Lady Eagles Open Season with Win Over Wetumpka

After being rained out last week, soccer season officially began Monday night as ACA visited Wetumpka. Both boys and girls squads looked to improve from last year's results as both teams replace their top offensive weapons from a year ago. Michaelyn Manning graduated as the girls all-time leading scorer and is currently playing for AUM while on the boy's side, Dalton Hutchinson signed to play at Faulkner.

The Lady Eagles celebrate after a goal.

The Lady Eagles fell behind 2-0 to the home standing Indians, but answered in the second half with three goals of their own for the 3-2 victory. Head Coach Kasey Ivey was proud of how hard her girls fought in a very well played game. It took just over ten minutes of the second half for ACA to tie the score at 2-2. Presley Lewis scored the game winner with fifteen minutes left in the game and the Eagle defense kept Wetumpka out of the net the rest of the way. Presley finished the night with two goals scored while senior Lynleigh Stephen scored the other goal for the visitors. Goalkeeper Marcy Gregory recorded 18 saves for the win.

Marcy Gregory stops a Wetumpka shot.

The boys team tried to duplicate the girls comeback as they trailed 3-0 at the half to Wetumpka. Despite a furious effort, ACA came up just short in a 4-3 loss to the Indians. Tommy Sutterfield led the offense with two goals with Tyson Summers adding a third goal on the night. Emmett Sanford had 16 saves in goal.

Tommy Sutterfield winds up for a shot.

ACA Ends Season with Opening Round Loss to LAMP

After winning their last two Area games to cause a three-way tie at the top, Alabama Christian fell to LAMP in the first round of the Area tournament. The Eagles ended up being the number three seed and should have played LAMP (the #2 seed) at the gym of the top seed, BTW-Magnet. Instead, LAMP caught a huge competitive advantage as they were allowed to host the game against ACA. Instead of playing on a neutral court, the game turned into a road contest for the Eagles.

The game was close after a quarter, but the Golden Tigers extended the lead in the second period and took a 22-17 lead into the locker room at the half. The third was the undoing of Alabama Christian as LAMP outscored the visitors 15-3 to take a 37-20 lead into the fourth. The game was played evenly in the final period, but the outcome was already sealed in the 49-30 LAMP triumph. D’Andre Sneed led the team in scoring in his final game with seven points while Devin Mosely finished with six points.

Eagles Win Two Over LAMP to Close Out Area Play

Alabama Christian hosted LAMP to end Area play in the regular season. With a victory, both teams would be tied for first place in the Area. The girls started the night with a 54-44 win over the Golden Tigers and the boys finished the evening with a 47-40 victory over the visitors.

The Lady Eagles gave up a three to start the contest, but ran off eleven straight points to take an 11-3 lead with 4:31 left in the opening period. Two Jaide Newkirk free throws extended the lead to 18-5, the biggest of the half, with 1:30 remaining in the quarter. LAMP clawed back into the game as they outscored ACA 15-7 over the last nine and a half minutes of the half to cut the lead to 25-22. Newkirk and Izzy Warrick led the Eagles with seven points apiece in the half.

LAMP tied the score 27-27 early in the third period, but were never able to take the lead. With the contest tied Rachel Rine, Jaide Newkirk and Izzy Warrick scored consecutive buckets to take the lead back to 33-27. Rine connected on a trey late in the quarter to extend the lead to 42-33 after three. The junior point guard scored the first bucket of the fourth and ACA kept a double digit lead the rest of the game. The Eagles effectively ran the pick and roll in the final period to give the offense a boost. Rachel Rine led the offense with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jaide Newkirk finished with 19 points,13 boards and two blocks.

The boy’s game started the same way the girls game had. LAMP scored the first basket and then ACA ran off twelve consecutive points as they overwhelmed the visitors with full court pressure. The first period ended with the Eagles leading 14-5. Avery Stuart’s three pointer gave Alabama Christian a 23-9 lead midway through the second. The Tigers made a run to end the half as ACA turned the ball over seven times over the final four minutes to cut the lead to five points at intermission.

The visitors from LAMP played close to the Eagles in the third period and took the lead for the first time since 2-0 with 2:52 remaining in the third. LAMP led 36-33 to end the third period. LAMP led 40-36 with 4:40 left in the game, but were held scoreless the rest of the way. ACA finished the game on an 11-0 run for the 47-40 victory. Avery Stuart was one steal short of a triple-double and led the squad with 30 points, 11 rebounds, nine steals and four assists. D’Andre Sneed had six points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Both teams visit Trinity on Tuesday for the final away game of the regular season.

