Alabama Christian Loses to PCA in Regular Season Finale

The Lady Eagles played their third home game of the week as they hosted PCA in the final game of the regular season Thursday night. ACA lost to the Lady Panthers in three straight games 12-25, 21-25, 9-25. Despite the sweep, the match went back and forth as neither team was able to make a long run on their service game. The longest run of the night was just four points for either side. The Lady Panthers won Game one easily, but ACA came back in Game two and played their best game of the match. Besides taking a 1-0 lead, the Eagles trailed the whole game, but cut the lead to two points at 21-23. A service error stopped the rally and PCA won 21-25. PCA jumped out to a 3-15 lead early in Game three and breezed to the 9-25 win to sweep the match.

Claire Forrester led the ACA attack with seven kills while Jordan Smithee added four kills. Michaelyn Manning had 14 assists with four kills and two aces. The Lady Eagles next play in the Area Tournament on Wednesday.

Where Are They Now? - Sarah Ford

Looking back ten years to the 2010 volleyball team, we caught up with Sarah Ford to talk about her time at Alabama Christian and what she is doing these days. The 2010 team finished 24-16 and advanced to the Elite Eight in the state playoffs. As a junior, Sarah led the team in aces and assists for the season and was second in kills. She also finished her career with the most aces in school history and ranks third all time in assists.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 2012

 What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 10th-12th

 What is your favorite memory of Alabama Christian? I don’t remember what the occasion was, but Mr. (Paul) Fisher was wearing an ostrich costume. It made it look like he was riding the ostrich. It was hilarious and he kept acting like the ostrich was trying to attack people. 

 What is your favorite volleyball memory? Probably my senior year (2011), we won a ton of tournaments and we were all really close.

 Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? Bridget Barker was awesome! She was so nice to me and tried to include me on a lot of things.

 Who was your most memorable teammate? Shelby Traff, not only was she a great player, but she was always doing something funny/crazy. She’d wear her hair in pigtails or be trying to learn a new dance. Never a dull moment with her. 

 What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? That one is easy, Coach (Manuel) Guice. My first year we sort of butted heads, but after that we got really close. He was someone I constantly went to for advice and help, not just in volleyball situations. We still keep in touch! 

 Did you continue playing volleyball after high school? I did! I played at Faulkner for 4 years.

 Where do you currently live? Jackson, Mississippi 

 What do you do for a living? I’m the assistant volleyball coach at Millsaps College, a NCAA Division 3 school.

Rapid Fire

Favorite Food: Shrimp tacos

Pet Peeve: Tags sticking out of people’s shirts

Person I'd most like to meet: Karch Kiraly or Kerri Walsh Jennings

Ride or Drive: Ride

Alabama or Auburn (or other): Neither. I’m a weirdo Tennessee fan. Thanks dad!

ACA Beats Elmore County for Second Win of the Season

Despite enduring a tough season, the Lady Eagles played with a lot of effort Monday night in a victory over Elmore County. Alabama Christian dropped the first game of the match, but rebounded and won the next three to take the contest in four, 11-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-20. The Eagles started slow and were behind as much as 4-20 at one point in the first game before losing 11-25. In Game two, Anna Prempramot started with three straight points on her serve to give the Lady Eagles the early lead. ACA stretched the lead very slowly through the rest of the game scoring no more than three points on any serve the rest of the way. Lynleigh Stephen helped Alabama Christian gain control of Game three as the Lady Eagles ran off eight straight points on her serve to take a 15-4 lead. The Panthers could never close the gap and would lose the game 25-12. in the final game of the match, Prempramot served ACA to an early 4-0 lead and the Eagles built a 14-6 lead, but could not put the Panthers away. Elmore County would get as close as 21-19, but the Eagles were able to hold them off and win the game 25-20.

Lynleigh Stephen serves against Elmore County.

Claire Forrester led the ACA attack with ten kills and Cayla Schofield added nine kills with two blocks. Jordan Smithee had seven kills and four aces while Leighton Peake had four aces and three kills. Anna Prempramot had a team high 28 assists and did a great job tracking down errant passes from the back row to set up the hitters. The freshman also delivered three kills and three aces.

Alabama Christian will continue to play at home tomorrow night in an Area game against LAMP.

Eagles Celebrate Homecoming with Convincing Win Over Ashford

There is no better way to end Homecoming week than with a Friday night victory by the home team. The Eagles capped off a week of celebration with a 49-14 dismantling of Ashford for their fifth win in a row and maintained the top spot in the Region. With Jalen Clark sitting out Friday night, ACA would lean on its defense to help control the game. The defense responded by holding the Yellow Jacket attack to 170 yards of offense and just seven first downs. The offense, led by Hayes Hunt, did its part as well as the sophomore quarterback completed 13 of 14 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. The lefty completed passes to five different receivers and helped the offense gain 402 yards on the night.

