Lady Eagles Win Third in a Row Against Highland Home

ACA continued its winning ways Tuesday night with a 53-33 victory over Highland Home. Seniors Sarah Johnson and Michaelyn Manning each scored six points in the first quarter as the Lady Eagles led 12-6 after one period. Alabama Christian scored the first eight points of the second quarter and built a 26-14 lead heading into the locker room at the half. The offense slowed down in the third period as ACA did not score from the field for the first five minutes of the quarter, but the defense was able to keep the Squadron off the board to take a 35-22 lead to the final period. The Eagle offense picked up the pace in the fourth quarter and pulled away for the 53-33 triumph. Jaide Newkirk and Maddie Traywick both made their varsity debuts in the closing minutes of the contest. Four Eagles finished in double digits as Michaelyn Manning had 17 points with six steals, four assists and three rebounds. Katie Chappell scored 12 with nine rebounds while Sarah Johnson had 10 points, four rebounds and four steals and Izzy Warrick added 10 with six rebounds and four steals.

Izzy Warrick drives the lane against Highland Home.

In the second game of the evening both teams had trouble putting the ball in the bucket as Alabama Christian fell 43-38 to Highland Home. The Squadron led for the majority of the first half, but an Elijah Collins free throw with 18.8 seconds remaining in the half tied the game 16-16. ACA built a five point lead early in the third quarter, but Highland Home kept it close and trailed by two after three. Again, the Eagles jumped out to a five point lead with six minutes left in the game, but the offense stalled from there and ACA was outscored 12-2 down the stretch for the five point loss. Senior Jalen Clark had nine points with seven steals and three rebounds. Avery Stuart also had nine points with eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks while Braden Alford added eight points.

Elijah Collins draws a foul on the drive.

Alabama Christian next plays at St James on Friday night.

Alabama Christian Wins Both Games Against Holtville

The Lady Eagles continued their dominance over Holtville with a 53-18 drubbing of the Lady Bulldogs. After Holtville scored the first bucket of the game, ACA ran off 14 straight points and the game was essentially over. The Lady Eagles led 33-11 at the half and throttled down in the second half as they took off the press and played half court defense. Michaelyn Manning was the best player on the court and was one steal short of a triple-double as she led the Eagle attack with 20 points, ten rebounds, nine steals and six assists. Izzy Warrick scored 11 points with six rebounds and Katie Chappell added seven points with six rebounds and two assists.

Michaelyn Manning connects on two of her twenty points.

The boys avenged a loss from earlier in the season with a 55-45 win over the Bulldogs. After a Holtville sharp shooter (#5) hit two early three-pointers, Jalen Clark took the defensive assignment and did not allow him another three for the remainder of the game. Hayes Hunt put ACA ahead for good with a put back of his own miss late in the first quarter for a 9-8 lead. Caden Perry drained a three to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the first half with a 21-12 lead in the second period. Alabama Christian led 25-21 at the half. The Eagles opened the second half with back to back steals and layups to lead 29-21, seconds into the quarter. Holtville closed the gap to 29-27, but the Eagles led by five heading to the final period where they outscored Holtville 11-2 to take a 47-33 lead midway through the quarter. The Bulldogs scored ten of the next twelve points to cut the lead to 49-43 with 1:54 remaining. Avery Stuart scored the last six points for the Eagles as ACA held on for the victory. Stuart led the team with 21 points, 14 in the final quarter, with five rebounds and four steals. Jalen Clark scored 10 points with four rebounds and three assists while Braden Alford added seven points and two steals.

Avery Stuart races to the goal after a steal.

ACA hosts Highland Home Tuesday night in their next contests.

ACA Sweeps LAMP in Area Opener

Both the boys and girls teams begin Area play with a 1-0 record as Alabama Christian was victorious at LAMP on Friday night. The boys broke a ten game losing streak against LAMP and recorded the most points in a game this season in the 71-59 defeat of the Golden Tigers. The Eagles controlled the game in the first half and led 36-21 at the half. ACA stretched the lead in the third period and led 54-33 as they headed to the fourth. LAMP tried to get back in the game in the final period, but the Eagles had built too big a lead and walked away with the 71-59 victory. Caden Perry connected on all nine of his free throw attempts in the second half and led the offense with 25 points. Sophomore Avery Stuart scored 15 points while Preston Hicks added six and DeAndre Sneed contributed five points.

In the opener, the Lady Eagles beat LAMP for the fifth consecutive time with a 43-32 triumph over the Lady Tigers. The teams combined for 40 fouls and 55 free throws attempts in the physical game. Michaelyn Manning tied a school record with 19 free throw attempts in the contest. The game was close through the opening half as the Eagles held a 24-19 advantage after two quarters. In the third quarter Alabama Christian held LAMP without a field goal and increased the lead to 33-23 going to the fourth. The teams played evenly in the final period and the Lady Eagles went on to win 43-32. Manning was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points with 11 rebounds and four steals. Izzy Warrick scored seven points with six rebounds while Heather Ford had six points and sixteen rebounds.

Both teams begin a busy week as the host Holtville on Monday night.

Boys and Girls Lose at Home to Catholic

To look at the matchup on paper, the Lady Knights were bigger and more experienced than ACA and seemed to have an advantage over the Lady Eagles. Although the final score of 50-41 might indicate that Catholic won easily, it was anything but an easy win. The lead changed hands four times in the first quarter and Catholic led 12-11 after one. Catholic scored the first five points of the second quarter, but a three pointer by Sarah Johnson and a bucket by Michaelyn Manning cut the lead back to one. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half and ACA trailed 23-20 at the intermission. Catholic scored the first 12 points of the second half and it looked like the Lady Eagles had run out of gas, but they responded with a 17-4 run capped by a Katie Chappell bucket which cut the lead to 39-37 with six minutes remaining. Catholic handled the run and closed the game outscoring ACA 11-4 down the stretch for the 50-41 win. Sarah Johnson scored 11 points with seven rebounds and two assists as Katelyn Sutton had 11 with two steals. Izzy Warrick had nine points with three steals. Katie Chappell pulled down eight rebounds to lead the team.

In the nightcap, the boys faced a very athletic Catholic squad and were beaten 63-45. Midway through the first quarter, Avery Stuart scored to pull the Eagles to within four points of the Knights, 11-7, but Catholic scored the next 19 points to hold a 30-7 lead early in the second quarter. ACA actually outscored Catholic 38-33 for the remainder of the game, but the 19-0 run was too much to overcome. Sixteen points was as close as the Eagles could get through the rest of the game. Senior Braden Alford led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points and two rebounds. Caden Perry had nine points with six rebounds and two blocks while DeAndre Sneed had eight points with a rebound and a steal.

Both teams will visit LAMP on Friday to open Area play.

