Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

Lowndes Academy Football 2016 continues to rack up some impressive honors for its head coach and football players.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association recently named Lowndes Academy’s Bob Taylor as the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) 2016 Football Coach of the Year and three Rebels to AISA All-State football teams.

In addition, the Montgomery Advertiser named Taylor as its AISA Coach of the Year for a second time and  named nine Lowndes Academy football players to its All-Metro Football Team.

The sportswriters’ selections were released Saturday, Dec. 24 and confirmed by the Alabama High School Football Historical Society. And the All-Metro Team was announced Monday, Dec. 26.

Brandon Reid, Jimbo Wheeler and Jon Johnson were named by the sports writers to AISA All-State football teams.

Reid was named to the AISA First Team Offense. He is a 5’10”, 185 lb. senior running back for the Rebels.

Wheeler and Johnson were named to the Second Team Defense.

Wheeler is a 6’, 250 lb. senior defensive lineman. And Johnson is a 5’10”, 170 lb. junior (football player) who played quarterback and defensive back.

As confirmed by the Alabama High School Football Historical Society, the Alabama Sports Writers Association selects a high school football coach of the year in conjunction with the announcement of the All-State team and the coach and players were named Saturday, Dec. 24.

“I am proud of Brandon, Jon and Jimbo for making the All-State team,” Taylor said. “Each of these guys are deserving of the award.”

Taylor went on to say, “I believe that it the most all state players we have ever had and the first time since 2006 that we have had more than one on the team.”

As to his selection by the sports writers as AISA Coach of the Year, Taylor said, “I have truly been blessed to have great coaches, players and support staff. They are what makes this type of award possible. I know that my name is on it but it means that our program is going in the right direction.”

Names to the All-Metro AISA football team were nine Lowndes Academy Reid, Jackson Patton, 6’1”, 250 lb. a junior offensive lineman, Zach Till, a 5’8”, 160 lb., senior offensive lineman, John Taylor, a 5’9”,160 lb. senior place kicker, Daniel Callaway, a 6’2”, 170 lb., sophomore defensive lineman, Wheeler, Johnson, Brian Rayburn, a 5’8”,140 lb. junior wide receiver/defensive back and Mason McCurdy, a 5’9”,170 running back/linebacker.

Taylor, named AISA All-Metro Coach of the Year for a second time, credited his assistant coaches and football players. He said that when a football program places nine players on an All-Metro team, it must be doing something right.

Earlier this month Taylor was voted by AISA coaches as AISA Class A Coach of the Year. And Lowndes Academy’s Reid and John Taylor were named AISA All-Star Football Players.

Taylor said Wheeler and Till deserved that honor as well.