ACA Beaten by Jacksonville in First Round of Playoffs

A year after Alabama Christian eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs, the Golden Eagles returned the favor with a 42-21 win over ACA Friday night. The visiting Eagles led 21-14 early in the third period, but Jacksonville responded with the last 28 points scored, doubling up ACA. Despite the loss, Michael Summers first year as head coach was a success and the team’s 7-4 record was the third best record for a coach in his first year in program history.

Jacksonville received the opening kickoff and after picking up one first down was forced to punt thanks to a third down sack by Donovan Emerson. Hayes Hunt helped the Eagles to two first downs on their first drive on a 16-yard pass to Garrett Weathers and a 14-yard scramble, on 3rd and 14, as the junior dove for the yard marker. The offense could move no further and were forced to punt four plays later. Jacksonville opened the scoring on their second possession of the game as the Golden Eagles converted a 3rd and 21 with a 39-yard pass completion, despite an obvious missed holding call on the offense. The Jacksonville quarterback bought himself some time by scrambling around and found his receiver deep down the field, in what would be a theme for the rest of the night, ACA responded quickly as Otasowie Dion bolted by the defense for a 59-yard touchdown run to tie the score, 7-7, with just 10.8 seconds left in the first quarter.

Jack Thomas and Corey Landers gang up on the Jacksonville back.

The Eagle defense forced a three and out to start the second period as Corey Landers and Jack Thomas combined to bring the Jacksonville ball carrier down behind the line of scrimmage on first down. ACA’s offense was clicking as Otasowie Dion (29) and Landers (21) moved the ball 50 yards in two plays down to the Jacksonville 24 yard line. Two plays later, Trey Schlemmer (or as the Jacksonville announcer would say, Norman Trey Schlemmer the third) caught a Hayes Hunt pass that covered 24 yards that gave Alabama Christian its first lead of the game, 14-7. The home team converted three third downs on their next drive and tied the game with 5:41 left in the half. Both teams had the ball two more times before halftime, but were unable to produce any points. Senior D’Andre Sneed ended one of the Golden Eagle drives with an interception.

Trey Schlemmer hauls in a touchdown pass.

Corey Landers opened the second half with carries on four of the five plays it took the offense to take the lead for the second time on the night. Landers gained 60 yards on the drive that ended with a three-yard scoring run. Jacksonville also scored on their first drive as they covered 55 yards in seven plays to pull even with ACA. Otasowie Dion raced 28 yards on the first play of the next drive and it looked like the second half may turn into a shootout. However, the Eagles were backed up on the next play due to a holding call and were not able to recover. After a punt, the home team drove 78 yards in 11 plays and overcame two penalties to take the lead for good with 18.9 seconds left in the third quarter.

On the first drive of the final quarter, Corey Landers ran the ball on six consecutive plays and gained 30 yards down to the Golden Eagle 25 yard line. On first down, the Eagles turned the ball over on an interception as the deep pass came up short and was picked off with 8:38 left in the game. With momentum on their side, Jacksonville controlled the rest of the game. Backed up on their own three yard line after the interception, the Golden Eagles marched 97 yards in 12 plays to take a 35-21 lead. The touchdown came on a 34-yard pass play as Jacksonville faced a 3rd and 16. On the first play of the next drive, ACA tried their favorite trick play, but fumbled the ball away on the failed hook and ladder. Jacksonville scored on the next play with another long pass and the lead extended to 42-21. Alabama Christian fumbled the ensuing kickoff to give the ball back to Jacksonville for the third time in a row. Neither team scored over the final three minutes and the ACA season came to a close.

Corey Landers led the team with 120 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown while teammate Otasowie Dion finished with 118 yards on five attempts and a score. Hayes Hunt threw for 55 yards as he completed nine passes on fifteen attempts and a touchdown. Trey Schlemmer had one catch for a score for 24 yards to lead the receivers. Defensively, three seniors stood out as D’Andre Sneed had 14 tackles with a sack and an interception. Jack Thomas tallied 13 tackles while Schlemmer had 12 tackles. Dion, Donovan Emerson and Joshua Kreitz each had sacks on the night.

A special thank you to Leah Hunt, Richard Peake and Cathy Moorer for allowing me to use their pictures to go along with the stories.

Alabama Christian Finishes the Regular Season with Win Over MA

It was a great night to pull for Alabama Christian. Every “expert” in the media picked MA to beat ACA in the season finale at home, but the visiting Eagles proved them all wrong. The not very welcoming hosts did set an unofficial record by threatening to tow ten different cars in the first half. The home team treated the visitors rudely, too, with two quick touchdowns, but the Eagles showed tremendous resiliency as they fought back to win the contest. The 31-21 victory was the sixth time Alabama Christian has beaten MA and the first time since 2008 to beat them at their place.

MA won the toss and scored its first touchdown in less than a minute with a two-play seventy yard haymaker for a 7-0 lead with 11:28 left in the first quarter. ACA punted on its first possession after picking up a first down to give MA the ball back on their own 34 yard line. Once again, it took the home team only two plays to score and the lead stretched to 14-0. From the early returns, it looked like the game might be over quickly. However, the coaching staff calmed the players and ACA started to play their game. After the first three and a half minutes of the game, ACA outscored MA 31-7 the rest of the way. AC Walters set up the offense with great field position as he returned the kickoff to the MA 48 yard line. On 3rd and 7, Hayes Hunt connected with Garrett Weathers on a deep pass that covered 42 yards for a first down at the three yard line. Preston Hicks scored on the next play on a receiver screen and the lead was cut in half, 14-7. Now the team looked to the defense to stop the powerful MA running attack. After allowing a couple of first downs, the defense stiffened and forced a punt to get the ball back to the offense, The defense stopped the MA runners behind the line of scrimmage on three plays during the drive. Jack Thomas, Corey Landers, Trey Schlemmer, Avery Stuart, Otasowie Dion and D’Andre Sneed all contributed on those three key plays. The quarter ended with MA pinning ACA back on their own one yard line to start the next drive.

The defense lines up to stop the running game of MA.

Alabama Christian marched 99 yards in eight plays to tie the game 14-14 early in the second period. Otasowie Dion and Corey Landers combined for the first 42 yards of the drive as the offense moved the ball towards midfield. On 3rd and 8, Avery Stuart beat his man and Hayes Hunt him in stride for a 57-yard touchdown connection for the game tying score. AC Walters produced on special teams again as he recovered an MA fumble on the kickoff at the 15 yard line. ACA couldn’t punch it in, but Tyson Summers gave the team the lead with a 26-yard field goal with 8:54 left in the half. Both teams traded punts and then MA seemed to find its rhythm again as they scored on a nine-play, 43 yard drive to retake the lead 21-17 with 1:59 left in the first half. ACA was unable to move the ball at the end of the quarter and trailed by four heading to the locker room.

Hayes Hunt looks down field for an open receiver.

Alabama Christian started the second half with the ball and promptly took the lead for good with a 61-yard drive in seven plays. After a first down, the offense went to work with consecutive receptions by Preston Hicks that covered 31 yards and a 22-yard jaunt up the middle by Corey Landers on a direct snap to the junior running back. With 8:11 left in the third quarter, ACA led 24-21. Neither team could score for the rest of the period as the team’s traded punts on three possessions. Jack Thomas continued to wreak havoc with his second sack of the game and combined with Hicks and Trey Schlemmer on two other tackles behind the line of scrimmage. On the last play of the third quarter, MA punted to Corey Landers who produced a career long 73-yard punt return to the MA seven yard line.

Corey Landers breaks a tackle on his way to the end zone.

On the second play of the final period, Hayes Hunt found Trey Schlemmer in the right flat and the senior powered his way into the end zone for the 31-21 lead. A stunned MA offense could do nothing and produced two three and outs as the clock kept ticking away. For its part, ACA kept the ball on the ground and ran as much clock as they could. With a little more than three minutes left in the game, MA began a last ditch effort to pull closer to ACA. The home team drove to the ACA 25 yard line, but turned it over on downs with 2:04 left to play. The Eagles tried to run out the clock, but fumbled the ball away and MA got another chance. With less than a minute left, Avery Stuart intercepted a MA pass to seal the victory for Alabama Christian.

