ACA Impressive in Area Sweep of Dallas County

Alabama Christian earned a much needed Area win as they defended their home court with a 70-59 defeat of Dallas County. The contest was tight through the first three quarters, but the Eagles took control in the fourth and wore the Hornets down. Only five players scored on the night, but four were in double figures in a well balanced attack.

Dallas County jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but a Connor Mark basket cut the lead to a deuce. On the next possession, Jayden Jones had a steal and layup to tie the game. The defensive play got Jones going as he scored the team’s next seven points as he hit his first four shots from the field. Dallas County outscored ACA 16-8 over the second half of the quarter to open a 23-18 lead after one. The Eagles stayed close in the second, but could never make a serious run at the lead until late. The momentum started to swing in the final minute of the half as Alabama Christian finished on a 6-0 run as Mark scored once and Sam Davidson hit two shots to make the score 32-34 at the break.

ACA outscored the visitors 13-4 to take a 45-38 lead midway through the third. Four different players scored in the run punctuated by a Sam Davidson long ball to open up the seven point lead. The Hornets responded and brought the game back to even after three as the game was tied 46-46. The Eagles saved their best for last as they outplayed Dallas County over the final eight minutes of the game. ACA scored eight quick points as Mac Moorer hit a three followed by a Christian Snipes two and a Jayden Jones three in the first minute of the period. Dallas County made one last run at the lead as they cut the lead to three points with just over three minutes to play. The Eagles did not panic and outscored the Hornets 10-2 down the stretch for the 70-59 win.

Christian Snipes led the offense with 22 points, 18 in the second half, with five rebounds. Jayden Jones had 18 points, a team high eight rebounds, and four assists. Mac Moorer finished with 15 points and six rebounds while Sam Davidson had 10 points and five rebounds.

The girls game had much less intrigue than the boys did. Dallas County was late arriving and were not allowed any warm up time. The Lady Hornets came straight out of the locker room and right to the tip off. Honestly, it probably didn’t matter as Dallas County was greatly over matched in the contest. ACA led 18-3 after one and the rout was on. Jaide Newkirk’s nine points paced the offense in the first. The other Newkirk sparked the offense in the second quarter as Adalynn scored eleven in the period to help lead the Eagles to a 40-9 lead at the half.

Because of the lopsided nature of the game, it was decided the entire second half would have a running clock. ACA blanked Dallas County in the third, 15-0 as the lead grew to 55-9. The fourth quarter was much of the same as the Lady eagles cruised to a 67-12 victory. Seven different players scored in the second half.

Adalynn Newkirk led the team with 15 points and added four rebounds. Katelyn Sutton stuffed the box score with 12 points, nine steals, six assists, and five rebounds Jaide Newkirk had 12 points and six rebounds while Izzy Warrick finished with 10 points, five rebounds, five steals, and three assists.

ACA will have the weekend off and will resume Area play on Tuesday, January 14, as they host St James.

Lady Eagles Defeat Westminster-Oak Mountain Easily

Alabama Christian played their last games of the Christmas break on Saturday as they hosted Westminster-Oak Mountain. The girls continued their winning ways with a 20-point victory while the boys let one get away from them as they lost a close game against the Knights.

The way the girls contest started it looked like ACA (15-2) was in for a shootout against Westminster. The visitors hit four of their first five shots as the two teams were tied 17-17 after a quarter. The Knights came back to earth for the remainder of the game as they managed just 23 points over the final three quarters. A three at the buzzer by Katelyn Sutton tied the game. The Eagles scored the first thirteen points of the second period which gave them a little breathing room. Sutton’s eight points during the run sparked the team. Izzy Warrick hit a long one at the end of the half for the second buzzer beater of the game to give ACA a 36-21 lead at the break.

Jaide Newkirk and Evelyn Tankersley combined for Alabama Christian’s first eight points of the second half to take the score to 44-22. ACA outscored the Knights 17-1 over a six and a half minute span to begin the quarter. The home team led 57-27 after three. Since the Eagles led by 30 the mandatory running clock was instituted. With the pressure of the outcome gone, Westminster got hot again with a 7-2 run to start the fourth. The Knights finished the game by scoring the last six points of the afternoon to make the final score 61-40.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 21 points and added six assists and five rebounds. Jaide Newkirk finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Evelyn Tankersley led the team with ten rebounds and three steals.

In the boys game it seemed as if ACA (9-7) had superior individual talent, but in the end Westminster proved to be the better team. Time and time again the Knights broke the Alabama Christian pressure as the defense failed to get back leading to easy buckets. In the half court, Westminster converted in the post as the Eagles struggled to fight through picks and cover the backdoor cutter.

The Eagles started fast as Christian Snipes scored nine of the team’s first ten points as ACA built a 10-5 lead. Neither team scored over the final three minutes of the period, but the Eagles still held a 14-7 advantage. The scoring drought continued for the home team in the second quarter as Westminster went on a 9-0 run to take the lead three minutes into the period. ACA managed just six points in the quarter and went from a seven point lead after the first to a seven point deficit at the half, 20-27.

ACA came out with some fire and hustle in the third and seemed to dominate the quarter. Jayden Jones scored eleven in the period to lead the offense. The Eagles took the lead for seventeen seconds late in the third, but two three-point plays by Westminster gave the visitors a 51-45 lead after three. For all of the hard work and imagined momentum it seemed ACA had, they were only able to shave a single point off the lead in the third. In the fourth, ACA cut the lead to two with just over two minutes to play, but the Knights scored the next six points to put the game out of reach. Alabama Christian would eventually lose by a score of 59-63.

Mac Moorer led the team with 15 points and six rebounds. Jayden Jones finished with 14 points and three rebounds while Christian Snipes had 12 points on the afternoon.

Alabama Christian travels to MA next Tuesday to continue Area play.

Alabama Christian Sweeps Thorsby in Area Play

Both the boys and girls teams started 2025 the right way with Area wins over Thorsby. The girls dominated from the opening tip while the boys avenged an earlier loss to the Rebels.

In the boys game, ACA (9-6) scored the last thirteen points of the first period to lead 17-4 at the end of one. Thorsby was scoreless over the final four and a half minutes of the quarter. Christian Snipes and Levi Summers scored eleven of the thirteen points in the run. The Rebels managed just six shot attempts over the last half of the quarter. The teams played evenly in the second and the Eagles were able to maintain a thirteen point advantage at the half. Connor Mark returned to action in the second quarter much to the delight of the ACA faithful.

In the third period Thorsby never went away, but never got closer than nine points either. ACA led 42-32 after three. Alabama Christian pulled away in the fourth and led by as many as nineteen with less than two minutes to play. Mac Moorer got hot as he scored ten points in the final quarter to help secure the 57-42 win.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points followed closely by Christian Snipes who had 17 points and three rebounds. Jayden Jones had eight assists to lead the team while Levi Summers finished with a team high eight rebounds.

Sometimes it’s not easy to get up for a game when you know you are clearly the better team. ACA (14-2) had their game face on and dominated from the opening tip. The Eagles scored the first fifteen point of the game as they connected on six of their first ten shots. Four different players scored in the stretch as four of the six field goals were assisted and the other two were offensive rebound put backs. ACA led 20-3 after one and continued impress in the second. The Rebels made their first field goal from the floor with seventeen seconds left in the half. The Eagles led 31-7 at the break.

