Dallas-Wilcox Bama Club gives out $75K in scholarships to area seniors

Dallas and Wilcox County students were the focus Monday night as the Dallas-Wilcox Bama Club awarded more than $75,000 in scholarships during its annual banquet.

The club presented scholarships to students from Dallas County High School, Morgan Academy and Selma High School, with several students receiving multiple awards to reach the $5,000 total each recipient will receive for their freshman year at the University of Alabama.

Former Alabama quarterback and current radio color commentator Tyler Watts delivered the evening’s featured talk that focused on the changing landscape of college athletics, including the impact of NIL and the transfer portal.

From Dallas County High School, Breanna Cleveland received the David E. Roberts Jr. and Rebecca McKinney Roberts Endowed Scholarship. Morgan Academy recipients included John Braxton Hale, who also received the Roberts scholarship, Wood Jones who received the Julius and Pearl Talton Endowed Scholarship, William Ousley who received the Selma Quarterback Club Endowed Scholarship, and Libby Pierce who received the Sterling Price and Sadie Rainer Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Betty Jean Perkins McKelvey Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the David and Jennifer Saylors Endowed Scholarship.

Selma High School students received the largest group of awards. Rishaya Cooper was recognized, followed by La Asia Davis who received the Selma Quarterback Club Endowed Scholarship. Cedriauna Eaton received the Roberts scholarship, the Sam Earl Hobbs Endowed Scholarship and the Mary Ann Morthland Patterson Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Cassidy Hatcher received the Roberts scholarship. Ariana Rutledge received the Julius and Pearl Talton Endowed Scholarship. RiKiya Scott received the Alex Spencer Jr., Bessie Spencer and Christopher Spencer Endowed Scholarship. Kasharee Wilson received the Roberts scholarship. Xianyna Witherspoon received the Glenn Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Barbara and Ronnie Lee Endowed Scholarship, the Mary Ann Wharton Patterson Memorial Endowed Scholarship and the Spencer family scholarship.

President Ronnie Leet said the club relies on a long list of endowed scholarships created by local families.

The main fundraiser for the scholarships is the club’s annual $100 raffle tickets for a chance to win season tickets to Alabama’s 2026 home football games. 

In his speech, Tyler Watts said winning is hard and that the new rules have changed how coaches build and maintain their rosters. He described the challenges of managing a team in an era when players can move freely and when programs must balance tradition with the realities of modern college football.

Watts also offered an inside look at Alabama’s current roster, praising the development of the secondary, the potential of new transfers and the importance of rebuilding depth along the defensive and offensive lines. He spoke about the quarterback competition and emphasized that Alabama’s success will depend on its ability to run the football and control the line of scrimmage. Throughout his remarks he returned to the theme that the University of Alabama remains a special place, saying that once a student or athlete arrives on campus they understand why people stay loyal to the program.

The banquet honored the memory of longtime members who have passed away, Roger Butler and James McNeil, whose work helped build the scholarship program.