ACA Sweeps BTW in Area Play

Alabama Christian won two Area games Tuesday night as the both varsity teams posted victories over BTW-Magnet. The girls completed the season sweep with a 47-39 final over the Jackets while the boys avenged an earlier loss with a 55-48 triumph over the visitors from BTW.

Izzy Warrick drives to the basket against BTW.

In the girl’s contest, both teams hit a three on their opening possession and then hit a dry spell as neither team scored over the next two minutes of game time. BTW led 9-8 after the opening period. Rachel Rine began the scoring for the Eagles in the second period with a three-point play for an 11-10 lead with 6:03 left in the half. However, the Lady Jackets outscored ACA 11-1 over the next three minutes to take their biggest lead of the game, at 20-12, with 2:46 remaining in the quarter. The Lady Eagles erased the lead in just fifty-nine seconds as Rine’s three gave the home team the lead for good, 21-20. ACA finished the half with an 11-0 run to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room. Alabama Christian extended its lead to double digits in the third period and led 38-29 after three. The lead ballooned to fifteen points with an Izzy Warrick layup with 4:46 remaining for a 47-32 lead. BTW scored the last six points of the game for the final margin of 47-38. Rachel Rine paced the offense with 17 points and four rebounds. Izzy Warrick finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four steals while Jaide Newkirk had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Katelyn Sutton led the squad with seven steals and four assists on the night.

Gerrod Green works down low against the Jackets.

In the nightcap, Avery Stuart and Gerrod Green came off the bench to spark the offense in a much needed Area win. The teams played a close first half until BTW hit threes on back to back possessions before intermission to take a 30-21 lead. The Jackets scored the first basket of the second half to open up an eleven point lead over ACA. The Eagles responded by scoring the game’s next nine points to cut the lead to two midway through the third. BTW again closed the quarter with a three pointer to tie the game 40-40 heading into the fourth period. Stuart scored the first nine points in the quarter for the Eagles as he turned up his game. The junior scored twice on put backs on the offensive glass and once on a steal and score to put his team up 49-42. The contest was played evenly the rest of the way with ACA prevailing 55-48. Avery Stuart led all scorers with 25 points and added nine rebounds and three steals. Gerrod Green scored ten points while D’Andre Sneed finished with eight points, four rebounds and two blocks.

The boys team will host PCA Thursday night while both teams will visit Wetumpka to end the week.

Both Varsity Teams Split Games to End the Week

The ACA varsity teams both split their last two games of the week. The Eagles defeated Thorsby at home on Thursday night, but dropped Area games at LAMP on Friday.

On Thursday, the boys team played its second straight game without second leading scorer, Gerrod Green and, leading scorer, Avery Stuart was out as well. The Eagles were beaten by Thorsby earlier in the season, but the squad played with a fight and determination not seen often enough this season. Alabama Christian outscored the Rebels 39-28 in the second and third periods in the 63-58 triumph. Mason Kimbro led the team with 17 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Isaac Warrick produced a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Four other Eagles scored at least seven points as the offense was evenly distributed.

D’Andre Sneed drives to the hole against the Rebels.

Friday night ACA played its second Area game of the year as they visited LAMP. The team jumped out to a 7-1 lead as Devin Mosely hits two baskets and Mac Moorer nailed a three for the early momentum. LAMP closed the gap and Alabama Christian led 11-9 at the end of one. in the second period, ACA started fast again and built a 17-10 lead with 6:18 left in the half. Both teams went cold and neither team scored for three minutes until Clay Williams hit two free throws to build a 19-10 lead. ACA took a 25-17 lead into the locker room. The game stayed tight through the third quarter and the Eagles took a 36-30 lead into the final quarter. The lead disappeared as LAMP took the lead just 90 seconds into the period. The home team stretched the lead to 46-39 with just over two minutes left in the contest. The Eagles tied the game in a minute and four seconds as D’Andre Sneed scored a bucket, Mac Moorer drained a three and after a steal and foul Sneed hit two freebies to tie the game with 1:02 left. LAMP held the ball and was either going to win it or force overtime. Unfortunately, LAMP hit a shot with 1.5 seconds left in the game to come away with a 48-46 win over ACA. D’Andre Sneed led the team with 17 points, four rebounds and four steals while Mac Moorer added eight points with three rebounds.

Isaac Warrick plays tough defense against LAMP.