The third period was played evenly between the two teams as ACA only increased its lead by two points to led 42-16 after three. The lead hit thirty points early in the fourth and the clock moved quickly afterwards. Evelyn Tankersley had ten points in the fourth and helped the Eagles to a 58-23 victory.

Four Eagles reached double figures and a fifth scored eight points as the team shared the ball throughout the game. Jaide Newkirk was the top scorer with 14 points along with seven rebounds. Evelyn Tankersley finished with 12 points as she hit all six of her shots from the floor with four rebounds. Izzy Warrick scored 11 points with three steals and Katelyn Sutton had 10 points and nine assists.

Alabama Christian plays again on Saturday, January 4th as they host Westminster-Oak Mountain.

ACA Wins Two of Three at Christmas Tournament in Tampa

The Lady Eagles finished 2024 in style with two wins at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational and squeezed in some fun time on their off day. With the two victories, Alabama Christian sports a 13-2 record for the season. One of the highlights of the tournament was Katelyn Sutton breaking the career 3-pointers record. She surpassed Leah Sirmon’s mark of 144 in the third game of the weekend. Sirmon’s record had stood since 2005.

12/20 - Steinbrenner (FL)

ACA opened the tournament with a local school, Steinbrenner High School. The school is named after Tampa native and late owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner. The Eagles had a strong start, led by Katelyn Sutton and Jaide Newkirk, and led 15-12 after a quarter. However, Steinbrenner regrouped in a big way and outscored ACA 40-7 over the next two quarters to take command of the game. The Warriors would go on to win 64-40.

Jaide Newkirk led the team with 20 points, scoring 11 in the fourth period. Katelyn Sutton had eight points while five other players scored a single basket.

12/21 - Edgar Mevers (NY)

Alabama Christian’s next opponent is located in the Bronx and is the first team ACA has ever played from New York. The Eagles again started strong and maintained a healthy lead through the contest although the gap was closed by Mevers. ACA led 41-30 at the half and went on to a 73-66 victory. This was the team’s best offensive performance of the tournament.

A’Kirra McElveen was the team’s top scorer with 23 points, including 12 of the team’s 15 fourth quarter points. Three other player finished in double figures as Katelyn Sutton and Jaide Newkirk both scored 16 and Izzy Warrick had 11 points.

12/23 - Armwood (FL)

After a day off of relaxation, the Eagles had their best overall performance of the tournament with a 51-44 win over Armwood. It took the team a little while to get started as they trailed by eight at the end of the first. The team did not panic and closed the gap by halftime and led by seven at the end of the third, which was the final margin of victory. With the team’s normal top scorers stifled in the first half, Izzy Warrick and Campbell Hammett each scored seven to keep the game close.

Jaide Newkirk would lead the team in scoring with 18 points, 14 in the second half followed by Izzy Warrick with 11 and Katelyn Sutton with 10.

Eagles Participate in Brantley Christmas Tournament

Alabama Christian (8-6) dropped a pair of games at the Brantley Christmas tournament this weekend with losses to Andalusia and the host school, Brantley.

In game one, Andalusia jumped on the Eagles from the outset and led 18-9 after a quarter. The Bulldogs steadily increased the margin as they outscored ACA in every quarter. The final score was a decisive 63-32 win for Andalusia. Christian Snipes led the offense with 12 points followed by Mac Moorer with nine and Sam Davidson with six.

In the consolation game, ACA produced a better start and led after the first period, 26-22. Unfortunately, the offense proved inconsistent as the Eagles scored just 31 points over the final three quarters. Brantley took the lead by halftime and eventually won the game 70-57. Sam Davidson was the team’s leading scorer with 13 points followed closely by Mac Moorer with 12. Jayden Jones had nine points while Broderick Williams and AC Walters each scored eight.

Alabama Christian Picks Up Win over BTW-Magnet

Both varsity basketball teams were victorious Tuesday night with road wins over BTW-Magnet. The girls cruised to a 57-13 win in a game that was never competitive. The boys looked great early and hung on for dear life in a thrilling 64-57 win.

The boys started the game with ten minutes of dominating play as they blitzed the Yellow Jackets 31-10. However, there are thirty-two minutes in a game and a team can’t rely on the first ten to secure a victory. Mac Moorer and Sam Davidson combined for six three balls in the first period to help build a commanding 25-8 lead after one. Moorer kept it going early in the second connecting two more times as he made his first six three-points attempts which resulted in a twenty-one point lead. BTW answered with eight straight points to trail by thirteen with two minutes left in the half. AC Walters and Davidson scored late in the quarter to give ACA (8-3) a 36-22 lead at the intermission.

The home standing Jackets kept the momentum on their side as they scored the first nine points of the second half to cut the Eagle lead to 36-31. Mac Moorer hit his seventh three of the game to stop the bleeding and help settle the team down. Jayden Jones and Broderick Williams worked well together towards the end of the third as the duo combined for six points for a 48-41 advantage after three. ACA looked ready to finally put BTW away in the fourth as they outscored the home team 7-3 to build a 55-44 lead. The Yellow Jackets turned up the pressure and took advantage of the contact being allowed by the officials to go on a 12-3 run of their own to cut the deficit to just two points with 1:50 left. Jones scored to give the Eagles a four point lead and would later, along with Moorer hit four free throws to clinch the game.

Mac Moorer led the offense with 24 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. Sam Davidson finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Jayden Jones had nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds while Christian Snipes had eight points and five boards.

As exciting as the finish of the boys game turned out to be, the outcome pf the girls contest was never in doubt. Although the Eagles (11-1) started slowly they were too much for the hapless Yellow Jacket team. Katelyn Sutton and Izzy Warrick both hit first period threes to build a 10-3 lead after one. ACA built a 26-7 lead at the half as the offense was a little better in the second. Jaide Newkirk led the team with nine first half points.

The third quarter was the team’s best as they buried BTW in a 24-1 barrage that helped the Eagles build a 50-8 lead after three. The Jackets hit a free throw less than a minute into the quarter and did not score again. Three players, A’Kirra McElveen, Katelyn Sutton, and Jaide Newkirk, each had six points in the third to lead a balanced attack. The fourth quarter went quickly as the clock ran continuously. The highlight of the quarter was Campbell Hammett trying to sneak into the game only be turned back by her coach. The Lady Eagles enjoyed a stress free 57-13 romp.

Jaide Newkirk had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Katelyn Sutton finished with eleven points, six steals, five rebounds, and five assists. Izzy Warrick and A’Kirra McElveen both had eight points while McElveen had a team best 16 rebounds.

ACA Continues Winning Streak

The Alabama Christian girls team won their tenth in a row on Saturday which is the program’s longest winning streak since 2009. The Warriors gave ACA (10-1) a tougher first half than expected, but the Eagles flexed their muscles in the second half to pull away in the road win.

ACA led by two at the end of the first and just three at the half, 24-21. Katelyn Sutton’s 14 first half points led the team at the break. In the second half, the visitors started on a 13-2 spurt to stretch the lead to 37-23. Jaide Newkirk’s eight points sparked the offense during the run. The Eagles led by the same margin at the end of the quarter and went on to win 51-30 over the Warriors.

Katelyn Sutton was the team’s top scorer with 17 points along with six assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Jaide Newkirk had ten points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. A’Kirra McElveen finished with nine points and ten rebounds while Evelyn Tankersley contributed eight points.

