The 2013 Gridiron magazine cover vote showed the strength and passion of each school’s fanbase, with an incredible total of 4,219 votes cast.

Unfortunately there could only be one winner and that winner was Dallas County’s Xavier Knight, who represented the Hornets with 1,398 votes.

Knight, who will be a junior this season, plays outside linebacker for the Hornets.  He said he was thankful to the people who voted for him.

“I’m extremely excited. It’s not that I won the vote, but our whole community [won] and all of our families because they got everybody to vote,” Knight said. “We are all winners. I’ve got people messaging me that I do not even know congratulating me. “

Along with his performance on the field, he is also a tremendous student. He made a 28 on the ACT in the tenth grade.

“Xavier is a coach’s dream to me. He is a class act. He is very well spoken,” Dallas County head coach Barry Colburn said. “He handles himself well in the classroom. I enjoy bragging, not only about his playing, but his ability as a student. He has already made an extremely high score on the ACT.”

Weeks ago, when Colburn was asked which player he would recommend for the cover vote, he immediately said Knight, citing how well he conducts himself.

“He has great character, he’s very intelligent, and when it comes to football he is very intense and he stays really focused on what he is doing,” Colburn said.

The Hornets’ head coach called Knight’s victory “another step forward” for a football program that is looking to bounce back from a couple of underwhelming seasons.

After taking the early lead, Selma High School’s Adam Bruno finished second with 1,232 votes. Third was Keith’s Maurice Crumpton with 416 votes, followed by Meadowview Christian’s Alan Stockman with 391 votes, Morgan Academy’s Dalton Lee with 319 votes, Ellwood Christian’s Devin Tabbs with 249 votes and Southside’s Michael Walker with 214 votes.

“They gave me a lot of support. I want to [thank] them, all my fans and the whole school  — everybody that voted — I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Bruno said.

Although he didn’t win, Bruno said he cannot thank the community enough.

“It feels really good to know that the community and everybody is supporting you and wants to see you win and be successful,” Bruno said. “I feel very good about that and how much support they gave me.”

The magazine is scheduled to publish in the Aug. 29 edition of the Times-Journal.