Avery Stuart gets a lift after his game-clinching interception.

Hayes Hunt finished the night with 192 yards passing, completing 12 of 19 passes, and three touchdowns. Corey Landers was the team’s top rusher with 84 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown. Otasowie Dion had 37 yards on eight attempts. Preston Hicks led the receivers with three catches for 34 yards and a score while Landers also caught three balls for 25 yards. Dion had two receptions for 16 yards as Avery Stuart and Trey Schlemmer’s only catches went for touchdowns.

Hunt to Schlemmer for five yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Jack Thomas led the way with 11 tackles and two sacks while fellow line backer Trey Schlemmer had nine tackles. D’Andre Sneed had seven tackles while Donovan Emerson and Preston Hicks each had five tackles. After giving up 136 yards and 14 points on the first two drives of the game, the ACA defense held MA to 158 yards and seven more points the rest of the night.

Donovan Emerson and company tackle the MA ball carrier.

ACA will be in the playoffs next week for a program record sixth year in a row with a trip to Jacksonville.

Eagles Win Pink Out Game Over Bullock County

ACA celebrated Homecoming with a convincing 42-0 win over Bullock County. The Eagle fans and supporters were encouraged to wear pink as Alabama Christian recognized Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The football team surprised the home crowd as they donned pink jerseys to show their support of breast cancer fighters and survivors. The Eagles took control early and the outcome was never in doubt.

Thomas Stovall picks up yards after a catch.

Bullock County received the opening kickoff and threw caution to the wind early as they went for it on a 4th and 2 from their own 40 yard line. Jack Thomas and Donovan Emerson stopped the drive as they combined for a tackle behind the line of scrimmage to give the offense the ball at the Hornet 39 yard line. Two plays later, Thomas Stovall took a pitch around right end for a 28-yard touchdown and the rout was on. After a sack by Joshua Kreitz and a delay of game penalty, Bullock County faced a 4th and 19 as they readied to punt on their second drive. The snap sailed over the punter’s head and the defense tackled him on the Hornet nine yard line. Preston Hicks walked into the end zone on a two-yard receiver screen to stretch the lead to 14-0. Bullock County turned the ball over on downs on their first two possessions and the third time they had the ball a botched pitch on an option play turned into a Corey Landers fumble recovery. The Eagles would start on the Bullock County side of the field for the third straight drive, but were unable to score as they could not overcome a holding penalty. The Hornets last possession of the opening period ended in a punt for negative four yards to allow the offense to once again start in their opponent’s territory.

Trey Schlemmer brings down the Bullock County runner.

Alabama Christian gained no yards on the first three plays of the drive, but on a 4th and 10 from the 20 yard line, Hayes Hunt connected with Garrett Weathers as he got behind the defense for a 21-0 lead. The defense got the ball right back to the offense with a three and out who had their worst field position of the game starting at the 50 yard line. Corey Landers ran twice for 38 yards and Otasowie Dion finished the drive with a 12-yard run for a 28-0 cushion. Tyson Summers had been close to causing a turnover on kickoffs earlier in the half and this time he got it as Kayden Findley recovered the onsides kick for ACA. On the next play, the Eagles scored again as Hunt found Avery Stuart at the goal line on a 28-yard pass play. The Hornets picked up their first two first downs of the contest on their next drive, but turned the ball over on downs after Dion recorded a sack on fourth down. The offense could not muster another score in the last two minutes of the half and left the field with a 35-0 lead at the half.

Hayes Hunt looks for Garrett Weathers behind the defense.

Due to the big lead, the quarters were reduced to eight minutes for the second half which meant the half would not take long. Both teams only had the ball twice on offense over the final two quarters. ACA picked up a first down on its first drive, but punted the ball away with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Bullock County produced two first downs on their drive, but fumbled the ball away to end the possession. After one carry by Otasowie Dion, AC Walters came in and ran the ball on seven consecutive plays for 65 yards that ended with a 13-yard touchdown run. The defense subbed freely on the last drive for the Hornets and the backups kept Bullock County out of the end zone to preserve the shutout.

Donovan Emerson celebrates a tackle behind the line of scrimmage.

Donovan Emerson and Jack Thomas led the defense as both recorded seven tackles. Preston Hicks and Trey Schlemmer each had five tackles on the night. Emerson, Otasowie Dion and Joshua Kreitz each had a sack for the defense. Hayes Hunt finished the night 12 of 18 for 123 yards and three scores. Hicks led the receivers with four receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown while Avery Stuart, Garrett Weathers and Schlemmer each had two catches. AC Walters led the team in rushing with 65 yards on seven carries with a touchdown while Corey Landers had 58 yards on eight attempts.

Otasowie Dion takes the handoff on his way to the end zone.

Alabama Christian finishes the regular season with a Thursday night contest at MA on October 28th.

Alabama Christian Drops Vital Region Game at Straughn

What was supposed to be a night where ACA clinched a home game for the first round of the playoffs turned disastrous in a 19-17 loss to Straughn on Friday night. The Eagles took Straughn behind the woodshed last season in a 49-7 laugher, but the Tigers were ready this year and had an answer for everything Alabama Christian threw at them. On offense, Straughn kept the ball on the ground and ate clock while keeping the ACA offense on the sideline. When the Eagles did have the ball they looked indecisive and produced the lowest point total since the season’s first game.

Straughn opened the game on offense and the defense stopped the drive with back-to-back sacks by Trey Schlemmer and Jack Thomas. The Eagles stayed on the ground on their first possession with five consecutive runs to set up a 1st and 10 from the Tigers 11 yard line. ACA found great success on the perimeter as Corey Landers and Thomas Stovall both had long runs around right end. The next three plays produced only five yards which brought Tyson Summers on the field to attempt a 23-yard field goal. Summers’ kick was good and the Eagles led 3-0 with 4:19 left in the opening period. The home team ran six plays on their next possession and the first quarter was over thanks to a clock that did not seem to ever stop. The quarter took only 16 minutes in real time.

Early in the second quarter, the Tigers faced a third down from the ACA 43 yard line. Straughn had already converted two third downs in the drive and did so again as they scored on a long pass to take the lead 7-3. The Eagles decided to blitz on the play and left the receiver wide open on a busted coverage. Alabama Christian picked up a first down with a 15-yard pass from Hayes Hunt to Garrett Weathers on the first play of the next drive. However, a holding call put the offense behind the sticks and after two incomplete passes the Eagles punted the ball back to Straughn. The Tigers picked up a couple of first downs, but would eventually punt the ball back to ACA. As the home team readied to punt, the Eagles called timeout to presumably save time and try to score before halftime. Instead, the offense ran the ball on first and second down and Hunt was sacked on third down. Straughn got the ball back, took a knee and was thrilled to be headed to the locker room with a 7-3 lead.

Thomas Stovall opened the second half with a tremendous kick return to the Straughn 33 yard line. With the short field, the offense scored, but it wasn’t easy. Facing a 4th and 5 from the 28 yard line, Avery Stuart caught a long pass for the score and the Eagles retook the lead, 9-7. The defense did its job and got the ball back to the offense helped by a Joshua Kreitz sack on third down. ACA quickly drove to the Tiger 37 yard line in three plays that covered 25 yards. On 2nd and 10, Corey Landers scored an apparent touchdown, but a holding call backed up the offense once again. Faced with a 2nd and 19, the offense ran the ball on consecutive plays and gained decent yardage, but not near enough for a first down. An incomplete pass on fourth down turned the ball back over to the Tigers. It did not take Straughn long to take advantage as the Tiger back raced 66 yards right up the middle on the first play of the possession. The home team led 13-9 with 2:58 left in the third period. The quarter ended with the offense on the march as they drove 35 yards on five straight runs to try to retake the lead.

The fourth quarter started with the third holding call of the night to back the offense for a 1st and 25. On third down, the Eagle still had to gain 13 yards for a first down. On a desperation throw down the middle of the field, Avery Stuart caught the ball at the goal line for what was thought to be a score, especially when the referee raised his hands for a touchdown. In the end, the ball was marked down at the two yard line and Corey Landers carried it in from there for the lead. After Straughn jumped off sides on the extra point, ACA decided to go for two and got it for the 17-13 lead with 9:34 left in the game. The Tigers game winning march covered 65 yards on 12 straight running plays that consumed eight minutes of the fourth quarter clock. Straughn converted one third down and one fourth down as the defense jumped off sides on a 4th and 1 with 3:08 left in the game. Four plays after the fourth down conversion, the Tigers scored to take the lead, 19-17. With 1:34 left in the game, Alabama Christian had one more shot to win the game. The Eagles looked poised to do it as they made it to the Tiger 18 yard line with a 2nd and 4 with 59.1 seconds left. From there the comeback fell apart as the offense lost 51 yards over the last four snaps with a block in the back penalty, an intentional grounding call and a sack on the last play of the game.

Hayes Hunt finished the night with eleven completions on nineteen attempts for 129 yards and a score. Avery Stuart caught 75 of those yards on three catches and a touchdown to lead the receivers as Preston Hicks had three receptions for 22 yards. Corey Landers ran for 64 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown with Thomas Stovall and Otasowie Dion both finishing with 36 yards. On defense, Jack Thomas led the way with 11 tackles and a sack followed by Trey Schlemmer with nine tackles and a sack. Donovan Emerson had seven tackles and D’Andre Sneed, Otasowie Dion and Joshua Kreitz each had five tackles.

Next week the Eagles host Bullock County on Homecoming in a now very important Region contest.

ACA Defense holds Geneva to One Score in 33-7 Victory

After an emotional Senior Night as Alabama Christian honored Leiah Holmes, the Eagles took control early and beat Geneva 33-7 in an important Region contest. The victory gives ACA sole possession of second place in the Region and control of their own destiny to host a first-round playoff game. Junior quarterback Hayes Hunt finished the first three drives of the game with touchdown passes, which were also his first three passes of the night.

Hayes Hunt finds yards around left end.

Geneva won the toss which put the Eagle offense on the field first. It took the unit a mere forty-one seconds to put points on the board. Corey Landers ripped off 28 yards on the first play and the offense welcomed Garrett Weathers back to the field on the second play with a 27-yard pass from Hayes Hunt for the 7-0 lead. The defense came out ready to roll as Trey Schlemmer and Jack Thomas tackled everything that moved in the opening quarter. The duo combined for a fourth down stop to give the ball back to ACA to end the Panther’s first drive. The second drive took four plays as the offense was clicking early. The Eagles overcame the first of four holding calls on the night on the way to the score. Hunt threw to Otasowie Dion on a middle screen and the junior covered 31 yards for the touchdown as he broke tackles and weaved his way through the secondary. Near the end of the first period Geneva punted the ball back to ACA. The Panthers faced a third and one on the Eagle 41 yard line, but Donovan Emerson blew up the running play for a loss of three yards. After being stuffed on the previous fourth down, Geneva decided to punt the ball away.

The defense gangs up on the Panther runner.

Alabama Christian scored early in the second period for a 20-0 advantage on a drive that covered 89 yards on seven plays. Two of the plays covered 75 yards as Corey Landers moved the ball near midfield with a 35-yard run that ended with a punishing blow delivered to the Panther defensive back. The touchdown covered the final 40 yards as Hayes Hunt found Preston Hicks in a confused secondary who didn’t even realize Hicks had the ball. Trailing by twenty, the Panthers put together their only scoring drive of the night. Geneva held the ball for 6:36 on a 13 play, 59-yard drive to cut the score to 20-7. With 3:54 left in the half, ACA had plenty of time to try to get some points before the half ended. The offense had a touchdown called back due to a penalty, but still had a chance to score in the closing moments of the second period. After a pass from Avery Stuart back to Hunt, ACA enjoyed a first and ten at the Geneva 11 yard line with just under a minute left. The offense was unable to score after four cracks at it and the half ended with some momentum shifting back to the visitors after the goal line stand.

Preston Hicks races towards the end zone while the defense looks the other way.

Geneva looked to get back into the game to start the second half, but could not overcome a false start penalty on second down and another Donovan Emerson tackle for loss on third down. After a Hayes Hunt scramble for three yards on the first play of the drive, Corey Landers covered the final 76 yards on five carries to extend the Eagle lead to 26-7. Landers had runs of 44 and 29 yards on the march and scored from one yard out with 7:33 left in the third period. After missing an extra point earlier, ACA chased the lost point with a two-point conversion attempt even after a penalty moved the team back to the seven yard line. The attempt failed and the lead stayed 26-7. Trailing by three scores, Geneva couldn’t think about punting anymore and went for a 4th and 16 on the Eagle 35 yard line to turn the ball over on downs to ACA.

Corey Landers runs through the Geneva defense.

Alabama Christian’s last score came on a seven minute fifty-six second drive that started with 4:25 left in the third and ended with 8:29 remaining in the game. For the second time in the game, the Eagles had a touchdown called back on a penalty, but still managed to cover 78 yards on 14 plays to extend the lead to 33-7. After another holding call late in the possession, Hayes Hunt found Trey Schlemmer in the back of the end zone on a 4th and goal from the 19 yard line to break the heart of the Panther defense. After holding Geneva to no yards on the next three plays, the Panthers waved the white flag and punted the ball back to ACA with 6:45 left in the fourth. The offense held the ball for the rest of the game as AC Walters and David Ortiz-Ramirez ran the ball five times for 51 yards to help secure the victory.

The Eagles stop another Panther drive.

The defense continued to dominate and was led by Jack Thomas with 11 tackles followed by Trey Schlemmer with seven tackles. Donovan Emerson and Otasowie Dion both had six tackles on the evening. Hayes Hunt connected on seven of eight passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns as he rushed 3 times for 21 yards and caught a pass for 17 yards. The Eagles completed eight passes to eight different receivers on Friday night. Corey Landers produced another huge night with 183 rushing yards on 19 attempts and a touchdown. AC Walters rushed for 39 yards on four carries with Otasowie Dion adding 37 yards on six carries.

ACA (5-2) travels to Straughn next Friday to continue Region play.

Eagles Start Second Half of Season with Win at Ashford

After a bye week, Alabama Christian was trying to remain one of three teams with just one loss in Region play and defeat Ashford for the sixth straight time. To see the final 56-16 score, it would seem that the Eagles breezed past the Yellow Jackets, but that was not the case. Halfway through the second quarter Ashford led 8-7 over ACA. However, the Eagles responded with three touchdowns in the final 3:46 of the first half for a 28-8 lead and took control of the game.

Coach Michael Summers talks with his team after the win over Ashford.

ACA got the ball first and drove the field to set up a first and goal at the Jacket seven yard line. After three plays, the Eagles attempted a field goal, but missed it to turn the ball over to Ashford. The defense forced a punt after just three plays aided by a pass break up by D’Andre Sneed on third down. The second Eagle drive covered 53 yards on six plays and was capped by a 27-yard touchdown run by Corey Landers for the 7-0 lead. ACA tried an on-side kick, but the ball only traveled about three yards and no one seemed to know what to do. A Yellow Jacket lineman grabbed the ball and lumbered to the Eagle five yard line before being caught by AC Walters. Ashford took the lead two plays later with a score and a two-point conversion for the 8-7 advantage. Alabama Christian’s next drive ended with a punt thanks to a personal foul penalty and the referees enforcing a loss of down after an ineligible man downfield penalty on third down. The first quarter ended with Ashford driving on the ACA side of the field.

Corey Landers runs around left end for the Eagles first score.

