Aldridge runs to Watchman Player of the Year
He is only 5-6, 165 pounds and probably the most overlooked running back in the state. But Jakoby Aldridge is nothing short of dynamite.
The Sweet Water senior’s foot skills were on full display in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A playoffs when Aldridge led his team back from an early two-touchdown deficit by twice turning the corner around the right side and going untouched for more than 70 yards each time. He finished the night with well over 300 yards to go along with four touchdown runs.
Earlier in the season, he led the Bulldogs to a pivotal win over Washington County with 289 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
But the Jacksonville State commit’s game is about more than his blazing speed and astounding quickness. He brings plenty of power to the table and is surprisingly durable even despite his size.
Aldridge ran the ball 323 times on the season for Sweet Water, tallying 2,571 yards and 32 touchdowns even though he sat the second half of three of his team’s games. An Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game selection, Aldridge has amassed 4,198 yards and 52 touchdowns on 523 rushing attempts while twice leading the Bulldogs to the state semi-finals in his only two seasons with the team.
Aldridge wraps his Sweet Water career having averaged a touchdown run every 10 carries.
While the postseason accolades are still coming for the Bulldog back, his resume now also includes West Alabama Watchman Player of the Year.
Runners Up:
Demetrius Kemp, Demopolis – The DI commit averaged 14 yards per touch from scrimmage on the year. He hauled in 28 passes for 480 yards and four scores and ran it 32 times for 363 yards and six scores. On the defensive side, Kemp recorded 64 tackles, picked of four passes, forced four fumbles, recovered two fumbles and blocked three punts and two extra points. And in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game, Kemp caught three passes for 72 yards and the only two offensive touchdowns for his state. Whether it’s Wake Forest, Minnesota or somebody else, Kemp will make a very good college player for somebody.
Jatevin Horn, Marengo – Horn was characterized as “The Real Deal” by one rival coach. He is just that. His team finished 5-6 and didn’t get a lot of attention, but Horn is a tremendous talent. Nobody came from further off the radar to do more than Horn did in 2013. In 11 games, the 5-9 inside backer recorded 148 total tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and two interceptions. He also ran for 1,238 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Panther offense.
Hayden Huckabee, Marengo Academy – He is just a sophomore and he has already turned plenty of heads. He ran for 1,522 yards and 23 touchdowns on only 136 carries. He completed 23 of his 31 pass attempts for 461 yards and two scores and he returned one kickoff and two punts for touchdowns. His 148 rushing yards and three scores in the state title game were just the icing on the cake.