After the game, Coach Nate Sanford commented on Hunt’s night. “When you don’t have a player like Jalen Clark available to play, you expect a natural drop off in production or execution. We had neither with Hayes Hunt. Not only was he incredibly efficient, he took care of the ball, stepped up in the pocket and checked down to secondary receivers. His confidence set the tone for a good night on both sides of the ball for us.”

Hayes Hunt surveys the field for an open receiver.

Both teams punted on their first possession, but the Eagles got the scoring started the second time they touched the ball. Corey Landers handled the first 36 yards of the drive on four carries and Hayes Hunt covered the last ten on a play action pass with a scoring strike over the defensive back to Trey Schlemmer. The extra point attempt was botched, but Hunt was able to scoop the ball and go around right end for a two point conversion and an 8-0 lead. The offense went to work again after an Ashford punt for their second score of the night. Alabama Christian drove 56 yards in four plays covering just 2:22 of the first quarter clock. The possession ended as Hunt found Corey Landers on a middle screen that went for 22 yards and a 15-0 lead to close out the first quarter.

Trey Schlemmer catches a pass in the first quarter for a score.

The second quarter started with a turnover for the Ashford offense as TJ Silmon intercepted the Yellow Jacket QB and gave the ball back to an offense that had found its rhythm. On the third play of the drive, Hayes Hunt hit Demari Moore in the right flat and the junior receiver left two defenders behind and picked up 11 yards for a first down. On the next play, Hunt hit Trey Schlemmer for a 19 yard gain up the right sideline for a first and goal at the six yard line. After a false start moved the ball back to the eleven, Corey Landers scored his second touchdown of the night with a run around right end that extended the ACA lead to 22-0. The defense continued to pressure the Ashford quarterback as Jack Thomas and Kyle Jackson each forced quick throws on different plays to give the ball back to the offense with only 95 seconds left in the first half. The offense only needed 50 of those seconds as Hunt found Sanders Manning for 30 yards, Corey Landers for 21 and finished the short drive with a 20 yard completion to Garrett Weathers to score with just 44.5 seconds left in the second quarter. The Eagles enjoyed a comfortable 28-0 lead as they headed to halftime. 

Sanders Manning tackles the Ashford quarterback.

If Ashford had put the first half out of their minds during halftime, the Eagle defense brought them back to reality as Donovan Emerson had a sack on the Yellow Jackets first play of the second half and forced a punt after just three plays. The offense picked up right where it left off as Hayes Hunt completed passes on three consecutive plays to Trey Schlemmer (16 yards), Demari Moore (11 yards) and Sanders Manning (11 yards) for first downs that moved the ball to the Yellow Jacket 27 yard line. Corey Landers capped off the drive with his third touchdown of the night on a six yard run that increased the lead to 35-0. Landers had a terrific all around night and finished the contest with 86 yards rushing on ten carries and caught four passes for 64 yards. The next Ashford possession did not go very far, but it did eat up the last six minutes of the third quarter and was aided by a phantom pass interference call against the Eagles. The Yellow Jackets eventually punted the ball back to ACA on the first play of the fourth quarter as the drive stalled.

Corey Landers cuts past the defense for his third touchdown of the game.

Otasowie Dion started the quarter with a bang on the first play of the possession as he bolted through the line of scrimmage and outraced the defense to the end zone for an 85 yard touchdown run. With the score 42-0, the Eagle coaching staff was able to substitute freely and let many players gain valuable experience. Ashford finally cracked the scoring column with a late touchdown to make the score 42-8 with 1:37 remaining in the game. Ashford decided to forgo the onside kick and kicked it deep to Demari Moore who promptly returned the kick 83 yards for a score, his second of the season. Ashford returned the favor on the ensuing kick as the Yellow Jacket returner reversed fields and went 75 yards for the score. With three touchdowns scored over a 34 second and the score 49-14, Demari Moore took a knee as he received the next kick to allow the offense to set up in Victory formation, an offensive coordinator’s favorite call.

Demari Moore scores on a kick return late in the game.

The defense was spearheaded by the linebacking duo of Miller McCarthy and Jack Thomas. The two defensive leaders have a nose for the ball and both just keep making tackles. Against Ashford, McCarthy finished with ten tackles with Thomas right behind with nine of his own. Donovan Emerson played one of his best games of the season with seven tackles and a sack while Trey Schlemmer and Grant Sutton each had five tackles in the game. On offense, Otasowie Dion finished with 93 yards on two carries and a touchdown. Trey Schlemmer, Corey Landers and Garrett Weathers each caught touchdown passes in the contest. Schlemmer finished with three receptions for 45 yards and Weathers had one catch for 20 yards. Sanders Manning caught three passes for 50 yards and Demari Moore caught two for 22 yards.

Miller McCarthy and Jack Thomas enjoy a moment on the sidelines with a big lead in the fourth quarter.

Next week, Alabama Christian (5-1, 4-0) continues Region play with a visit to Geneva. This will be the first meeting of the two schools on the gridiron.