Senior Trey Schlemmer killed the drive on the first play of the second period with an interception as he beat the receiver to the spot for the turnover. The Eagles looked poised to retake the lead as they marched 63 yards on the legs of Corey Landers. The drive ended as the ball was fumbled into the end zone and was recovered by the defense for a touch back. The defense again forced a three and out to give the ball back to the offense with 6:31 left in the half. The 58-yard scoring drive started with an eleven yard pass to Corey Landers followed by four running plays and ended with a 25-yard pass down the middle to Schlemmer and the 14-8 advantage. The Eagles recovered a muffed fair catch attempt to put the offense right back on the field. With a short field to work with and momentum swinging their way, ACA wasted no time to add to the lead as Hayes Hunt found D’Andre Sneed on the second play of the possession on a 26-yard pass play to extend the lead to 21-8 with 2:54 left in the half. Taylor Thompson stopped a fourth down run at midfield with 1:06 left in the half to give the Eagles one more shot at points. Ashford had a personal foul called against them on a fourth down attempt that kept the drive alive and allowed ACA to score on the next play on a 33-yard pass from Hunt to Avery Stuart with just 13.5 seconds left in the second quarter. Alabama Christian headed to the locker room with a 28-8 halftime lead.

Trey Schlemmer reaches the end zone in the second quarter.

Ashford started the second half with the ball and would try to regain some of the momentum from earlier in the game. Trey Schlemmer made sure that did not happen as he recovered a fumble on the Jackets third play from scrimmage at the Ashford 34 yard line. It took the offense only four plays to add to the lead as Hayes Hunt found Thomas Stovall on 21-yard pass play for the 35-8 lead. With a large deficit, the Yellow Jackets went for it on fourth down, but were stopped three yards short as Corey Landers stopped the receiver. Two plays later, Otasowie Dion raced 62 yards around right end for a score to stretch the lead even further to 42-8. The biggest cheer of the night happened on the first play of the next Ashford drive as defensive leader Jack Thomas intercepted a pass and rolled 40 yards for a touchdown and a 49-8 lead. The Eagles struck quickly again, after a punt, on their first play on a 62-yard bomb to Preston Hicks from Hunt and a 56-8 advantage. Hicks was the fifth different receiver to catch a touchdown pass on the night as all eight scores were made by different players. The third period ended as the defense held Ashford on fourth down to turn the ball over.

Jack Thomas celebrates with Coach Howard after his interception.

The offense possessed the ball twice in the final period as AC Walters and David Ortiz-Ramirez shared the running duties while Mac Moorer played quarterback. The backups almost scored a late touchdown, but came up just short. Ashford scored with 3:52 left in the game to close out the scoring at 56-16. ACA was able to keep the ball on the ground and run out the remaining time left.

Nate Flowers brings down the Ashford runner in the fourth period.

The team’s 56 points scored was the third most in school history and two individual records were matched in the contest. Hayes Hunt’s five touchdown passes tied Jalen Clark’s mark from last season and Tyson Summers’ eight made extra points tied Cody Lange who accomplished the feat in 2004. Hunt finished the game 11 of 16 for 222 yards and five touchdowns. Corey Landers led the rushing attack with 128 yards on 15 carries and a score while Otasowie Dion had 87 yards on seven rushes with a score. Preston Hicks led the receivers with four receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown. Dion led the defense with seven tackles while Jack Thomas had five tackles and an interception for a touchdown. AC Walters had four tackles as Trey Schlemmer had three tackles with an interception and a fumble recovery.

Otasowie Dion heads for the end zone on a 62 yard scoring run.

Next week, Alabama Christian takes on Geneva in a key Region match up. With a victory, the Eagles would have sole possession of second place in the Region.

Kate Finch Continues to Shine for ACA Cross Country

Sophomores Kate Finch and Zander Costanza were the only Eagle runners to compete in the varsity division of the 5th Annual Trinity Trailblazer. Finch placed third in the girls division out of 96 runners with a time of 20:10.96. Costanza finished 11th out of 113 competitors in the boys division with a time of 18:38.86.

in the two-mile JV run, Maddie Owens finished 5th out of a 44-runner field with a time of 18:27.92. Abby Zenor (8th), Laura Stokley (11th), Annabelle Owens (23rd) and Addi Cline (26th) also ran in the two-mile race.

Alabama Christian Dismantles Dale County in Region Action

The series between ACA and Dale County has historically been high scoring, back and forth games, but the Eagle defense forced five Warrior turnovers, in the rain soaked conditions, in a 48-13 beat down. Dale County possessed the ball six times in the first half, four of them ended in turnovers and one of the two times they were able to punt the ball away, Corey Landers returned the punt for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the offense scored four times in the first half to build a commanding 35-0 lead at the half.

Preston Hicks enjoys one of five turnovers forced by the Eagle defense.

Dale County won the toss and deferred until the second which meant the Eagles got the ball first. The first drive was not a thing of beauty, but it produced points and that’s what counts. Despite two dropped passes and a snap go through the quarterback’s hands on the drive, ACA converted a 3rd and 21 with a middle screen to Corey Landers that covered 41 yards for the opening points of the contest. The Warriors picked up first downs on its first two plays from scrimmage and it looked like the track meet for both offenses was about to start, but the defense stiffened to force a fourth down for the Warriors at the Eagle 35 yard line. Dale County decided to go for it and the quarterback fumbled the ball on the keeper and Joshua Kreitz recovered it for the Eagles. The offensive line asserted its dominance on the second ACA drive as the unit opened holes on eight straight plays for the touchdown. Otasowie Dion carried the first three times to get the Eagles to the Dale County 24 yard line. Corey Landers finished the drive with the last five carries, capping the drive with a fourth and goal score from the two yard line and a 14-0 lead. On the second play of the ensuing Dale County drive, Kayden Findley recovered a botched hand-off exchange on the Warrior 35 yard line. However, the offense did not immediately hit the field due to a lightning delay as both teams headed to their locker rooms with 1:52 left in the first period.

Kayden Findley recovers a fumble in the first quarter.

Coming out of the delay, the offense seemed a little flat for the only time all night. The unit lost three yards on three plays and punted the ball away to Dale County pinning the Warriors on their own 12 yard line. Donovan Emerson moved them back four more yards with a tackle in the backfield on first down and Dale County was forced to punt after just three downs. Since the first two drives had ended with turnovers, the Warriors were probably glad to punt at the end of this possession. Any relief felt disappeared quickly as Corey Landers raced up the right sideline for a 43 yard touchdown on the return. The defense again held the Dale County offense to one yard in three plays and forced another punt. Smartly, the Warriors punted the ball out of bounds to not allow a return. The offense scored in four plays as Hayes Hunt hit Thomas Stovall in the flat on the left side and the receiver did the rest running 44 yards through the defense for the score and a 28-0 advantage. Desperate for anything good on offense, Dale County went deep on the fourth play of their next drive, but Preston Hicks intercepted the attempt to kill the Warrior drive. With 2:53 left in the half, the Eagles would try for one more score. The offense overcame four penalties on the drive, two of which negated plays of over 40 yards, to score with just 37.3 seconds left in the half. Hunt and Hicks hooked up on a 30-yard pass for the final score of the half and a 35-0 lead. Gerrod Green picked off another long pass in the closing seconds before intermission.

Corey Landers celebrates with teammates in the end zone after a punt return for a score.

With the big lead, a running clock was employed for the second half. Dale County picked up a first down on their first drive of the half, but punted the ball away to the Eagles with 7:55 left in the quarter. ACA drove 80 yards on nine consecutive runs to extend the lead to 42-0. Corey Landers carried four times for 21 yards and Otasowie Dion had five carries for 59 yards and the touchdown on a 1st and goal from the two yard line. The third period ended on a Landers interception as the junior starred in all phases of the game. In the fourth quarter the Eagles substituted freely and allowed many players to gain valuable experience. AC Walters took advantage of the playing time in the backfield rushing five times for 45 yards and a 23-yard touchdown run for a 48-0 lead. Dale County returned the kickoff for a touchdown to get on the board for the first time and recovered a muffed catch on their kickoff to set up a second score for the 48-13 final margin. Alabama Christian lined up in victory formation for one snap and the game was over.

Otasowie Dion plunges into the end zone for a third quarter touchdown.

DeAndre Sneed and Jack Thomas led the defense with four tackles each while Donovan Emerson had three tackles. Five players, Jaylan McCovery, Trey Schlemmer, Kayden Findley, Otasowie Dion and AC Walters each had two tackles. Hayes Hunt threw for 170 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half, as the Eagles did not attempt a pass in the second half. Preston Hicks led the receivers with four catches for 47 yards while Corey Landers added two catches for 46 yards and Thomas Stovall had one catch for 44 yards. All three receivers had a touchdown reception. Otasowie Dion led the team in rushing with 88 yards on nine carries and a score while Corey Landers finished with 60 yards on fifteen carries and a touchdown.

Alabama Christian is off next week and will resume play October 1st at Ashford.

Eagles Even Region Record with Road Win Over BTW

As Alabama Christian and BTW met Friday night, neither team wanted to drop to 0-2 in the Region. Both teams lost their Region opener last week and a second defeat would dampen any hope of hosting a playoff game in November. ACA dominated every aspect of the game in the 35-12 road victory. The Eagles out gained BTW 479 yards to 219 and possessed the ball for thirty-five of the game’s forty-eight minutes while the defense limited big plays for the Golden Eagle offense.

The home team received the opening kickoff and punted after three plays as open receivers were missed by the BTW quarterback on two of the three downs. The offense scored on the first drive as they overcame back to back penalties that forced a 1st and 28 from their own 25 yard line. Hayes Hunt hit Thomas Stovall on a middle screen for 17 yards and Otasowie Dion picked up the next 11 on a sweep around left end to pick up the first down and put the drive back on track. Hunt was 5 for 5 on the drive and Corey Landers finished the march with a 14 yard run for the first of many trips to the end zone. BTW produced a second consecutive three and out and the offense was back on the field. On the second drive, the offense continued to work the quick outside passing game and moved their way down the field. The first quarter ended with Alabama Christian ahead 7-0 and on the move for a second score.

Corey Landers heads around left end for his first score of the night.

A few plays into the period, the offense benefited from a pass interference call against BTW on third and goal which allowed Corey Landers to line up in the Wildcat formation and follow Jack Thomas into the end zone from three yards out to increase the lead to 14-0. The drive lasted 12 plays and covered 70 yards while eating up 4:55 of the first half clock. BTW picked up their first first down of the night on the next possession, but gave the ball up on downs with 7:39 left in the half. ACA masterfully worked their way down the field as they converted two third downs and a fourth down to try to score before the half. The offense made it as far as the three yard line of BTW, but could could go no further and missed a 20-yard field goal on the last play of the half to remain ahead 14-0. The Eagles did everything right except put points on the board in the time consuming drive.

Hayes Hunt surveys the defense for an open receiver.

Alabama Christian received the second half kickoff and scored in eight plays to stretch the lead to 21-0. Corey Landers delivered a 17-yard run around left end on the march and Otasowie Dion finished it with a 23-yard gallop for the touchdown. Dion started right on the play, cut up the middle and spun out of a tackle to race to pay dirt. BTW put together their first good march of the game as they cut the lead to 21-6 with 4:55 left in the third period. ACA responded quickly as Landers broke off a 55-yard run on the first play of the drive and finished it one play later from the Wildcat for his third score of the night. BTW turned the ball over on downs to end the third with ACA ahead 28-6.

Thomas Stovall carries defenders to the goal line.

The next Eagle drive belonged to the work horse, Corey Landers. The junior back carried the ball on nine of the twelve plays on the last scoring drive of the night and finished with his fourth score of the contest. Landers would finish the night with 29 carries for 216 yards and four touchdowns. The home team scored with 4:11 left in the game to cut the lead to 35-12, but ACA ran the clock out and never gave the home team another shot on offense.

Donovan Emerson and friends track down the BTW runner.

Hayes Hunt finished the night with 19 completions on 24 attempts for 181 yards and Otasowie Dion had 48 yards on five carries and a score. Preston Hicks led the receivers with 8 receptions for 80 yards while three receivers, Garrett Weathers, Thomas Stovall and Trey Schlemmer each had three catches. On defense Jack Thomas led the squad with five tackles while Schlemmer and Hicks both recorded four tackles. Avery Stuart and Lane Smith each had three tackles.

Lady Eagles Split Two in Midweek Contests

ACA hit the road this week as they visited Catholic on Tuesday and Elmore County on Thursday. The Eagles lost to Catholic in three games as the Lady Knights appear to be a top contender in Class 3A, thanks to new additions to the roster. Top players from PCA and Marbury joined the program this season to increase the fortunes of the team. ACA rebounded and defeated Elmore County in five, as they won the first two games, dropped the next two and won the finale, 15-8.

Alabama Christian had several impressive performances against Elmore County as Paige Henry’s eight aces is a tie for the eighth most in a match and Ella Weed’s nine blocks is the tenth most in a match in program history. Henry also had a team high for the season with 18 kills and Alyson Thornton had a top showing with 37 assists. Cayla Schofield finished the night with ten kills, eight blocks and two aces. Claire Forrester had nine kills, eight digs and four aces while Lynleigh Stephen produced a team high 12 digs.

The Lady Eagles next play Saturday in a tournament in Auburn.

Eagles Fall to St James in Region Opener

The first two games of the year can be viewed as the preseason because, in reality, the real season began Friday night as Alabama Christian started Region play. Over the next eight weeks, the Eagles will play seven Region opponents that will determine their postseason fate. The top two teams from last season met in the first week of Region competition in a pivotal early season match up. Last year, ACA and St James played an instant classic that determined the Region champion and the same was expected this season. The winner of the opener would gain an early upper hand in the standings.

Alabama Christian let too many early opportunities slip away with no points and were never able to recover in a 35-21 loss to the Trojans. The Eagles possessed the ball for nine of the twelve minutes of the opening period, but put nothing on the board to let the Trojans off the hook. St James gained only two yards on three plays in the opening drive of the game to give ACA the ball with just over a minute gone in the contest. The offense drove 48 yards to the Trojan 25 yard line where they faced a 3rd down with one yard to go. The Eagles tried a slant pass in tight coverage on third down and a trick quarterback sneak on fourth down and failed to pick up the yard needed. The ten play drive ended with a turnover on downs. The Alabama Christian defense produced its second straight three and out as Corey Landers pressured the Trojan QB into an illegal forward pass on third down and the offense hit the field with 4:10 left in the first. The second drive picked up 39 yards on five consecutive runs to put the ball at the St James 31 yard line. A holding call and a dropped pass for a possible score stalled the drive and ACA turned the ball over on downs for the second time to start the second quarter.  

The Trojans drove 73 yards in seven plays for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead early in the second period. Alabama Christian punted on its next possession to pin the Trojans back to their own 15 yard line. After a couple of first downs, the defense turned up the pressure and a sack by Otasowie Dion and a quarterback pressure by Donovan Emerson on consecutive plays forced a St James punt. Once again the offense moved early in the drive and marched to the St James 13 yard line with 3.9 seconds left in the half. The big play of the drive was a 22-yard connection from Hayes Hunt to Avery Stuart. ACA looked to trim the lead with a 30-yard field goal attempt, but the kick landed in the middle of the end zone and St James led 7-0 at the intermission.

The Eagles opened the second half with a beautiful 12-play 74 yard drive that ate up 6:40 of the third quarter clock to tie the game, 7-7. The ball was distributed evenly as Otasowie Dion had four carries for 27 yards while Hunt found Garrett Weathers three times for 28 yards and Corey Landers carried the ball three times for 12 yards including the last yard from the Wildcat formation to tie the contest. St James answered in just three plays to regain the lead 14-7. Landers opened the next drive with a 27-yard run and three plays later, Hayes Hunt lofted a ball over two defenders down the middle for a 19-yard scoring strike to Trey Schlemmer to tie the score 14-14 with 2:15 left in the third. Again, the Trojans scored in three plays to regain the lead 21-14 with less than a minute left in the period.

