Lady Eagles Win Third Tennis Match in a Row with Defeat of Brew Tech

The ACA girls tennis team continued its strong play with a 9-0 win over Brew Tech on Wednesday afternoon. In singles play, Ava Rose Dean (8-4), Molly Howard (8-1), Paige Henry (8-0), Ann Welch Hilyer (8-0), Laura Stokley (8-0), Blaire Davis (8-0) and Jordan Wilson (8-0) were all victorious. Dean/Howard (8-2), Henry/Hilyer (8-4) and Layne DeCapite/Emma Rives (8-1) each won their doubles matches.

The boys team also earned a much needed win with a 5-0 win over the Rams. Landon Hunton (8-2), Jake Bailey (8-2), Landon Torroll (8-0) and Ross Franklin (8-4) each won their singles match while Bailey/Andrew Phillips (9-7) won the lone doubles match.

Alabama Christian next plays against St James on Monday, March 15th at the O’Connor Tennis Center.

ACA Soccer Defeats LAMP Twice in Area Tilts

Soccer

The Lady Eagles won a rescheduled game with LAMP on Tuesday night by a score of 6-2 in an important Area contest. ACA led the Golden Tigers by a slim 2-1 score at the half, but blew a close game open with four goals in the second half for the 6-2 win. Marcy Gregory earned the win in goal with 16 saves on the night. Senior Michaelyn Manning paced the Eagle attack with two goals and three assists. Olivia Justiss scored two goals while Katelyn Sutton had a goal and an assist and Evie Moorer scored a goal.

The boys team finished the night with a 2-1 defeat of LAMP. Dalton Hutchinson scored both Eagle goals and Landon Evans and Norton Sewell each recorded an assist. Goalkeeper Emmett Sanford picked up the win in the net with nine saves.

Golf

The boys golf team competed in the Blue Gray Invitational at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club on Monday and Tuesday. Julie Waldo was also allowed to play even though it was a boys event and was the only girl in the 137 person field. Andrew Whang posted the Eagle’s lowest score as he shot a two-day total of 168 to finish tied for 48th place. Mitchell Hagan finished with a 197 while Mikey Peavy shot a 216 and Jaron Craddock finished with a 229. Waldo shot a respectable 189 over the two days and finished tied for 102nd place.

Baseball

On Monday, the Eagle baseball team traveled down Vaughn Road to take on MA. A couple of innings got away from Alabama Christian and MA took advantage scoring 13 of 14 runs in two innings in the 14-4 win over ACA. At the plate, Isaac Warrick led the Eagles with three hits in four at bats with two doubles and an RBI. Six other Eagles collected one hit apiece. Brandon Bice took the loss as he lasted two innings. Hayes Hunt pitched three innings of relief and Caden Perry and Chase Madrid each pitched in the final inning of the contest.

Isaac Warrick bats against MA.

ACA WIns Final Game of Armstrong Tournament Over PCA

Alabama Christian got a strong pitching effort from Isaac Warrick in a 9-1 defeat of PCA in the fourth and final game of the Armstrong Tournament. The junior hurler allowed just three hits over six innings with 10 strikeouts to stifle the Panther offense.

ACA scored two runs in the first inning without a hit as Zac Westbrook scored on a wild pitch and Brandon Bice scored on an infield error. Thomas Stovall scored the third run in the second frame as he tagged up from second on a fly ball from Westbrook. Stovall made it to third safely and was able to reach home on an error by the Panther third baseman. Westbrook hit a solo bomb to start the scoring in the fourth inning and the offense tacked on two more runs for a 6-1 lead after four. The Eagles last at bat produced three more runs for the 9-1 victory.

Zac Westbrook finished the day 2 for 3 with a double and a homer, one RBI and three runs scored. Brandon Bice walked in all three of his plate appearances and scored three runs. Trey Schlemmer went 1 for 3 with three runs driven in.

The Eagles are back at it again on Monday as they play at MA.

Track and Field Season Opens in Troy

The last of the spring sports kicked off Friday as the track and field teams competed in the Troy Invitational. Both the boys and girls teams finished fifth in their respective divisions.