Lady Eagles Beaten by MA in Three Straight

Alabama Christian hosted MA Tuesday night in an Area contest. The Lady Eagles were over matched and fell in three straight games, 6-25, 12-25, 8-25. MA was able to jump out to insurmountable leads in each of the three games and never allowed the Eagles to string together points or gain any momentum. Claire Forrester led the offensive attack with six kills while Jordan Smithee had two kills. Cayla Schofield had two blocks and one kill. Michealyn Manning had nine assists on the night.

The Lady Eagles next play Elmore County next Monday, October 5th.

ACA Sits Atop Region 2 with Victory Over St James

It’s not often that a game of this magnitude lives up to the hype, but with sole possession of first place on the line in the Region, the contest between Alabama Christian and St James was an instant classic and will not be forgotten by the Eagle nation anytime soon. Even the weather cooperated with a perfect night for football with no rain or lightning. The Trojans have historically had the upper hand in the series and had beaten ACA the last six times the two teams had met. However, this is a new season and the Eagles came away with an incredible 47-41 overtime triumph in a game for the ages.

The Eagles won the toss and took the ball to start the action. The offense missed a scoring opportunity on the first play of the game as Jalen Clark found a receiver behind the defense, but the catch was not made. Three plays later, ACA put the first points of the night on the board as Clark hit Demari Moore for a 32 yard touchdown for the 7-0 lead. On the play, Moore ran right by two Trojan defenders and the pass hit him in stride at the goal line for the easy score. The defense stuffed the St James running attack on its first drive and gave the ball back to the offense with a three and out. The Eagles second possession lasted ten plays and covered 52 yards, but produced no points as Clark was intercepted in the end zone on 4th and 14 from the 16 yard line to end the drive. ACA’s defense forced another punt attempt for the Trojans which resulted in a fumbled snap by the punter and set up the Eagles at the St James seven yard line. Jalen Clark scored up the middle on the very next play to end the first quarter with a 13-0 advantage.

Jalen Clark looks for an open receiver downfield.

Another miscue by St James set up the next Eagle score as Khalil Jackson recovered a Trojan fumble at the opponent’s 45 yard line. Jalen Clark raced through the defense for a 39 yard gain on the first play of the drive, sat out a play due to his helmet coming off, then finished the drive with a six yard run for a 19-0 lead with 9:52 left in the second quarter. What felt like a blowout brewing would turn into a nail biter by the end of the night. The Trojan offense finally got on track and scored its first touchdown of the night on a five play 65 yard drive that cut the deficit to 19-7. Alabama Christian responded quickly with a three play 73 yard strike for a 26-7 lead. The drive started with a 41 yard catch and run by Hayes Hunt and ended with a 28 yard connection with Demari Moore between two defenders as Clark threw his second touchdown pass of the night. Late in the half, St James scored on a 19 yard pass to cut the score to 26-14. Disaster almost struck as ACA fumbled away the kickoff to give the Trojan offense one more shot at points with 27.5 seconds remaining in the first half. Luckily, for the Eagles, St James missed a field goal attempt from 38 yards on the last play of the quarter. ACA enjoyed a 26-14 lead heading into the half. 

Sanders Manning and Jack Thomas combine for a stop.

St James struck quickly to start the third quarter with a 61 touchdown pass on a 3rd and 6 play. The scoring play should have just been a 12 yard completion for a first down, but two missed tackles turned into six points. Neither team scored on its next possession, but the Trojans did drive the ball all the way to the Eagle 4 yard line before being turned away. On 3rd and goal, Jack Thomas sacked the St James quarterback for a 4 yard loss and on 4th down the Trojans missed another field goal to keep the score 26-20. ACA took advantage and again scored swiftly with a three play 80 yard drive in just 80 seconds. Jalen Clark scored from 36 yards out to complete the drive and a 33-20 lead. St James answered to end the third quarter with a touchdown with just 28.4 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 33-27. The stage was set for an epic fourth quarter where both teams stood in the middle of the ring and traded haymakers, neither refusing to quit.

Demari Moore off and running on a pass play.

ACA fumbled on the first play of the fourth quarter and set up the Trojan offense on the Eagle side of the field. St James held the ball for the next 11 plays and took their only lead of the evening after a four yard run to make the score 33-34. The Eagle coaching staff reached into its bag of tricks and scored on a perfectly executed hook and lateral that covered 61 yards. The Trojan defense had no idea what was happening as Hayes Hunt lateraled to Demari Moore. No one would catch Moore as he raced down the left sideline to help his team retake the lead. ACA was good on the two point conversion and held a 41-34 lead with 5:47 left in regulation. It only took St James two plays to score and tie the game, 41-41. The stage was set with 4:51 left in the game for the Eagles to drain the clock and score late for the victory. ACA did keep the ball for the remainder of the game, but failed to score. This incredible contest was headed to overtime tied 41-41.

Miller McCarthy punishes the Trojan running back.

