Prattville Native Earns All SWAC Second Team Honor

Garrett Wilemon, a Prattville High graduate, was selected to the All SWAC second team for his work as a long snapper during Alabama State's 2025 season. The honor follows a year in which Wilemon entered the season on a full scholarship and delivered consistently, without a bad snap on punts and field goals, helping Alabama State compile a 10 to 2 overall record and a strong showing in conference play.

Recognition at the conference level for a specialist role such as long snapper is rare and signals both individual discipline and effective team support. For the Autauga County community, Wilemon's achievement is tangible evidence that local high school programs can produce college level athletes who earn scholarship opportunities and contribute to winning teams. It also underlines the importance of investment in coaching, facilities, and academic support that allow student athletes to succeed on and off the field.

Wilemon's selection carries implications beyond sports accolades. Scholarships open pathways to higher education for young people in Prattville and surrounding areas, reducing financial barriers and expanding career possibilities that extend well past athletics. His steady performance also highlights the need for sustained attention to athlete health and safety, access to quality athletic training and medical care, and mental health supports that help student athletes balance demanding schedules.

Alabama State is an historically black college and university that provided Wilemon with the scholarship and platform to showcase his skills. That connection underscores the role HBCUs play in offering opportunities to student athletes from diverse backgrounds, and it points to broader equity issues in recruitment and resource distribution across collegiate athletics.

As Wilemon looks ahead to competing for first team honors next season, his progress will remain a source of local pride and a reminder of the pathways sports can create for education and upward mobility. For coaches, school leaders, and policymakers in Autauga County, his story reinforces the value of supporting youth athletics, strengthening school to college transitions, and ensuring medical and academic resources are available to help students succeed in college and beyond.