Hunt and Stuart combined for a 36-yard pass play to spark the opening drive of the final quarter and Landers scored his second touchdown of the night from the Wildcat to tie the game once again. St James responded in four plays with another score aided by what can be described, at best, as a terrible roughing the passer call against ACA. Down 28-21, the offense tried to respond again as they drove to the Trojan 21 yard line, but a deflected ball was intercepted by the Trojan defense. St James did not score quickly this time, instead they throttled down the offense and took their time as they scored the final points of the night with just 1:20 left in the game.

Jack Thomas led the defensive unit with 10 tackles while a trio of defenders, Avery Stuart, Trey Schlemmer, and Donovan Emerson each had five tackles. Otasowie Dion had the unit’s only sack. Hayes Hunt threw for 197 yards, completing 18 of 28 passes and a touchdown. Corey Landers was the team’s leading rusher with 95 yards on 19 carries and two scores while Dion finished with nine rushes for 77 yards. Avery Stuart led the receivers with four catches for 75 yards while Trey Schlemmer had the only TD reception on the night. Landers, Thomas Stovall and Garrett Weathers all had three grabs on the evening.

The Eagles continue Region play next week as they travel to BTW-Tuskegee.

ACA Goes 1-1 on the Week

After a busy weekend at the Mayor’s Cup tournament, ACA played host this week to Carver and MA on Tuesday and Thursday. The two opponents are on the opposite ends of the volleyball world as Carver tried to set a record for most double hits called against in a match while MA is a perennial contender.

ACA handled Carver easily in three straight games 25-10, 25-6, 25-7. The service game produced 24 aces led by Alyson Thornton’s eight and Paige Henry’s seven winners. After starting a little slow in game one, the Lady Eagles dominated the match. Claire Forrester finished with five kills to lead the team while a trio of players, Paige Henry, Leighton Peake and Cayla Schofield, each had four kills. Alyson Thornton had 19 assists in the three games.

Ella Weed goes for the block at the net.

Alabama Christian fell to MA in the first Area game of the season in three games, 12-25, 10-25, 21-25. The pattern for the match had MA jump out to a lead early in the games, ACA would make a run to get close and MA would finish each game strong. In game one, Lynleigh Stephen had a nice service run to cut the lead to 10-13, but MA scored the last nine points of the game for the game one win. In game two, Paige Henry ran off consecutive points for the Eagles to make the score 7-9. Once again, MA responded scoring eight of the next nine points and went on to the 10-25 victory. The most competitive game was the last as Eagle runs caused MA to call timeout twice and the game was tied 21-21 late, but MA scored the last four points to complete the sweep. Claire Forrester led the attack with five kills and an ace. Paige Henry had four kills and a team high three aces while Cayla Schofield added four kills. Alyson Thornton and Ella Weed each had three blocks while Thornton led the squad with 15 assists.

Kate Finch Opens Cross Country Season with 2nd Place Finish

The cross country season got underway at the MA Cross Country Invitational on the Huntingdon College course in Grady, AL. Although most of the runners participated in the JV division, two runners competed in the Varsity race. Kate Finch looked in mid-season form as she finished second out of 107 runners with a time of 20:35.26. Zander Costanza was the lone male runner in the Varsity division and he finished in 56th place out of 157 participants.

Eagles who ran in the JV division were Rachel Rine, Maddie Owens, Laura Stokley, Abby Zenor, Annabelle Owens, Addi Cline and Eli Miller.

Zander Costanza runs in the MA Cross Country Invitational.

Alabama Christian Grounds Squadron in Home Blow Out

After dropping the season opener there might have been some added pressure to win the first game of the year but the Eagles were unaffected as they scored on their opening drive and dominated the night in a 47-6 shellacking of Highland Home. The offense was clicking and gained more yards in the first quarter than they did in week one The effort gave Coach Michael Summers his first win as the head coach of the program.

Coach Michael Summers celebrates his first win with his family.

ACA received the opening kickoff and drove 66 yards in six plays to take the early lead. The offense converted two third downs as Hayes Hunt moved out of the pocket to find Otasowie Dion for 17 yards on a 3rd and 3 and Corey Landers ran 37 yards off right tackle for the game’s first touchdown on a 3rd and 5. Two plays later, DeAndre Sneed, separated ball and receiver and recovered the fumble on Highland Home’s 33 yard line. Hunt found Garrett Weathers on the first play of the drive and the Eagles led 14-0 with just over four minutes gone in the game. Trey Schlemmer and the defense threw Highland Home for a twelve yard loss on the fist play of the next drive and forced a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. On the second play of the Eagle possession, Hunt kept the ball and went around right end and outraced the defense to the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown and a 21-0 lead. The next three drives for both teams ended in punts, but Alabama Christian was on the move as the first period came to an end.

DeAndre Sneed recovers a fumble in Squadron territory.

On the third play of the second quarter, Otasowie Dion scored the only touchdown of the night under 30 yards with a nine yard run to increase the lead to 27-0. The score capped a nine-play 59-yard march that lasted a little over 3 1/2 minutes. William Milner had the first of a few standout plays as he broke up a pass on Highland Home’s next drive that ended with a bad snap and the Squadron punter covering the ball on his own 20 yard line. Despite the offensive success on the night, the Eagles were unable to cash in this golden opportunity and turned the ball over on downs. However, the defense came to the aid of the offense as Dion stepped in front of a Highland Home receiver for an interception and raced 33 yards for a score and a 34-0 advantage. After another three and out, the Eagles got the ball back with 3:24 left in the half. It only took 1:59 to score as Hayes Hunt found Garrett Weathers twenty yards behind the defense on a 58-yard connection for a 40-0 halftime lead.

Hayes Hunt loads up to find Garrett Weathers behind the defense.

Due to the lopsided score it was agreed the second half would be played with six minute quarters instead of the customary twelve. A lot of front line players were able to sit out the second half which allowed many younger players to get some much needed time on the field. Highland Home held the ball for nine plays to start the second half, but turned the ball over on downs at midfield. The Eagles ran one offensive play before the third period ended. The backups went three and out, but Tyson Summers delivered the best punt of the season with a 49 yard effort for a touch back. Landon Nelson had a big pass break up to help put the offense back on the field. The highlight of the night came as AC Walters broke around left end and darted 58 yards for a score to increase the Eagle lead 47-0. The Squadron added a score very late in the game for the 47-6 final.

AC Walters runs around right end for his first touchdown of his career.

Hayes Hunt finished the night with 158 yards through the air with 38 yards on the ground and accounted for three touchdowns on the night. Garrett Weathers led the receivers with three receptions for 100 yards and two scores. Corey Landers was the leading rusher with 87 yards on 11 carries and a TD as AC Walters had 55 yards on two attempts with a score. Otasowie Dion scored on offense and defense to help the team. Donovan Emerson led the defense with eight tackles and a sack followed by Joshua Kreitz with five tackles. Three defenders, Jack Thomas, Trey Schlemmer and William Milner, finished the night with four tackles.

Trey Schlemmer brings down the Highland Home receiver.

The Eagles open Region play next week as they host St James.

ACA Splits Four Games in Early Week Action

Alabama Christian split two tri-matches on Monday and Tuesday to move to 3-2 on the season. On Monday, the Eagles beat Tallassee in two games, 25-23, 25-8, but lost to the host school St James, 23-25, 15-25. In the victory over the Tigers, Claire Forrester and Paige Henry each had six kills and an ace to lead the offense. Forrester also had the team’s only block and led the squad with five digs. Alyson Thornton led the team with 15 assists and six aces. Forrester continued her good play against St James with 10 kills in the two-game defeat. Leighton Peake and Henry each had two aces and Thornton added 15 assists.

The Lady Eagles visited Pike Road on Tuesday and beat Lanier easily 25-7, 25-12 before falling to Pike Road in three games 21-25, 25-20, 9-15. Paige Henry became just the third player in school history to have at least ten aces in a game with ten against Lanier. Claire Forrester and Leighton Peake each had four kills while Alyson Thornton finished with 14 assists. Against Pike Road, Thornton led the team with 17 assists and two aces. Henry led the attack with eight kills followed closely by Forrester with seven.

ACA will next compete in the Mayor’s Cup this weekend at the Cramton Bowl Complex.

