MONTGOMERY – Lanett High School senior quarterback Kristian Story, who led the Panthers (15-0) to an undefeated season and the Class 1A state title this past season, was named Alabama’s Mr. Football for 2019 on Wednesday in Montgomery.
The announcement was made Wednesday at the Alabama Sportswriters Association’s Mr. Football Awards Luncheon at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center here. The Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association (AHSADCA) hosted the luncheon and AHSAA Corporate Partner Cadence Bank was the presenting sponsor.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Story, who signed with the University of Alabama, is the 38th winner of the award, which started in 1982 with Vigor quarterback Tommy Compton earning the first Mr. Football Award. His high school had coach was his father Clifford Story.
Story is the first Crimson Tide signee to win the award since Daphne running back T.J. Yeldon in 2011, the first player from Lanett to win the state’s top high school football award and the first player from a 1A school to claim the honor since running back Thomas Banks of West Jefferson in 1993.
The senior quarterback finished with 110 yards rushing on 13 carries with two touchdowns and was 18-of-23 passing for 249 yards and two more scores in the AHSAA Super 7 Class 1A State Championship at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium in December to earn Class 1A State Championship MVP honors. He finished his senior season 162-of-237 passing for 2,865 yards and 33 touchdowns. Story, who also was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Alabama in 2019, also had 1,151 yards rushing on 116 carries and 17 touchdowns and finished his prep career as the AHSAA record holder in total offense and touchdowns account for.
He accumulated 13,218 total yards with 9,070 passing, 3,618 rushing and 530 receiving from 2016-19 and accounted for 175 touchdowns (119 passing, 48 rushing and 8 receiving). Story’s totals broke records set by Bo Nix of Pinson Valley from 2015-18 (12,497 total yards and 161 TDs accounted for). Story’s 9,070 career passing yards ranks eighth all time and his 119 TD passes ranks third. He also quarterbacked Lanett to the Class 2A state football title in 2017 and helped the Panthers win three state basketball titles from 2016-18. He finished with 29 interceptions on defense.
The Mr. Football selection was made by the ASWA’s committee of member prep sportswriters across the state. The top 12 vote-getters regardless of position earned a spot on the ASWA’s prestigious All-State Super 12 Team.
Those 12 included, in order, were: Kristin Story, Lanett QB; Kris Abrams-Draine, Spanish Fort QB; Jalen White, Daleville RB; Roydell Williams, Hueytown RB; Sawyer Pate, Thompson QB; Demouy Kennedy, Theodore, LB; Dee Beckwith, Florence WR; Rontarius Wiggins, Jacksonville RB; Jackson Bratton, Muscle Shoals LB; Seth Brown, St, John Paul II Catholic QB; Trey Higgins, Oxford QB; Will Breland, UMS-Wright, LB.
A total of 48 prep football standouts and their families attended the luncheon. Three finalists for Back and Linemen of the Year in each class were recognized. The Back and Lineman of the Year award winners included:
ASWA Players of the Year
CLASS 1A
Back of the Year: Kristian Story, Lanett
Lineman of the Year: Mack McCluskey, Mars Hill Bible
CLASS 2A
Back of the Year: Jalen White, Daleville
Lineman of the Year: Arian Gregory, Luverne
CLASS 3A
Back of the Year: Daquan Johnson, Flomaton
Lineman of the Year: Deontae Lawson, Mobile Christian
CLASS 4A
Back of the Year: Rontarius Wiggins, Jacksonville
Lineman of the Year: Will Breland, UMS-Wright
CLASS 5A
Back of the Year: Zyquez Perryman, Pleasant Grove
Lineman of the Year: Trent Howard, Briarwood Christian
CLASS 6A
Back of the Year: Kris Abrams-Draine, Spanish Fort
Lineman of the Year: Jackson Bratton, Muscle Shoals
CLASS 7A
Back of the Year: Sawyer Pate, Thompson
Lineman of the Year: Demouy Kennedy, Theodore
AISA
Back of the Year: Cephus Cleveland, Macon-East
Lineman of the Year: Eli Richey, Southern Academy
The top 12 vote-getters in the Mr. Football voting
AWSA MR. FOOTBALL SELECTIONS, 1982-2019
2019: Kristian Story, Lanett, QB
2018: Bo Nix, Pinson Valley, QB
2017: Asa Martin, Austin, RB
2016: La’Damian Webb, Beauregard, RB
2015: Tyler Johnston, Spanish Fort, QB
2014: Kerryon Johnson, Madison Academy, RB
2013: Roc Thomas, Oxford, RB
2012: Jeremy Johnson, Carver-Montgomery, QB
2011: T.J. Yeldon, Daphne, RB
2010: Jamal Golden, Wetumpka, QB
2009: Coty Blanchard, Cherokee County, QB
2008: Clint Moseley, Leroy, QB
2007: Julio Jones, Foley, WR
2006: Larry Smith, Prattville, QB
2005: Andre Smith, Huffman, OL
2004: Jarod Bryant, Hoover, QB
2003: Chris Nickson, Pike County, QB
2002: JaMarcus Russell, Williamson, QB
2001: Brandon Cox, Hewitt-Trussville, QB
2000: Carnell Williams, Etowah, RB
1999: Cory Whisenant, Springville, RB
1998: DeMarco McNeil, Blount, DL
1997: Mac Campbell, Alexandria, RB
1996: Antoneyo Williams, Central-Tuscaloosa, RB
1995: Gorman Thornton, Jeff Davis, DL
1994: Dawud Rasheed, Shades Valley, RB
1993: Thomas Banks, West Jefferson, 1A
1992: Freddie Kitchens, Etowah, QB
1991: Robert Davis, Homewood, RB
1990: David Palmer, Jackson-Olin, RB/QB/WR
1989: Steve Coleman, Pike County, RB
1988: Darrell Williams, Vigor, RB
1987: Robert Jones, Parker, RB
1986: Larry Ware, Lee-Montgomery, RB
1985: Pierre Goode, Hazlewood, RB
1984: Rod Green, Gardendale, WR
1983: Freddy Weygand, Emma Sansom, WR
1982: Tommy Compton, Vigor, QB