The Lady Eagles jumped on Thorsby early and led 18-7 after a quarter. The Lady Rebels closed the gap in the second quarter, but ACA outscored its opponent 32-14 in the second half to blow the game open in the 53-32 victory. ACA forced 27 Thorsby turnovers which led to 16 fast break points. Junior Rachel Rine led the team with an all-around performance of 14 points with eight rebounds, four steals and four assists. Jaide Newkirk added 11 points with nine boards with Katelyn Sutton scoring nine points with five steals.

Katelyn Sutton brings the ball up against Thorsby.

ACA started slowly Friday night and trailed 16-6 after the first quarter. The Eagles settled down in the second and cut the lead to 24-20 led by Izzy Warrick who had six points in the period. Rachel Rine was hot in the third quarter with eleven points, but was the only Eagle to score in the period. LAMP took advantage and stretched the lead to fourteen points with a 45-31 lead after three quarters. The teams played evenly in the fourth, but ACA could not overcome the third quarter deficit as LAMP won 65-52. Rachel Rine led all scorers with 24 points as she connected on 13 of 16 free throws. Rine matched Carlie Ainsworth’s school record, set in 2005, for most made free throws in a game. Izzy Warrick scored 14 points with four rebounds while Jaide Newkirk added six points with seven rebounds.

Rachel Rine hits one of her record setting free throws against LAMP.

Lady Eagles Open Area Play with Win Over BTW-Magnet

Wins have been hard to find this season for the varsity basketball teams, but the good news is only four games really count towards the postseason. Area play started Tuesday night as ACA traveled to Lanier High School to play BTW-Magnet. Both varsity teams have defeated the Yellow Jackets in earlier tournaments this year which hopefully would translate into confidence for both teams.

The girls team took advantage of their opportunity and defeated the Yellow Jackets 62-43 to move to 1-0 in Area play. The Eagles started slowly and led by two points after the first and second quarters. BTW’s leading scorer had 17 of the Jackets 24 points in the half. Alabama Christian turned the pressure up with full court defense and pulled away from the home team, outscoring BTW 36-19 in the second half. ACA had four players in double figures in an even scoring offensive effort. Izzy Warrick led the squad with 21 points while Rachel Rine (12), Katelyn Sutton (12) and Jaide Newkirk (11) each hit double digits.

Unfortunately, the boys team did not take advantage of their opportunity as they wilted under the BTW pressure in 58-36 loss. After a close first period, the Yellow Jackets outplayed, out hustled and plainly wanted the game more that the Eagles. Alabama Christian turned the ball over thirty times and gave up fifteen offensive boards. Avery Stuart led the team with 12 points and seven rebounds. Isaac Warrick finished with eight points and four rebounds while Mac Moorer had five points off the bench.

Both teams host Thorsby Thursday night in their next contest.

Week In Review - Eagles Host Local Rivals During the Week

ACA played two of its oldest rivals this week as St James and Trinity visited the Eagle gymnasium. Alabama Christian has played St James and Trinity 199 times each in varsity basketball over the years. The Eagles have only played Catholic and MA more often in their history.

The week started with St James and the Trojans dominated both games for easy victories. In the boy’s game, St James pounded the post and ACA had no answer underneath. The Trojans dominated the inside game as they outscored the Eagles by twenty-six points in the paint in the 55-25 victory. The twenty-five points scored by Alabama Christian was the lowest total since 2012. ACA trailed (score) at the end of the first period, but were outscored (16-1?) in the second and let the game slip away from them. The lone point of the quarter was scored just twenty seconds before halftime. The Trojans widened the gap in the second half for the easy thirty-point win. Avery Stuart led the team with seven points and four rebounds while Gerrod Green added five points. Isaac Warrick had a team-high six rebounds.

In the girl’s game, St James only had two offensive options, but both players scored at will to help the Lady Trojans to the 62-37 victory. As in past seasons, the Eagles had trouble with the half court pressure used by St James and never got into a rhythm offensively. St James led by ten at the end of the first and stretched the lead as they outscored the Eagles in each quarter. Jaide Newkirk led the team, as she recorded a double-double, with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Katie Chappell had seven points with four rebounds and four steals. Katelyn Sutton and Izzy Warrick each scored five points. 

Friday night, the Eagles hosted Trinity and the girls had trouble handling pressure against the Wildcats. Trinity forced 19 first half turnovers in a game that was never competitive as they built a 39-6 halftime lead. Alabama Christian’s offense was a little better in the second half, but the Wildcats held a comfortable lead throughout. The final score was 64-20 in favor of Trinity. Rachel Rine was the team’s leading scorer netting eight points with three rebounds followed by Izzy Warrick with four points.