Lady Eagles Take Sixth Place in CCC Tournament

ACA dropped two of three games in the Capital City Conference Holiday Tournament to finish in sixth place. Alabama Christian opened the tournament against Catholic and lost a close battle 44-41. The Eagles were defeated by twenty points to Catholic earlier in the season, but played the Knights tough and had a lead in the final period, but couldn’t hold it and eventually fell by three points. Michaelyn Manning carried the offense with a game high 20 points with five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Manning’s combination of points and assists directly accounted for 30 of the team’s 41 points. Katelyn Sutton hit a couple of threes and finished with eight points while Katie Chappell scored four points and pulled down nine rebounds.

In the second game of the tournament, on Saturday, ACA played Area foe BTW and dominated with a 66-38 victory. The Lady Eagles led 16-4 after one and 40-12 at the half and cruised to the easy win over the Yellow Jackets. For the first time since 2009, when Audrey Ainsworth and Christina Hayes each scored 20 against Catholic, the Lady Eagles had two players score at least 20 points in a game. Michaelyn Manning led the way with 24 points and added six assists, six steals and five rebounds. Fellow senior, Sarah Johnson drained three 3-pointers on her way to a career high 21 points with six rebounds and three assists. Heather Ford joined Johnson as top rebounder for the game with six boards.

Katie Chappell fights for a rebound against St James.

In the final game of the tournament on Monday, ACA battled St James for the second time this season and were defeated 56-39. The Eagles fought all the way, but did not have enough to overcome the Trojans. With Manning in early foul trouble, the offense leaned on Sarah Johnson and she responded with a team high 16 points with three rebounds. Manning finished with 12 points and three rebounds while Katie Chappell scored five points and collected a team high nine rebounds.

The Lady Eagles (3-8) resume play on January 5th as they host Catholic.

Eagles Finish Fourth in CCC Tournament

Alabama Christian won its first game in the Capital City Conference Holiday Tournament on Friday night against a short-handed MA squad to advance to the winner’s bracket for their next two contests. The Eagles held a 29-15 lead at the half, but managed only six points in the second half in the 35-33 victory over MA. Braden Alford led the Eagles with 11 points. Caden Perry had seven points, six rebounds and two blocks and Hayes Hunt added six points with five rebounds.

In the second game, ACA took on Trinity for the second time this season. Like the game on Friday night, the Eagles had a solid first half and led the Wildcats, 29-28, but the offense struggled in the second half producing only 12 points in the 51-41 loss. Caden Perry led all scorers with 18 points and Avery Stuart had 11 points while Hayes Hunt added nine points.

Hayes Hunt plays defense in the lane.

In the finale on Monday, ACA battled PCA in the third place game. The Eagles did not handle the PCA pressure in the opening period and trailed 15-4 after one. Although Alabama Christian outscored the Panthers over the final three quarters, the first quarter hole was too deep to overcome in the 58-51 loss. In the second half, the seven man rotation ACA used seemed to light a spark under the team with their strong play. Avery Stuart led ACA with 23 points, 21 in the second half, with eight rebounds and three steals. Caden Perry had 12 points while Hayes Hunt added 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

ACA (4-5) hosts Catholic on January 5th after the Christmas break for their next game.

ACA Defeats St James in Close Contest

The Eagles were looking for their third consecutive win on the young season as they hosted St James on Tuesday night and came away with the victory in a low scoring, tightly played contest, 38-36. The Trojans scored the first bucket of the night, but would never lead again after Braden Alford tied the game just over a minute into the contest. Although the Eagles led the rest of the night, they could build a lead no bigger than eight points due to the team’s poor free throw shooting. Luckily, St James could not take advantage as they suffered from the charity stripe as well. Both teams combined to miss 28 free throws on the night.

Jalen Clark glides to the basket for a layup.

ACA (3-2) led 22-18 at the half and stretched the lead to eight points at the end of the third quarter as Jalen Clark knocked down two free throws with no time on the clock after a Trojan foul. The Eagles would head to the final period with a 30-22 lead. The offense scored just two points over the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter and held a slim 32-30 lead with 52.2 seconds remaining in the game. Over the last 52 seconds the two teams committed ten fouls and the game became a free throw shooting contest. The Eagles connected on six of ten free throws and the Trojans only made four of ten in the final minute as ACA won by two points.

Hayes Hunt drives the baseline for a reverse layup.

Hayes Hunt led the Eagle attack with 12 points and had four rebounds and two blocks. Caden Perry scored eight points with eight rebounds and eight blocked shots. Jalen Clark finished the night with eight points, eight rebounds and five steals.

The Lady Eagles began a very difficult week of games with a hard fought loss to the Lady Trojans. At times, ACA (2-4) looked like the better team on the floor and bothered St James with their pressure. However, a second quarter injury took the focus off the game long enough for St James to take advantage and build a lead the Eagles could not overcome. Alabama Christian led 18-15 at the time of the injury, but the Lady Trojans scored the next 13 points in the quarter and took a 30-20 lead into the locker room at the half. ACA fought hard in the second half and cut the lead to two in the third period, but St James led 35-29 after three quarters and outscored the Lady Eagles in the fourth quarter for a 50-39 win over ACA.

Michaelyn Manning led all scorers with 17 points with seven rebounds and seven steals. Katelyn Sutton finished with seven points and two rebounds. Katie Chappell added six points with four rebounds and two steals while Sarah Johnson scored six points with two rebounds.

The Lady Eagles travel to MA on Thursday night for their next game and both teams will visit Trinity on Friday night.

Katie Chappell fights for a rebound.

Eagles Win Second Straight in Victory Over Samson

ACA dominated Friday night with a 50 point win over Samson, 64-14. The Eagles (2-2) led 41-5 at the half on their way to a dominating victory. Samson’s 14 points is the second fewest allowed by ACA in program history. Eleven players were able to score on the night as everyone was able to get quality playing time. Three Eagles hit double digits as Caden Perry led the team with 11 points while Hayes Hunt and Avery Stuart each scored 10 points. Jake Bailey scored seven points while six other players all scored four points.

The Lady Eagles opened the night with a loss to Samson, 61-35. The Lady Tigers built a 34-18 lead in the first half and ACA was unable to overcome the deficit. The Eagles (2-3) showed some fight in the third quarter, outscoring Samson 16-12 in the period, but in the end, Samson proved too strong for the Lady Eagles. Michaelyn Manning carried the offensive load on the night, scoring 19 of the team’s 35 points, including 12 points in the third quarter. Katie Chappell and Sarah Johnson each scored five points with Katelyn Sutton contributing four points.