Lady Eagles Win Season Opener in a Five Game Thriller

Alabama Christian opened the season Thursday night with a home triumph over PCA, 26-24, 25-19, 21-25, 7-25, 15-12. The Eagles took the first two games of the match and looked to be in control as the Panthers won games three and four to tie it up. ACA responded and won the decisive fifth game to close out the match. Coach Manuel Guice was pleased with the team’s defensive effort on the evening.

Claire Forrester and Paige Henry combined for 25 kills, 13 and 12 respectively, to lead the offensive attack and were praised by Coach Guice for sparking the team. Alyson Thornton and Ella Weed each had four kills while Thornton led the team with 28 assists and Weed had two blocks. Leighton Peake led the team with five aces.

Eagles Drop Season Opener in Defensive Battle

For the second year in a row, ACA opened the season with a Thursday night loss to Trinity. The game was a bit of a throwback as the two defenses dominated the contest. Neither team gained more than 200 yards from scrimmage or scored a touchdown, but the Wildcats two field goals proved to be the difference in the 6-0 win over Alabama Christian. First year coach Michael Summers can be pleased with his defense as they showed considerable improvement from last year. However, the offense is a concern as the Eagles managed just 93 yards of offense on the night.

The offense started the night with their biggest play of the game as Corey Landers gained 17 yards on a run around left end. Unfortunately, the unit produced only two more first downs in the half. The defense stopped the Wildcats on four of their five first half possessions allowing just a 23 yard field goal with 1:16 left in the half. The defense did well to allow only the three points as the drive started on their own 23 yard line. The only offensive threat of the half for the Eagles was a nine-play 35 yard drive that ended with a failed fourth down attempt at the Wildcat 39 yard line.

DeAndre Sneed intercepted a Wildcat pass on the second play of the second half to set up the Eagles inside their opponent’s territory. ACA picked up a first down, but stalled on the 21 yard line as they gave the ball up on downs. The next possession started just inside Trinity’s side of the field and again the offense drove down to the Wildcat 18 yard line. The Eagles attempted to tie the game with a 34 yard field goal with 8:30 left in the game, but a high snap threw off the timing and the kick was blocked. Alabama Christian caught a break as a Trinity defender covered the deflected ball at the 4 yard line which backed up the offense. The defense again forced a punt and the offense got the ball at midfield, but could do nothing with it and punted the ball away. Trinity extended its lead to 6-0 with a 32 yard field goal with 1:53 remaining in the game. The Eagles last chance with the ball came up empty and Trinity was able to run the clock out for the win.

Jack Thomas led the defense with nine tackles and a sack while Trey Schlemmer added eight tackles. Gerrod Green, DeAndre Sneed and Avery Stuart each contributed five tackles on the night. Sneed also caught three passes for 20 yards while Preston Hicks had four catches for 14 yards. Corey Landers was the team’s leading rusher with 29 yards while Hayes Hunt finished 8 of 16 for 34 yards through the air.

ACA will host Highland Home next Friday night in their home opener.

ACA Survives Day One of State

ACA was playing in the State playoffs for the 23rd time in program history, but felt a little out of water as they had to travel to another city for the first time. In past years, the Eagles were accustomed to warming up on their own field and making the five minute drive to Lagoon Park to compete for State championships, but this year they made the three hour trek to Oxford.

Alabama Christian's day began against Etowah. Pitching dominated the game and the Lady Devils did just enough hitting to beat ACA 3-0. Etowah decided to pitch around Haley Ingram and went after the rest of the lineup and their strategy worked as the Eagle bats were silent. The game was scoreless over the first three innings when starter Rose Costanza worked out of a second inning jam as Etowah wasted a leadoff triple and looked like she was about to do it again in the fourth. Once again, Etowah led off with a triple followed by a walk, but a line drive, double play to Izzy Warrick at short erased the runner on third. However, the next batter launched the very next pitch over the right field fence for the 2-0 lead. Etowah added a run in the sixth to stretch the lead to 3-0.

ACA's only serious threat to score came in the bottom of the sixth as Skylar Crews and Lawson Borland opened the frame with back-to-back walks. With runners on, Etowah had to pitch to Ingram who delivered one of only two Eagle hits of the contest to load the bases with no outs. The next two batters struck out to become the eleventh and twelfth victims of the Etowah starter and the inning ended with a pop out to second base. With the loss, Alabama Christian dropped to the loser's bracket and would have to go the long way to defend its title.

The second game of the day was the exact opposite of the previous contest. ACA and Haleyville combined for twenty-four runs and scored in every half-inning except the top of the first. Starter Izzy Warrick pitched a one-two-three first inning to get the Alabama Christian offense to the plate. Warrick would single in the bottom half and later score on a Rose Costanza ground out for the 1-0 lead. Haleyville evened the score in their half of the second on the first of five Eagle errors. Haley Oswald gave the lead right back to ACA as she singled in Lawson Borland and the Eagles led 2-1 after two.

The Lions scored three runs in the third on three hits and another ACA error. Trailing 4-2, the Lady Eagles exploded for nine runs in the at bat to take a commanding 11-4 lead. After the first batter was retired, eight consecutive batters reached safely. Rose Costanza started the streak with a single to left followed by Hayley Cassidy reaching on an infield error. Annabelle Pugh doubled in Costanza and KG Taylor singled to center scoring Cassidy and Pugh for the 5-4 lead. After Skylar Crews was hit by a pitch, Haley Oswald, Haley Ingram and Izzy Warrick produced three straight hits to stretch the lead to 9-4. The last two runs of the inning were products of a Costanza double and a Cassidy single which gave Alabama Christian a seven run cushion.

After Haleyville scored one run in the top of the fourth, Rose Costanza relieved Izzy Warrick and allowed just one more for an 11-6 lead heading to the home half of the fourth. Haley Ingram got the two back with a double to center that scored KG Taylor and Skylar Crews for a 13-6 advantage. The Lions scored one in their next at bat, but ACA ended it with four runs in the fifth for the run-rule win. Annabelle Pugh and Taylor both drove in single runs and Ingram sent Haleyville home with a two-run single and the 17-7 triumph.

Haley Ingram finished 3 for 5 with a double and five RBIs while Haley Oswald was 3 for 3 with two runs driven in. Annabelle Pugh and KG Taylor were each 3 for 4 with four runs scored and five driven in between the duo. Izzy Warrick picked up the win and Rose Costanza was solid in relief as she fanned four of the five outs in her 1 2/3 inning stint.

The final game of the day was against a familiar opponent as the Lady Eagles battled with the Golden Tigers of LAMP. ACA couldn’t beat LAMP in the regular season, but were looking for their third consecutive postseason victory over the Area foe on Wednesday. Alabama Christian sent LAMP home for the summer with a 2-1 win and advanced to day two of the playoffs with only four teams remaining.

The match up figured to be a tight, low scoring affair with pitching and defense dominating play. After Rose Costanza faced the minimum number of batters in the first, Coach Goodman pulled the starter after the first two Golden Tigers reached base in the second and handed the ball to Izzy Warrick. LAMP would score one run in the inning off an error, but would not score again. Neither offense could get anything going until ACA came to bat in the top of the fifth. With one out, KG Taylor singled to left and was replaced with courtesy runner, Ava Oates. Oates moved to third on a ground out and scored when Haley Oswald singled to right to tie the game, 1-1. The Eagles scored the go ahead run in the sixth when Izzy Warrick led off with a knock to left and then stole second. Warrick advanced to third on a Katie Chappell ground out and scored when Rose Costanza singled on the infield for the 2-1 lead. Warrick made it stand, but not without some seventh inning drama. LAMP loaded the bases with two singles and a two-out intentional walk, but flew out to Ingram in center to end the game

Izzy Warrick earned the victory with six innings of relief work and scoring the game winning run. Seniors Rose Costanza and Haley Oswald each finished 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead the offense. The Lady Eagles start right back where they started on Wednesday with a 9:00am game against Etowah on Thursday.