Kate Finch had a terrific day as she won the 1600m (6:05.14) and the 3200m (12:59.83) runs and finished second in the 800m run with a time of 2:52.02. Finch won the 3200m race by more than two minutes over the second place finisher. Garrett Weathers finished second in the 400m dash (55.86) and the 800m run (2:23.65) to pace the boys team. TJ Silmon finished fourth in the 200m dash while Lane Kilpatrick placed fourth in the 800m run and Zander Costanza finished fifth in the 1600m run.

In the field events, Autumn Jackson finished second in the long jump in the girls division with a jump of 13’ 6” and Demari Moore placed fifth in the boys division with a jump of 16’ 6”. Alex Ward had the fourth best throw in the javelin with a throw of 106’ 6”.

Boys Soccer Shuts Out Brew Tech

Soccer

ACA defeated Brew Tech 1-0 Friday night at the Folmar YMCA Soccer Complex as Emmitt Sanford blanked the Rams with seven saves. Senior Dalton Hutchinson scored the game’s lone goal which was assisted by fellow senior Norton Sewell.

The Lady Eagles were defeated by Catholic as the Knights scored two first half goals in a 2-0 loss. Marcy Gregory was under constant attack with 31 saves as ACA had only five shots on goal on the night.

Both teams host LAMP next Tuesday, March 9th, in their next contest.

Baseball

Alabama Christian continued to play in the Armstrong tournament Friday night at Paterson Field as they took on Catholic. ACA started the scoring with four runs in the second inning as Thomas Stovall, Isaac Warrick and Brandon Bice all drove in runs to give the Eagles a 4-0 lead. Catholic answered and scored seven runs over the middle innings of the game and held a 7-4 lead after five frames. In the sixth, Caden Perry scored on a Zac Westbrook ground out and Thomas Stovall was balked in to cut the lead to 7-6. The Knights responded with two runs in the bottom half for the 9-6 win.

Isaac Warrick finished 1 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Jalen Clark, Preston Hicks and Thomas Stovall each had singles for the Eagles. Starter JT Moorer pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed just one earned run with three strikeouts, but wound up the losing pitcher. Hayes Hunt got the final four outs of the game in relief. ACA concludes its week against PCA Saturday afternoon.

Girls Tennis and Softball Both Winners on Thursday

Tennis

The girls tennis team won for the second day in a row with a 5-4 win over Andalusia. Ava Rose Dean (8-4), Molly Howard (8-5), Laura Stokley (8-5) and Jordan Wilson (8-3) each won their singles match and the team of Stokley and Wilson won their doubles match 8-6. The boys team was forced to forfeit due to a lack of players being present for the match.

The tennis teams hit the court again next Wednesday, March 10th against Brew Tech at the O’Connor Tennis Center.

Softball

The Lady Eagles softball team traveled to Alexander City and defeated Benjamin Russell, 11-5, for their fourth win of the season. ACA scored seven runs over the last three innings to pull away from the Wildcats. Rose Costanza got things started for the Eagles with a two-out, two-run homer on the first pitch she saw in the opening inning, to give ACA a 2-0 lead. However, Alabama Christian trailed 4-2 after three innings. In the fourth, ACA tied the game as Katie Chappell scored on a Haley Oswald single to right and KG Taylor scored on a Lawson Borland ground out to even the score, 4-4. The Eagles scored one in the fifth to take the lead and blew the game open in the sixth with a five run frame as Taylor, Annabelle Pugh and Costanza each drove in runs.

At the plate, Haley Ingram led the hit parade with three hits in five at bats with a stolen base and a run scored. Katie Chappell, KG Taylor and Izzy Warrick each delivered two hits while Rose Costanza drove in four runs on the evening. In the circle, Costanza went the distance for the victory as the senior struck out eight batters and allowed only two earned runs.

Alabama Christian will participate in a tournament this weekend in Wetumpka.