ACA Varsity Teams Sweep Thorsby

Coach Steven Thomas got his first win as the head coach of the ACA basketball team with a 50-41 victory over Thorsby. Alabama Christian (1-2) took control early hitting 3 three pointers in the opening quarter for a 12-2 lead. As would be the pattern for the game, Thorsby clawed their way back into the contest and trailed 14-11 early in the second period. The Eagles scored eight of the next ten points in the quarter to extend the lead to 22-13 midway through the second. Once again, Thorsby fought back into the game and cut the lead to 24-19 at the half. ACA scored the first nine points of the second half and built its biggest lead of the night at 33-19. The Rebels answered and scored the last 13 points of the period to cut the deficit to one at 33-32, entering the fourth quarter. The contest was tight through the fourth quarter as the lead changed hands four times. Avery Stuart gave the Eagles the lead for good with a steal and a bucket for a 43-41 advantage. Hayes Hunt sealed the game on the next possession as he picked the pocket of Thorsby’s best player and drew the fifth foul of the Rebel as he hit the layup with 1:07 left for a four point lead. In a game of runs, ACA scored the last ten points of the night in a 50-41 victory. Caden Perry led all scorers with 18 points and added three rebounds and three assists. Hayes Hunt scored 12 with four steals and two assists and Braden Alford contributed eight points and three rebounds.

Michaelyn Manning pulls up at the foul line for the jumper.

The Lady Eagles opened the night with a very similar game as the boys played. ACA (2-2) scored the first eight points of the contest and seemed to dominate the first quarter, but only led 12-7 at the end of the period as the Lady Rebels hit a three. The game was tied 14-14 with four minutes left in the half when the Eagles turned up the pressure and finished the quarter with a 14-0 run for a 28-14 lead at the intermission. During the run, Katie Chappell and Michaelyn Manning scored twelve of the fourteen points for Alabama Christian. Thorsby was only able to get as close as eight points in the second half as ACA came away with a 49-33 win. Michaelyn Manning finished the game with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Katie Chappell also scored 16 for the game with five rebounds and three assists. Sarah Johnson added seven points and led the Lady Eagles with ten rebounds and six steals.

Both teams travel to Sansom Friday night for their next contest.

Eagles Beaten in Quarterfinals by American Christian

A magnificent season came to an end Friday night as ACA fell to American Christian, 38-7, in the quarterfinals of the State playoffs. Although tonight didn’t end the way the Eagles had hoped, they can hold their heads high and be proud of their accomplishments this year. The 2020 team tied the record for most wins in a season (10), longest winning streak (8) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the State playoffs for just the fourth time in program history.

American Christian won the toss and took the ball to open the game. After getting the ball on the Eagle 48 yard line, the Patriots scored in eight plays to take an early 7-0 lead. ACA responded and methodically drove the ball down the field, running clock and keeping the Patriot offense on the sidelines. The march covered 69 yards over 13 plays and ate up 7:49 of the first quarter clock. The offense converted two third downs and Otasowie Dion scored from eight yards away on another with 54.1 seconds left in the opening period to tie the game, 7-7. 

The second quarter began with the Eagles defense forcing a punt from American Christian. The key play of the series was a third down sack by senior Will Wright who overpowered the Patriot lineman for the eleven yard loss. ACA converted one fourth down on the next drive, but could not convert a second and turned the ball over on downs at the Patriot 39 yard line. American Christian kicked a 41 yard field goal on its next possession with 2:04 remaining in the half to take a 10-7 lead. As the Eagles tried to score late in the half, a holding penalty derailed the drive and after a 15 yard punt, the Patriots took over at midfield with only 32.8 seconds left in the second quarter. Unfortunately, that was more than enough time for a score. American Christian scored on the first play of the possession and took a 17-7 lead into the half. The late score seemed to turn the tide of the game.

Alabama Christian received the second half kickoff and hoped to get back in the game with a score on its opening drive. The Eagles picked up a couple of first downs and drove the ball to the American Christian 39 yard line. On 1st and 10 from there, Demari Moore appeared to give ACA the score they needed, but a holding call on the play negated the touchdown. Two plays later, Jalen Clark was sacked and the offense eventually had to punt the ball to the Patriots. American Christian left no doubt as to the outcome of the contest as they marched 69 yards in eight plays for a 24-7 advantage with 2:38 left in the third. American Christian would go on to score on its next two possessions of the half on drives of 72 and 41 yards, respectively. The last score came with 9:18 left in the game and gave the Patriots a commanding 38-7 lead. Over that same time, ACA picked up only one first down in three possessions as each drive ended with a punt. The offense did give one last effort at the end of the game as they drove 65 yards in 11 plays but the game ended with the ball on the American Christian one yard line.

Miller McCarthy, as he has done all year, led the defense with nine tackles and Jack Thomas had seven tackles. Demari Moore had four tackles while Otasowie Dion, Khalil Jackson and Trey Schlemmer each had three tackles. 

Jalen Clark ended the night completing 14 passes on 19 attempts for 90 yards. Corey Landers led the Eagles in rushing with 64 yards on 14 carries while Otasowie Dion had 54 yards on six carries and a touchdown. TJ Silmon led the receivers with three catches for 25 yards while Corey Landers had three receptions for 19 yards and Preston Hicks added three catches for eight yards. Hayes Hunt ended the game with two catches for 23 yards. 

Where Are They Now? - Trey Tew

Looking back 35 years to the 1985-86 boys basketball team, we caught up with Trey Tew to talk about his time at Alabama Christian and what he is doing these days. The 1985-86 team finished 11-16 on the season and advanced to the sub-regionals in Coach Ronnie Sewell's last full season with the team. Tew finished second on the team in scoring averaging 12.0 points per game while leading the team in free throw percentage hitting 73.0% of his free throws. The senior was also named to the Montgomery Advertiser All-Metro team.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 1986

What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 8th-12th

What is your favorite memory of Alabama Christian? Our basketball locker room my ninth grade year. We took over a storage area in the top of Faulkner’s gym and made it our own. It allowed our team to really bond. It was eventually taken away from us. We didn’t handle it very well and Coach Sewell let us know about it.

What is your favorite basketball memory? Winning the Area tournament my junior year.

Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? Zane Tarance. He probably didn’t know he did anything. I just really liked the way he played and tried to be as good as he was.

Who was your most memorable teammate? It was actually in baseball. My senior year we had a seventh grader start every game for us. Dmitri Young went on to a solid MLB career. 

What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? Chris Goodman. He started coaching me in the eighth grade and coached me in a sport pretty much through high school. He expected a lot from us, but also took interest in us as people.

Where do you currently live? My wife, Patty, and I live in Dadeville, AL.

What do you do for a living? I’m the Managing Partner of Texas Roadhouse in Montgomery, AL.

Tell us about your family. My wife and I have four children. Paige is 30 years old and lives in Auburn. Blaike is 25 and lives in Prattville. Aaron is 29 and lives in Athens and Cameron is 25 and lives in Los Angeles. We also have a granddaughter, Brielle, and she is about to turn 10.

