2012 All-County Football Team: Defense
DL – Trayun Jones, Sr. – Sweet Water – Despite drawing plenty of attention from opposing offensive lines, Jones finished the year with 64 tackles, including 16 for loss. The Bulldogs’ best pass rusher also racked up seven sacks on the season, a mark that ties for tops in the county.
DL – Tyler Merriweather, Jr. – Demopolis – Double-teamed most of the year, Merriweather still spent plenty of time in opposing backfield. Finishing the year with 52 tackles, four sacks, four fumble recoveries and a blocked kick, Merriweather proved among the most talented defensive linemen in the county in 2012.
DL – Kessy Bell, Sr. – Demopolis – Despite shifting from defensive end to defensive tackle this season, Bell tallied 55 stops, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception for the Tigers.
DL – Jalen Bell, So. – Linden – Bell proved the most consistent force on a Patriot defensive line that was plenty stingy in 2012.
DL – Antonio Dunner, Sr. – A.L. Johnson – Racking up 89 tackles, including 16 for loss, is an impressive feat for a defensive lineman. As such, Dunner belongs on our All-County squad.
LB – Chris Rogers, Jr. – Linden – The monster in the middle for Linden, Rogers used his 6-1, 250-pound frame to punish opposing ball carriers all year long. His abilities are well documented and, now, they’re also All-County.
LB – Mark Woods, Sr. – A.L. Johnson – A linebacker, safety and quarterback this season, Mark Woods has the talent to play college football. That talent helped Woods to 113 total tackles and four interceptions in 2012. By the way, those tackle numbers are tops on our list.
LB – Wesley Anderson, Sr. – Demopolis – Anderson has no fear about sticking his head in on a play. He did just that on plenty of occasions this season, proving a very capable linebacker in the middle of the Tiger defense.
LB – Timmario Campbell, Sr. – Sweet Water – Campbell made an impact on the offensive line in 2012, but he did the bulk of his work on the defensive side of the ball. With 99 tackles, Campbell showed himself capable of flying to the ball and punishing runners once he got there.
DB – Tommy Wilson, Sr. – Demopolis – He had not played since his eighth grade year, but that did not stop Wilson from recording 48 tackles, breaking up eight passes and returning his lone interception 108 yards for a new state record. Not bad numbers for a 5-9 corner.
DB – Daniel Sewell, Jr. – Sweet Water – He may only be 5-7, but opposing quarterbacks didn’t have a lot of fun throwing his way in 2012. Sewell finished the year with six interceptions, the high mark in Marengo County.
DB – Jalen Lewis, Sr. – Linden – One of the best cover men around, Lewis has recorded 13 interceptions over the last two seasons. This year, he also chipped in nine touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball despite being just 5-6 and 131 pounds.
DB – Demetrius Kemp, Jr. – Demopolis – Kemp found ways to score with the ball. He wrapped the year with eight touchdowns scored in five different ways this season, finding three on the ground, one through the air, two on fumble returns, one via kickoff return and one on an interception return. He also led the DHS defense with 66 total tackles and four fumble recoveries on the year.
P – Stephen Stewart, Jr. – Demopolis – Stewart held the responsibility of flipping the field for Demopolis this season, punting 42 times on the year. That number is tops in the county by far.