By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE — While no area team made as deep a run into postseason play as they wanted, six of the seven boys’ teams in The Tribune’s coverage area made it into the playoffs, with Pinson Valley and Leeds both making a run to the Sweet 16 in their respective divisions.
There’s been a lot of good basketball played in this area, so it’s time to unveil the 2022 All-Tribune Team for boys’ basketball. With so many outstanding players in the area, it was hard to narrow down the selections. Here are the players who made the team:
Derek Moore, Springville
A 6-6 power forward who could score inside but also had touch from outside the three-point arc, the Springville senior had an excellent 2022 season. Moore was a standout on a tough Tigers team that finished 25-6 and was runner-up in 6A Area 13. He was just as important on the defensive side of the ball, vacuuming up rebounds and blocking shots.
Caleb White, Pinson Valley
An elite scorer, White was one of the leaders of a young Pinson Valley team that found its way into the Sweet 16, eventually falling to a Scottsboro team that was just too dialed in. Even in that loss, White kept firing, finishing with 24 points for the Indians, who finished 24-8 and won the 6A Area 12 title. The sophomore will return in 2023 as part of a core group of Pinson Valley players who are eyeing another state title.
Mason Trimm, Moody
The 6-5 senior was the backbone of a Blue Devils team that went 19-11 and won the 5A Area 11 tournament. Trimm is the kind of player that wears his heart on his sleeve and pours everything he has into every game. He displayed great versatility for the Blue Devils during a season that saw them improve over their 2021 results and make the playoffs.
Tanner Chambers, Leeds
Chambers, a senior, became a deep threat who wasn’t afraid to put the ball up from anywhere on the court. The trash-talking Green Wave guard could get inside his opponents’ heads to create mental errors on the other end of the floor. Despite not being the biggest player on the floor, he became one of the leaders on a gritty Leeds team that went 19-12 on the season and finished second in 5A Area 10.
Terry Coner Jr., Pinson Valley
On a team full of players who could score, Coner broke out during his junior season to become a bona fide threat for the Indians. In a very physical contest early in the season against Gadsden City, Coner was bloody but unbowed, stuffing his nose with tissue to stop the bleeding so he could get back out on the court and score for the Indians. That’s the kind of player you want on your team.
The sixth man: Kolby Seymour, Moody
Seymour came off the bench for the Blue Devils for most of the season, and his presence on the court could immediately change the game for Moody. Seymour could score from the outside, but his true gift was his fearlessness. He was the epitome of an annoying defender who never gave his opponents an inch, but he would also sacrifice his body and drive, drawing fouls on the offensive end of the floor.
Coach on the Floor: Isaiah Sims, Pinson Valley
Sims, a senior, lost six games this season due to fracturing a bone in his foot during a physical game against Gadsden City before Christmas. While he rehabbed, he stepped up on the sidelines, becoming — according to multiple sources on the team — a kind of player-coach for the younger Indians. He could score and played physical, exacting defense, but his real value to the Indians was as a leader.
Honorable mention:
Ray Rolley, Hewitt-Trussville
Jaylen Hudson, Clay-Chalkville
Ford Barnes, Leeds
Gavin Gooch, Springville
Cam White, Pinson Valley
Cason Kersh, Springville
Davion Dozier, Moody
Jamal Jordan, Leeds