Baseball

The baseball team played their second game in the Armstrong tournament against Providence Christian at Paterson Field. The Eagles managed just one hit in a solid performance from the opposing pitcher in the 9-0 shutout. The game was scoreless after two frames, but Providence Christian scored in four straight innings to put the game away. Brandon Bice had the only hit for the club with a second inning single. Zac Westbrook took the loss for ACA.

The Eagles face Catholic at Paterson Field Friday night in the third of four games of the tournament.

Lady Eagles Defeat BTW in Tennis

Alabama Christian hosted BTW at the O’Connor Tennis Center and came away with a split as the girls won 8-1 and the boys were defeated 0-7. Ava Rose Dean (8-1), Molly Howard (8-1), Paige Henry (8-4), Ann Welch Hilyer (8-2), Laura Stokley (8-0) and Jordan Wilson (8-4) each won their singles matches. The teams of Dean/Howard (8-4) and Emma Rives/Layne DeCapite (8-2) both won their doubles matches.

Both teams next play at Andalusia Thursday, March 4th.

Lady Eagles Split Four in Auburn Tournament

Alabama Christian won two and lost two at the Auburn tournament on Friday and Saturday.

In game one, ACA fell to Central-Phenix City, 11-4. After giving up two runs in the first inning, the Eagles responded with two runs in the top of the second on a Skylar Crews single and a Lawson Borland ground out. Central scored five runs in the bottom half as seven consecutive batters reached after two outs in the inning. Hayley Cassidy drove in the third Eagle run in the third inning to make the score 7-3. Central hit a couple of homers late in the game to go on to the 11-4 win. Cassidy finished 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the ACA offense. Izzy Warrick was the losing pitcher as she lasted two innings. Cassidy pitched four innings in relief to finish the game.

In the second game of the night, Rose Costanza stepped up when the team really needed it as the Eagles stopped a four game losing streak with a 3-0 win over Lawrence County. In the circle, the senior pitcher shut out the Red Devils over seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks. ACA scored all of their runs in the first inning as Annabelle Pugh led off with a walk and moved to third base on a Haley Ingram double. Costanza helped her own cause with a two run single and KG Taylor had an RBI double for the third run.

Saturday started against Dale County, who ACA last played in the 2019 State playoffs. The Lady Eagles jumped out quickly thanks to a first inning grand slam by KG Taylor for an early 4-0 lead. ACA extended the lead in the second inning with four more runs as Izzy Warrick and Haley Ingram had RBI singles, Rose Costanza delivered a run scoring sac bunt and Hayley Cassidy doubled in a run. Starting pitcher, Izzy Warrick took advantage of the runs scored in support and pitched five innings for the win. The right-hander had to deal with several base runners, but never allowed Dale County to put together a big inning. The Lady Eagles added two runs as the game progressed for the 10-6 win. Ingram and Warrick both had three hits and an RBI to lead the offense while Hayley Cassidy went 2 for 3 with a double and a run driven in.

The last game of the weekend was against Beauregard and the Eagles just could not get off the field with the elusive third out. Beauregard scored all eleven of their runs in the four inning contest with two outs. ACA was never able to string enough hits together to score runs in the 11-0 loss. Rose Costanza was the losing pitcher as she lasted just 1 2/3 innings. At the plate, Lawson Borland, Hayley Cassidy, Haley Ingram and Annabelle Pugh each had singles for Alabama Christian.

ACA next plays at Benjamin Russell in Alexander City on Thursday, March 4th.

Eagles Fall to Pike Road in Six Innings

Two innings did the Eagles in Friday night as Pike Road scored seven runs in the second to take a commanding lead and six more in the sixth to end the game, 14-4. ACA drew first blood as Thomas Stovall led off the game with a hit and later scored on a single from the hot hitting Mason Prestage. The Eagles tacked on another run in the second as Trey Schlemmer sent one into the night with a solo homer to increase the lead to 2-0. In the bottom half, the Pike Road bats came to life with four singles in a row to start the inning and a grand slam to cap off the scoring. The Patriots led 7-2 after two innings. The Eagles scored twice in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 8-4 on an RBI groundout from Isaac Warrick and a single from Zac Westbrook. Pike Road closed the game with six runs in the bottom of the sixth for the ten run victory.

