Courtesy of Sharon Morgenstern Photography

I am an award-winning journalist who has won five APSE top 10s, including two for feature writing during the 2025 contest. I also won two APSE awards in 2026 for photography while helping the Gadsden Times place in the APSE digital contest as a one-man sports department.

I have over six years of experience in the industry and have covered all levels of sports from high school to the pros. I strive to bring coverage that can’t be found anywhere else through in-depth features and hard-hitting game stories.

Currently, I am a sports writer covering high school athletics and Jacksonville State football for the Gadsden Times. I cover 27 high schools and the Gamecocks fast start since moving up to the FBS level. I have already had to cover multiple lawsuits, the fallout from AHSAA violations including one of the craziest scores you’ll ever see and the ebbs and flow of the high school football season.

I was an intern at Tuscaloosa News/USA Today South Region. My main responsibility was the beat coverage of Alabama women’s basketball and softball. I assisted with local high school coverage as well, covering football, basketball and a myriad of other sports. It was a great program that allowed me to cover amazing events like March Madness, Alabama football at Bryant-Denny Stadium and NCAA baseball and softball regionals.

During the summer of 2023, I interned with The World Games 2022 and the Birmingham Organizing Committee. My primary role was as the lead researcher, compiling research on each venue and sport along with prominent athletes, trying to see where we could create stories. It was an interesting experience that gave me a behind-the-scenes look at a multi-sport international event.

My career aspirations are to one day be a senior or staff writer covering college football at a national or conference level. I would hope that role would open coverage into specialty events so that I can still show off my versatility. Another goal of mine is to work on a golf beat one day.

Accomplishments and Achievements

  • Five-time APSE Top 10 winner
  • Second place in 2026 ASWA deadline contest
  • Eagle Scout awarded in February 2019
  • President of the APSE Student Chapter at the University of Alabama

How to contact Maxwell Donaldson

Courtesy of Gary Cosby