Apr. 5—CAPSHAW — Will Zak Cain go down as one of the greatest players ever to dribble a basketball at East Limestone?
It's a question worth asking, and the East Limestone senior has a case to make.
Cain is the 2025 Decatur Daily Class 5A-7A boys player of the year after a season averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists with 72 steals.
Five other East Limestone players — Austin Harvell, Andy Haggenmaker, Dewayne Uselton, Roy Fletcher and Freddie Benford — have been named Decatur Daily player of the year. The most recent, Harvell, was selected in 2019 and is also the only other East Limestone player selected since 2000 and since the school moved to Class 5A. Harvell's stats in 2019? Seventeen points and eight rebounds per game.
So the question is, where does Cain stack up in the list of East Limestone's all-time greats?
"I'm biased, but I feel like he's definitely up there," said East Limestone head coach Jake Moran. "Zak has been first-team All-State and is a player of the year finalist for all of Class 5A. I know there have been some great players come through here, some of which have had those same accolades, but I would put Zak up with any of them."
Cain's great season didn't come as a surprise to many, least of all himself. Coming off a strong junior season in which he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds, Cain believed he was ready to step up his game.
"Honestly, I expected it," Cain said. "I actually had a goal set for higher so I was a little disappointed I didn't reach that. I still feel like I ended up doing pretty good."
Cain didn't just have a great statistical season. He was also the key piece on one of the top basketball teams in Class 5A. He helped lead the Indians to a 24-6 record and a No. 4 ranking in Class 5A in the season's final poll. East Limestone went on to reach the Northwest Regional tournament for the first time since 2020.
"We had some hunger from last season, and we felt like we had the firepower to be even better this year," Cain said. "We started off with a goal, but when we realized we were actually good enough to achieve it, that's when we kicked it into another gear."
The Indians were strong top-to-bottom, but Cain was the central cog on the team.
"He was our leader," Moran said. "The great thing about him is that he's naturally gifted, but he still works as hard as anybody. He was always the first one in the gym, and he always put in his best effort.
"The younger guys that we have that got to practice with him and see him play every night, I think he set a perfect example for them."
But will Cain be remembered as one of the best ever at East Limestone alongside Harvell, Haggenmaker, Uselton, Fletcher and Benford?
"I hope so," Cain said. "I feel like I did my best every time I was on that court, so I hope people will remember that."
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