Brandon Bice led the offense with a 2 for 3 effort including a double. Jalen Clark contributed a double while Schlemmer went 1 for 2 with a solo home run. JT Moorer started the game and took the loss as he gave up six earned runs over three innings with three strikeouts. Brandon Bice and Chase Madrid pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in relief.

ACA will being playing in the FCA tournament next week and will open with Tallassee at Riverwalk Stadium on Tuesday night.

ACA Dominates in Sweep of BTW

Eagle soccer flexed its muscles Friday night with two overpowering performances over BTW. Both the boys and girls teams kept the pressure on and lived on the BTW side of the field during the contests and were able to end the games early with ten goal leads in the second half. In the opener, the Lady Eagles defeated the Yellow Jackets 11-1 as Michaelyn Manning scored five goals to lead the attack. Presley Lewis scored two goals with an assist while Addison Elder, Olivia Justiss and Katelyn Sutton each scored a single goal. The eleventh goal was knocked in by a BTW defender. Melissa Collins and Wynter Prempromat each recorded an assist. Marcy Gregory had a relatively easy night with just one save.

Presley Lewis gets ready for a shot on goal.

The boys continued the strong play as they shut out BTW, 10-0. Dalton Hutchinson celebrated his signing with Faulkner to play collegiately with six goals and an assist to lead the ACA offense. Tommy Sutterfield found the back of the net three times with two assists while Landon Evans scored one goal and had an assist. Norton Sewell had two assists while Tyson Summers finished with one assist.

The Eagles try a header on a corner kick.

Both varsity teams host LAMP for their next game on Tuesday, March 2nd.

Lady Eagles Beaten by Catholic in Close Game

The Lady Eagles were looking to improve from their weekend tournament at Lagoon as they hosted Catholic on Tuesday afternoon. Haley Ingram led off the game with a single, stole second and came home on a Rose Costanza single to give ACA a 1-0 lead after one. In the circle, Costanza kept the Knights off the board in her three innings of work with three strikeouts. However, the Eagles managed only one hit over the next three innings and held a slim 1-0 lead going to the fifth. Catholic scored two runs in the top of the fifth on an Eagle error and a single to take their first lead of the game. Ingram was again the spark plug for the offense as she led off the bottom half with a double into the left field gap and later scored with two outs on a passed ball to tie the game. The Knights scored two runs in the top of the seventh without getting a hit as they drew four walks, one intentional, in the frame for the two run lead. Warrick led off the last inning with a double down the left field line and scored when Costanza knocked her in to cut the lead to 4-3, but Costanza remained at first as the next three batters made outs and the Eagles fell 4-3.

Izzy Warrick in the circle for ACA.

Costanza finished the day with three hits in four at bats with two runs driven in while Ingram was 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored. Lawson Borland and Warrick had the only other hits for the Eagle’s offense while Haley Oswald drew two walks. Hayley Cassidy took the loss in relief giving up two runs over two innings with two strikeouts.

Rose Costanza bats against Catholic.

The Lady Eagles travel to Auburn for the weekend for tournament action on Friday and Saturday.

Golf and Boys Soccer Victorious on a Busy Day for ACA

A hole in one by Jaron Craddock highlighted an Eagle victory for the boys golf team in a four team match at Lagoon on Tuesday afternoon. Alabama Christian defeated Pike Road, LAMP and Catholic in the nine hole event. ACA was seven strokes better than Pike Road, who finished second on the day. Andrew Whang shot a team low 40 while Craddock finished with a 43, followed by Hayes Finch (48) and Sully Duke (49). Julie Waldo was the Medalist in the girls division with a 42 and Megan Davis shot a 53. Waldo finished as the Medalist in a match against MA with a 45 on Monday..