Lady Eagles Sweep Three Games to Win Regional Championship

After a mediocre regular season, by program standards, the Alabama Christian softball team has played its best ball of the year as they rolled through the 4A South Regional in Gulf Shores on Friday and Saturday. ACA is now 6-0 in the postseason with three game sweeps in the Area tournament last week and the Regionals this week. The Regional finish ensures an appearance in the State playoffs for the 24th time in 26 years (not including last year’s canceled season).

Izzy Warrick set the tone, in the first game of the tournament, as she set down St. Michaels, out of Mobile, in the top of the first on just seven pitches. Warrick then helped herself in the bottom half as she drove in Haley Ingram with a single to right for the first run of the game. The Eagles were not finished as Katie Chappell tripled to score Warrick and later scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 3-0. Hayley Cassidy scored the last run of the inning on an infield error by the Cardinal pitcher and ACA led 4-0 after one. Warrick struck out the side in the second after a leadoff single to keep St Michaels off the scoreboard. The first five Eagles reached safely in the bottom half as Warrick, Chappell and Rose Costanza each produced run-scoring hits to stretch the lead to 7-0. Alabama Christian added three more in the third as Ingram, Warrick and Costanza each drove in runs. St Michaels scored their only run of the game in the fourth to cut the lead to 10-1 and after the Eagles hit into a double play in the bottom of the fourth it looked like the game would move to the fifth inning. However, Ava Oates drew a walk to load the bases and the Lady Eagles connected on four of the next five pitches thrown and run-ruled the Cardinals 16-1. After a Warrick single, Chappell, Costanza and Maddie Traywick hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to end the game. Traywick’s hit was the first of her career for the Eagles.

Izzy Warrick earned the win in the circle with four innings pitched including eight strikeouts and added three hits with three runs scored as she drove in one run in each of her four at bats. Katie Chappell became the twelfth player in school history to have two triples in a game as she finished 3 for 4 with two triples, a double with three runs scored and four RBIs. Rose Costanza went 3 for 4 with a double, a triple and four runs driven in.

The Class of 2021 celebrates another Regional title.

In the second game of the day, ACA blew open a close game with four runs in the sixth inning for a 7-2 defeat of Ashford. The Eagles opened the game scoring a run without the benefit of a hit for an early 1-0 lead. Haley Ingram led off the game with a walk and stole second on the very next pitch. The senior leadoff hitter moved to third on an Izzy Warrick sacrifice and scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. In the fourth, Rose Costanza drove in the second run of the game with a double to left that scored Katie Chappell for the 2-0 advantage. In the circle, Costanza threw up zeroes for the first five innings as she limited the Jackets to five hits. ACA gave themselves some breathing room in the sixth with four runs and a six run lead. Ingram led off the inning with an infield single followed by Warrick and Chappell being hit by pitch to load the bases. Costanza promptly unloaded them on a 1-2 count with a double to right field and a 5-0 lead. Hayley Cassidy’s ground out scored courtesy runner Ava Oates for the sixth run of the game. Ashford scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Alabama Christian answered with one of their own in the seventh on a Warrick single to put the lead back to six runs as Ashford prepared for its last at bat. The Jackets scored once, but it wasn’t enough as the Eagles prevailed 7-2.

Rose Costanza picked up the victory as the defense behind her delivered a solid effort with no errors. The senior starter pitched seven innings with three strikeouts and produced two of the team’s five hits, both doubles, that drove in four runs. Katie Chappell and Haley Ingram both scored two runs apiece. The win put ACA in the winner bracket finals where they would face off against Geneva who upset LAMP on Friday.

Geneva jumped to a 2-0 lead as the Panthers scored two to start the game. ACA tied it up in the third when Izzy Warrick and Katie Chappell both knocked in runs. Geneva scored two in the next half inning to regain the lead 4-2. The Eagle bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth as ACA plated six runs for the 8-4 lead. After a strikeout to start the inning, eight straight Alabama Christian batters reached safely to help score the six runs. With one out, KG Taylor singled followed by Skylar Crews and Lawson Borland being hit by pitch to load the bases. Haley Ingram tripled to left to clear the bases and give ACA the lead for good at 5-4. An Izzy Warrick single along with a Katie Chappell double and a Rose Costanza single knocked in three more runs and the Lady Eagles led 8-4 after four innings. Coach Chris Goodman called on Warrick to relieve Costanza to start the fifth to give Geneva a different look. The strategy worked as Warrick set down the next six batters she faced and only gave up one run in the seventh frame. ACA tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth with some unselfish softball as batters gave themselves up to score runs. Haley Ingram and Warrick led things off with back-to-back singles to give the offense runners on second and third with no outs. On an 0-2 count, Chappell grounded out to second base to score Ingram and Costanza followed with a sacrifice to get Warrick home and give ACA a six run cushion heading to the seventh. Geneva tallied a single run in the seventh and the Lady Eagles were headed to Oxford with a 10-5 victory and the 4A South Region championship.

Rose Costanza got the win with four innings of work and five strikeouts while Izzy Warrick picked up the save with three innings of one-run pitching with five strikeouts. Haley Ingram paced the offense as she went 4 for 4 with a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs. Warrick finished 3 for 3 with a double, three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. Hayley Cassidy and Katie Chappell each had two hits in four at bats while Chappell had a double and knocked in three runs.

In the last feature of the year, we look back 25 years to the 1996 softball team which was the first full year of fast pitch for ACA. We caught up with Tara Hyte to talk about her time at Alabama Christian and what she is doing these days. The Lady Eagles finished 26-11 and made it to the Sub-state round in ‘96. Hyte led the team in walks and finished second on the team in batting average, hits, double, triples, sacrifices, slugging percentage and on-base percentage and had a 15 game hitting streak during the season. Her marks in batting average, walks and on-base percentage still rank in the Top 10 for a season.

What year did you graduate from Alabama Christian? 1996

What grades did you attend at Alabama Christian? 6th-12th

What is your favorite memory of Alabama Christian?There are so many memories that I cherish, but one my favorite memories was being able to coach and be a part of the Little Dribblers, I always enjoyed working with the younger kids and them always being all smiles while playing basketball.

What is your favorite softball memory? So many to choose from but it would have to be winning the first State Championship (in 1995) for softball. That was a great day and I remember that game like it was yesterday. Coaches and teammates were all so amazing and I can’t say enough about them. I remember them announcing that our baseball team had just won the State Championship while we were still playing. Shortly after that I reember looking in the stands and seeing the baseball team coming to support us. We brought home two State championships that day!

Who took you under their wing when you joined the varsity team? So I was able to try out when I was in 7th grade and the player that I would say did this would be Donna Zorn, who was a senior. She played shortstop and I was on second, we developed a great friendship that I will forever be grateful for. She was always so kind, positive, and encouraging to everyone, a true leader. She wore the number 13 and after she graduated I then started wearing the number 13. I always looked up to her. 

Who was your most memorable teammate? This is a tough one because all of them hold such a special place in my heart, but if I have to name one, it would have to be Lauren Russell. There are not enough words to say what kind of person, teammate and friend she was. 

What teacher/coach had the most influence on you? Coach Ainsworth, she always was there and helped guide me through not just softball, but life while I was at ACA. I will always be thankful for her and all she taught me in every way, but all of my coaches and teachers had an influence on me in such positive ways.

Did you continue playing softball after high school? I played softball at Huntingdon College my freshman year and then went on to play at Georgia Southwestern University.

Where do you currently live? I live in Ellaville ,GA.

What do you do for a living? I work as a nurse at Magnolia Manor Rehab.

Rapid Fire

Favorite TV show or movie : This Is Us

Dream vacation spot : Hawaii

Person I most admire : My parents, although they are both deceased, not a day goes by that I don’t admire them and thank them for everything they taught me, how they loved me and what all they did for me. I strive to be like them everyday. 

Early morning or late night person : Used to be a late night person, but now I would have to say early morning most days.

Alabama or Auburn (or other) : War Eagle, of course!!!

We hope you have enjoyed these visits with former athletes this year and we look forward to catching up with more alumni next year. Join us in September as we highlight a member of the 2011 football team.