Rapid Fire

Favorite Food: Spaghetti

Pet Peeve: Punctuality

Person I'd most like to meet: Kenny Chesney

Ride or Drive: Drive

Alabama or Auburn (or other): RTR!!!!

Alabama Christian Drops Two to Loachapoaka in Home Opener

As ACA hosted Loachapoaka Tuesday night, the boys were looking for their first win of the year for Coach Steven Thomas while the Lady Eagles were looking to stay unbeaten on the young season. Neither team reached its goal as the Indians beat Alabama Christian 54-32 in the girls game and 54-50 in the boys game.

The Lady Eagles (1-1) stayed close in the first quarter with Loachapoaka, trailing 14-9 heading to the second. However, the Lady Indians outscored ACA 18-6 in the second period and built a commanding 32-15 lead heading into the half. ACA was only able to get as close as 13 points in the second half and Loachapoaka defeated the Lady Eagles 54-32. Michaelyn Manning led the offense with 13 points and five assists. Katie Chappell had five points with five rebounds and four steals while Heather Ford scored five points with five rebounds and two blocks.

In the boys game, ACA (0-2) was close early in the game, but the Indians finished the opening quarter with an 11-1 run to take a 17-4 lead after the first. The Indian lead stayed around ten points through the second and third quarters and entered the final period with a 46-34 advantage. The Eagles gained some life in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 54-50 on a Braden Alford basket with over three minutes left to go in the contest. Both teams were scoreless over the last three plus minutes of the game and the game ended with a Loachapoaka 54-50 victory. Alford led the ACA attack with 17 points while Caden Perry scored 13 points and Landon Hunton added seven points.

The Lady Eagles next game will be at Catholic on Monday, November 23rd while the boys are taking the thanksgiving break off and will not play again until December 1st.

Girls Win and Boys Lose in Holtville to Open Season

The 2020/2021 basketball season opened Monday night as Alabama Christian hit the road to play long time foe, Holtville. The schools first met in December of 1967 and ACA holds a 38-35 advantage in the series. With potentially three starters still playing football, the Eagles would be shorthanded against the Bulldogs. Holtville led by eleven points at the end of the first and the Eagles were never able to cut the lead to single digits over the final three quarters. Holtville would eventually win 62-42.

Caden Perry led the Eagles (0-1) in scoring with 13 points with 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Braden Alford had a tough night from the field, but was 7 for 8 from the free throw line to finish with 12 points. Landon Hunton added eight points

The Lady Eagles (1-0) have dominated the series against Holtville over the years and have won all 30 of the previous contests played. The Lady Bulldogs have always struggled to score points against ACA and that trend continued in the season opener as the Eagles prevailed 54-21. ACA started slowly and held a slim 9-6 lead midway through the opening quarter, but the defense sparked a 26-6 run with full court pressure and the game was in hand by halftime. Five Lady Eagles made their varsity debuts against Holtville as Tia Coker, Ashlyn Harris, Lynleigh Stephen, Katelyn Sutton and Izzy Warrick all saw playing time on the night.

Katie Chappell led all scorers with 16 points and added six steals and three rebounds. Michaelyn Manning scored 13 points with five steals while Katelyn Sutton contributed 10 points with four steals. Sarah Johnson and Lynleigh Stephen each scored six points.

Both squads will play their home opener Tuesday night against Loachapoaka.

Eagles Advance in Playoffs with Win Over Jacksonville

For the second straight week ACA played an opponent it had never faced before as they hosted Jacksonville in the second round of the playoffs. The Golden Eagles entered the game with a 7-3 record, but with two of the losses due to forfeits from COVID Jacksonville played better than their record indicated. The Golden Eagles proved to be a very tough foe and took a 21-14 lead with 6:33 left in the first half. Alabama Christian’s defense made key adjustments and over the final two and a half quarters Jacksonville had the ball seven times and was held to two first downs and 28 yards of total offense. The offense put up 17 points over that same span and the Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals, for just the third time in program history, with a 31-21 victory. The win was the 10th of the year, which ties the 2017 team for most in a season.

ACA took the ball first and held the ball for eight plays, but only moved the ball nine yards before they punted to Jacksonville. The Golden Eagle offense struck quickly as they scored on a 65 yard run around the right end on their first play from scrimmage to take an early 7-0 lead. Alabama Christian responded on the next drive with an eight play 67 yard drive to tie the score 7-7 with 5:45 remaining in the first quarter. Jalen Clark provided two key plays on the possession as he found Preston Hicks for a 22 yard gain with a defender draped on his back as he threw the ball and an 18 yard yard scoring run up the middle to even the score. If the Eagles were feeling good about themselves that quickly disappeared as Jacksonville returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown to retake the lead 14-7. The Golden Eagles had touched the ball twice so far in the contest and scored untouched on both plays. As ACA punted the ball back to Jacksonville on the next possession there was an uneasy feeling in the air. However, for the first time during the game, the defense stopped the Golden Eagle attack and forced a punt from Jacksonville. Sanders Manning’s third down sack was key in getting the ball back to the offense. At the end of one, Jacksonville led 14-7.

Jalen Clark scores from 18 yards out on the first touchdown of the night.

Alabama Christian started the second quarter with a bang as Jalen Clark hooked up with Preston Hicks on a 65 yard pass play down to the Jacksonville 11 yard line. Three plays later, Hayes Hunt caught a 4 yard dart from Clark to even the score 14-14 early in the second quarter. On the next drive, the Golden Eagles put up their last points of the night as they scored a touchdown with 6:33 left in the half for a 21-14 advantage. When ACA had to punt the ball back to Jacksonville after taking just 1:22 off the clock before halftime, that uneasy feeling crept back, but the defense again answered the call. Sanders Manning started the drive with another tackle for loss and the Jacksonville offense never recovered and gave the ball back to ACA with 3:39 remaining until halftime. The Eagle offense put together a 15 play drive that ate up all but the last 6.5 seconds of the quarter to tie the game 21-21. ACA overcame a touchdown that was called back and converted two third downs and a fourth down on the drive as the clock wound down in the half. The one yard scoring run from Jalen Clark was set up by the fourth down conversion the play before as the senior QB found Hayes Hunt for a 16 yard gain that stopped the clock with less than 10 seconds in the quarter. Even though the teams were tied heading to the locker room, you could feel the momentum swinging to the home team.

Sanders Manning tackles the Jacksonville quarterback.