The boys soccer team dominated Park Crossing by a score of 10-0 as goalie Emmett Sanford only had one save as the contest was played on the Park Crossing side of the field for most of the game. Tommy Sutterfield led the offense with three goals while Dalton Hutchinson had two goals and two assists. Norton Sewell scored two goals and had one assist while Tyler Bradley, Josh Cleland and Jacob Ryan each added a single goal. In the opener, the Lady Eagles fell to Park Crossing 5-3 as Michaelyn Manning scored all three goals with Presley Lewis recording an assist. Marcy Gregory had 21 saves on the night.

The Eagles pose for a team shot after the win over Park Crossing.

The baseball team hosted Trinity and were beaten by the Wildcats, 8-2. The Wildcats had base runners in every inning and eventually pulled away from ACA for the win. Mason Prestage provided the offense for the Eagles with a 2 for 3 afternoon with a double and a solo homer and drove in both of the runs in the game. Preston Hicks, Thomas Stovall and Isaac Warrick each contributed one hit at the plate. Warrick took the loss on the mound as he gave up three earned runs over four innings with five strikeouts. Zac Westbrook and JT Moorer pitched the final three frames in relief.

ACA Soccer Plays in Capital of Dreams Classic

Due to previous games being canceled due to COVID issues, the Lady Eagles opened their season at the Capital of Dreams Classic over the weekend. In addition, several players were participating with no practice with the team due to the girls basketball season ending the night before. ACA drew a very tough MA squad in its first game and fell, 6-0. Goalie Marcy Gregory, who was under constant attack, had 25 saves in the game. In game two, Friday night the Lady Eagles were beaten again 6-0, this time by Prattville. Gregory was once again under fire in the net as she recorded 19 saves. In the final game of the weekend on Saturday the Lady Eagles fell to John Carroll from Birmingham, 5-0. The offense continued to struggle as Gregory stayed busy with 27 saves.

The boys came into the weekend looking for their first win of the year and finished 1-1-1 in the two day event. In the first game on Friday night, ACA lost to Trinity 1-0 as goalkeeper Emmett Sanford had seven saves in the contest. In the nightcap, the Eagles tied Brew Tech 1-1 as Dalton Hutchinson scored a goal and Sanford recorded eight saves. On Saturday, the Eagles blanked Greenville 8-0 for their first victory of the season. Hutchinson scored three goals to lead the attack while Landon Evans scored two goals with one assist and Josh Cleland, Jacob Ryan and Conner Strowbridge each scored a goal. Tyler Bradley, Sean Moffett, Baillie Johnson and Tommy Sutterfield all had assists setting up goals. Sanford earned the win in net with the shutout.

ACA Kicks Off Season at Brew Tech Tournament

The Lady Eagles, along with eighteen other teams, began their season where they hope to be at the end as they participated in the Brew Tech tournament at Lagoon Park. Alabama Christian is the defending 4A state champs, due to the 2020 season being cut short. The Eagles drew PCA in game one on Friday afternoon and fell to the Panthers, 4-3. PCA opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning via a passed ball and a solo homer. The ACA offense came alive in the third inning as Izzy Warrick delivered a three-run blast to give the Eagles a 3-2 advantage. However, PCA responded with two more solo shots in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead 4-3. The Lady Eagles loaded the bases in the final frame with two outs, but were unable to push across any runs. Rose Costanza took the loss as she gave up four runs on only three hits and struck out five.

Game two of the evening was against Beauregard and the Eagles evened their record to 1-1 with the 5-4 victory. After giving up a run in the top of the third, ACA responded with three runs in the bottom half, highlighted by Izzy Warrick and Rose Costanza’s back to back doubles and an RBI ground out by Hayley Cassidy. Beauregard hit a three run homer to retake the lead in the top of the fourth before the Eagles last at bat. Annabelle Pugh drove in Lawson Borland with an RBI double to tie the score at 4-4. After a Haley Ingram walk loaded the bases, Warrick singled home Ava Oates for the game winning hit. In addition to her offensive success in the game, Warrick picked up the win in the circle as she gave up two earned runs and struck out four over four innings.

Izzy Warrick pictured with her first home run ball of her ACA career.