The Eagles won the toss to start overtime and chose to play defense first. St James got the ball at the 10 yard line and had four plays to score. On the first two plays, the Trojans gained nine yards to the 1 yard line and it looked like a score was inevitable. The Eagle defense had other ideas and rose to the occasion to keep St James out of the end zone. On third down, the Eagles threw the Trojan QB for a four yard loss setting up a fourth down play. After a delay of game penalty, the Trojans attempted and missed their third field goal of the night to come away with no points. After a Demari Moore one yard run, Jalen Clark closed out the game with a nine yard touchdown run and a monumental 47-41 victory over St James.   

Jalen Calrk looks for yards around right end.

In a career of great performances, Jalen Clark might have played his best game against the Trojans. The senior quarterback had a hand in all seven ACA touchdowns (four running and three passing) and accounted for 483 of the 500 yards of total offense on the night. Clark completed 12 of 19 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns and added 206 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. He becomes the sixth player to score at least four rushing touchdowns in a game in school history and joins Courtney Moss as the only players to accomplish the feat twice. 

ACA players and students celebrate the overtime win over St James.

Demari Moore led the receiving corps with a record night of his own. Moore had five receptions for 161 yards, fourth most in a game in school history, and three touchdowns, which ties for the most in a single game. Hayes Hunt added four catches for 66 yards and Garrett Weathers had two catches for 41 yards. Miller McCarthy led the defense with 12 tackles and Jack Thomas added nine tackles and a sack. Otasowie Dion tallied five tackles while Jalen Clark had three tackles and an interception.

Alabama Christian (4-1, 3-0) hosts Ashford for Homecoming next week in another important Region game.

ACA Wins 200th Game in Program History with Defeat of Dale County

There were four undefeated teams left in Class 4A Region 2 entering play on Friday night. Two of those teams, ACA and Dale County, squared off in an important match up that would keep the winner in first place. Six different players scored as the Eagles soundly defeated the Warriors 40-20. Alabama Christian left Midland City with a W for the first time in the short series and sat atop the standings in the Region. In true 2020 fashion, the start of the second half was delayed one hour and forty minutes due to the lights going out at the stadium.

The Eagles received the opening kickoff and methodically marched 73 yards in eight plays in 3:30 to take an early 7-0 lead. The key play of the drive was a 39 yard Corey Landers run to the Warriors 30 yard line. The steady Landers finished the game with 112 yards on 18 carries. Dale County received the benefit of an inadvertent whistle on their first drive. What the Eagles thought at best, was a fumble recovery for the defense or at worst, a 4th and 10 for the Warriors turned into a replay which helped Dale County score two plays later to cut the lead to 7-6. The score finished a 10 play 80 yard drive covering 5:44 of the quarter. With both teams running the ball and the clock, it looked like possessions would be at a premium as the first quarter ended during ACA’s second drive.

Jalen Clark looks down field for an open receiver.

Alabama Christian scored on the first play of the second quarter as Jalen Clark found Preston Hicks for a 16 yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-6. Clark had runs of 18 and 35 yards on the drive to help set up the throw to Hicks. The defense stopped Dale County on a bizarre drive on the next possession. The Warriors held the ball for nine plays and used up 5:02 of the second quarter clock yet gained just 10 yards. This drive also produced another inadvertent whistle that the officials just seemed to ignore. Finally on a 4th and 30 the Warriors punted the ball back to ACA. With 6:51 remaining in the half, the offense’s goal was to keep the ball, run the clock and score with no time for Dale County to counter. in doing just that, the Eagles put together a 13 play 77 yard march that left just 2:04 for the Dale County offense to work with. ACA converted two fourth downs on the drive to keep the ball. The second conversion was a 16 yard run by Jalen Clark on a 4th and 12. Clark hit Hayes Hunt on a slant on the next play that covered 16 more yards and gave the Eagles a 21-6 lead heading into the locker room.

Jack Thomas stops the Dale County runner.

At halftime the fireworks started and the stadium lost its lighting. After a two hour intermission, the teams retook the field for the second half. The long layoff did not seem to affect the Eagles as they dominated the third quarter. The defense started the dominance pushing the Warriors backwards two yards over three plays and forcing a punt. ACA ran the ball on six consecutive plays for 47 yards on the scoring drive. Demari Moore scored on an eight yard run around left end to make the score 27-6. Once again, the defense pitched a three and out to get the ball back in the hands of the offense. The offense scored for the fifth time in five tries to take a commanding 34-6 lead. The key play of the drive was a 3rd and 12 conversion as Hayes Hunt made an acrobatic catch on a 31 yard pass from Clark to set the Eagles up at the Warrior 14 yard line. Two plays later, Clark hit Corey Landers, coming out of the backfield, down the middle on a 14 yard pass. Clark finished the night completing five of seven passes for 81 yards and three touchdowns. Dale County fumbled the ensuing kick off and Otasowie Dion recovered for Alabama Christian.

Hayes Hunt holds onto a spectacular catch for a third down conversion.