As the second half started the ACA defense completely smothered the Jacksonville offense. Donovan Emerson and Jack Thomas teamed up for a tackle for loss on second down of the Golden Eagles’ first drive and after an incomplete pass on third down, Jacksonville punted to Alabama Christian. After exchanging punts on the next two possessions, ACA committed the first turnover of the game with a fumble on a botched hook and ladder that the Golden Eagles returned to the ACA 24 yard line. Jacksonville’s drive consisted of a holding call and three incomplete passes as they were unable to take advantage of the ACA miscue and turned the ball over on downs. On the Eagles first play, Jalen Clark outraced the Jacksonville defense to the goal line for a 67 yard scoring romp that gave ACA its first lead of the game, 28-21. Otasowie Dion helped knock the Golden Eagle offense backwards with a tackle behind the line on the first play of the next drive and the Jacksonville offense remained ineffective in the second half. On the first play of Alabama Christian’s next drive, senior quarterback, Jalen Clark came up hobbling and headed to the sidelines. The Eagles ran the ball on the next two plays to end the third quarter with a 28-21 lead.

Trey Schlemmer and the defense stop the Golden Eagle runner.

Assuming ACA would remain conservative with a backup quarterback in the game and a lead, the Eagle offense zigged when Jacksonville thought they would zag and Hayes Hunt, who remained calm in the pocket with chaos all around him, hooked up with Garrett Weathers for a 42 yard bomb down to the Jacksonville seven yard line. The pass play allowed Aaron Treubig to connect on a 25 yard field goal with 9:48 left in the game that gave ACA a two score lead at 31-21. Jacksonville turned the ball over on downs on their last two drives of the game as they could see their season slipping away. The Eagles ran the last 3:59 off the clock to put the game away for the home team.

Otasowie Dion with one of his six tackles on the night.

Otasowie Dion led the defense in tackles with six on the night with Miller McCarthy adding five of his own. Sanders Manning and Trey Schlemmer each recorded four tackles and a sack. Donovan Emerson added three tackles.

Preston Hicks cuts behind the defender on a 65 yard pass play.

Jalen Clark finished the night with 30 carries for 214 yards and three scores and completed 14 of 23 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. Hayes Hunt led the receivers with eight receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Preston Hicks had four catches for 98 yards and Garrett Weathers’ lone catch covered 42 yards. Corey Landers added 34 hard rushing yards on 11 carries.

Next week, ACA (10-2) will host American Christian in a State quarterfinal match up.

ACA Impressive in First Round Victory Over West Blocton

Thirty-two teams began the quest for the 4A State crown Friday night and Alabama Christian’s journey began at Wade Black Norton Field in a first round matchup with West Blocton. This was the first ever meeting between ACA, the top seed from Region 2, and the fourth seeded Tigers out of Region 3. The Eagles advanced to the round of 16 while scoring the most points ever in a playoff game with an easy 56-14 victory. ACA scored on seven of eight possessions in the first half and made sure the outcome was never in doubt.

ACA got the ball first and wasted no time for the first score of the game with a possession that covered 67 yards over five plays. The Eagles faced a 3rd and 14 from the West Blocton 40 yard line when Jalen Clark found Garrett Weathers behind the defense for the score and a 6-0 lead with 9:03 left in the first quarter. After giving up a first down with an offsides penalty, the defense buckled down as Otasowie Dion was in on three straight plays including a third down sack that forced a Tiger punt. The offense scored quickly with a drive that lasted only 43 seconds. The key play was a 41 yard pass from Clark to Hayes Hunt down to the Tiger 10 yard line. Once again, a receiver got behind the defense for a big gain, which continued all night. Otasowie Dion scored on the next play to increase the lead to 14-0 with 5:04 remaining in the quarter. Jack Thomas recovered a fumble on the first play of the next West Blocton drive to give the ball right back to the offense on the Tiger 34 yard line. Jalen Clark covered all 34 yards with his legs to stretch the lead to 21-0. Clark’s three yard scoring run broke the career record for rushing touchdowns in ACA history. The Eagles next possession was the only one of the half that did not produce points, at least not for Alabama Christian. The drive ended as the Tiger defense alertly picked up a backwards pass and ran it in for the score. With a successful two point conversion the lead was cut to 21-8. However, the Eagles squashed any potential momentum for West Blocton as the first quarter ended with the offense knocking on the door for another score. 

Jalen Clark looks for a hole against the Tiger defense.

Jalen Clark scored on the first play of the second quarter from two yards out to make the score 28-8. West Blocton’s first drive of the quarter consisted of three runs with a false start mixed in that netted the Tigers just four yards. ACA took over on their own 40 yard line after the ball was punted back to them. Demari Moore made a diving catch at the two yard line that covered 42 yards to help set up the next score. After a delay of game infraction, Hayes Hunt caught a seven yard pass from Clark for a 35-8 lead with 7:23 left in the half. West Blocton picked up a couple of first downs before Miller McCarthy stopped the next drive with an interception to give the ball back to the offense at midfield. Three plays later, Clark hooked up with Garrett Weathers for the second time on a 26 yard scoring pass to make the score 42-8. On the first play of the Tiger’s next drive, Khalil Jackson and Miller McCarthy combined for the stop. With the tackle, McCarthy set a new mark for most career tackles in program history. The defense finished the possession forcing the third turnover of the half with a Demari Moore interception with just 1:00 left in the quarter. On the next play, Clark froze the defensive back on the right side with a pump fake and hit Avery Stuart up the sideline for a 54 yard score and a 49-8 lead heading to the half.

The defense celebrates a West Blocton turnover.

West Blocton opened the second half with a sustained drive that moved the ball to the Eagle 29 yard line and took over six minutes off the clock. The drive ended as Miller McCarthy and Jack Thomas sniffed out a fake punt attempt and stopped the runner five yards short of a first down. ACA’s final score of the night was a 73 yard slip screen to Preston Hicks from Clark. The toss was the fifth touchdown thrown on the night by the senior quarterback, which is a new single game record. West Blocton scored early in the final quarter to close out the scoring for the game and cut the Eagle lead to 56-14. Each team would have the ball one more time in the fourth, but neither team was able to score.

Preston Hicks is off to the races on a 73 yard scoring reception.

Jalen Clark completed 10 of his 12 passes on the night for a career high 307 yards and five touchdowns. Clark also ran for 106 yards on eight attempts and two touchdowns. The captain now has 38 rushing touchdowns for his career. Otasowie Dion added 50 yards on six carries and a touchdown. Preston Hicks led the receivers with four catches for 96 yards and a score. Both of Garrett Weathers’ receptions went for touchdowns that totaled 66 yards. Hayes Hunt had two catches for 48 yards and a touchdown while Avery Stuart’s lone catch of the night went for 54 yards and a score.

Preston Hicks and Hayes Hunt celebrate Hunt’s touchdown catch.

On defense, Miller McCarthy had 14 tackles and an interception to lead the defense. The senior linebacker now has 294 tackles for his career. Jack Thomas had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery. Otasowie Dion had six tackles and two sacks while Donovan Emerson and Grant Sutton each had six tackles. 

Jack Thomas and a gang of Eagles stop the Tiger runner.