Although the boys came up short against Trinity, the team showed fight that had not been seen previously this season. The Wildcats led 17-7 after a quarter and 35-21 at the break and it felt like another game of going through the motions for the Eagles. However, the second half was a different story. Isaac Warrick, Avery Stuart and Gerrod Green combined to score the first ten points of the second half to cut the lead to four points. The Eagles held Trinity to just seven points in the period and trailed 41-42 headed to the final quarter. Clay Williams gave ACA the lead, 44-42, as he completed a three point play to open the fourth. The game was tied 53-53 as Stuart hit two free throws with 1:35 left in the game. Trinity closed the game by scoring the last six points and coming away with a 59-53 road win. Avery Stuart had 25 points with five rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Gerrod Green and Isaac Warrick each finished with nine points.

Next week, both squads will participate in the CCC Christmas Tournament.

Week in Review - Guthrie Notches First Win as ACA Coach

Augusta Guthrie picked up her first win of the season as the leader of the Lady Eagle program in a 41-23 victory at Thorsby on Thursday night. Alabama Christian faithful hope this is the first of many wins in the long tenure of Coach Guthrie as she leads the girl’s basketball program. The girls lost two out of three as they had a busy week coming off Thanksgiving break. The boys lost both games they played this week.

Coach Guthrie talks to her team during a timeout.

The week began with a Tuesday matchup against MA. Only the girls played on Tuesday due to MA still being in the football playoffs, although they managed to field a team for their own Thanksgiving tournament the previous week. MA is a perennial power in girls basketball and they dominated the game from the opening tip. The visiting Eagles scored the first eleven points of the game and led 17-1 after a quarter. Katie Chappell closed the first half with back-to-back buckets but ACA still trailed 27-8 at the break. The deficit grew in the second half and the Lady Eagles were beaten 52-17. Izzy Warrick led the Eagles with seven points, four rebounds and four steals. Katie Chappell and Rachel Rine each scored four points while Chappell pulled down a team high eight rebounds.

Izzy Warrick drives for two.

The Lady Eagles hit the road for the first time this season on Thursday night with a visit to Thorsby. The Rebel’s gym was barely bigger than the court as about twelve inches separated the baseline and the wall. The Rebel offense was Arctic Circle cold in the first half as they scored just one bucket from the field. ACA did not take advantage of the anemic offense and led just 14-4 at the break. Rachel Rine came off the bench to spark the squad and scored eight of the team’s fourteen first half points, including a four-point play on her very first shot. The Eagles led 12-1 after one period, but managed only two points in the second quarter for the ten-point halftime lead. The two teams played evenly in the third period as ACA increased its lead by just one point, to 22-11, headed into the final quarter. Katie Chappell scored four of the team’s eight points in the quarter to help keep the lead in double digits. The two teams combined to score just 33 points over the first three quarters, but exploded in the fourth period to combine for 31 points. The Rebels cut the lead to 27-22 halfway through the period, but ACA responded with a 14-1 run to finish the game for the 41-23 triumph. The Lady Eagles moved the ball and found the post to pull away late as four of the last six baskets were assisted. Rachel Rine led the team with 14 points followed by Izzy Warrick with 11 points, four rebounds and four steals. Katie Chappell finished with six points and a team high eleven rebounds while Katelyn Sutton led the squad with six assists.

Rachel Rine takes a shot against Thorsby.

After nine days off, the boys team played Thorsby on Thursday night and the rust showed. The team could not put together an extended stretch of winning basketball and it cost them in the 66-48 loss to the Rebels. The game was close through the first two quarters as the 28-21 advantage Thorsby had at the half was the biggest lead for either team. Avery Stuart put the team ahead, 10-9, for the last time with a little more than two minutes left in the first period. With the game tied 14-14, Thorsby closed the first half on a 14-7 run to take the lead into the locker room. The Eagles showed a spark of life to start the second half as Devin Mosely scored and Gerrod Green added a free throw after a steal in the first forty seconds of the period to cut the lead to four points. The home team scored the next nine points over the next two minutes as ACA committed two turnovers and gave up three offensive rebounds during the stretch. Isaac Warrick and Stuart combined for six consecutive points to cut the score to 30-37 for the last serious run the Eagles had on the night. Thorsby led 47-34 after three quarters and led by double figures throughout the final period. Avery Stuart finished with 28 points and three rebounds. Isaac Warrick had eight points, eight rebounds and three steals while Gerrod Green had eight points, seven rebounds and five steals.  

