Central-Phenix City three-sport star adds another honor to historic prep career

If there was a field or a court, Gerritt Griggs was probably going to be playing on it.

Even better, she was probably filling up a stat sheet.

The three-sport star from Central-Phenix City was voted by AL.com voters as Alabama’s overall female athlete of the year for the 2024-25 athletics season.

Griggs received 30% of the overall fan vote in last week’s poll, which included 10 other athletes from across the state.

Lauderdale County’s Shila Marks finished second with 29% of the vote, while Wenonah’s Samarian Franklin garnered 18% of the fan vote.

An Alabama softball signee, Griggs once again shined on the diamond for the Red Devils to lead them back to the Class 7A state softball tournament in Oxford.

She claimed Class 7A Player of the Year honors and was a first team all-state pick at infield after batting .606 with 83 hits, nine doubles and six triples for Central. Along with a 1.439 OPS, she went 73-for-76 on stolen bases as a senior.

Central-Phenix quarterback Gerritt Griggs throws a pass during a preps flag football game, Wednesday, November 20, 2024, in Irvington, Ala. (Scott Donaldson/al.com)Scott Donaldson/al.com

In the fall, she keyed Central-Phenix City to a Class 6A-7A state championship and a defacto national championship in flag football at quarterback, claiming AL.com’s first Miss Football award.

She finished with 3,284 passing yards and 82 touchdowns in the air while running for 471 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. Griggs was also named MaxPreps’ first flag football player of the year for the state of Alabama.

“She is just a special athlete, a special kid,” Central head softball and flag football coach Mitchell Holt previously said. “There’s not anything she can’t do. Really, you wouldn’t know by talking to her that she is as an accomplished athlete as she is. If you watch her, it wouldn’t take you long to figure it out.”

In the past two seasons, Griggs and Central’s flag football team went 37-0, including a 19-0 year last season to claim back-to-back state championships.

The Red Devils averaged 44.4 points a game and allowed just 2.6 per game with 13 shutouts on defense last season.

AHSAA 7A girls semifinal: Hoover vs. Central-Phenix City
Central-Phenix City’s Gerritt Griggs drives the ball against Hoover’s Aaliyah Blanchard (right) during the AHSAA 7A girls basketball semifinal at BJCC Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Will McLelland | [email protected])Will McLelland

Griggs also helped lead her school to an appearance in the Class 7A basketball state semifinals as she averaged 8.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, according to MaxPreps.

She scored 16 points and knocked down four 3-pointers for Central in a 77-58 loss to eventual state champion Hoover.

Central-Phenix City was the only school in the state to advance to the state finals in flag football, AHSAA final four in basketball and the state tournament in softball; Moody advanced to the state finals in flag football and state tournament in softball.

She will be a part of an Alabama softball signing class that includes in-state standouts Vic Moten (Daphne), Holly Beth Brooks (Tuscaloosa County) and Ambrey Taylor (Curry).

“Gerritt might be one of the best athletes we have brought to campus in recent years,” Alabama softball coach Patrick Murphy said when Griggs signed. “She could play six different spots on the field and look great at all of them. She will be a green-light baserunner with great speed from the left side. She is also the quarterback for the nation’s top high school flag football team!”

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