The boys faced Lee-Scott in a Thanksgiving tournament a few weeks ago and the Eagles (7-4) knew the Saturday tilt would be difficult. Through the first six minutes of the game ACA was the aggressor and had Lee-Scott on its heels, but the home team scored fourteen straight for a 19-9 lead early in the second period. Once the Warriors found their stride they steadily pulled away from Alabama Christian. The score was 40-25 at the half and the Eagles eventually lost by forty, 44-84.

Sam Davidson led the team with 13 points and three steals. Mac Moorer finished with 12 points while AC Walters had eight points and seven rebounds.

Alabama Christian will visit BTW-Magnet next Tuesday in their last action before the Christmas break.

Eagles Defeat Loachapoaka for Season Sweep

The season opener continues to be the only blemish on the Lady Eagles record as they improved to 9-1 on the season with a 63-20 defeat of Loachapoaka. ACA erased any doubts early as they outscored the Indians 20-3 in the first period. The Eagles increased the lead to 35-11 by the half. Katelyn Sutton led the charge with 12 first half points. The defense continued to shine in the second half as Alabama Christian held its opponent scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 18 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while Jaide Newkirk finiashed with 17 points. A trio of players, Addison Smith, A’Kirra McElveen, and Evelyn Tankersley, each contributed six points.

The boys opened the season with an overtime thriller against Loachapoaka, but could not bring home the victory Friday against the Indians. The home team did just enough to beat ACA (7-3) 51-48. The game was close throughout as ACA trailed by five at the half and cut the lead to three by the end of the third. Unfortunately, the Eagles could not give over the hump and overtake the Indians.

Mac Moorer’s 12 points led the offense followed closely by AC Walters with 11 and Jayden Jones with 10.

Alabama Christian continues its busy week on Saturday as they travel to Lee-Scott Academy.

Jaide Newkirk Reaches 1,000 Point Milestone

Jaide Newkirk entered Thursday night’s game needing only five points to reach 1,000 for her career. She got off to a slow start, but reached the mark midway through the second quarter with a field goal from the left block. Family, friends, and classmates were on hand to cheer on Newkirk. Special guest Syretta Baldwin was on hand to represent the former players already in the exclusive club. Newkirk became just the fifth Lady Eagle in program history to score at least 1,000 points for their career.

Newkirk was not the only one who started slow. The team was tied to an inferior competitor midway through the first period before they started to put some distance between themselves and their opponent. ACA (8-1) led Autauga Academy 16-6 at the end of the first. The Eagles outscored their guests by ten points in the second quarter as well and held a 31-11 lead at the break. The second half was played more evenly, but the Generals never proved to be a seriuous threat to Alabama Christian. ACA would win the contest 58-36.

Katelyn Sutton led the Eagles with 16 points followed closely by the star of the night, Jaide Newkirk with 15 points. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points while A’Kirra McElveen had seven.

The boys also started slowly as they expected to handle the Generals easily. The game was tied 6-6 more than midway through the first before ACA (7-2) finished with a 10-3 run. The last two possessions of the period saw Mac Moorer nail back to back bombs to give the Eagles a 16-9 lead after one. Christian Snipes and Moorer combined for eight quick points in the second quarter which prompted an Autauga Academy timeout. The timeout seemed to work as the Generals scored on four straight possessions to cut the lead to 27-16. That would be the last of the good news for Autauga Academy for the night. The Eagles ended the half on a 9-2 run including a three by Sam Davidson at the horn to take a 36-18 lead into the locker room.

Alabama Christian put their foot on the pedal at the start of the second half and ran away from the Generals. ACA outscored its opponent 18-1 over the first five minutes of the third quarter. Jayden Jones led the charge with eleven points during the run that included two “thank you very much” threes as the defense just kept backing away and left the senior wide open for easy looks. By the time the quarter was over, ACA led 62-23. The fourth period brought a running clock and lots of substitutions as everyone was able to play. The student section even chanted for injured Connor Mark to get in the game. Only five total points were scored in the quarter as Alabama Christian defeated Autauga Academy 66-24.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points, 16 in the first half as he hit five first half threes. Jayden Jones finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while Christian Snipes had 11 points and three rebounds.

Alabama Christian Wins Seventh in a Row

The Eagles (7-1) visited Tallassee on Monday night and came away with a hard fought 49-42 victory. It’s always a wild environment when ACA visits the Tigers, but Alabama Christian tried to take the crowd out of it early. The visitors built a thirteen point lead at the break, 29-16, and withstood the Tallassee comeback in the second half.

Katelyn Sutton hit four 3-pointers to lead the offense with 15 points. Jaide Newkirk finished with 11 points while Campbell Hammett had eight and A’Kirra McElveen had six.

The boys were able to follow the girl’s lead and beat Tallassee in the nightcap. However, they took a different route than the Lady Eagles did. ACA (6-2) was outscored by eight in the first quarter, but was able to cut the lead to two by the half. The Eagles outscored the home team 23-14 in the third, led by Jayden Jones with seven points, to take a 49-42 lead after three. Alabama Christian continued to roll in the fourth for the 65-51 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 19 points. Mac Moorer finished with 14 points followed by AC Walters with 13 points.

Both teams return home on Thursday, December 12, to host Autauga Academy.

ACA Breezes Past Autauga Academy

Alabama Christian traveled to Autauga Academy for the first time ever Friday evening to play four games against the Generals. Both JV teams as well as both Varsity teams won easily in a low stress night at the gym.

After dropping the decision to Thorsby on Thursday plus losing Connor Mark due to injury, the boys looked to rebound against Autauga Academy. The home team hit its first two shots and led 5-2 a minute into the game, but that would be the last good news for the rest of the night. After a made free throw, Mac Moorer, Sam Davidson, and AC Walters hit threes on consecutive possessions to pull the Eagles (5-2) ahead 12-5. ACA led 17-7 after a quarter. Alabama Christian opened the second with a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 26-7 midway through the period. The Generals outscored ACA over the final four minutes of the half to close the gap to 36-19. After the first half buzzer a double technical was called as the officials tried to get a handle on the talking between players.

The Eagles continued to increase the lead through the third period. By the end of the quarter the lead had increased to twenty-eight points. AC Walters dominated the glass in the second half as he performed like a man among boys. The fourth moved quickly as the lead passed the thirty-point barrier. Many of the backups played in the final quarter and gained valuable experience.

With Connor Mark missing the game on Friday the question was who would pick up the scoring in his absence. On Friday ,it was AC Walters as the senior recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Mac Moorer had 14 points with five rebounds while Christian Snipes finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Jayden Jones led the team six assists while Sam Davidson had a team high three steals.

In the opening varsity contest, the girls team let an inferior team hang around too long, but won 45-26 when it was all said and done. The game was tied 6-6 with two minutes left in the first quarter. A Katelyn Sutton three broke the tie and helped ACA (6-1) to a 9-8 lead after one. The Lady Eagles outscored Autauga Academy 14-2 in the second quarter to open a 23-10 lead at the half. Sutton, Adalynn Newkirk, and Evelyn Tankersley did all of the scoring in the period as the lead moved to double digits. Although the lead remained in double figures for the rest of the game, ACA could never deliver the knockout punch and blow the game open. The final score was 45-26.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 17 points and added five steals and three assists. Evelyn Tankersley had eight points, seven rebounds, and two blocks while Izzy Warrick had six points, seven rebounds, and three steals.

Alabama Christian visits Tallassee in its next action Monday, December 9th.