As the fourth quarter started, the Eagles were unable to convert the turnover into points, but did run off 3:11 of the clock before they gave the ball back to Dale County after a missed field goal attempt. The Warriors had the ball for only five plays before they had to punt the ball back to ACA. Khalil Jackson and Grant Sutton combined for a sack that helped stuff the Dale County drive. The Eagles last scoring drive of the night started with a 53 yard Otasowie Dion jaunt and ended three plays later with a two yard Dion carry for a 40-6 lead with 5:17 remaining in the game. Dale County scored a late touchdown to cut the score to 40-12 and then received a gift from the Alabama Christian special teams on the kickoff as the Eagles failed to field the kick and the Warriors recovered at the one yard line. Dale County scored on the next play to make the score 40-20. The next kick went out of bounds and ACA ran off the final 3:13 of the game for the key Region win.

Khalil Jackson and Grant Sutton combine for a sack.

Jalen Clark led the rushing attack with 152 yards on 22 attempts and a touchdown. Otasowie Dion had 55 yards on two carries while Demari Moore had 29 yards on three carries as each scored a touchdown. Three different receivers caught touchdown passes on the night led by Hayes Hunt with two catches for 47 yards. Preston Hicks had two receptions for 20 yards and Corey Landers added one reception for 14 yards. Otasowie Dion led the defense with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Khalil Jackson had seven tackles and a sack while Miller McCarthy and Jack Thomas each had five tackles. Jalen Clark, Kyle Jackson, Sanders Manning, and Grant Sutton each had three tackles with Sutton adding a sack.

Otasowie Dion rumbles 53 yards against the Warrior defense.

Next week, ACA (3-1, 2-0) takes on St James in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Region if the Trojans win their contest on Saturday.  

Alabama Christian Falls to Catholic

ACA looked for their second win in a row Tuesday night, but were defeated by Catholic in three games 12-25, 20-25, 17-25. Michaelyn Manning led the team with twelve assists, nine digs and four aces along with five kills. Jordan Smithee led the offense with seven kills with three digs. Haley Cassidy and Leighton Peake each produced three digs and two aces.

Thursday night is Senior Night as the Eagles (1-9) host Prattville in their next contest.

ACA Beats Tallassee in Three Straight

The Lady Eagles were looking for their first win of the season Monday night as they hosted Tallassee. ACA defeated the Lady Tigers 25-10, 25-14, 25-21 in a dominating performance. The Eagles started fast as they scored eight straight points on Michaelyn Manning’s serve for an early 9-0 lead. Two servers later, Alabama Christian ran off nine consecutive points on Haley Cassidy’s serve for a 21-4 lead and went on to win the first game 25-10.

Haley Cassidy gets ready to serve against Tallassee.

ACA was a little flat to begin Game two and the games was tied 9-9 midway through the game. Like Game one, the Lady Eagles received a boost from Michaelyn Manning’s serve game with six consecutive points for a 15-9 edge. Alabama Christian continued to pull away and won easily, 25-14. Tallassee gave ACA all it could handle in Game three as they returned kill attempt after kill attempt and remained even throughout the game. Neither team led by more than three points in the game until Leighton Peake finished the match with a kill and a 25-21 win to complete the sweep.

Michaelyn Manning sets up a teammate for the kill.

Michaelyn Manning led the team with a season high 20 assists along with six aces and four kills. Lynleigh Stephen’s eight aces on the night tied for third most in a match in program history and added three digs. Claire Forrester and Leighton Peake each had six kills while Ashlyn Harris added three kills and three assists.

ACA (1-8) will host Prattville in their next contest on Thursday night on Senior Night.

ACA Wins Weather Delayed Game Over BTW

The game between ACA and BTW started late and had an hour delay near the end of the first quarter with Alabama Christian leading 14-0, but in the end the Eagles walked away with their second win in a row and moved to 1-0 in the Area. The second, third, and fourth quarters were shortened to ten minutes each, but ACA was able to score three more touchdowns for the 35-6 victory.

Special teams set up the first Eagle touchdown as Avery Stuart blocked a BTW punt and set up the offense on the Golden Eagles’ 18 yard line. Three plays later, Corey Landers scored his first touchdown of the night with a six yard run to give ACA an early 7-0 lead. The defense once again forced a punt after only three BTW snaps to get the ball back to the offense. Like the previous drive, Alabama Christian scored in just three plays this time covering 61 yards. The drive opened with a middle screen from Jalen Clark to Corey Landers that gained 45 yards down to BTW’s 16 yard line. Trey Schlemmer caught a slant pass for 13 yards down to the three yard line on the next play. Clark finished the drive with his legs with a three yard run to stretch the lead to 14-0. BTW faced a third and twelve with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter when the game was delayed due to lightning.

Avery Stuart blocks a first quarter punt.

