomore, Evangel. Black led all county 8-man players in tackles as just a sophomore after stepping up to secure 100 tackles on the dot along with 38 solo tackles, a sack and an interception. He also complemented Kemp Swords and Nick Cloud in the run game with 387 rushing yards and eight touchdowns off 32 carries, setting the stage for an exciting career to come.

Linebacker: Drake Dunning, senior, Cornerstone. Dunning was a Gatlinburg All-American and AISA All-Star after earning 79 tackles, including 68 solo tackles, four sacks and an interception. In addition, he helped pace the offense on the ground, earning hard yards to take 64 carries for 425 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensive Back: Will Welch, senior, Evangel. The ever-reliable Welch secured six interceptions along with 33 tackles on defense and went for 673 receiving yards, the most among county 8-man receivers, and 14 touchdowns while also featuring as a punter. He stepped up in big moments to earn the ACSC championship game MVP award and a Gatlinburg All-American selection.

Defensive Back: Jordin Rogers, senior, Coosa Valley. A baseball star by trade, Rogers suited up in a football uniform for the first time this season and contributed as both a wide receiver and a defensive back to earn AISA All-Star honors. He earned two interceptions and a fumble recovery in his first-ever football game against Southern Prep before scoring against Springwood, North River Christian, Evangel-Montgomery and Trinity.

 

Honorable Mention: Kai Santiago, Coosa Valley. Caleb Words, Evangel. Wyatt Chandler, Evangel. Paul Dixon, Evangel. Ben Davis, Evangel. Simon Stafford, Evangel.