Lady Eagles Improve to 5-1 with Area Win on the Road

Alabama Christian learned a valuable lesson as it traveled to very rural Alabama Thursday night. If you are going to play in Podunk, you better bring your own trainer. The Eagles had two girls leave the game with injuries and one boy in the second game with no one to attend to them. We are still waiting for someone from Thorsby to get a trainer or be concerned.

Fortunately, the girls were able to overcome their injuries and win the contest. ACA (5-1) outscored the hosts 15-0 in the first period and it looked as if the game would be a laugher. It took the Rebels almost 90 seconds to even get a shot off against the pressure defense. When ACA stretched the lead to 26-5 with about two minutes left in the half everyone started packing their things up because this game was over. Thorsby didn’t get the memo though and went on a 10-2 run to close the half. In a game they had no business being in, the Rebels only trailed by thirteen at the break.

Katelyn Sutton scored seven of the team’s first nine points in the second half to increase the lead to twenty-one points, 37-16. Then the offense went cold over the final five minutes of the third as they made only one free throw in the stretch. Once again, Thorsby finished a quarter strong and cut the margin to 38-26 after three. The margin stayed around ten for the fourth period as ACA survived with a 48-35 victory.

Katelyn Sutton was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points and six steals. Jaide Newkirk scored nine points with three steals while Sam Burgess finished with six points and six rebounds. A’Kirra McElveen led the team with ten rebounds and five assists.

The boys game did not go the way of the Eagles. Although ACA (4-2) seemed the more talented team, they never seemed to adjust to the officials and did not drive to the basket to pick up fouls. Thorsby did take advantage and and scored 17 points from the free throw line as compared to eight for ACA. The Eagles had a tough night from outside the arc as they were 4 for 26 until they hit their last two in the final 30 seconds of an already decided game.

Thorsby took a one point lead at the end of the first quarter, but Christian Snipes scored to start the second to give the lead back to ACA. The Eagles would keep the lead until 4:26 left in the third when the Rebels hit two freebies for a 29-27 lead. The home team would never trail again from that point. Thorsby managed to pull away late in the opening Area game for both teams.

Christian Snipes led the team with 13 points followed closely by Mac Moorer with 12 and Jayden jones with 11. Jones and Broderick Williams led the team with five rebounds apiece as Jones also led the team with four steals.

Both Alabama Christian squads are back at it Friday night at Autauga Academy.

Eagles Win Road Contest at Wetumpka

Alabama Christian (4-1) won their fourth game in a row with a 48-41 win over class 6A Wetumpka. The home standing Indians doubled up ACA in the first with a 12-6 lead after one, but the Eagles tied it 22-22 going into the half. Jaide Newkirk (8) and A’Kirra McElveen (5) led the team in scoring in the first two periods. The decisive quarter in the game turned out to be the third as ACA built a seven point lead. The teams played evenly in the fourth as Alabama Christian held the advantage with the seven-point triumph. The Lady Eagles top three scorers combined for 40 of the team’s 48 points. Jaide Newkirk led the team with 20 points while Izzy Warrick and A’Kirra McElveen both finished with 10 points.

Alabama Christian opens Area play on Thursday, December 5 as they visit Thorsby.

ACA Defeats Prattville Christian in Convincing Fashion

Monday night’s game pitted two teams trending in opposite directions. Alabama Christian (4-1) look to build off its third place finish in last week’s holiday tournament. On the other hand, PCA looked to rebound after a disappointing week at the same event where they lost all three games played.

The Eagles led 19-9 at the end of one and 42-16 at the half as they dominated the first two quarters. Jayden Jones almost outscored the Panthers himself with 13 first half points to lead the offense. Mac Moorer had 11 at the break. With the big lead, the bench was emptied in the second half as nine different players scored on the night.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 16 points followed by Jayden Jones with 13 points, four steals, and three rebounds. Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes each scored nine points while AC Walters contributed eight points. Connor Mark led the team in rebounds with seven.

The Eagles begin Area play on Thursday, December 5, as they travel to Thorsby.

Alabama Christian Finishes Third in Thanksgiving Tournament

Both the girls and boys teams enjoyed a successful Thanksgiving week and two weeks into the season each squad has a 3-1 record. After three games last week, the Lady Eagles played one game this week on Monday against New Blockton. The boys, on the other hand, played one game last week and participated in the Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at MA where they won two of three and finished third in the tournament. The boys two wins were nail biters as this team has developed a flare for the dramatic in the early part of the season.

Girls

Monday v. New Blockton

ACA used a suffocating defense that forced 27 turnovers as they doubled up New Blockton, 64-32. Katelyn Sutton’s eight first quarter points sparked the team to an 18-11 lead after one. Neither team could capture the momentum to start the second period and with 3:00 left in the half the Eagle lead was still seven points, 23-16. However, Alabama Christian closed out the quarter on a 10-2 run, spurred on by Evelyn Tankersley’s six points, to take a 33-18 lead into halftime.

Riding the momentum from the end of the half, ACA crushed any hope the Gamecocks had for a comeback as the defense held the visitors to one made basket on just ten attempts in the third. The Lady Eagles outscored its opponent 18-4 in the quarter to open a 50-22 lead after three. ACA finally hit the 30-point margin with just under five minutes to go in the game which triggered a running clock the rest of the way. The home team outscored New Brockton 14-10 in the period for the 64-32 final margin.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 21 points with five steals and five assists. Evelyn Tankersley turned in an all-around good game with 12 points, six rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. A’Kirra McElveen led the team with eight rebounds.

Boys

Monday v. Pike Road

A first round draw against 6A Pike Road might have concerned some teams, but ACA stood toe to toe with the bigger team and fought their way to a 71-70 triumph. The Eagles utilized their long game as the team shot 53.6% from deep as they connected on 15 treys against the Patriots, second most in program history. The game was close throughout as Alabama Christian trailed by four and five points, respectively, at the end of the first two quarters. Mac Moorer led the team at the break with nine points.

ACA made their move in the third as they held Pike Road to 13 points to take a 52-49 lead after three periods. The Eagles spread the ball around as five different players scored in the quarter. Down the stretch, the Eagles did just enough to hold off the Patriots in the one-point victory.

Mac Moorer led the team with 21 points, on seven made threes. Jayden Jones had 14 points and five assists while Christian Snipes had 13 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Connor Mark finished with 12 points, six steals, and three rebounds.

Tuesday v. Lee-Scott

The second round brought a first time match up with AHSAA newcomer, Lee-Scott Academy. The Warriors hammered PCA in the first round and came out ready to play against ACA as they took advantage of the numerous foul calls for them. By the end of the game, ACA had 23 fouls called on them compared to only 11 for the Warriors. Lee-Scott was hot in the first period and built a 26-14 lead after one. The Eagles staged a comeback in the second largely on the team’s effectiveness at the free throw line. ACA connected on nine of ten in the quarter and 13 of 14 in the game. The team percentage of 92.9% was the best ever for an ACA team with 10 or more free throws taken in a game. The lead was cut to three, 35-38, at the half. Connor Mark’s 16 points led the team at the break.

In the second half, Lee-Scott methodically pulled away as they showed great ball movement and continued to ride the talents of #2. The talented guard finished with 35 points and everything the Warriors did ran through him. ACA cut the lead to single digits once in the fourth, but could get no closer than nine points in the 57-72 defeat.

Connor Mark led the squad with 19 points with three rebounds. Jayden Jones had 13 points with three rebounds, and three assists while Christian Snipes had 11 points and six rebounds.

