SAC-7 all-conference picks announced by league

ST. PAULS — West Bladen junior Kaden Thurman is the Player of the Year for the 2-A Southeastern Athletic Conference.

League honors for all fall sports were announced prior to Christmas. She’s the only Bladen County athlete to be so honored.

Seven players from Bladen County are all-conference in football.

The best of the 2-A Southeastern Athletic Conference from East Bladen includes seniors Javius Brooks, Tim McLean and Nazire Smith, and sophomore Masion Brooks; and from West Bladen, the choices are senior Damarius Robinson, and juniors Deonte Lacey and Gary Parker.

The SAC-7 team for boys soccer includes East Bladen’s senior Chase Starkloff, and juniors Malcolm Bolden and Jacob Nixon; and West Bladen’s sophomore Javier De Los Santos and freshman Cade Allen.

Best in the league for volleyball from the county included juniors Acee Campbell and AnnaGrey Heustess of East Bladen, and junior Mikayla Wright of West Bladen.

All-conference tennis from the county, in addition to Thurman, included West Bladen junior Lainey Autry and East Bladen seniors Heather Hardin and Jayden Willington.

In cross country, East Bladen’s sophomore Jacob Knuth and Johnny Alvarado, and West Bladen’s Demon’tre Love earned all-conference finishing top seven in the league championship meet. The county had no girls make all-conference in cross country.

The SAC-7 chose St. Pauls’ Kemarion Baldwin and Javier Ortiz as the best football players on offense and defense, respectively. Clinton’s Daniel Adasiak was the top player in boys soccer and Carrie Jordan earned the distincition in volleyball. No top player award was listed for girls tennis; Zoe Brewer won the singles crown at the SAC-7 championship.

The conference did not include cross country honors on its list. However, as reported in October following the league championship, Clinton’s Cristian Ortiz was the top runner among boys at the league championship and Midway’s Madissen Canady was best among the girls.

The remainder of the fall teams include:

• Football: Other St. Pauls picks included Mikail Breeden, Ja’Queze Anderson, JaMarcus Simmons, Eddrick James, Elston Powell, Bradley Gooden and Houston Hunt; Clinton choices are Blake Smith, Patrick Morrisey, Theo Bennett, Jon Blackmon, Jakwan Wilson and Alex Evans; Midway’s picks are Wyatt Holland, Nate Smith, Casey Culbreth, Grant Barefoot; Red Springs is represented by Colton Locklear and Greg Tyler; Fairmont picks are Jacob Hunt and John Poe. There were no choices listed for Midway.

• Cross country boys: In addition to Ortiz, Knuth, Alvarado and Love, the team included St. Pauls’ Shaun Emmanuel and Samuel Hernandez, and Red Springs’ Josh McMillian.

• Cross country girls: In addition to Canady, the team included Midway’s Judith Salgado, Ashton Brown, Annalise Register and Jordan Smith; Clinton’s Evan Gillespie; and Red Springs’ Dayanara Tellez.

• Soccer: In addition to Adasiak, Clinton was represented by Walker Spell, Caleb Kennedy, Jorge Llamas and Andrew Byrd; Red Springs had Javier Villagomez, Olvin Diaz, Diego Lazaro and Alfredo Lazaro; St. Pauls was represented by Anthony Sosa, Jason Zamora and Gustavo Bravo Verdugo; and Midway picks included Felipe Penick, Junior Acosta and Jake Hammond.

• Volleyball: In addition to the Lady Dark Horses’ Jordan, Clinton picks included Abby Batchelor and Sydney Pennell; Midway’s Morgan Hall, McKenzie Williams and Rylie Williams; Fairmont’s Alexis Hinson and Dashja Fields; and Red Springs’ Amyah Farrington.

• Tennis: Clinton picks were Lauren Naylor, Melina Matthews and Emily Baggett; Fairmont’s Trinity Thompson and Addison Waldo; and Red Springs’ Madison McNeill.