With the state championship games wrapping up in Birmingham this weekend, The Greenville Advocate is proud to release its All-County football selections.

Topping the list is Greenville High head coach Bryant Vincent.

&#8220Getting an award like this just speaks so highly of our coaching staff, our administration, our players and our community,” Vincent said. &#8220Everybody has played their part.”

Vincent was selected as The Advocate Coach of the Year in just his first season as a head coach after leading the Tigers to a 10-3 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs.

Also helping turn around the Tiger program after consecutive 1-9 seasons was new quarterback Casey Weston.

Weston, a junior who transferred from Fort Dale Academy during the spring, was chosen as The Advocate's Player of the Year.

&#8220I think Casey is very deserving of this award,” Vincent said. &#8220He plays with a lot of heart and, next year, I look for him to be even better.”

&#8220But for him to be selected (as Player of the Year), that says a lot about our offensive line, running backs and receivers,” he added.

Overall, the Greenville Tigers had eight players selected the All-County team, with four on offense and four on defense.

The Fort Dale Academy Eagles and the Georgiana Panthers each had seven players selected to the All-County team, with McKenzie placing three players on the team.

The Eagles had four players selected to the offense and three players selected to the defense. Georgiana had two players on the offensive side of the ball, three players on defense, one player on special teams and one overall athlete. McKenzie placed one player on offense, one player on defense and one overall athlete.

For a complete list of The Greenville Advocate's All-County team, please see Page 3B.

The players selected to The Greenville Advocate All-County team were nominated by each head coach in the county and the selections were made by The Greenville Advocate editorial board.

OFFENSE

Quarterback:

Casey Weston, 6'2 180, Greenville High

Note: The junior quarterback led the Tigers to a 10-3 record and the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state playoffs in just his first season at Greenville. Weston threw 115-of-186 (61.8 percent) for 1,343 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while also rushing 181 times for 937 yards and 18 touchdowns. Weston also handled the kickoff, placekicking and punting duties for the Tigers.

Fullback

Blake Mullins, 5'11 192, Fort Dale Academy

Note: Junior Blake Mullins was a bruiser in the Eagles' backfield with more than 1,300 all-purpose yards. Mullins rushed 128 times for 914 yards and caught eight passes for 196 yards. The Fort Dale back broke numerous touchdown runs of 30 yards or more and accumulated 214 yards in kick returns.

Tailback

Brandon Cheatham, 6'1 190, Greenville High

Note: &#8220The Diesel” was the heart of the Greenville rushing attack and ran 179 times for 1,264 yards and five touchdowns. Cheatham also became a threat out of the backfield and caught 18 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns.

Wide receivers

Lynn Lewis, 5'11 175, Greenville High

Note: Although Lewis had a remarkable year on defense (five interceptions, 10 pass break ups and 39 tackles), the Greenville senior is a sure-handed receiver and is a threat to make a big play every time he touches the ball. Lewis had 43 catches for 729 yards and four touchdowns.

Mika Jones, 5'9 161, Fort Dale Academy

Note: Fort Dale's &#8220Mr. Versatile” can do it all and did it all during the 2006 season. Jones had nine interceptions on the defensive side, but his 1,388 all-purpose yards on offense is where he made his biggest mark. Jones rushed 141 times for 723 yards and caught 21 passes for 271 yards. Jones also had 394 yards in kick or punt returns.

Tight end

Dalton Gregory, 6'2 186, Fort Dale Academy

Note: The Eagle tight end was a big target for quarterback Ty Newton and came up big when called upon. Gregory was a force on defense but made a bigger impact with his run blocking and 18 catches for 296 yards.

Offensive linemen

Shane Boyd, 6'0 295, Georgiana High

Note: The senior Panther lineman was the anchor of Donald Ray Mixon's offensive front and helped keep Georgiana quarterback Andre Paige off his back.

Pat Peagler, 5'11 280, Greenville High

Note: Grading at 90 percent for the entire season, the senior Tiger lineman was the anchor of a unit that produced more than 3,600 yards. Peagler finished the season with 16 pancake blocks.

Cory Johnson, 6'0, Fort Dale Academy

Note: Johnson was the center, and centerpiece, of Fort Dale's offense and helped guide the Eagles to the best regular-season record during head coach James &#8220Speed” Sampley's tenure. Sampley calls Johnson &#8220the best center I have ever coached.”

Derrick Godwin, 6'1 245, Georgiana High

Note: When it comes to intensity, Godwin brings it. The senior lineman was a force on both sides of the ball and came up huge for the Panthers when it counted.