Wednesday v. Brew Tech

The third place game pitted two teams who lost on Tuesday and wanted to finish the tournament with a win. Although the teams had not met since 2016, Brew Tech held a 22-game winning streak over ACA, the longest active losing streak for the Eagles. After watching the first half, a betting man would have been sure the streak would be 23 soon.

The game started in odd fashion as Levi Summers, who jumped center for the opening tip, grabbed the ball after it was touched by Brew Tech and went straight to the hole for a lay up and a 2-0 lead. After a Ram basket, Mac Moorer hit a three and asked the official to check the ball. It was discovered a girls ball had been used for the first three possessions of the game. ACA might have hoped the smaller ball stayed in play as they went on to miss nine of their next ten shots. Brew Tech adjusted easily as they hit 7 of 12 first period shots and led 15-13 after one. The second quarter was all Brew Tech. The Rams outscored ACA 17-2 over the first four minutes of the period to open a 32-14 lead. In the stretch, Brew Tech nailed six threes while the Eagles did not score from the floor. ACA’s only made field goal in the quarter was a 3-pointer by Mac Moorer in the final minute of the half. The Eagles walked to the locker room trailing 21-43 as Brew Tech hit 60.7% of their shots in the half.

While Coach Hill went and coached his team during the break, the Brew Tech team never left the floor and horsed around as they thought the game was in hand. In fact, the Rams didn’t even put the starting five back out there for the start of the second half. Conventional thinking was, if ACA wanted a chance to win, to try and cut the lead in half by the fourth quarter. The Eagles had other ideas in mind. The team came out on fire and played with an intensity that was non-existent in the first half. The defense applied a full court press that forced turnovers on six of Brew Tech’s first seven possessions. The combination of Connor Mark, Jayden Jones, and Mac Moorer dealt the Rams fits as they tried to get the ball across midcourt. It didn’t take a quarter to cut the lead in half, it took two minutes. At the 5:53 mark of the third and the score cut to 34-45, Brew Tech called time and put some of the starters back in.

If you thought the first half of the twenty-two point halftime deficit disappeared quickly, the second half evaporated even faster. Starters in or not, momentum was squarely on the Eagles side. After the Brew Tech timeout, ACA went on a 12-0 lead over the next two-plus minutes to incredibly take a 46-45 lead with 3:20 left in the quarter. Connor Mark scored the first seven points of the run followed by a Jayden Jones basket and a three-point play, the old fashioned way, by AC Walters. ACA did not let up after taking the lead and outscored the Rams 16-8 over the final three minutes for a 62-53 lead after three. ACA outscored Brew Tech 41-10 in the quarter.

To Brew Tech’s credit, they did respond in the fourth and cut the lead to two points, 62-60, with five minutes remaining. However, consecutive scores by Sam Davidson and Jaydon McElrath pushed the score back to 67-60 for some breathing room. Alabama Christian kept the Rams at an arm's length distance the rest of the way for the third place finish with the 76-65 win.

Connor Mark’s 25 points led the team with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Jayden Jones and Mac Moorer each scored 16 points while Jones had six rebounds and Moorer had four rebounds and four steals. Sam Davidson finished with 10 points and three steals.

Lady Eagles Win Two of Three to Start Season

The girls basketball team played three games at home in the first week of the season defeating Loachapoaka and Lee-Scott Academy after losing the opener to Catholic.

Catholic - November 19

ACA started the season against a very tough Catholic squad. The home team stayed close to the Knights early and, after a Jaide Newkirk basket, trailed 9-13 with about two minutes left in the first. Unfortunately, the Eagles went cold from the floor and allowed twenty-one consecutive points by Catholic over a seven minute span. Katelyn Sutton finally stopped the run with a 3-pointer to cut the score to 12-34. A steal and score by Izzy Warrick at the first half buzzer made the score 18-43 at the break.

Although the outcome of the game was not in doubt, ACA managed to play evenly with the visitors in the second half and were only outscored by two points over the final sixteen minutes. Katelyn Sutton took advantage of the situation scoring ten of her team high thirteen points in the second half. ACA lost the contest 45-72. Sutton finished with 5 assists and four rebounds to go along with her team best point total. Jaide Newkirk scored 10 points with six rebounds and four assists. A’Kirra McElveen led the team with nine rebounds.

Loachapoaka- November 21

ACA used a 21-6 first period, powered by Katelyn Sutton’s ten points, to open up a commanding lead. However, foul trouble for Sutton and Jaide Newkirk, contributed to a sluggish offensive performance in the second as the Indians cut the lead to 30-18 at the half. The Eagles righted the ship in the third quarter as they outscored their opponent 16-4 to open the lead back up to 46-22 heading to the final period. Alabama Christian cruised in the fourth to a 56-30 victory. Sutton led the team with 19 points, six steals, and five assists. Jaide Newkirk added a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds.

Lee-Scott Academy - November 22

ACA scored the first eleven points of the game over the first three and a half minutes to open a double digit lead. Campbell Hammett and Katelyn Sutton combined for eight points in the run. Lee-Scott responded with six straight , but a three by Adalynn Newkirk closed the scoring in the quarter to make the score 14-6 after one. The Warriors hit two treys to start the second to cut the score to 14-12. However, over the last seven minutes of the period, ACA outscored its guests 14-4 to lead 28-16 at the half.

The Eagles flexed their muscles as they outscored Lee-Scott 22-8 in the third period to put the game away. Adalynn Newkirk hit a three at the buzzer to exclamate the dominant quarter. Several players got an opportunity to shine on offense in the fourth as the margin grew. ACA beat the Warriors 60-27 to finish its first week.

Katelyn Sutton had an all around strong game with 17 points, six assists, five steals, and four rebounds. Jaide Newkirk added 10 points with eight rebounds. Adalynn Newkirk had nine points while Campbell Hammett had eight points.

The Lady Eagles host New Brockton Monday, November 25 to close out their four game homestand.

ACA Wins Overtime Thriller to Open Season

Coach Trace Hill’s first game at Alabama Christian was a wild one. With family and friends in the stands to support him, the first year coach watched his Eagles never give up and beat Loachapoaka 60-55 in overtime.

Loachapoaka came out smoking as they connected on 8 of 9 shots from the floor in the first quarter. Sam Davidson helped keep the score close with a couple of three balls, but the visitors led 17-12 after one. In the second period, the Indians had an answer every time ACA would close the gap. Midway through the quarter Jaydon McElrath and Broderick Williams hit back to back baskets to tie the game 21-21. However, Loachapoaka finished the half on a 6-1 run to open the lead back to five points at intermission. Davidson and Connor Mark both had six at the break to lead the offense.

Like the first half, the Eagles would cut into the lead in the third period, but Loachapoaka would stretch the lead back out. With just over four minutes left in the quarter the Indians took their biggest lead at 35-28. Connor Mark and Christian Snipes scored the next five points to cut the margin to two, but the gap was four points at the end of the third, 35-39. The Indians continued to fight off ACA’s attempts to comeback in the final period. A three pointer with just over three minutes left gave the visitors a 46-40 cushion and it looked as if Alabama Christian would run out of time. Mac Moorer and Jayden Jones hit three of four free throws to cut the lead to 43-46 with 2:27 left. After the teams traded baskets Mark came up with a steal to gain possession for ACA. The offensive trip produced an AC Walters free throw to cut the lead to 46-48 with 1:08 left.

