Ella Jane Connell and Robert Rose win 2021-22 ASWA Basketball Player of the Year awards

Jacob Shames, Montgomery Advertiser

March 31, 2022 at 4:19 PM·3 min read

Two River Region basketball players were named Player of the Year in their respective classes Thursday.

Prattville Christian senior Ella Jane Connell was voted AHSAA Class 3A girls player of the year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Autauga Academy senior Robert Rose was voted AISA boys player of the year.

ASWA BANQUET: Find out who won Mr. and Miss Basketball and Players of the Year

Connell and Rose were honored at the ASWA basketball banquet Thursday at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery.

ELLA JANE CONNELL: Panther senior seeking second straight state title to cap off high school

Connell averaged 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in leading Prattville Christian to a 36-1 record and second straight state championship. The Faulkner signee saved her best for last: a 39-point outburst in the final against Susan Moore, in which she scored all 13 of her team's points in overtime.

Connell, who also was named Player of the Year in 2021, won the award over Susan Moore's Cali Smallwood and Ohatchee's Jorda Crook.

"Both years it's been an honor," she said. "It feels good (to win) going out as a senior."

Due to COVID-19, there was no banquet last season, so this experience was different for Connell, who enjoyed getting to know the other finalists in person. Nearly a month after Connell's epic duel with Smallwood, who scored 28 points in the state title game, the pair got to catch up again, chatting about basketball and the futures of their respective programs.

"It was definitely a cool experience to sit with the other girls that you're in the running with," Connell said.

Girls class 3A player of the year Ella Jane Connell of Prattville Christian poses for a photo with AHSAA Associate Director Brandon Dean, left, and Matt Cobb of ALFA insurance, right during the Alabama Sports Writers Association awards banquet at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

TOUR DE FORCE: Ella Jane Connell leads Prattville Christian to state title in final high school game

BEST IN ALABAMA: 32 Montgomery-area basketball players named All-State

Rose began his career at Wetumpka and was an All-Metro point guard there in 2021. In his lone season at Autauga, he averaged 23 points, three rebounds and three assists and shot 55% from the field to lead the Generals to an undefeated season and AISA Class AA championship.

Rose, who beat out Pike Liberal Arts' Austin Cross and Tuscaloosa Academy's Walker McKee, wasn't necessarily expecting to win — "I'm just blessed to be a nominee," he said. But he dressed for the occasion anyway, standing out by donning a light blue sky-patterned blazer from H&M.

"I had to get something to match my shoes," he said.

Rose also led Autauga to a state championship in football as the Generals' starting quarterback. He was once committed to play football at Florida Memorial, but after his dominant season on the hardwood and talking things over with friends and family, he's looking at college basketball as an option.

"That's what I love," he said. "All my life, that's all I know."

AISA boys player of the year Robert Rose of Autauga Academy speaks during the Alabama Sports Writers Association awards banquet at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

BASKETBALL REWIND: Best games, moments, performances from 2021-22 playoffs

One other Montgomery-area player was named a finalist, Lindsey Brown of Edgewood Academy. The sophomore led Edgewood to a 23-6 record and its first-ever AISA Class AA state championship, averaging 19.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.4 assists.

LINDSEY BROWN: Edgewood Academy multi-sport star driven by family

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com, by phone at 334-201-9117 and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Two Montgomery-area basketball players win ASWA Player of the Year

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