After the lengthy delay, the Eagle defense continued to impress with their third consecutive three and out to help put the offense back on the field. Corey Landers took the hand off on four straight plays and gained 48 yards, the last three on a touchdown run, to extend the lead to 21-0. Landers would finish the night with six rushes for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Despite an ACA turnover, the defense continued to shine shutting down the BTW offense on every possession. Alabama Christian held the Golden Eagles to ten yards of offense in the first half. The Eagles final score of the half came on a seven play 52 yard drive that ate up the last four minutes of the second quarter. Otasowie Dion got the drive kick started with a 17 yard run for a first down to the BTW 38 yard line. Three plays later, Jalen Clark hit a streaking Avery Stuart on a 32 yard pass play down to the two yard line. Clark completed three of six passes on the night for 90 yards and finished this drive with a four yard run with just 33.7 seconds remaining in the half. ACA headed to the locker room with a 28-0 advantage.

In the second half, the lightning stopped but the rain continued to fall. With a big lead and a wet track the run game was featured for the remainder of the game. The Eagles first possession of the half produced the last score of the evening as Jalen Clark raced through the BTW defense for a 51 yard touchdown run for a commanding 35-0 lead. Clark finished the game with eight carries and gained 62 yards with three touchdowns. ACA had the ball three more times in the half and took time off the clock, but failed to score. BTW scored a late touchdown to make the final score 35-6.

Jett Annis keeps a defender out of the backfield.

Through three quarters, while the starters were in against BTW, the ACA defense allowed just one first down and held the Golden Eagles to 18 yards of total offense. BTW gained zero yards or lost yards on 16 of 25 snaps through the first three quarters. Even with the 80 yard touchdown run given up late in the game, BTW ended the night with 89 yards of offense. Senior Miller McCarthy led the defense with seven tackles. Kyle Jackson ended the night with five tackles and a sack with Jack Thomas adding five tackles. Khalil Jackson and Trey Schlemmer each had four tackles and Donovan Emerson contributed three tackles with a sack.

Alabama Christian (2-1) continues Area play next week with a visit to Dale County.

Lady Eagles Fall to LAMP in an Area Matchup

ACA traveled across town Thursday night to play LAMP in an Area tilt. The Eagles were closer to full strength and played a tough match against the Golden Tigers before falling in three straight games, 16-25, 21-25, 21-25. After Alabama Christian scored the first point of the match, Lamp ran off nine straight points for an early 9-1 lead. ACA closed the gap to 15-19 late in the match when they scored five consecutive points while Lynleigh Stephen served. LAMP responded as they won six of the last seven points in the game for a 25-16 victory.

Leighton Peake on the attack against LAMP.

In Game two, the Lady Eagles started quickly and gained a 7-1 advantage as they scored five of their seven points on the serve of Stephen. The Golden Tigers again responded with a 10-4 run to take a 12-11 lead. The game remained close to the end, but LAMP prevailed 25-21. LAMP scored the first six points of Game three and it looked like the air had been taken out of the Eagle attack. However, ACA fought back and took a 12-11 lead midway through the game. Haley Cassidy provided a spark with five straight points on her serve during the run. The game was tied 21-21 very late, but LAMP tallied the last four points to clinch the match.

Jordan Smithee led the Eagles in kills against LAMP.

Jordan Smithee led the offense with 13 kills while Leighton Peake added three kills. Ashlyn Harris contributed two kills, two assists and an ace. Michaelyn Manning led the squad with 17 assists and added two kills. Lynleigh Stephen led the team with three aces. Alabama Christian (0-8) will take on Prattville next Thursday at home in its next contest.

ACA Continues to Struggle Early in Season

The Alabama Christian volleyball team continued to feel the affects of a short-handed roster as they lost Tuesday afternoon to Trinity and Brew Tech in a tri-match at Trinity. Illness and injury have wreaked havoc on the Lady Eagles over the past ten days. ACA lost to Brew Tech 10-25, 19-25 and fell to the Wildcats in two straight games.

Cayla Schofield led the Eagle attack on the afternoon with nine kills and one block. Leighton Peake had six kills with an ace and Riley Barrow added three kills. Anna Prempramot had four assists to lead the squad. ACA (0-7) will next play at LAMP in an Area contest Thursday.

Short-Handed Eagles Lose to Catholic

Only eight of the fifteen players on the roster suited up Tuesday night as the Lady Eagles hosted Catholic. ACA fell to the Lady Knights in three straight, 17-25, 19-25, 16-25. The Eagles started game one strong as they ran off the first five points on Alyson Thornton’s serve. The Lady Knights recovered quickly and scored 17 of the next 21 points for a 17-9 lead. The game stayed even from that point and Catholic prevailed 25-17. In game two, the Lady Eagles trailed 1-7 early, but stayed close to Catholic throughout the game before falling 19-25. In the final game of the night both teams played evenly through the first fourteen points of the game, but the Knights pulled away for the 25-16 win.

Eagle defense tries to stop Catholic at the net.

The Lady Eagles (0-4) will continue play this week Thursday night at MA.