The last minute was not for the faint of heart. After an Indian score, Sam Davidson nailed a three to cut the lead to 49-50 with 35.6 seconds left. The Eagles dilemma was they still had a foul to give before free throws. Loachapoaka was able to bleed the clock to 11.2 seconds before they were sent to the charity stripe. Both free throws were good and the Eagles trailed by three with one shot left to tie it. Christian Snipes dialed long distance just left of the top of the key at the buzzer to force overtime much to the dismay of a shocked Loachapoaka bench and cheering section.

In overtime the team got on Jayden Jones’ back and he carried them the rest of the way home. The Indians scored first, but Jones responded with a bucket of his own to tie the game, 54-54. Christian Snipes gambled on defense and stole an attempted pass to the post to give ACA a chance to take the lead. Jones rebounded a missed three and was fouled with 1:22 left. The senior connected on both freebies to give the home team its first lead since 3-2 early in the contest. The Indians hit a free throw to cut the lead to a single point and got the ball back after an Eagle turnover. However, Jaydon McElrath cleaned the glass with a tough rebound and got the ball to Jones who was fouled and hit two more free throws. Jones closed it out with two more with 7.1 seconds left for a 60-55 triumph.

Jayden Jones led the team with 15 points, including all eight of the team’s points in overtime, and 12 rebounds. Connor Mark finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and four steals while Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes both had nine points in the victory.

Alabama Christian will play in the Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at MA next week. The Eagles first game will be against Pike Road on Monday, November 25th.

Eagles Season Ends in Second Round of Playoffs

Alabama Christian’s season ended Friday night as they fell to Bayside Academy, 23-7. The game was close until the very end and the Eagles had opportunities to trim the Bayside lead, but could not finish drives. ACA was intercepted three times in the second half in Admiral territory.

The Eagles received the opening kickoff and marched methodically to Bayside’s 27-yard line. However, the drive stalled with consecutive negative plays to force a long fourth down from the 32-yard line. Out of field goal range and not wanting to give Bayside any momentum, ACA elected to take a delay penalty to back themselves up five more yards and punt the ball. The strategy worked as the Admiral offense did nothing with its first opportunity and punted the ball back after just three plays. Alabama Christian’s second drive of the night was its best. Christian Snipes hit Bryant Swindle and AC Walters on consecutive plays to move the ball onto Bayside’s side of the field. Next, a 15-yard run by David Ortiz-Ramirez moved the ball to the 29-yard line. The drive ended on a quick screen on the right side to Walters who ran past the defenders on his way to the end zone. With 3:49 left in the first ACA led 7-0.

Bayside would show their tenacity and lack of discipline on the next drive as they overcame five penalties, including one on the bench, to kick a field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. The Admirals held the ball for over five minutes and 13 plays that counted. After sitting for that long, the offense did not look sharp as two quarterback runs and an incomplete pass gave the ball right back to Bayside. Gaining momentum, the Admirals drove 65 yards in 10 plays to take the lead for good, 9-7 with 4:42 left in the half. ACA tried to get back on track as AC Walters ran back to back plays from the QB spot to move the ball into Bayside territory. A 14-yard pass to Jackson Burton moved the ball to the 32-yard line, but that is far as the drive would go. The next three plays combined for a loss of three yards and an incomplete pass on a fake punt turned the ball over on downs. Luckily, Bayside was unable to take advantage and the score remained 9-7 at the half.

Bayside opened the second half by driving to ACA’s 23-yard line, but would end up punting two plays later after a tackle for loss by Micah Merritt and a false start penalty. The punt was shanked badly and only traveled six yards to give ACA the ball at their own 27-yard line. The Eagles were able to move the ball on the ground on their first drive of the half and drove to Bayside’s 30-yard line. On 3rd and 8, ACA tried to set up a screen on the right side, but #13 for Bayside read it all the way and picked the pass off and might have had a pick-six if David Ortiz-Ramirez hadn’t caught him. Three plays later Bayside did score to extend the lead to 16-7 with 4:03 left in the third period. For the past two weeks this is the point of the game where ACA flipped the switch and made a furious comeback. Once again the offense moved the ball and had just made it to the plus side of the field as the third period ended.

The offense moved the ball deep into Admiral territory and faced a 2nd and 4 from the 11-yard line. A score here with ten-plus minutes left in the game would give ACA a fighting chance to win this thing. Unfortunately, #13 made another incredible play for the Bayside defense as he picked off an attempted swing pass to end the Eagle threat. ACA would have the ball three more times in the game, but were unable to put up any points. The only serious threat ended with an all too familiar theme of interception. Bayside ran out the clock after the last pick for the win.

Micah Merritt led the defense with nine tackles and a sack while Broderick Williams and Jackson Burton each had seven tackles. Levi Summers finished with six tackles followed by Cooper Milner with five. AC Walters had 50 yards rushing on 10 carries and 59 yards receiving on five catches. David Ortiz-Ramirez had 48 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Jackson Burton led the team with six receptions for 69 yards. Christian Snipes was 16 of 27 for 136 yards and a touchdown.

We thank Coach Summers and his staff along with the players for a spectacular season. You brought the Eagle nation a lot of thrills and memories. We also appreciate the sportsmanship and class you showed during the season even when your opponent may not have been. Special thanks to Cathy Moorer for allowing me to use her pictures in the articles.

Eagles Drain the Swamp in Playoff Win Over Glenwood

For the second week in a row Alabama Christian walked the tightrope between losing and winning and lived to tell the tale. Last week ACA fell behind by 13 points early before fighting their way back for a victory. This week the Eagles spotted Glenwood 20 points and trailed 13-35 just a minute into the second quarter before producing one of the greatest comebacks in program history. The final score was 46-42 as the defense allowed just seven points over the last 35 minutes of the game.

Glenwood, who is new to AHSAA this year, came into the game undefeated, but as the game progressed chinks started to show in the armor. Before the game, the quality of their Region was questioned and as all four of their playoff teams were beaten in the first round, rightfully so. Only one other Region in all of the playoffs was swept out in the first round this year. During the game, the Gators seemed more concerned with trash talking and extracurricular activity after the whistle than finishing the game. As the game wore on their defense looked gassed and you could see the pressure of the game affecting them. Since the first week of the season, the closest margin of victory was 21 points exposing the fact they had not been pushed in the fourth for much of the season. We could write a book about their PA announcer, but all I will say is no self respecting Eagles fan will ever darken the doors of Tires First.

The home-standing Gators took the opening kickoff and drove 76 yards in five plays for a quick score and a 7-0 lead. ACA turned the ball over on its first possession to give the ball back to Glenwood around the middle of the field. Two plays later the lead was extended to 14-0 with 8:23 left in the first. With a two score lead the chirping picked up as Alabama Christian continued to struggle on offense. ACA turned the ball over on downs after a failed fourth down halfback pass attempt. The Gators scored again in what seemed like the longest first period ever and led 20-0 with 3:37 still left in the quarter. Teilan Long sparked the team with a 35-yard kick return to set up the offense deep in Glenwood territory. However, after consecutive holding calls ACA was backed up to the 40-yard line facing a 1st and 22. Two plays later, the offense handed the ball off to David Ortiz-Ramirez who raced through the defense on a 39-yard touchdown run for the Eagles first points of the night. The Gator defense had absolutely no answer for #21 as he ran around, over, through, and past them the rest of the night.

