Calhoun County, AL – Saks’ girls win first area title since 2016 in dramatic fashion. Piedmont girls dominate on way to area title. Anniston girls hold off Talladega for area tite. Alexandria boys victorious in 4A, Area 12.
By East Alabama Sports Today
Class 3A, Area 9 girls
SAKS 48, RANDOLPH COUNTY 47: Alonna Crews’ putback as time expired put Saks’ girls over the top, and the Wildcats beat Randolph County 48-47 in the Class 3A, Area 9 championship game Tuesday.
The area title is the first since 2016 for Saks’ girls, who earned the right to play host to a subregional game against Westbrook Christian on Friday.
Randolph County will also advance to the subregional round at Piedmont.
Tournament most valuable player Sania Angel led the Wildcats with 15 points and was named tournament most valuable player. Meorri English added 11 points, and Crews scored nine.
Lizzie Milam paced Randolph County with 13 points, including four 3-pointers. Jabreia Birdsong and Anna Grace Henderson added 11 apiece.
Class 4A, Area 9 girls
ANNISTON 55, TALLADEGA 54: Jada Fomby turned in a most-valuable-player performance with 20 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals, and
Anniston (19-6) clinched the right to play host to a subregional game against an opponent to be determined. Talladega (15-13) will play its subregional game on the road.
Liberty Lewis added 17 points, 11 rebounds and two stealls, and Saniya Spinks turned in 12 points, 12 rebounds and two steals.
Yuori Lloyd contributed six points, five rebounds and three steals.
Talladega’s Zae Cunningham led all scorers with 22 points, and ts Mikayla White added 10.
The all-tournament team featured Fomby as MVP plus Anniston’s Lewis, Spinks and Summer Flentroy, Talladega’s Cunningham, White and Justasia Pointer, Handley’s Anna Tucker and Makayia Seymour and Munford’s Brooklyn Pressley and Ashton Bishop.
Class 3A, Area 12 girls
PIEDMONT 66, WESTBROOK CHRISTIAN 33: Morgan Studdard led four Piedmont players in double figures with 13 points, and the Bulldogs (14-13) won the area title.
They also earned the right to play host to Randolph County in Friday’s subregional round. Westbrook Christian will play at Saks.
Studdard also fetched 10 rebounds.
Piedmont also got 12 points on four Carson Young 3-pointers, and Josie Young’s 11 points included three 3-pointers.
Amiyah Thomas added 10 points.
Jordan Brooks and Dani Prime led Westbrook with eight points apiece.
Piedmont’s Cayla Brothers was tournament most valuable player, and the all-tournament team included Thomas, Studdard, Carson Young and Josie Young. Also making the team were Westbrook’s Ellison Stewart and Kylee Wyatt, Ohatchee’s Lindsey Zurchin and Glencoe’s Kinlee Montgomery.
Class 4A, Area 12 boys
ALEXANDRIA 59, CHEROKEE COUNTY 41: Quendavion McDowell led three Valley Cubs in double figures, and Alexandria won the area title.
The Valley Cubs will play host to the Oneonta-Hokes Bluff loser in Saturday’s subregional round. Cherokee County will go on the road to play the Oneonta-Hokes Bluff winner.
Cleat Forrest, fresh off of his commitment to kick for Jacksonville State University’s football team, hit three 3-pointers on the way to 11 points. Cole Wheeler’s 11 points included two 3-pointers.
Jayquan Diamond led Cherokee County with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
McDowell was tournament MVP and joined Forrest, Wheeler and Alexandria’s Jaylen Henderson on the all-tournament team. Diamond, Reid Jacoway and Tatum Perry represented Cherokee County on the all-tournament team, which also included White Plains’ Bryson Cheatwood and Ethan Turner and Cleburne County’s Lyric Ware.
Spring Garden’s boys and girls, Oxford’s and Cherokee County’s girls clinch area championships. Anniston, Weaver, Saks boys victorious.
By East Alabama Sports Today
Class 1A, Area 12 boys
SPRING GARDEN 65, DONOHO 43: John Welsh poured in 29 points, and top-ranked and unbeaten Spring Garden clinched the area title.