Alabama Christian Wins Their First Game of the Season Over Highland Home

No current player was alive the last time ACA and Highland Home matched up in 1999 as the rivalry was renewed Friday night. The Flying Squadron had won nine of the twelve meetings and the last seven overall in the series. The Eagles looked to improve from last week’s performance and end Highland Home’s winning streak.

The Eagles chose to go on offense after they won the toss and immediately set the tone for the game. Coach Nate Sanford commented on the mind set of his team, stating, “We came out on our business tonight in all three phases of the game. Demari Moore got us started off with another big kick return and Jalen Clark did a great job of running the offense and making big plays.” Coach Sanford was equally pleased with the defense, saying, “We had four takeaways on defense and that’s a welcome sign. Highland Home had several weapons on offense and those turnovers helped neutralize their attack. I’m proud of our boys!”

Coach Sanford congratulates the offense after a score.

After Moore’s 56 yard opening kickoff return, the Eagles had a short field to work and the offense scored quickly. Jalen Clark contributed to all 34 yards of the drive, rushing for 25 yards and throwing for nine more, and scored on a three yard run to put the Eagles up 6-0. Aaron Treubig hit the first of his seven extra points to make it 7-0. Treubig’s seven extra points ties for the second most made in a game in school history. The defense stepped up and recovered the first of four fumbles on the Squadron’s first drive as Kyle Jackson pounced on the ball in Highland Home territory. In what would become a familiar theme, ACA began a drive with very good field position. After an incomplete pass, the Eagles scored on the second play of the drive as Jalen Clark raced 39 yards for his second score of the night for a 14-0 lead. Alabama Christian’s defense rose up again and stopped Highland Home on a fourth and one as Miller McCarthy and Jack Thomas stuffed the running play for a three yard loss. Everyone in the stadium thought Demari Moore scored the third touchdown of the night for the Eagles on a beautiful screen pass down the left sideline. However, the official on the sideline marked him out at the one yard line and Jalen Clark scored on the next play for his third touchdown of the quarter.

Jalen Clark rushes 39 yards through the defense for a touchdown.

The second quarter brought more of the same for the Squadron defense as Jalen Clark bolted up the middle for a 50 yard touchdown run, his fourth of the night, on the second play of the quarter. Clark would finish the night with 147 yards on 14 carries and became the seventh player in program history to have four rushing touchdowns in a game. After both teams failed to score on their next possession, Miller McCarthy forced another Highland Home fumble and Trey Schlemmer recovered the ball on the Flying Squadron’s 24 yard line. Garrett Weathers caught two Clark passes to cover all 24 yards of the drive, the last 13 on an incredible catch in the back of the end zone to build a commanding 35-0 lead. ACA’s offense scored on five of their six possessions of the first half. Highland Home showed some signs of life with a late score in the quarter and the Eagles took a 35-6 lead into halftime.

Trey Schlemmer celebrates another fumble recovery for the Eagle defense.

The Eagles did not score in the third quarter, but the defense did recover another fumble as Corey Landers picked off the ball in the air as the Highland Home runner lost control of it. Highland Home scored one touchdown in the quarter to cut the lead to 35-14 entering the fourth quarter. ACA opened the quarter with a 30 yard strike from Jalen Clark to Hayes Hunt which set up the Eagles with a first and goal at the nine yard line. Hunt caught his second ball of the night for a touchdown on the next play to extend the lead to 42-14. Clark threw for 120 yards on the night and two touchdowns completing eight passes on fourteen attempts. On the first play of the next Highland Home drive, Otasowie Dion caused the fourth turnover of the night and gave the offense the ball on its opponent’s 33 yard line. Three plays later, Dion finished the Eagle drive with a five yard touchdown run to make the score 49-14. Highland Home scored two touchdowns to close the gap to 49-28 in the fourth guarter as ACA was able to let a lot of underclassmen gain valuable playing experience in a varsity game.

Otasowie Dion takes the handoff from Jalen Clark on his way to a fourth quarter touchdown.

Jalen Clark ended the night with 267 yards of total offense and accounted for six, four on the ground and two in the air, of the team’s seven touchdowns. Corey Landers finished the night with 61 yards on 11 carries and Otasowie Dion added 39 yards on five carries and a touchdown. Preston Hicks led the receiving corps with three receptions for 31 yards. Hayes Hunt had two catches for 39 and a score and Garrett Weathers added two more receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Miller McCarthy led a ferocious defensive effort with 15 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Grant Sutton added seven tackles and also had a sack and a forced fumble. Otasowie Dion and Sanders Manning each contributed seven tackles.

Next week, the Eagles (1-1) open Area play with a visit to Saint James. Thank you to Leah Hunt for providing the fabulous pictures.

Lady Eagles Lose Home Opener to Trinity

Alabama Christian lost its second straight match to open the season as the Eagles fell to Trinity in three games, 13-25, 14-25, 16-25. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in each game and ACA was unable to overcome the slow start in all three games. Trinity was aggressive throughout the match with strong play at the net.