Although the offense had figured some things out late in the first, the defense was not quite there yet. Glenwood responded with a touchdown and added a two-point conversion to move the score to 28-7 with 1:34 still left in the opening quarter. Alabama Christian only needed a minute, as they fed Oriz-Ramirez on three straight plays, to match the Glenwood touchdown. The senior back’s second touchdown covered 40 yards and cut the score to 13-28 after a missed extra point. One more offensive play by the Gators brought the first period to an end. The teams combined to run 43 plays and score six touchdowns in the opening stanza.

The Glenwood offense must have felt like it would be more of the same in the second as they scored less than a minute into the quarter for their biggest lead of the game, 35-13. Little did they know the Eagle defense would stand strong for the rest of the game. Over the remaining 11 Glenwood possessions, the home team would score one touchdown and turn the ball over four times, including the last three times they had the ball. Both teams traded punts on the next two drives as Micah Merritt ended Glenwood’s drive with a third down sack. With 9:08 left in the half, Ortiz-Ramirez struck again as he took a screen pass and ran 51 yards for an apparent touchdown. However, after a long conference between the officials, one of many on the night, offsetting penalties were called and the play was nullified. It must have felt even sweeter the second time as Ortiz-Ramirez took the hand off up the middle and broke to the left sideline for another 51-yard scoring play, except this one counted, on the very next play. After two 50-yard dashes in a row and no time to catch his breath, the offense gave it to #21 again but the two-point conversion failed.

Micah Merritt ended the second drive in a row with a sack of the Glenwood quarterback. This time it was on fourth down and gave the ball back to the offense on its own 39-yard line with 6:49 left in the half. ACA opened the possession with a 26-yard pass completion to Jackson Burton and three plays later the junior tight end helped the team pick up another first down with a 16-yard reception from the arm of AC Walters. Three plays later, Christian Snipes hit David Ortiz-Ramirez on a swing pass out of the backfield for a 13-yard scoring strike along the left sideline. After another failed 2-point attempt, ACA trailed 25-35 with 4:10 left in the half. The Glenwood offense looked to be back on track, but a TJ Meritt interception of a ball that caromed off the receiver ended the threat with 3:16 on the clock. The Eagles looked poised to score and make the contest a one-score game as they had a first down on the Glenwood 16-yard line. However, a personal foul and an intentional grounding moved the ball back to the 37-yard line and forced a punt. Glenwood was content to run the clock out and leave the field with a 10-point lead at the half.

After all of the offensive fireworks in the first half, the last thing anyone expected was a scoreless quarter, but that is exactly what happened as neither offense was able to put anything together. ACA was able to move the ball as all three of their drives made it to Glenwood territory. The Gator’s offense produced two three and outs to start the quarter and turned the ball over on downs on the first play of the fourth.

Down by ten to start the final period was right where ACA wanted them. The offense moved the ball eighteen yards in two plays to set up a 2nd and 2 from the ACA 39-yard line. The next play was a thing of beauty. As Ladarius Walters went in motion to the right side, Christian Snipes threw a quick pass to AC Walters. Ladarius wiped out one defender while AC put a vaporizing move (one second he was there, the next he was gone) on a second and he was off to the races on a 61-yard scoring play to cut the lead to three points. The eerie silence in the stadium was the Glenwood faithful who nervously squirmed in their seats. Even the PA man implored the fans to cheer louder. To Glenwood’s credit, they did respond while on the ropes and scored on a 34-yard heave that the defender lost track of in the air. With 10:04 left the lead was back to ten, 42-32.

AC Walters returned the next kickoff on to Glenwood’s side of the field. Three straight runs by David Ortiz-Ramirez and a horse collar penalty set up a 1st and goal at the 9-yard line. From the QB spot, Walters covered the last nine yards in two carries to cut the lead back to three with 8:08 left. You could feel momentum heading over to the ACA sidelines and a growing belief that this was about to happen. Glenwood ran the ball twice to start their next drive to move the ball out to their own 45-yard line. On first down, Cooper Milner stepped in front of the receiver and picked off the Gator QB to get the ball back. Now, momentum was sitting on the ACA bench and getting comfortable because he was staying. The defensive memo for Glenwood at halftime had to be stop #21, but they couldn’t. A 44-yard run by the star of the game and two after the play personal fouls on Glenwood set up a 1st and goal at the one-yard line. On first down, Walters set up at quarterback and ran the ball in for Alabama Christian’s first lead of the game, 46-42, with 5:50 left.

At this point, things were starting to unravel for Glenwood. A receiver fumbled on the first play of the next drive after a Levi Summers tackle and ACA recovered. The Eagles picked up one first down and although they missed a 38-yard field goal attempt to end the drive, they did manage to take just over three minutes off the clock. The Gators got the ball on their own 20-yard line with 2:43 remaining. They moved quickly down the field and faced a 3rd and 17 from the ACA 34-yard line with just under two minutes to go. Glenwood went for it all, but the QB slipped as he threw and the receiver slipped as he went for the ball. The only one standing was Bryson Dabney who intercepted the ball at the 2-yard line for the Eagles. A penalty after the play against Glenwood moved the ball out to the 18-yard line to give Alabama Christian some breathing room. With 1:45 left and Glenwood with two timeouts, a first down would seal the win. On a 3rd and 5, and Glenwood out of timeouts, a Gator defender jumped offside to help give ACA the first down they needed for the win. Two victory formation plays later, the Eagles were headed to the second round.

This win was a total team effort and many players shined bright, but David Ortiz-Ramirez turned in a performance for the ages and will haunt the dreams of Gator defenders for years to come. The senior finished with 282 yards rushing on 27 carries and 21 yards receiving on two catches and four total touchdowns. The 282 yards rushing in a single game was the second best night in the playoffs and third best overall total in program history and he became just the fourth player in ACA history to have over 300 all-purpose yards in a game. AC Walters finished with five catches for 108 yards and 49 tough rushing yards on 16 carries and three total touchdowns. He also completed a pass for 16 yards on three attempts. Jackson Burton caught three passes for 61 yards. Christian Snipes went 9 of 21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

On defense, TJ Merritt, Cooper Milner, and Bryson Dabney each had an interception. Micah Merritt had eight tackles and two sacks while Levi Summers matched him with eight tackles and a forced fumble. Jordan Sanders, Mekhi Gardner, and Jaydon McElrath each finished with five tackles.

Next week, Alabama Christian will host Bayside Academy in the secound round of the playoffs.

ACA Shocks Maplesville with Win on Last Play of Game

You know you’ve just witnessed something stunning, something spectacular, something special when the home team’s press box doesn’t put the last points you scored up on the board and turns the scoreboard off before the handshake line has finished. That’s exactly what happened in a 32-29 thriller as Alabama Christian defeated Maplesville in dramatic fashion on the last play of the game. With 5.7 seconds left in the game and on the far edge of field goal range, the decision was made to go for the win. Christian Snipes dropped back to pass and moved to his right to avoid the pass rush. As he rolled out, the junior quarterback spotted two receivers in the right corner of the end zone along with three defenders. Snipes heaved the ball and although AC Walters was unable to reach the ball, Bryant Swindle was standing right behind him and was able to corral the game winner. Bedlam ensued on the ACA side of the field as the miracle finish was celebrated.