Next week, in round two of the playoffs, the Eagles (9-2) will face Jacksonville for a chance to move to the quarterfinals.  

Eagles Drop Final Regular Season Game

Win or lose, the final regular season game of the year was a tall task for the Eagles of ACA, especially heading into the playoffs. Long-time rival MA entered the game undefeated and ranked sixth in the ASWA 3A state poll. For only the second time this year, ACA suffered a loss as they fell to MA by a score of 31-7. The Eagles two losses this season came on Thursday nights while they won all eight contests played on Friday nights.

After both teams traded punts on their first possessions, MA drove 84 yards on seven plays and took a 7-0 lead with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter. ACA responded with its best drive of the game as the home standing Eagles marched 73 yards on 13 plays and tied the game 7-7. Alabama Christian converted a third down and two fourth downs on the drive and scored on the second fourth down conversion as Hayes Hunt hit Jalen Clark on a throwback to the quarterback that covered 28 yards. The two teams headed to the second quarter tied 7-7.

MA scored less than a minute into the second quarter to stretch the lead to 14-7. The Eagles responded again by holding the ball for over seven minutes, but were unable to score and turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a 4th and 19 from the 20 yard line. MA took full advantage of the momentum and scored three plays later to take a 21-7 lead into the half.

ACA could not regain any momentum in the second half as their four drives in the half ended with two interceptions and two punts. MA added two scores and were able to play many players in the second half. The defense had two sacks in the half, one each by Otasowie Dion and Donovan Emerson, and Grant Sutton recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. MA ran off the final 2:21 of the game in Victory formation to take home a 31-7 win.

Miller McCarthy led the defense with 10 tackles while Corey Landers and Avery Stuart each had five tackles. Otasowie Dion added four tackles and a sack with Trey Schlemmer contributing four tackles. Jalen Clark ended the night 10 for 27 with 143 yards and two interceptions, ran for 63 yards on 13 carries and caught a 28 yard touchdown pass from Hayes Hunt. Preston Hicks led the receivers with four receptions for 80 yards while Corey Landers had three receptions for 22 yards and Hayes Hunt had two catches for 36 yards.

Next Friday, November 6th, ACA opens the playoffs as they host West Blocton in the first round.

Where Are They Now? - Gary Bradley, Jr.

Looking back at the 1975 football team, the second team in school history, we caught up with Gary Bradley Jr. to talk about his time at Alabama Christian and what he is doing these days. The Eagle squad won the first game in school history 45 years ago today, October 24, 1975. The senior quarterback scored the game’s only touchdown in the 6-0 victory. Bradley and his fellow Eagles helped pave the way for Alabama Christian football as we know it today.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 1976

What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 11th-12th 

What is your favorite football memory? Winning our first game in the history of the program against Hayneville in the 1975 season. I scored the only touchdown of the game and had three interceptions to help us win.

Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? Coach Mitch Grubb welcomed me to the team having just moved to Montgomery in 1974 from Chattanooga, which was his hometown as well.

Who was your most memorable teammate? Our center, Gary Gregory. I got my bell rung on a play and when we huddled up for the next play, I called a play that did not exist. Gary called to the official, “We need time, our quarterback doesn’t know where he is.”

What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? Both coach Mike Lusk and Mitch Grubb had a positive influence on me.

Where do you currently live? Columbiana, Alabama

What do you do for a living? I’m an Assistant District Attorney in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

Tell me about your family. I have three grown sons and eight grandchildren.

 Rapid Fire

Favorite Movie: Tombstone

Dream Vacation Spot: Any lake

Who is the person you most admire: My autistic grandson

Early morning or Late night person: Late night

Alabama or Auburn (or other): God put crimson blood in my veins

Alabama Christian Defeats Bullock County on Record Setting Night

Records are made to be broken and that’s just what the ACA football team did Friday night with a 32-14 win over Bullock County. The victory was the eighth in a row for the Eagles and surpasses the seven game winning streak set by the 2017 team for most consecutive games won in program history. This year’s squad also finished undefeated in Region play for the first time since the Region format expanded in 2000.

Individually, two players added their name to the record book Friday night. Senior Miller McCarthy broke the record for most solo tackles in a career with four against the Hornets and now has 139 to his credit and is only 17 total tackles (solo and assisted) away from holding that mark as well. Coach Nate Sanford said this about McCarthy, “Miller has been one of the most steady performers I have ever coached on the defensive side.” The linebacker led the Eagles again Friday night with nine tackles against the Hornets.

On the offensive side of the ball, Jalen Clark’s rushing touchdown early in the second quarter was his 20th of the year and set a new season record for the program. With the score, the senior also tied Reese Solar for the career mark for rushing touchdowns (36) and total touchdowns (40). Coach Sanford said, “Jalen has played on an incredibly high level all year and hasn’t played his best ball yet.” Sanford also added “Both Jalen and Miller are quintessential captains.”

The contest against Bullock County was a hard fought battle. After the game, Coach Sanford commented, “This was a very tough, very physical game tonight. Bullock County came to play, but our guys rose to the challenge with some key stops in the red zone, especially to close the first half.” Some spectators thought the Hornets might have resorted to psychological warfare as the lights shone directly into the eyes of the fans and the announcer repeated “Hornet fans, make some noise” over and over again.

ACA opened the game with a time consuming 13 play drive that lasted 9:11, but came away with no points. The Eagles were set up first and goal at the 10 yard line, but a delay of game penalty and two holding calls turned a promising opening drive into a third and goal from the 41 yard line. The offense turned the ball over on downs two plays later. The defense did its job when it hit the field as Bullock County punted after three snaps. The key play for the defense was a tackle for loss on 2nd down by Khalil Jackson and Will Wright. The Eagles were on the move as the first quarter ended with the score tied 0-0.

The defense gangs up on the Hornet runner.

The Eagles kept the ball on the ground on their drive, that started in the first quarter and ended on the second play of the second quarter, as Jalen Clark ran 27 yards on a keeper up the middle to give ACA the lead with 11:11 remaining in the half. The Hornets jumped offsides on the extra point attempt which led Alabama Christian to go for two. Clark easily scored on the play and the Eagles led 8-0. Once again, the defense got the ball back to the offense after a three and out for Bullock County. Trey Schlemmer began the series with a tackle for loss as he forced the Hornet back out of bounds around the right end. ACA’s second score of the night was set up by the longest pass play of the contest as Jalen Clark hit Hayes Hunt on a 53 yard catch and run to the Hornet 25 yard line. The drive ended with Clark hitting Corey Landers on a middle screen that covered 11 yards and gave the Eagles a 15-0 advantage with 5:44 left in the quarter. Bullock County put together an impressive drive to end the first half as they drove the length of the field, but were kept out of the end zone by the ACA defense. The Hornets got as close as the Eagle three yard line, but Khalil Jackson and Will Wright teamed up again for a tackle behind the line of scrimmage that moved Bullock County back to the seven. With time running out, the Hornets attempted a field goal on fourth down and missed badly to keep the score at 15-0 heading into halftime.

