December 29, 2021
East Alabama Sports Today
Holiday roundup: Bearcats win boys, girls titles in JCA Classic; both Heflin teams vie for Cleburne County Classic crowns, all-county showdown in Champions final
JCA THUNDER HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Tuesday’s Scores
Girls bracket
Consolation game: JCA 62, Donoho 19
Championship game: Weaver 30, Wellborn 16
Boys bracket
Consolation game: JCA 64, Wellborn 29
Championship game: Weaver 49, Donoho 31
JACKSONVILLE – The entire Weaver basketball teams celebrated some holiday cheer Tuesday night as both its teams won their respective titles in the JCA Thunder Holiday Classic, giving each of their coaches the first holiday tournament titles of their careers.
The Weaver boys dumped Donoho 49-31 in their championship game, while the girls downed Wellborn 30-16.
“I just think it was huge for these kids to be able to have something to look to that they can be proud of,” Weaver boys coach Beau Winn said. “It was all of them. They worked they tail off. They wanted something to have to call their own and they went out and earned it tonight.”
“To win any tournament is a big deal,” girls coach Gary Atchley said. “Considering the teams I’ve had at Weaver and not been able to, it says a lot about this team to fight through and finally win one.”
Winn is in his fourth year at Weaver, second as head coach. Atchley is in his eighth season coaching the Weaver girls.
The Weaver boys won their title game without the benefit of a 3-pointer, for the first time this season. In fact, there was only one trey in the entire game.
“We tried to live around the rim tonight and did well,” Winn said.
Jeffrey Miles and Armane Burton had 16 and 15 points, respectively, for Weaver. Burton got the Bearcats started with six in the first quarter and Miles picked it up from there.
“We’ve been back and forth, up and down, left and right,” Winn said. “For them to be able to accomplish something as far as winning the tournament, that does wonders for their confidence, especially with two big area weeks coming up.”
Donoho was playing without leading scorer Drew Williamson, who injured his foot in the previous night’s semifinals against Wellborn. Eric Tolson kept the Falcons in the game with 14 points. Richard Goad added 10.
The closest the Weaver girls had come to winning a holiday tournament under Atchley before Tuesday was a runner-up finish in the 2017 Cleburne County Christmas Classic.
The Lady Bearcats’ best player, D.J. Gibbs, was limited by an ankle injury she sustained in Monday’s semifinals, but Neveah Hawkins and Eriana Richmond stepped up and led them with 12 and 9 points, respectively.
“What made the night more special is the boys and the girls won it,” Atchley said. “It was a great day for Weaver, the Weaver fans and those who came out to watch basketball.”
Atchley is considering designing special T-shirts for both teams to commemorate the occasion.
Host JCA overran Wellborn 64-29 in the boys consolation game. Ethan Fair had 27 points and five assists for the Thunder (6-7), Brodie Clay had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Cam Moses had 13 boards. Emanuel Kidd and Tyler Doggrell added seven points each.
Champions Boys Christmas Classic
Tuesday’s Scores
White Plains 64, Cherokee County 61
Piedmont 55, Fort Payne 53
Alexandria 75, Pell City 59
Wednesday’s Games
Consolation game: Fort Payne vs. Pell City, 6 p.m.
Championship game: Piedmont vs. Alexandria, 7:30 p.m.
Some county pride and a little juice for the upcoming County Tournament seeding meeting will be on the line Wednesday night when Alexandria and Piedmont play for the Champions Boys Christmas Classic title after posting semifinal victories Tuesday night.
Alexandria got past Pell City 75-59, while Piedmont put away Fort Payne 55-53.
D’Anthony Walker poured in 40 points for Alexandria and the Valley Cubs added 12 from Collin Taylor and 11 from Kory Cargal.
Walker, who entered the game averaging a county-best 28.7 points a game, had 21 in the first half as Alexandria opened a 45-25 lead.
“D is playing really well right now,” Alexandria coach Jason Johnson said. “He’s just been doing our regular workouts. Getting to play against (assistant coach) Will Ginn every day helps, too.”
Piedmont was the first to punch its ticket into the finals. Alex Odam scored six of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a bucket with 15.3 seconds left to give the Bulldogs the lead.
The Panthers worked to get a game-tying shot, but turned it over with seven-tenths of a second left and then fouled.
Freshman Ish Bethel scored all 10 of his points in the first quarter and combined with Odam to give the Bulldogs an 18-14 lead, but the game remained close throughout.
In the fifth-place game, Walker Osteen hit four 3-pointers, scored 21 points and hit a free throw in the closing seconds of overtime to seal the Wildcats’ 64-61 victory over Cherokee County.
Cleburne County Christmas Classic
Tuesday’s Scores
Girls bracket
Ohatchee 2, Winterboro 0 (forfeit)
Ranburne 66, Clay Central 55
Alexandria 41, Jacksonville 38 (OT)
Cleburne County 64, Glencoe 48
Boys bracket
Winterboro 63, Pleasant Valley 45
Munford 49, Ranburne 42
Clay Central 65, Ohatchee 20
Cleburne County 49, Vincent 43
Wednesday’s Games
Girls bracket
Jacksonville vs. Glencoe, 1:30 p.m.
Ohatchee vs. Ranburne, 3 p.m.
Championship game: Alexandria vs. Cleburne County, 6 p.m.
Boys bracket
Pleasant Valley vs. Ranburne, 10:30 a.m.
Ohatchee vs. Vincent, 1:30 p.m.
Winterboro vs. Munford, 4:30 p.m.
Championship game: Clay Central vs. Cleburne County, 7:30 p.m.
The basketball program from Cleburne County have a chance to make some Christmas Classic history Wednesday night as both teams play for the tournament title for the first time.
The girls will be looking for their first title since 2018 when they play Alexandria after knocking off Glencoe 64-48.
The boys will be playing in the championship game for the first time. They will face Clay Central after taking down Vincent 49-43.
Hailey Price scored 24 behind seven 3-pointers, Faith Brown had 20 and Brooklyn McDaniel had another double-double to lead the Lady Tigers. McDaniel had 14 points and 15 rebounds, and six assists.
Alexandria reached the girls final by overcoming a 13-point deficit to beat Jacksonville in overtime 41-38.
Ashley Phillips scored 11 of her 21 in the fourth quarter and OT to lead the Lady Cubs. Jacksonville’s Ashley Grant forced the overtime when she made the second of two free throws with three-tenths of a second left in regulation.
DOC Girls Classic
Tuesday’s Score
Hartselle 55, Oxford 35
Wednesday’s Game
Oxford vs. Fairview, 1:30 p.m.
DECATUR – Samford signee Masyn Marchbanks scored 35 points and helped Hartselle pull away in the middle two quarters to end Oxford’s six-game winning streak with a 55-35 victory in the Decatur Orthopaedic Clinic Girls Classic.
The 5-foot-8 guard had 22 points in the second and third quarters as the Lady Tigers went from a 12-12 tie to a 43-25 lead. Xai Whitfield (14) and Kaleah Taylor (11) both scored in double figures for Oxford, but it wasn’t enough to offset Marchbanks’ performance.
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