Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
Jonah Marshall doesn’t remember a time when sports weren’t part of his life. He was just two weeks old when his mom first brought him to one of his older brother’s baseball practices. From that moment on, it seems he never really left the field.
Now a senior at Sumiton Christian, Jonah plays football, basketball, and baseball, earning honors in each and bringing home a state championship with the baseball team in 2024. He’s the kind of athlete who quietly puts in the work, brings the energy when it’s needed, and shows up for his teammates on and off the field.
“I’ve always been around it,” Jonah says. “Growing up, I was always outside competing with my brothers, Jake and Josh. They made me want to get better. That’s where I got my competitive spirit.”
Jonah first picked up baseball and basketball when he was five, but his relationship with football took a little longer. He tried it in sixth grade and didn’t enjoy it, but he gave it another shot his senior year.
“I ended up loving it,” he says. “I think it was because of the people around me. My teammates really encouraged me.”
That encouragement has gone both ways. Jonah is the kind of teammate who doesn’t let frustration or pressure get in the way of positivity. During a playoff battle last season, Sumiton Christian faced Hackleburg in a nail-biting 12-inning game. After losing a 2–0 lead, the Eagles could’ve folded. Instead, they leaned on each other and came away with a series win.
“On all my teams, we treat each other like family. We’re all like brothers,” Jonah says.
It hasn’t all come easy. In eighth grade, he broke his wrist. In ninth, he broke a finger. Both injuries could’ve slowed him down, but Jonah used them as a chance to become more balanced, training his non-dominant hand until it felt just as natural.
That persistence shows up in the classroom, too. With a 3.7 GPA and a spot in student government, Jonah has already planned his next steps: Bevill State Community College first, then a transfer to UAB or UAH to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
And though he doesn’t see sports as part of his college future, he won’t forget what the games gave him.
“It’s taught me how to manage my time. How to compete. And how to help other people.” WL