The contest wasn’t nearly as exciting at the start as the Eagles looked flat and Maplesville seized control of the game. On the opening drive, the Red Devils methodically drove 74 yards in 11 plays to score the first points of the game. The scoring march took half of the quarter as ACA’s offense hit the field for the first time with 5:56 left in the period. The offense converted one third down opportunity with an eight yard completion to David Ortiz-Ramirez, but couldn’t convert a second time and turned the ball over on downs after a failed fake punt attempt. The Devils put their offense in low gear and kept the ball on the ground for the remainder of the first. The quarter ended with the ball on the ACA 13-yard line after six consecutive runs.

Four snaps into the second Maplesville scored again on a 3rd and goal from the 1-yard line on the only pass of the drive. The score remained 13-0 as Jackson Burton blocked the extra point. The special teams excellence seemed to pump some life into the team. After a running play to start the team’s second drive, Christian Snipes hit AC Walters on a go for a 76-yard touchdown beauty which trimmed the lead to six points. Taking advantage of the momentum, ACA squib kicked looking to steal a possession. Like a missile, David Ortiz-Ramirez came in hot and beat the Maplesville player to the ball to give the ball back to the offense. Unfortunately, the offense turned the ball over on the next play as Snipes was intercepted as he was hit while he threw. The Red Devils were given a gift by the official on their sideline on the third play of the next drive as a ball that clearly looked like it bounced was ruled a completion after several seconds of indecision. The home team drove to ACA’s 29-yard line where they faced a 3rd and 5. The defense stood firm on back to back plays to turn the ball over on downs. On third down, O’Kevion Suggs tackled the Maplesville back for a loss and on fourth down Micah Merritt and Jaydo McElrath met at the quarterback for a ten yard loss.

With 3:50 left in the half, Alabama Christian looked to score before intermission. The drive started with a 21-yard gain on a pass from Snipes to Ortiz-Ramirez which moved the ball to the Red Devil 39-yard line. AC Walters scored on the next play, but a holding call nullified the touchdown. After a defensive offside moved the ball up five yards, Snipes and Ortiz-Ramirez struck again on a 40 yard completion that set up a 1st and goal on the 2-yard line. On second down, Walters ran it in from three yards out to give ACA the lead 14-13 with 1:46 left in the half. The Maplesville coaching staff seemed content to go to the locker room despite the time left on the clock. The offense ran the ball on three straight plays and took their time between plays much to the dissatisfaction of the home fans. The Eagles left the field with a one point lead at the half and would receive the ball to begin the third quarter.

The second half started with Christian Snipes being sacked on first down and under heavy pressure drawing an intentional grounding call two plays later. After a punt, Maplesville’s offense took the field for the first time in the second half. Two plays later, a 64-yard run up the middle vaulted the Devils back into the lead. A two-point conversion made the score 21-14. Not to be outdone, Snipes pitched the ball to David Ortiz-Ramirez on the first play of the next possession and watched the senior race 63 yards for a score. A failed two-point conversion made the score 20-21 with 10:02 left in the third. Despite both teams scoring a touchdown early in the quarter, Maplesville was able to flip the one-point advantage due to the results of both team’s two-point conversions. The home team added to its slim lead with a 6-play, 60-yard drive in just under three minutes. Another successful two-point try made the score 29-20 in favor of Maplesville.

ACA needed to respond as momentum seemed to be moving across the field. After three plays netted just four yards the Eagles lined up to punt which surprised a few folks. However, the fake was on as AC Walters hit Jackson Burton on a 33-yard gain down to the Maplesville 18-yard line. Facing another fourth down, special teams were called on again as Tyson Summers connected on a 31-yard field goal to make it a one score game at 23-29. The Red Devils moved the ball on its next drive to ACA’s 9-yard line as they tried to regain control of the game. Over the next four plays, the defense began a series of important stops over the final quarter. On first down, Jaydon McElrath pressured the passer and Levi Summers broke up the attempt for an incompletion. On second down, Cam Sutton and Summers stopped the runner at the 6-yard line. Third down saw Ladarrius Walters throw the Maplesville back for a three yard loss to set up fourth down. The home team let the third quarter clock run out to talk about the call on fourth down.

The Devils decided to forego the field goal and go for the end zone. However, they ran the ball from nine yards out hoping to catch the defense unprepared. Just like third down, Ladarrius Walters made the stop and helped turn the ball over on downs. Despite being 95 yards away from the end zone, the Eagles still had life. Back to back runs by AC Walters moved the ball out to the 23-yard line. David Ortiz-Ramirez moved the ball into enemy territory with a 44-yard run that ended as he absolutely trucked a Maplesville defender. Walters added 25 more yards two plays later to move the ball to the 18-yard line. Facing a fourth down on the 14-yard line, Tyson Summers hit another 31-yarder with 8:58 left to cut the score to 26-29. Maplesville’s plan was to use as much clock as possible no matter the outcome of the next drive. Their offense kept the ball on the ground and moved the chains four times to eat up precious time. All of the coaches in the stands were getting nervous and implored the sidelines to start using their timeouts to save time. The game looked to be over as The Red Devils scored an apparent touchdown, but a personal foul brought it back. Once again, the defense stiffened and ACA got the ball back with 2:04 left without having used any of their timeouts.

Disaster struck on the second play of the drive as Snipes was intercepted as he was once again hit while throwing. The home team had the ball back with 1:39 left in the game and felt good about the outcome. The timeouts that had not been used earlier were like gold at this point of the game. ACA called timeouts after stops on first and second down to set up a 3rd and 8 for the game. The dilemma on the Maplesville sideline was whether to run the ball to force their opponent to use its final timeout or try a pass in hopes of getting a first down and ending it. The Devils opted for a safe throw to a back coming out of the backfield, but Jaydon McElarath got up and swatted the ball out of the air for the incompletion. It was fourth down and the Eagles still had one timeout.

After a punt, Alabama Christian took over on its own 12-yard line with 1:15 left in the game. A 15-yard completion to AC Walters on a crossing route moved the ball to the 27-yard line with 1:08 left. Christian Snipes scrambled for three yards on the next play, but most importantly got out of bounds with 1:00 remaining. A penalty on ACA negated a gain for the Eagles, but at least the clock stopped on the play. Snipes found Jackson Burton for 22 yards to the 47-yard line, but the clock was running. ACA tried to spike the ball to stop the clock, but the snap wasn’t handled and Snipes went to his knees before he spiked the ball which kept the clock winding. As the coaches argued it was a spike and the clock should have stopped, it kept running. Finally, with 32 seconds left ACA called the timeout when they realized they would not win the argument with the officials. However, no one told the clock operator and the clock made it to 21 seconds before it was stopped. After a discussion the officials put 25 seconds on the clock. David Ortiz-Ramirez moved the ball to Maplesville 24-yard line after catching a pass from Snipes. The offense lined up quickly and stopped the clock with 5.7 seconds left setting up the game winning play. The fantastic finish will go down as one of the greatest moments in program history.

Christian Snipes finished the game 12 of 24 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite receivers were AC Walters and David Ortiz-Ramirez who both finished with five catches. Walters had 107 yards receiving and a touchdown while Ortiz-Ramirez had 97 receiving yards. Jackson Burton had two receptions for 55 yards and Bryant Swindle’s game winner was his lone catch of the game. On the ground, Ortiz-Ramirez had 115 yards on just five rushes and a touchdown while Walters finished with 54 yards on nine carries and a score. On defense, Ladarrius Walters and Jaydon McElrath led the way with eight tackles apiece followed closely by a trio of Eagles, Cam Sutton, Levi Summers, and Burton, who had seven tackles each.

The playoffs start next week as Alabama Christian travels to Phenix City to take on Glenwood next Friday night.