Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball candidate Labaron Philon of Baker leads the 2022-2023 AL.com Coastal Alabama All-Region team.

Philon averaged nearly 35 points a game in leading the Hornets to the South Regional semifinal game.

AL.com also names a coach of the year, player of the year and newcomer of the year.

RELATED: Meet the ASWA boys All-State team

The Coastal Alabama team is compiled through voting from area coaches, AL.com staff insights and opinions of experts in the area. It includes players from Mobile and Baldwin Counties as well as the four counties that border Mobile and Baldwin (Escambia, Monroe, Clarke and Washington).

Here is this year’s team:

THIRD TEAM

Stephen Williams

School: Escambia County

Height: 6-foot-8

Class: Junior

Position: Forward

The skinny: Williams averaged a double-double of 12.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. He was a second-team Class 4A All-State selection.

Desmond Williams

School: Saraland

Height: 6-foot

Class: Sophomore

Position: Guard

The skinny: Williams, the Coastal Alabama Newcomer of the Year in 2022, followed that up by averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Spartans. He also had 41 steals.

L.J. Holifield

School: Faith Academy

Height: 5-foot-10

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

The skinny: Holifield averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the 17-12 Rams. He made 64 of 199 3-pointers and finished with 53 steals.

Brittney Reed

School: LeFlore

Height: 6-foot-6

Class: Junior

Position: Forward

The skinny: Reed averaged a double-double for the Rattlers with 14.2 points and 10.7 rebounds a game. He was an honorable mention Class 5A All-State selection.

McRae Taul

School: Fairhope

Height: 6-foot-6

Class: Junior

Position: Forward/Center

The skinny: Taul averaged 16 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Pirates, who reached the Class 7A Central Regional final.

SECOND TEAM

Brandon “B.J.” Cooks

School: St. Luke’s

Height: 6-foot

Class: Junior

Position: Guard

The skinny: Despite missing most of the year with an injury, Cooks returned to help St. Luke’s to the Class 2A championship game. He had 23 points and seven rebounds in the South Regional final win over Ariton, 21 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in a semifinal win over Mars Hill and 20 points, six rebounds two blocks and two steals in a one-point title game loss to Aliceville

Trent Thomas

School: Cottage Hill

Height: 6-foot-6

Class: Senior

Position: Forward

The skinny: A second-team Class 3A All-State selection, Thomas averaged 14.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Warriors, who were ranked No. 1 at the end of the regular season.

Joey Robertson

School: Orange Beach

Height: 6-foot-6

Class: Senior

Position: Forward

The skinny: Robertson was a bright spot in a tough year for the Makos. He averaged 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and was a third-team Class 4A All-State selection.

Devin McCaine

School: McGill-Toolen

Height: 5-foot-11

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

The skinny: McCaine averaged 16.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in helping the Yellow Jackets back to the final four. He was the MVP of the 6A South Regional tournament after scoring 48 combined points in wins over Park Crossing and Blount.

Joe Brown

School: St. Paul’s

Height: 6-foot-4

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

The skinny: Brown helped the Saints to the South Regional semifinals. He averaged 16.5 points and 6.9 rebounds and had 41 blocks and 48 steals. He was a Class 5A honorable mention All-State selection.

FIRST TEAM

Tyler Thomas

School: Cottage Hill

Height: 6-foot-6

Class: Senior

Position: Forward

The skinny: A first-team Class 3A All-State selection, Thomas averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in leading the Warriors to the South Regional final.

Bennett Russ

School: McGill-Toolen

Height: 6-foot

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

The skinny: Russ shot McGill-Toolen to its second straight Class 6A final four. He averaged 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game and helped the Yellow Jackets to a 19-game win streak until their semifinal loss to Buckhorn. He was a first-team 6A All-State selection.

Spence Sims

School: Fairhope

Height: 6-foot-1

Class: Junior

Position: Guard

The skinny: A third-team Class 7A All-State selection, Sims helped the Pirates to the Central Regional final. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Antonio Jackson

School: Blount

Height: 6-foot-5

Class: Senior

Position: Forward

The skinny: Jackson, an Alabama-Mississippi All-Star, helped the Leopards to the South Regional final. The second-team Class 6A All-State selection averaged 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and almost two assists per game for coach Demarcus Mosley.

Bridges Simmons

School: UMS-Wright

Height: 6-foot-3

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

The skinny: Simmons averaged 15.1 points, four rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Bulldogs. He also had 41 steals. He was a second-team Class 4A All-State selection. Simmons and Player of the Year Labaron Philon are the only returning first-team All-Coastal players from 2022.

COASTAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Labaron Philon, Baker

The 6-foot-4 junior Auburn commit averaged 34.7 points a game this season and already has been named the MaxPreps and Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year. He also pulled down six rebounds a game and dished out four assists. He finished the season with 1,075 points and now has 2,334 for his three-year varsity career. He is a two-time first-team Class 7A All-State selection, the reigning Class 7A Player of the Year for the 2022 and a leading candidate for that award again this season.

Recent Coastal POTY Winners

2023: Labaron Philon, Baker

2022: Barry Dunning Jr., McGill-Toolen

2021: Riley Leonard, Fairhope

2020: Trey Bonham, UMS-Wright

2019: DeAntoni Gordon, LeFlore

2018: Mark Wilcox Jr., St. Luke’s

2017: Deontae Buskey, Daphne

2016: Tevin Brown, Fairhope

2015: Dazon Ingram, Theodore

2014: Dazon Ingram, Theodore

2013: T.J. Lang, McGill-Toolen

COASTAL COACH OF THE YEAR

Garreth Trawick, St. Luke’s

Despite starting the season 0-8 with his team riddled by three key injuries, Trawick was able to guide the Wildcats to the Class 2A final four and to within two points of a state championship. Aliceville held off St. Luke’s 44-43 in the championship game. The Wildcats went 16-4 after the 0-8 start to finish 16-12 overall.

“The injuries might have been a blessing in disguise as it turned out,” Trawick said. “Some of our young guys had to come in and hold the line until the others returned, and that depth helped us down the stretch.”

The biggest injury came to star junior Brandon Cooks, who broke his collarbone early in camp and didn’t return until the final week of the regular season. Still, Trawick guided the team to his fifth final four at St. Luke’s – two with the boys, three with the girls team. He has coached both for the last four years.

Recent Coastal Alabama Coaches of the Year:

2023: Garreth Trawick (St. Luke’s)

2022: Michael Napp (UMS-Wright)

2021: John Price (Cottage Hill), Jimbo Tolbert (Spanish Fort) (Co-coaches)

2020: Shumbe Hunter (Williamson)

2019: David Armstrong (Baker)

2018: Mark Barnhizer (Alma Bryant)

2017: Chad Applin (Faith Academy)

COASTAL NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Terrell Johnson, Vigor

Johnson, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, transferred from Blount to Vigor. In his first year on the varsity, he averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game for the Wolves.

“He was a huge reason why we won the 5A, Area 1 championship as well as an appearance in the Sweet 16,” Vigor coach Jairus Jackson said. “Next year will be his senior year, and we have really high expectations for him. We are looking for him to play on the collegiate level.”

Johnson was a second-team Class 5A All-State selection.

Recent Coastal Newcomers of the Year

2023: Terrel Johnson, Vigor

2022: Desmond Williams, Saraland

2021: Labaron Philon, Baker (first year of award)

HONORABLE MENTION

Collin Hester, Bayshore Christian; Carter Frego, Bayshore Christian; Shadrick Toodle, Cottage Hill; TyShawn Washington, Elberta; TK Barnett, Murphy; Ja’leal White, Robertsdale; Katton Hobbs, Robertsdale; Cade Morris, Bayside Academy; Devontaey Woulard, Blount; Joseph Paige, Blount; Randy Williams, Daphne; Donovan Wilson, Daphne; Kamrean Johnson, Theodore; Trey Glover, Theodore; Jaden Addison, Vigor; Kareem Harris, Snook Christian; Robert Brown, Williamson; Arthur Williams, LeFlore; Michael Moore Jr., Mobile Christian; Kam Chambers, St. Luke’s; JT Busby, St. Luke’s; Mike Myles, St. Luke’s; Davon Carter, Faith Academy; Micah Caster, Jackson; Heath Kirkland, T.R. Miller; Taylor Crumedy, Leroy; Geremy Perryman, Leroy; Treveyon Hill, McIntosh; Jaylon Ivey, McIntosh; Jaylen Manuel, Millry; Tyler Wigley, Spanish Fort; Christian Mose, Alma Bryant; DeJuan Nettles, B.C. Rain; Caden Creel, Fairhope; Jamarion Osborne, Chickasaw; Ha’Keem Johnson, Escambia County; Kelvon McBride, Cottage Hill; Kelby Dickerson, Excel; Brandon Kyles, Davidson; Derrick Butler, Davidson; Tahjrick Bradley, Baldwin County; Jaxson Hughes, Baldwin County.