Saturday began against the host school, Brew Tech, in the final pool game for the Eagles. Haley Ingram doubled on the first pitch she saw to lead off the game for ACA and later scored on a Rose Costanza ground out for a 1-0 lead after an inning. However, over the next four innings, the offense produced only two more hits and just three total base runners as the Eagles hit ground ball after ground ball against the Brew Tech hurler. Despite the lack of offense, ACA only trailed 2-1 heading into the final inning, but allowed five Ram runs in the frame for the 7-1 final score. Hayley Cassidy took the loss in the circle as she struck out three over five innings. Besides Ingram, Haley Oswald and Hayley Cassidy were the only other Eagles to collect a hit.

Hayley Cassidy bats against Brew Tech.

In the final game of their day, ACA took on Lincoln in elimination play. Neither team scored in the first two innings as starting pitcher Rose Costanza worked out of a bases loaded jam in the second. KG Taylor opened the third inning with a walk and eventually scored on Costanza’s two-out single for a 1-0 lead. The bottom half of the inning saw Lincoln score four times as the Eagle defense hurt itself with a lack of communication, indecision with the ball, wild pitches and passed balls that played a part in the runs given up. The offense had no answer as the Eagles did not score over the last two frames. Costanza took the loss despite giving up just three hits and only one earned run over 4 2/3 innings and struck out 11 batters. Costanza, Haley Ingram and Taylor were the only Eagles with hits in the contest.

Eagles Win Home Opener on Walk Off Hit by Mason Prestage

A blown lead in the last inning set the stage for Mason Prestage to win it for ACA against Reeltown on Saturday afternoon. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Alabama Christian scored five runs in the bottom of the second frame. JT Moorer, Zac Westbrook and Trey Schlemmer each drove in runs during the inning for the 5-1 lead. The offense did not score again until the bottom of the seventh after Reeltown had tied the game in the top half. Westbrook led off the rally with a walk then stole second and advanced to third on the bad throw on the next pitch. Schlemmer walked and took second on catcher’s indifference. The stage was set for Prestage to win it. On a 2-2 count the senior lined a double to center field to score Westbrook and give the Eagles a 6-5 win.

Mason Prestage waits on deck for his next at bat.

Prestage finished the game 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI while Thomas Stovall was 2 for 4 out of the leadoff spot. Schelmmer drove in two runs in the game and Westbrook drew three walks from Reeltown pitchers. Westbrook started on the mound for ACA and lasted 5 1/3 innings allowing just one earned run and struck out four Rebel batters. JT Moorer was the beneficiary of the Prestage double and picked up the win in relief.

Alabama Christian will host Trinity on Tuesday night in their next scheduled contest.

Eagles Fall to BTW-Tuskegee in Regionals

It took ACA almost a quarter to adjust to the gym, the noise and most importantly its opponent, but the Eagles came up just short in a 67-60 loss to BTW-Tuskegee. On three different occasions, Alabama Christian pulled to within a bucket of the Golden Eagles, but could never get the lead. The Eagles trailed by as many as 11 in the first period, but Avery Stuart scored the last two baskets of the quarter to cut the lead to 18-11 after the first eight minutes.

Avery Stuart looks for an opening against BTW.

Alabama Christian scored the first two points of the second quarter to cut the lead to 18-13, but then committed fouls on three straight defensive possessions that allowed BTW to score six points and open the lead to 24-13. ACA responded with a 10-0 run to cut the lead to one point as DeAndre Sneed, Braden Alford and Avery Stuart each scored in the outburst. After trading turnovers, the Eagles remarkably fouled on three straight possessions again and allowed the Golden Eagles to take a 31-23 lead. BTW led at the half, 34-25.

BTW scored the first eight points of the second half and it felt like the game might slip away, but to the Eagles credit they responded with an 18-3 run to pull within two points with just over a minute left in the third quarter. Caden Perry helped lead the charge with seven points during the run. The quarter ended with BTW leading 49-43. The Eagles pulled to within five points twice in the final period, but that was close as they could get. Alford hit the last basket of the game for the final margin of 67-60.

Jalen Clark drives to the basket.

Avery Stuart scored 20 points to lead the Eagles with five rebounds while Braden Alford had 11 points with five rebounds and three steals. Jalen Clark recorded another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds with three steals and Caden Perry finished with 10 points and five rebounds.

ACA's Post Season Run Ends at St James

Alabama Christian met with a familiar foe in the Regionals on Thursday night for a chance to advance to the Regional finals. The Lady Eagles season ended with a 62-30 loss to St James. Michaelyn Manning scored the first points of the game and from that point on, the game belonged to the Lady Trojans. St James scored the next 13 points and led 19-9 after a quarter. ACA turned the ball over 12 times in the period to help the home team gain the advantage. Sarah Johnson hit a three to start the second quarter, but St James scored six of the next eight points and led by double digits for the rest of the night. The Trojans led 33-18 at the half. The second half went much the same way as St James outscored the Eagles 29-12 in the second half for the 62-30 win.

Michaelyn Manning drives against the St James defense.

Michaelyn Manning led the team in scoring in her final game as an Eagle with 12 points and added three rebounds despite foul trouble in the game. Manning finished her career with 872 points scored and ranks sixth on the all-time scoring list in program history. The senior guard averaged 16.3 points per game this season, which is the most by any Lady Eagle since 2009. Katelyn Sutton scored six points with three rebounds while Katie Chappell finished with five points and eight rebounds.

Alabama Christian Beats Bibb County to Advance to Regionals

Big time players step up in big time moments and that is exactly what Jalen Clark and Avery Stuart did Wednesday night as they led the Eagles to a 56-52 win over Bibb County. Clark, who has been a scorer his whole career, has not had to carry the offensive load this season, but he answered the call when needed in the Sub-regional game and Stuart continues to be a reliable offensive weapon for the ACA attack. The duo combined for 41 of the team’s 56 points in the 56-52 triumph.

Jalen Clark looks to break down his defender.

The Choctaws held an early 4-0 lead until Clark drained a three for the Eagles first points of the contest. ACA scored the last five points of the period on three Caden Perry free throws and a Clark stick back and led 13-8 at the end of one. Alabama Christian led 17-10 with 6:30 remaining in the half, but Bibb County pulled even by the half as the teams left the floor tied 26-26. ACA managed only eight points in the third quarter and trailed 39-32 late in the period when Braden Alford came up with a steal and drew a Choctaw foul at the buzzer to earn two chances at the free throw line. Standing alone on the court, the senior hit both attempts to trim the lead to 39-34. The momentum from that play did not last long as Bibb County grabbed its biggest lead of the night at 44-36 with 6:14 left in the contest. With 4:01 remaining and trailing 46-41, the Eagles finally got the run they needed as they scored nine consecutive points in 87 seconds to take a 50-46 lead. The run started with a Clark rebound of a missed free throw. The senior hit Stuart on the run for a basket and a foul. After the made free throw the lead was cut to two points and Stuart scored on the next two trips down the floor to give ACA a 48-46 advantage. Braden Alford forced a turnover and even though he missed the layup, Clark got the put back for the 50-46 lead with 2:34 left in the contest. Bibb County tied the game with 54.3 seconds remaining, but Avery Stuart knocked down two free throws with 37.1 seconds left on the clock. After ACA missed a pair of free throws, Bibb County had a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but Hayes Hunt blocked the Choctaw shot and saved the ball to Clark, who was fouled, with just 7.2 seconds remaining. Clark calmly hit the free throws for the 56-52 win and a trip to Regionals.

Avery Stuart takes the Choctaw defense to the basket.

Jalen Clark led all scorers with 22 points, 16 coming in the first half, and recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds. Avery Stuart carried the offensive load in the second half with 16 points after intermission, 14 in the fourth period, and finished the night with 19 points, three rebound and three blocks.

ACA advances to Regionals for the first time in 23 years and will travel to Tuskegee to take on Booker T Washington on Friday night.

