Alexandria Has Cleat Heat with Photo Gallery

Alexandria, AL – Alexandria’s Forrest brings the defense, and Henderson brings the offense as Valley Cubs avenge December loss to rival Jacksonville. Alexandria girls show improvement in rematch, but Jacksonville holds on for victory.

Thursday scoreboard

BOYS
Alexandria 74, Jacksonville 71
Piedmont 66, Cherokee County 58
Anniston 56, Lincoln 34
Cleburne County 59, Ranburne 39
Weaver 64, Pleasant Valley 48
Hokes Bluff 62, Sand Rock 36
Glencoe 71, Winterboro 38
Ashville 62, Ohatchee 55
GIRLS
Jacksonville 58, Alexandria 52
Cherokee County 49, Piedmont 34
Weaver 42, Pleasant Valley 32
Beauregard 38, Wadley 31
Homewood 53, Talladega 39
Glencoe 61, Winterboro 59
Ashville 44, Ohatchee 34

By Joe Medley

Cleat Forrest understands things in threes.

In football, Alexandria’s three-time all-state kicker scores in threes. Forrest has been known to score in threes in basketball and fare well on the par-3s in golf.

The only time Forrest doesn’t like threes is when Alexandria’s designated perimeter defensive stopper gives one up in basketball. No doubt he didn’t enjoy Jacksonville’s Devin Barksdale hitting a three in the first half Thursday, or the shooter’s three-finger salute as the two retreated to the other end of the court together.

Turns out, that three marked Barksdale’s lone first-half points Thursday. He finished with 16, but that’s not 26, which he scored in Jacksonville’s victory over Alexandria earlier this season.

At the end of the night, Forrest wound up with the ball in his hand, at the foul line, and hit two free throws with 4.2 seconds left to provide the final margin in the Valley Cubs’ 74-71 revenge victory of their rival in Larry R.Ginn Gymnasium.

It marked a dramatic conclusion of the season for Jacksonville (23-7), Class 4A’ third-ranked team and the newly minted Calhoun County champion, and Alexandria (20-7), which broke into the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s top 10 in Class 5A this week.

Forrest and teammates, including lone senior Drake Davis, celebrated their senior-night conquest with an emotional student section. The raucous moment after Jaquan Ervin’s 3-point try at the buzzer rimmed out included a big chest bump for Forrest.

“Ain’t no better thrill than beating Jacksonville,” Forrest said. “We hate’em. We hate’em.”

The latest chapter in the Alexandria-Jacksonville Road rivalry came with a backdrop. Barksdale, an All-Calhoun County and All-State veteran of two state-championship teams, scored 26 points when the Golden Eagles beat Alexandria 65-55 at home on Dec. 18.

Barksdale was at his best that night, and Alexandria had to play him differently than it did Thursday. Reserves J.J. Beason and Chris Aquirre missed that game with the flu.

“That was virtually our bench,” Alexandria coach Will Ginn said. “We didn’t have either one of them the first time we played them, so we kind of played a different style of game. We played a lot more zone, because I was trying to save our legs.

“I knew we didn’t have a guard coming off the bench.”

Both Aquirre and Beason played Thursday. Beason defended Barksdale when Forrest rested.

Alexandria had its best option to guard Jacksonville’s star and Calhoun County tournament most valuable player. Compared to the first time the two teams played, Barksdale wasn’t at his best.

“Devin was a little cold tonight,” Jacksonville coach Tres Buzan said. “Some of those shots. “I thought we got him some really good looks on the wing. He just didn’t hit’em, and that’s OK. You’re gonna have nights when you don’t shoot.”

It’s worth noting that Barksdale found the mark well enough for 13 second-half points and helped Jacksonvile rally from as much as an 11-point deficit to within 72-71 on an Aaron Nixon drive just prior to fouling Forrest on the inbounds play to stop the clock at 4.2 seconds.

Buzan had faith Barksdale would find it in the second half.

“I just told him to keep shooting,” Buzan said. “Devin, if he’s cold, it’s only a matter of time before he gets hot.”

As for Forrest’s approach to guarding one of the county’s best players, he said it was “just hustle.”

“Coach preaches it every day,” Forrest said. “That’s what we do. That’s Alexandria basketball.

“It was just one-on-one. Don’t let him get a shot.”

While Forrest and Barksdale battled, they got plenty of help.

Ky’dric Fisher led Jacksonville with 17 points, and Ervin matched Barksdale’s 16.

On Alexandria’s side of the ledger, Jaylen Henderson had himself a night. Without a 3-pointer, he scored 30 points.

“He’s shown glimpses of it,” Ginn said. “The sky’s the limit for him. He’s got potential to the ceiling, and I finally saw some glimpses of him reaching it.

“He was just aggressive … going to the hole and aggressively going to the glass. He just needs to continue his aggression like that. He played a lot better defense tonight. If he keeps playing like that, we’ll be tough.”

Girls

JACKSONVILLE 58, ALEXANDRIA 52: Jayci Taylor led three Jacksonville players in double figures with 14 points, and the Golden Eagles fought off Alexandria on a night when Charlee Parris erupted for 21 points to keep the Valley Cubs in striking distance,

The game bore no resemblance to Jacksonville’s 40-21 win over Alexandria at home on Dec. 18.

“It was a dang battle,” Jacksonville coach Corey Mize said. “It’s always a battle when you come here, though. Alexandria is a tough place to play.

“They do a good job, and our girls did a good job of working.”

Alexis Phillips and Neveah Nicholson added 10 points apiece, and DeAsia Prothro’s nine points included a spin move in transition to make it a two-possession game in the final minute.

“She works on that,” Mize said. “She works on that … drive to the right, spin back to the left.”

As for Parris, she hit eight of 14 shots from the field. No 3-pointers, just signature drives into the teeth of a defense that expected it. Per usual, the four-sport standout changed uniforms after the game and cheered the boys’ game.

Landry Patterson hit three 3-pointers for her nine points.

“We’ve definitely improved,” Alexandria coach Craig Kiker said. “We have a young team. This is senior night, and none of our players were out there.

“I played Callie Hess tonight, and she’s an eighth-grader. Landry made those threes, and she’s a ninth-grader. We’ve got a young team, but so do they, but tonight showed that we’ve improved offensively.”

Alexandria plays host to rival Jacksonville in the regular-season finale for both teams and senior night for the Valley Cubs. (Game recap to come)

Photos by Joe Medley