Alyson Thornton led the offensive attack with six kills and added five digs, two assists and an ace. Hayley Cassidy added three kills, three digs and an assist. Michaelyn Manning had two kills and led the team with five assists and twelve digs.

Alabama Christian (0-2) will next play at Carver on Thursday, August 27th.

Lady Eagles Open 2020 Season

The start of Manuel Guice’s twelfth year as head coach of the volleyball program ended a streak that no one wanted to be a part of. Twenty-two weeks and two days had passed since a team from ACA competed against another school. Thursday afternoon, the Lady Eagle volleyball team ended the extended hiatus and opened the 2020 season with a match at Prattville Christian. 

This was the second year in a row that Alabama Christian began the season at PCA. ACA lost in a three game sweep to the Lady Panthers 21-25, 17-25, 15-25. Alyson Thornton led the team with eight assists and added four kills and three digs. Michaelyn Manning had a team high three aces with four kills, four assists and eight digs. Jordan Smithee contributed four kills and a block.

The Lady Eagles (0-1) next host Trinity for their home opener on Tuesday, August 25th.

ACA Loses Season Opener to Trinity

After what seemed like the longest off-season imaginable, the Eagles finally kicked off the season earlier than any other in program history on Thursday night against long-time CCC rival Trinity Presbyterian. Although the Wildcats have dominated the series historically, Alabama Christian has split the last four contests and felt very good heading into the season opener. It was a wet and dreary night, but it was great to watch high school football.

The contest started as well as possible for the Eagles as Demari Moore took the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to put ACA up 7-0, 16 seconds into the game. The Wildcats seemed rattled after the score as they had trouble getting eleven men on the field for the ensuing kickoff and quickly went three and out on their first offensive possession. To Trinity’s credit, they settled down and played a solid game after the bad start. Meanwhile, Alabama Christian seemed out of rhythm for the rest of the night after the opening play. The Eagles managed just 111 yards of offense and turned the ball over three times. Jalen Clark led the team with 38 yards on 13 carries and also threw for 57 yards completing five of eight passes. Preston Hicks was Clark’s top target with three receptions for 22 yards.

The Wildcats held a 17-7 lead going to the half and put the offense in low gear to chew up the clock in the second half. Trinity held the ball for 14 minutes in the half and added a score for a 24-7 cushion. Jack Thomas led the defensive effort with 11 tackles. Trey Schlemmer added eight tackles while Miller McCarthy contributed seven tackles.

Next week, ACA (0-1) travels to Highland Home to take on the Flying Squadron.

Eagles Swept by MA in Area Tilt

In both the boys and girls contests against MA Thursday night, MA was able to control the game and played the majority of the night on the ACA side of the field. The girls suffered their first loss of the year as they fell 8-0 to the Eagles of MA and move to 3-1 in Area play. Goalie Jadyn Gonzalez had a very busy night and was able to make 14 saves, but the offensive attack proved too much for the Lady Eagle defense. The boys experienced many of the same things the girls did as MA kept constant pressure on the ACA defense and came away with a 6-0 victory over the home standing Eagles. ACA allowed only one goal in the second half, but MA had put the game out of reach by halftime.

The Lady Eagles host Prattville Friday night in a make-up game and then both varsity teams will be off over spring break.

Lady Eagles Lose Heart Breaker at St James

For the second time this week, St James did just enough to defeat ACA. The Eagles scored two runs in the first and held a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the sixth when the Lady Trojans put together a four run inning and claimed a 5-4 victory over the Eagles. Rose Costanza took the loss in the circle despite another solid outing. The junior pitcher allowed only one hit and one run through the first five innings, but in the fateful sixth St James collected three hits with two walks to rally their offense. ACA went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to close out the game.

Haley Pittman gets ready for one of her four hits against St James.

Senior Haley Pittman carried the offense with a 4 for 4 performance with three doubles and two RBIs. Four other Eagles, Rose Costanza, Aniya Jackson, Haley Oswald and Monica Willingham, each collected one hit on the afternoon. The Lady Eagles also drew seven walks as a team off the Trojan’s pitching.

ACA (6-8) will participate in a tournament over the weekend at PCA before taking some time off over spring break.

Eagles Drop Home Game to Holtville

The Bulldogs from Holtville scored five in the top of the first and never looked back in a 7-3 defeat of ACA. Holtville’s first six batters reached safely in the five run frame. After the first, the Eagle pitchers settled down and allowed only two more sixth inning runs, but the game had been decided in the first.

Alabama Christian scored one run in the third inning on a Zac Westbrook ground out that scored Jalen Clark. The Eagles scored two more in the sixth on a Preston Perry sac fly which plated Mason Prestage and a Trey Schlemmer single to center that knocked in Brandon Bice. Six different players each had a hit for the ACA attack. JT Moorer started and took the loss as he went 4 2/3 innings with four walks and four strikeouts. Copeland Hilyer pitched the final 2 1/3 to finish the night.