Hayes Hunt off and running on a 53 yard pass play.

The third quarter began with another long possession for the Bullock County offense that produced no points. The Hornets held the ball for 17 plays and took 9:41 off the clock before giving the ball back to ACA. As Bullock County was inside the Eagle ten yard line, the ACA defense was up to the challenge and turned the Hornets away. On second and goal from the eight, D’Andre Sneed broke up a pass at the goal line and on third down Khalil Jackson, who lived in the Hornet backfield, dropped the Bullock County back for an eleven yard loss which set up a fourth and goal from the 19 yard line. An incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball to ACA for the first time in the second half with 2:19 left in the third quarter. The Eagles scored on the last play of the quarter as Otasowie Dion followed his blockers around right end and raced 62 yards for the touchdown. After the extra point attempt was blocked, ACA led 21-0 heading to the fourth quarter.

Khalil Jackson with one of his four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Bullock County opened the quarter with a one play drive on a 78 yard bomb to a wide open receiver down the middle of the field to cut the score to 21-6. Alabama Christian responded quickly and scored in just three plays to expand the lead to 29-6. Corey Landers ran the ball on the first two plays of the drive and gained 41 yards down to the Hornet 25 yard line. Jalen Clark hit Garrett Weathers up the left sideline on a beautiful throw that covered the final 25 yards of the drive. For the second time in the game, Bullock County jumped offsides on the PAT which prompted the Eagles to successfully go for two. Like their previous possession, the Hornets scored quickly as they hooked up for a 55 yard pass play on the second play of the drive to make the score 29-14 with 9:24 left in the game. The Eagle offense kept the ball on the ground to keep the ball away from the Hornets and moved the ball to their opponent’s 20 yard line before Aaron Treubig connected on a 37 yard field goal with 4:53 left to give ACA a three score advantage at 32-14. Feeling good about their passing game, Bullock County continued to throw the ball, but Sanders Manning ended the drive with an interception at midfield with 4:15 remaining in the game. The offense could not pick up a first down to run out the clock and gave Bullock County one last chance with the ball. The game ended with the Hornets trying  to pick up another score. Trey Schlemmer left his calling card as he laid out a Hornet receiver on the last play of the game to seal the victory.

Jalen Clark getting ready to pass to Garrett Weathers for a score.

Otasowie Dion led the Eagle rushing attack with 95 yards on four carries and a score. Corey Landers gained 77 yards on 14 attempts and added one reception for 11 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Clark ran for 68 yards on 10 rushes with a touchdown and threw for 155 yards on 10 of 13 passing and two scores. Hayes Hunt led the receivers with three catches for 72 yards. Preston Hicks had two catches for 23 yards and Trey Schlemmer added two receptions for 19 yards. Garrett Weathers lone catch of the night was a 25 yard reception for a score.

Otasowie Dion outruns the Hornet defense for a touchdown.

After McCarthy’s nine tackles, Jack Thomas had five tackles as did Khalil Jackson who had five tackles and a sack. Corey Landers and Trey Schlemmer each had four tackles on the night and Sanders Manning added two tackles and an interception.

The Eagles (8-1, 7-0) end the regular season next Thursday night as they host MA on Pink Out Night.

Alabama Christian Hammers Straughn to Clinch Region Title

Something had to give Friday night as the number three scoring offense, in 4A, of ACA (39.4 ppg) hosted the number twelve scoring defense of Straughn (17.8 ppg). A victory would clinch Alabama Christian’s first Region championship since 1992. The two teams had not met since 2011 and the Eagles had not beaten Straughn in three previous meetings. ACA controlled the game from the outset and dominated the Tigers in a 49-7 rout, despite the DIY noise makers brought by the visiting fans.

The Eagle offense took the ball first and promptly moved down the field for the first score of the night with a seven play 62 yard drive that culminated with a 12 yard pass from Jalen Clark to Trey Schlemmer. The junior receiver slipped behind the defense on his only reception of the game for the early 7-0 lead. Kyle Jackson set the tone for a dominating performance by the defense with a tackle for loss on the first play from scrimmage and the Tigers punted after three plays. The ACA offense started the drive on their own 47 yard line and scored in just three plays. Jalen Clark carried the ball all three times and scored from 30 yards out as he spun out of a tackle around the 15 yard line and raced to the goal line to expand the lead to 14-0 with 4:37 remaining in the first quarter. The defense moved Straughn in the wrong direction on their second drive aided by a Will Wright sack on second down and forced another Tiger punt. As the quarter ended, the offense was on the move again and led 14-0 headed to the second.

Will Wright sacks the Straughn quarterback in the first half.

As Alabama Christian faced a 2nd and 20 from the Straughn 33 yard line, the Eagles ran the hook and ladder to perfection for the second time this year and stretched the lead to 21-0. On the play, Jalen Clark hit Hayes Hunt for what appeared to be an eight yard completion, but a lateral to Demari Moore covered 25 more yards down the left sideline and a score. Trailing by three scores, the Straughn offense abandoned the run and passed on seven of nine plays on their next drive. ACA sacked the Tiger QB twice on the possession including a fourth down stop by Khalil and Kyle Jackson.

Demari Moore gets ready for the lateral from Hayes Hunt.

With half of the second quarter gone, the Eagles were just getting started and would score three more times before halftime. Corey Landers started the first drive with a 21 yard run up the middle dragging defenders the last ten yards and two plays later Jalen Clark scampered 36 yards on a sweep around the right side for his second rushing touchdown of the night and a 28-0 advantage. The Tigers suffered a sack on the first play of the next possession and turned the ball over on the second play as Will Wright recovered a fumble on the Straughn 32 yard line. Despite a holding penalty that moved the offense back to the 45 yard line, ACA scored in three plays in just 90 seconds as Jalen Clark romped 25 yards for a 35-0 lead with 2:02 left in the half. Three plays later, D’Andre Sneed separated ball and receiver and Sanders Manning came up with an interception at the Straughn 46 yard line to give the ball back to the offense with 1:45 in the second quarter. Jalen Clark hit Demari Moore for a 38 yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in the half to close out the scoring as Alabama Christian headed to the locker room with a 42-0 lead. 

Jalen Clark on his way to the end zone for his third touchdown of the night.

The second half was a blur as a running clock in the fourth quarter quickened the pace. The Eagles possessed the ball only twice in the half. The first drive pushed the score to 49-0 as Otasowie Dion scored on a 27 yard run around right end with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter. Straughn had the ball three times in the half and scored with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game to make the final score 49-7.

Grant Sutton stops the Straughn runner.

