Nyquist’s long boots and Addison’s run to a Class 1A state title stuck in the minds of media across the state as a selected handful of local prep football players and coaches earned All-State honors.

Cullman kicker John Nyquist earned first team, Class 5A status with a stellar junior season of field goal and place-kicking duties.

Addison’s state championship team was well represented on the 1A squad as running back Caleb Parker, offensive lineman Michael Roberts, defensive back Kyle Carden and defensive lineman Chase Parker made the cut while head coach Randy White was selected Coach of the Year.

While not making the first team, Cullman quarterback Carson Williams and Addison linebacker Wes Willingham were selected to the honorable mention squad.

Nyquist starred this season kicking the football as he made 13-of-17 field goals with a long of 56 yards. He also made 38-of-41 extra points.

“John is a very talented young man,” said Bearcat head coach Mark Britton. “He holds our school record for field goals. He broke the record his 10th-grade year with a 52-yard field goal and broke it this season against Gadsden with a 56-yarder. He also did a good job punting for us and made a couple of touchdown-saving tackles.”

Britton noted his junior kicker has chance for a strong senior season with unlimited potential.

“I think the sky can be the limit for John” Britton said. “He knows how hard he has to work this offseason and he is up to the challenge. He is one of the best kickers around.”

Caleb Parker’s season numbers of 1,510 rushing yards, 359 receiving yards and 25 total touchdowns earned him a spot on the first team, while senior Michael Robert’s stellar blocking efforts were dutifully noted.

“Class 1A had some real good running backs this year and Caleb deserves to be in the same company with all of them,” said White. “Caleb is as good as any of them. He deserves to be on the first team with the effort he gave this season.

“Michael is a great kid who has started to get recruited by some smaller schools. He is a good player and a good student. He is very deserving of this honor.”

Carden, a 6-foot-3 defensive back, picked off 12 passes on the season while Chase Parker recorded 128 tackles and four sacks.

“Kyle has the perfect size to be a free safety in college,” White added. He is a very rangy player who had a great season. If Chase weighed 225-230 pounds, he would be dangerous. Small schools are looking at all of these and hopefully they can move on to the next level.”

White believes the example laid forth by this senior group of Bulldogs may lay the foundation for success in the future.

“We have more on this team that are deserving but only a select few can make it,” White said. “It shows that all the hard work they have put in paid off. I hope the young kids on the team can see it and that it will send them a message that hard work pays off.”

While winning coach of the year was quiet an honor to White, he passed all the credit on to assistant coaches and players.

“It’s like Bear Bryant always said, that a coach is only as good as his assistants,” White noted. “I couldn’t have done this without good kids and assistant coaches. It’s definitely not just me.”

Cullman quarterback Carson Williams had incredible numbers with 2,100 passing and 18 touchdowns, but only received honorable mention status because two of the top quarterbacks in the state of Alabama play 5A football in Homewood’s Austin Hubbard and Russellville’s Jeremy Helms.

If fullback was an all-state position, Addison’s Wes Willingham would have been a shoe-in, but the state media still recognized his efforts at linebacker. Along with rushing for 1,100 yards and 16 touchdowns, he recorded 101 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions.