Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Winston County lies the town of Haleyville, Alabama. For a town of its size, Haleyville has had an uncharacteristic amount of athletic success in recent years. The Haleyville High School “Roaring Lions” won a state baseball title in 2009, won back-to-back softball championships in 2012 and ’13, and won back-to-back-to-back state titles from 2022-24 in boys’ golf. Now, two current players for the Lions, Ryleigh Kutis and Ian Turner, hope to add to that legacy.
Kutis is a three-sport athlete at Haleyville who is every bit as gifted in the classroom as she is in athletic competition. She plays volleyball, basketball, and softball for the Lions and carries a 4.4 GPA. She also participates in several school activities, including HOSA, Peer Helper, Talent Search, and Havala, the school’s yearbook.
Athletically, Ryleigh posted the highest field goal percentage and most offensive rebounds in basketball last season for the Lady Lions and had the most digs in volleyball. Academically, she holds the highest average in the school and has consistently been on the “A” honor roll throughout her high school career. She says her favorite subject is science and plans to put that to good use when she pursues a nursing degree at the University of North Alabama (UNA) next year.
Ryleigh is coached by Sadie Hall in volleyball, Joseph Wilson in basketball, and Kelly Rushing in softball. She plays outside hitter/middle back, forward/post, and catcher in those respective sports.
As her high school career comes to a close, Kutis says the fans and the close-knit community atmosphere of Haleyville is what she will miss the most. “Everybody in Haleyville is so close…everybody’s got your back. If you go to a basketball or volleyball game in Haleyville, half of the community will be here, and they are going to tell you even if you did horrible how good you did. The community dynamic of Haleyville, I’ll miss it.”
Ian Turner may be a man of few words, but his dedication in athletics and the classroom speak volumes. The two-sport athlete plays shooting guard in basketball for head coach Dusty Ball and wide receiver in football for head coach Bo Culver. Commenting on what it takes to have success both in the classroom and in athletic competition, Ian says, “You’ve just got to put time into it to get better.”
The senior is set to graduate in May of 2025 and holds a 3.7 overall grade point average. He says his favorite subject is History.
Although Ian is uncertain where he will attend college, he says he wants to one day become a coach. “I’ve always had good coaches growing up and I want to give back to the game I love. They have inspired me,” says Ian.
Outside of school, Ian loves to participate in outdoor activities, including hunting and fishing. He says he’d like to one day meet San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and draws inspiration on the court from players like Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
Both Ryleigh and Ian have left quite an impression on school administrators, teachers, and coaches during their time at HHS. Culver serves as Ian’s football coach, and as the school’s athletic director, he has also watched Ryleigh blossom into an elite scholar-athlete for the Lions.
He says of them, “Both are great players for us but are better people. They embody what we want our athletes to be at Haleyville City schools—high character people who give everything they have to everything they do.”
There is no doubt that Ryleigh and Ian are helping to solidify Haleyville as one of the top 4A athletic programs in the state, and in the process, preserving a legacy of strong athletics and academics. TG