Alabama Christian held the Straughn offense to 89 yards of total offense, 61 yards coming on the last drive of the night, in a suffocating performance. Five of the Tiger’s nine possessions ended in zero or negative yards gained. Kyle Jackson led the way with five tackles and two sacks. Miller McCarthy had four tackles and Jack Thomas added four tackles with a sack. Khalil Jackson had three tackles with two sacks and Otasowie Dion added three more tackles. Will Wright contributed a sack and a fumble recovery while Sanders Manning had an interception.

The defense swarms to the ball for the stop.

On offense, Jalen Clark completed 14 of his 16 throws to six different receivers for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Hayes Hunt led the group of receivers with five catches for 55 yards. Demari Moore totaled three catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns while Preston Hicks added three receptions for 23 yards. Clark led the Eagles in rushing with 116 yards on eight attempts and three touchdowns. Corey Landers had ten carries for 58 yards and Otasowie Dion added 41 yards on three rushes and a score.

Next week, ACA (7-1, 6-0) can finish undefeated in the Region as they visit Bullock County.

ACA Defeats Geneva in First Ever Meeting

Alabama Christian traveled two hours south to Geneva, just eight miles from the Florida state line, Friday night for a Regional matchup against the Panthers. This was the first ever meeting between the two programs as ACA looked to stay on top of the standings in Region 2 and clinch a playoff berth while Geneva tried to avoid their second loss in the Region. Jalen Clark returned to the field after missing last week’s game and helped guide the Eagles to the 49-20 victory over the home standing Panthers.

The first quarter was very similar to the Dale County game as both teams drove the ball on long, methodical drives that ate up most of the period. ACA received the opening kickoff and held the ball for 5:18 on an 11 play 68 yard drive and took an early 7-0 lead. The offense ran the ball on nine of the eleven plays during the march. Jalen Clark scored his first touchdown of the night with a tough two yard run up the middle, on fourth down, as the line pushed the Panther defense back. Geneva’s first possession matched the Eagles drive by running on nine of eleven plays and converting a fourth down. With just 46 seconds left in the quarter, the Panthers evened the game 7-7.

Jalen Clark powers in for the first touchdown of the night.

Alabama Christian made up for the lack of time with the ball in the previous period by scoring four times in the second quarter, including touchdowns by Jalen Clark on the first and last plays of the quarter. Clark opened the scoring as he ran 18 yards untouched on a keeper to retake the lead 14-7. The Eagle defense pushed the Panther offense backwards and forced a punt after just three snaps to give the ball back to the offense. ACA struck quickly on a four play 53 yard drive that lasted only 76 seconds. Jalen Clark found Hayes Hunt on the first two plays of the drive for back to back ten yard gains then hit Garrett Weathers on a 31 yard strike down to the Geneva two yard line. The last play was a throw to Corey Landers as the Panther defense left one defender to cover three receivers on the left side of the formation. Clark immediately threw the ball to Landers and he walked in for the score and a 21-7 lead. With the momentum of the game going the Eagles way, the defense again forced the Geneva offense backwards with the help of a Khalil Jackson sack and forced another punt. With 5:48 remaining in the half, the Eagles moved 52 yards in just 1:57 overcoming back to back holding penalties in the process. After the second holding call, ACA faced a 2nd and 28 as Jalen Clark found Otasowie Dion over the middle and as the seas parted the receiver raced for a 26 yard gain which set up a very manageable third down conversion opportunity. Two plays later, Clark hooked up with Garrett Weathers for a 33 yard scoring pass to extend the lead to 28-7. Alabama Christian used their timeouts to conserve time on the clock as the defense once again forced a three and out. The offense took the field 73 yards away from the goal line with 2:31 left in the half. The best case scenario would be for the offense to score a touchdown with no time left on the clock for the Geneva offense to respond and that’s just what happened. The Eagles moved easily to the Panther 21 yard line in seven plays, but the drive bogged down on the next three plays. After another holding call and two incomplete passes, ACA faced a 3rd and 22 with time running out. Clark dropped back to pass, but could not find a receiver. The senior quarterback took off up the middle and cut to the right at the 20 yard line, that left a defender on the ground, to score with one second remaining in the half. The Eagles left the field at halftime with a 35-7 lead.

The Eagle defense celebrates a sack by Khalil Jackson.

The Panthers showed some fight in the third quarter as they opened the half with a nine play 63 yard drive that took 4:50 seconds off the clock to cut the score to 35-14. Any hope gained from the drive was swiftly extinguished as Otasowie Dion returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards up the left sideline for a score and a 42-14 advantage. However, the return put the tired defense right back on the field. The Geneva offense took advantage and again drove the ball for a score. The Panthers marched 69 yards on ten plays in 4:28 to cut the score to 42-20. The Eagle offense took the field for the first time in the second half with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter. ACA was unable to move the ball and was called for their fourth holding call of the game during the possession. Hayes Hunt punted the ball away on the first play of the fourth quarter and again it looked like Geneva still had a glimmer of hope. 

Otasowie Dion races 85 yards for a kickoff return touchdown.

Three plays later, DeAndre Sneed intercepted a Panther pass and returned it to the Geneva 28 yard line to essentially put the game away. The Eagles final scoring drive of the night lasted five plays, all runs, and ended with a two yard Jalen Clark rush to extend the lead to 49-20 with 7:36 left in the contest. Geneva turned the ball over on downs with 4:28 remaining to put the ACA offense back on the field. Alabama Christian never gave the ball back as they ran the ball on seven consecutive plays to take all of the time off the clock to end the contest. The biggest cheer of the night came on the last drive as William Milner ran 13 yards for a first down as time ran down.

DeAndre Sneed intercepts a fourth quarter pass.

Senior linebacker Miller McCarthy led the defense with 14 tackles. Jack Thomas added eight tackles while Otasowie Dion had seven tackles. Khalil Jackson contributed five tackles and a sack while Kyle Jackson, Trey Schlemmer and Will Wright each had four tackles in the game.

Miller McCarthy and friends stop the Panther runner.

On offense, Jalen Clark completed ten passes on fourteen attempts for 146 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 144 yards on 15 carries with four touchdowns. Clark became the only player in ACA history to have three games with at least four touchdowns carries. Corey Landers gained 81 yards on 12 carries and added a two yard touchdown reception. Otasowie Dion had three carries for 21 yards while William Milner added three rushes for 19 yards. Four receivers each caught two passes on the night. Garrett Weathers led the receivers with 64 receiving yards and a touchdown. Demari Moore had 26 yards, Hayes Hunt had 20 yards and Preston Hicks had eight yards receiving. For the second time this year, Aaron Treubig kicked seven extra points which tied for the second most in school history.

Aaron Treubig kicks one of his seven extra points.

Next week, ACA (6-1, 5-0) looks to continue their winning streak as they host Straughn in another Region tilt.