Looking back 20 years to the 2001 baseball team, we caught up with Kyle Jackson to talk about his time at Alabama Christian and what he is doing these days. The 2001 team finished 21-11 on the season and reached the State quarterfinals under Coach Chris Goodman. Jackson was named the 1A-4A All-Metro Player of the Year as he led ACA with a .570 batting average in his senior season as he pitched and played second base for the Eagles. Teammate Dustin Davis was also named to the All-Metro team as a pitcher and Coach Goodman was named Coach of the Year.

Jackson and Nick Sewell talk between innings.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 2001

 What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 7th-12th

 What is your favorite memory of Alabama Christian? Winning the State title in 2000.

 What is your favorite baseball memory? Beating Geneva County in the 2000 playoffs. They beat us my sophomore year in a best 2 of 3 at their place.  It was a really hostile place to play. We got them the next year (2000) at our place. We beat them straight up in a one game winner take all. It was a very intense, close game. I think we wanted to beat them more than we wanted to win state. That game felt like a state championship game. 

 Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? Bo Offord and Dave Davenport

 Who was your most memorable teammate? Honestly our senior class played together from 9th-12th grade, so it’s hard to say just one. Will Minter and I played the middle infield for 3 years together. He was a great player that never got recognized enough. Will was a great lead off hitter, always on base, great base runner, solid shortstop, and made every routine play. He was a good teammate. He never worried about himself or state, just winning. 

 What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? Coach Goodman gave me opportunities when games/seasons were on the line. I am thankful for those opportunities. He just let me play basketball and baseball. His only expectation of me was that I played hard. Coach Gilliam never let me slide and always pushed me to be better. He was a great encourager and knew how to get the best out of his players. I am thankful for him. A lot of how I approach life today has to do with both of those great coaches.  

Did you continue playing baseball after high school? Yes, I signed at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.

 Where do you currently live? Columbus, GA

What do you do for a living? I am the Campus Pastor for Church of the Highlands Columbus.

 Tell us about your family. I have been married for 13 years to my beautiful wife Jennifer. We have 2 kids, Kaylee (7) & Cooper (3).

 Rapid Fire

Favorite TV show or movie : Remember the Titans

Dream vacation spot : Italy

Person I most admire : My dad

Early morning or late night person : - Neither. I’m all in from 7am-10pm.

Alabama or Auburn (or other) : Auburn

ACA Advances to Regional with Victory Over Montevallo

As Alabama Christian hosted a Sub-regional game for the first time since 2010, the Lady Eagles were led to victory by their three seniors, Heather Ford, Sarah Johnson and Michaelyn Manning, in the most complete game of the season. Montevallo never got a handle on the pressure defense put on by ACA and were harassed all afternoon by the Eagles. Ford was a presence in the post, on offense and defense, and did a great job finding open shooters for several easy baskets. Johnson drew the toughest defensive assignment of the night and bothered the Bulldog’s best player for the entire contest. Manning was the offensive spark and applied plenty of pressure on the Montevallo ball handlers. The trio combined for ten assists and helped the offense by keeping the ball moving as they found open teammates.

Sarah Johnson shoots a baseline jumper against Montevallo.

ACA set the tone on the very first possession as Izzy Warrick had the first of twenty Eagle steals in the contest. The Lady Eagles scored the first seven points of the game and led 17-8 at the end of one. Alabama Christian only managed seven points in the second period, but still led Montevallo 24-17 at the break. In the third quarter, ACA broke the game open as Warrick scored eight points during a 12-0 run to start the half. Late in the period, Alabama Christian built its biggest lead of the night after a Manning basket that made the score 42-21. The Lady Eagles maintained a healthy cushion through the final quarter for the 50-31 win.

Michaelyn Manning drives through the Bulldog defense.

Michaelyn Manning was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points along with eight steals and four rebounds. Manning passed Shannon Sims to move into sixth place on the Lady Eagle career scoring list. Izzy Warrick scored a season high 14 points with six rebounds and four steals. Sarah Johnson finished with six points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Alabama Christian advances to the Regional round for the first time since 2007 as they visit St James on Thursday night, February 18th.