Both teams advanced to the subregional round to face an opponent to be determined.
Welsh’s night included three 3-pointers.
The Panthers also got 11 points apiece from Jake Welsh and Noah Barber, who hit three 3-pointers.
Ethan Crawford paced Donoho with 20 points.
Class 4A, Area 8 boys
ANNISTON 64, MUNFORD 57: Kyree Lewis hit three 3-pointers on the way to 14 points, and Anniston eliminated Munford while advancing to Wednesday’s championship game against Handley.
Handley eliminated Talladega 55-35 in the other semifinal. Anniston and Handley also clinched a berth in the subregional round.
Anniston’s Caleb Ackles added 12 points, and the Bulldogs got 10 apiece from Dakyus Baker and Dylan Goodson.
Josh Smith led Munford with 18 points, and Lathan Stephens hit two 3-pointers on the way to 14 points.
Class 3A, Area 9 boys
WEAVER 77, WELLBORN 67: Harper Williams hit three 3-pointers on the way to 20 points, and Weaver eliminated Wellborn while advancing to Wednesday’s area final against Saks and clinching a berth in the subregional round.
Weaver also got 19 points from KeShawn Allen, 17 from D.J. Marbury and 14 from Junior Allen.
Wellborn got 14 points from DeAndrez Kelly and Chris Williams, 13 from Ray Wiilliams and 10 from Ollie Boot.
SAKS 62, RANDOLPH COUNTY 49: Saks’; Lajuan Curry poured in 26 points to go with six rebounds and three steals, and Saks advanced to Wednesday’s area final against Weaver while clinching a subregional berth.
Curry hit three 3-pointers.
Christian Hall added 11 points and six rebounds, and Jayden Culpepper scored 12 points.
Class 2A, Area 13 boys
GASTON 61, PLEASANT VALLEY 41: Hunter Sparks scored 13 points, and Jaden Sparks added 11, but Pleasant Valley fell in the final game under eighth-year head coach Brad Hood,
Hood announced Sunday plans to step back from head-coaching roles.
Pleasant Valley’s Braxton Salster added eight points.
Gaston’s Mica Merriman hit seven 3-pointers on the way to 33 points. He hit five threes in the second quarter.
Devon Green hit two threes on the way to 14 points.
Class 6A, Area 11 girls
OXFORD 48, SHADES VALLEN 29: Ava Thomas led the way with 12 points, and Oxford’s girls beat Shades Valley 48-29 to win the Class 6A, Area 11 championship Monday at Oxford.
The Yellow Jackets will play host to the Gadsden City-Fort Payne loser in the subregional round Friday at 6 p.m.
Oxford also got nine points apiece from Shay Montgomery, Bri Wilson and Mi’kynlei Mosley. Thomas, Montgomery and Wilson made the all-tournament team.
Class 1A, Area 12 girls
SPRING GARDEN 83, JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 20: Ace Austin scored 21 points to go with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals, and top-ranked Spring Garden cruised to the Class 1A, Area 12 title.
Both teams advanced to the subregional round and await an opponent TBD.
Olivia Law added 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals, and Avery Steward’s 12 points came on 4-for-9 3-point shooting. Lacy Jo Mc Murray hit three 3-pointers on the way to 11 points.
Sophie Williams led JCA with seven points and 15 rebounds.
Class 4A, Area 12 girls
CHEROKEE COUNTY 57, ALEXANDRIA 53: Ellisan Givens hit three 3-pointers on the way to 23 points, and Cherokee County held off Alexandria to win the area title.
Both teams advanced to the subregional round. Cherokee County will play host to the Hokes Bluff-Oneonta loser, and Alexandria will go on the road to play the winner Friday at 6 p.m.
Cherokee County also got 15 points from Nevaeh Gaidurgis and 11 from Brooklynn Bruce, who hit three 3-pointers.
Alexandria’s Allyssa Hunt hit six 3-pointers on the way to 21 points. Charlee Parris scored 16 points, and Sumira Duncan scored 10.
