Brayden Harris couldn’t have scripted a much better senior season.

The Hanceville standout, whose immeasurable heart and playmaking ability completely filled his 5-foot-6 frame, closed his prep career by producing one big performance after another for the Bulldogs.

His terrific numbers tell a large part of the story.

Harris averaged 18.5 points per matchup while shooting 47 percent from 2-point range, 42 percent from 3-point range and 82 percent from the free-throw line. He also netted 84 rebounds, 73 assists and 69 steals, and played a key role in Hanceville earning wins against Good Hope, West Morgan and Holly Pond — strong teams ranked in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s final poll.

In addition to his overall production, Harris seemed to come through in the clutch more often than not.

His game-tying 3-pointer against Good Hope late in regulation sent the contest into overtime, where the Purple and Gold eventually won its first Cullman County Tournament title since 2016. He also garnered a team-high 16 points against DAR to help send Hanceville to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.

Harris’ final game for the Bulldogs saw him score 22 points against eventual state champion Jacksonville. That stellar showing allowed Harris, an All-County and All-Area selection already, to claim a spot on the Northeast All-Regional Tournament Team. And, just last week, Harris earned Class 4A All-State (Third Team) honors.

The only accolade left to dole out is a deserving one — Harris is The Times’ All-Area Boys Player of the Year.

“He’s the hardest-working kid I’ve ever been around,” Hanceville coach Stephen Chandler said. “As much as he’s in the gym and constantly working on some part of his game … he deserves it. He put himself in this position with his work ethic alone. He was always ready to step up and do what we needed him to do. Not just the scoring, but his willingness to set up his teammates and defend anyone. Those qualities allowed him to collect his accolades. We’re going to miss him. I wish we had 12 guys every year who worked like he did.”

Coaches around the county saw the end result of that aforementioned hard work — buckets.

“He’s a guy who can score at all three levels,” Holly Pond coach Cory Glasscock said. “You can’t let him get an easy one because he will make his next four or five shots. You’d think you could put some length on him, but he has such a quick shot.”

Added Good Hope coach Drew Adams: “Other than a couple of bigger teams on our schedule, we scouted him defensively as much as anybody we played. We told our guys that he had one of the best runners and floaters around and that he was one of the highest 3-point percentage guys we’d play. We tried to run him off the 3-point line because he rarely misses. He was a tough guard. He had one of the most impressive careers of a Cullman County kid in recent memory.”

Chandler notched Coach of the Year honors after leading Hanceville to the second-most wins (25) in program history as well as the aforementioned county title and Sweet 16 berth.

Cullman’s Tucker Cagle, Cullman’s Jake Dorough, Fairview’s Kobe Payne, Good Hope’s Colton Lindsey and Holly Pond’s Kollin Brown headline this year’s All-Area first team.

Addison’s Brady Gilbreath, Good Hope’s Kmal Bell, Hanceville’s Zach Campbell, Holly Pond’s Blake Rickard and West Point’s Jay Lamar comprise this year’s All-Area second team.

The All-Area Team was selected myself after reviewing the 2022-23 season and speaking with our local basketball coaches. However, with a small number of spots available, it’s possible some deserving candidates were left out.

See below for The Times’ complete 2022-23 All-Area Boys Basketball Team.

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Player of the Year: Brayden Harris, Hanceville

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Coach of the Year: Stephen Chandler, Hanceville

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First Team

Tucker Cagle, Cullman

Jake Dorough, Cullman

Kobe Payne, Fairview

Colton Lindsey, Good Hope

Kollin Brown, Holly Pond

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Second Team

Brady Gilbreath, Addison

Kmal Bell, Good Hope

Zach Campbell, Hanceville

Blake Rickard, Holly Pond

Jay Lamar, West Point

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Addison: Josh Netherton and Jed Wilkins

Cold Springs: Nic Fallin and John Mark Smith

Cullman: Sam Duskin, Colton Echols and Garrison Sharpe

Fairview: Colt Fletcher and Cylas Yarbrough

Good Hope: Tyler Cone and Weston Hancock

Hanceville: Will Calvert and Carson Garrett

Holly Pond: Christian Couch and Gunner McBee

St. Bernard: Jack Janaszak

Vinemont: Isaiah Jones and Isaac Moody

West Point: Kolten Perry and Ashton Rodgers