Tyler Bush, McKenzie High

Note: Although Bush is a sophomore, McKenzie head coach Miles Brown calls him a hard-nosed player with a lot of potential.

DEFENSE

Defensive linemen

William Thomas, 6'3 215, Greenville High

Note: Thomas is big in stature, big on the field and helped pace Greenville's stingy defense. Thomas finished the season with 29 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for a loss and five fumble recoveries.

Blake Conway, 6'2 240, Fort Dale Academy

Note: The senior nose guard was a huge part of Fort Dale's success this season and head coach Sampley calls Conway the best lineman in all of AISA. Conway finished the season with 38 tackles, 29 assists, three blocked kicks, four fumble recoveries and six sacks. Conway was also voted as the Defensive MVP of the AISA All-Star game.

Ashyiman Gary, 5'8 160, Georgiana High

Note: Gary, although small, was a big part of the Panthers' playoff run this season. The undersized lineman came up big for the Panthers during the win over the No. 1 ranked Southern Choctaw Indians and during the three-game win streak to end the regular season.

Jamontay Pilson, 6'4 265, Greenville High

Note: &#8220Big Play” Pilson has as much potential as any player in the county and was an integral part of a Tiger defense that only allowed two teams to have more than 100 yards rushing. Pilson finished the year with 38 tackles, four sacks, three deflected passes, one interception, four fumble recoveries and two touchdowns.

Linebackers

Jarrell Mobley, McKenzie

Note: Mobley was a quick and versatile player on defense, often lining up at defensive end. His speed and agility make him a force to be reckoned with on defense.

Kelcius Pate, 6'0 190, Greenville High

Note: Greenville head coach Bryant Vincent calls Pate &#8220the soul of our defense” and the Tiger defense had plenty of soul this season. Pate had 78 tackles and four fumble recoveries for the Tigers while also making several huge, game-changing plays in the playoffs.

Barry Boan, 5'10 207, Fort Dale Academy

Note: Although Boan suffered a crushing shoulder injury in the final playoff game of the season at Bessemer Academy, the tough junior had a tremendous year for the Eagle defense. Boan finished the season with 61 tackles, 42 assists, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and one blocked kick.

Cornerbacks

Tom Powell, 6'1 190, Greenville High

Note: The Tigers played the hit new song &#8220Stuntin' Like My Daddy” before busting out through the banner for most of the home games this season and perhaps no other song sums up the 6'1 senior. Powell, whose father played for Auburn University, had 24 tackles, six pass break ups and one interception on the season, even though his year was cut short due to an injury in the playoffs.

Zebbie Mitchell, 5'10 165, Georgiana High

Note: At most Georgiana football games this season, it was not a wise thing to look away when the Panthers were on defense because at any minute, Mitchell was liable to intercept a pass. Mitchell led the Panthers with eight interceptions on the year.

Safeties

Cornelius McMeans, 5'9 160, Georgiana High

Note: Senior McMeans had huge shoes to fill in the Georgiana offensive backfield this season but it was in the Panther defensive backfield that he shined the most, finishing the season with four interceptions.

Ty Newton, 6'0 176, Fort Dale Academy

Note: Playing for the first time since his freshman year, senior Ty Newton did not disappoint on either side of the ball. The quarterback/safety was a threat on both sides of the ball this season, but the senior made most of his game-changing plays on defense. Newton finished the season with 30 tackles, 24 assists, one fumble recovery and a county-high 11 interceptions.

Kicker/Punter

Kyle Nelson, 5'11 170, Georgiana

Note: The sure-footed Nelson was a leader for the Panthers in all phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams. Nelson made several huge plays on the offensive side of the ball, including his game-winning touchdown catch against No. 1 Southern Choctaw, but it was his point-after kick against the Indians that really showed his potential.

Athletes

Sattrick Rudolph, 6'0, McKenzie High

Note: Rudolph played almost every position on the field this season and McKenzie head coach Brown sees a lot of promise in the Tiger junior. Rudolph accumulated more than 1,600 yards of offense this season, with 1,000 coming on the ground and 600 through the air.

Andre Paige, 6'0 175, Georgiana High

Note: The junior Georgiana quarterback was quick and elusive this year, while also showing promise for the future. Paige made many plays where there was no play and helped take the Panthers back to the playoffs. The Georgiana junior rushed 75 times for 209 yards and threw 42-of-136 for 831 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Player of the Year:

Casey Weston, Greenville High

Coach of the Year:

Bryant Vincent, Greenville High