Avery Stuart hammers one at Thorsby.

The week ended with both varsity teams hosting Highland Home. In the girls game, points were hard to come by as the teams combined to miss 35 free throws on the night. Jaide Newkirk carried the offensive load as she scored eight of the team’s eleven first half points. Highland Home outscored the Eagles 11-2 to start the second half to build a 26-13 lead with three minutes left in the third period. ACA cut the lead to five late in the game, but missed several key free throws to prevent them from getting any closer. The Squadron did just enough to record the 37-30 road win. Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 19 points with eight rebounds. Rachel Rine finished with five points, four rebounds and three steals while Katie Chappell had four points, thirteen rebounds and three assists.

Jaide Newkirk lays in two of her team high nineteen points.

The boys game pitted a very big, confident team in Highland Home against the Eagles who are still trying to find an identity this season. ACA kept it close in the first quarter as Avery Stuart hit two threes early to keep it tight. The Squadron led 20-15 at the end of the quarter. The game got away from Alabama Christian in the second quarter as Highland Home blanked the home team 18-0 over the first six minutes of the period. The lead had ballooned to 42-19 by halftime in favor of the visitors. The second half was much of the same and Highland Home cruised to a 73-43 win over Alabama Christian. Avery Stuart was the top scorer with 15 points while Gerrod Green had eleven and D’andre Sneed had eight points.

D’andre Sneed goes coast to coast for two against Highland Home.

Both squads will host St James and Trinity next week.

ACA Opens Varsity Basketball Schedule

Alabama Christian opened the Varsity basketball season Friday night as the boys and girls hosted Marbury. The Bulldogs were a late replacement on the schedule due to Highland Home still being in the football playoffs. Both Eagle teams will look much different in 2021/2022. Second year coach Steven Thomas has only two players returning from last year's squad on the boys team as six players graduated and three decided not to participate this season. The girls have a new coaching staff as Augusta Guthrie takes the reins, assisted by Spenser Cantrell. Both coaches played college ball at Faulkner. The Lady Eagles will be very young this season as seven of the eleven players are freshmen.

Jaide Newkirk brings in a rebound in the middle of the Marbury team.

The Lady Bulldogs reached the 5A Final Four last year and ACA would have their hands full against a quality opponent. The game was close in the opening quarter as Katie Chappell put the Eagles up 9-8 on a feed from Rachel Rine with just over two minutes left in the period. Chappell scored seven of the nine points in the first as Marbury led 13-9 headed to the second quarter. Marbury subbed a new five in the second period, which might have been their starters, and they cruised to a 40-15 lead at the half as they outscored the Eagles 27-6 in the quarter. Alabama Christian continued to fight in the second half and outscored the Lady Dawgs 17-11 in the third period. The Eagles got as close as sixteen down at 45-29 after Katelyn Sutton, Izzy Warrick and Jaide Newkirk scored on three consecutive possessions. Marbury led by nineteen at the end of the third and went on to beat ACA 67-40.

Izzy Warrick gets ready on defense.

Katie Chappell opened her senior season with a double-double as she led the squad with 19 points and 16 rebounds with four steals. Newcomer Rachel Rine scored seven points with a team high four assists while Jaide Newkirk and Izzy Warrick each scored five points.

The boys game was tight throughout as neither team led by more than seven points. After allowing Marbury to score the first five points of the game, ACA chipped away at the lead and tied the game 9-9 after Gerrod Green had a steal and a bucket. Mason Kimbro hit a basket at the end of the quarter to give Alabama Christian a 14-13 advantage after a quarter. The Bulldogs outscored ACA 9-1 to start the second period, but the Eagles quickly tied it after back-to-back threes by Avery Stuart. Three more buckets gave ACA its biggest lead at 30-23 late in the half. Marbury hit three free throws in the final ninety seconds to close the gap to 30-26 at the half.

Avery Stuart tips off the season against Marbury.

Marbury retook the lead midway through the third period and the lead changed hands four times over the final four minutes of the quarter as Marbury led 43-38 after three. The Eagles had to fight the whole fourth quarter to climb their way back in it after falling behind 47-40 with 6:33 left in the game. The home team got as close as one point down, but could never take the lead back. Twice, the Eagles had chances to take the lead with the ball, but failed to score both times. Marbury outscored Alabama Christian 5-0 over the final 26 seconds to pull out the 62-55 victory.

Gerrod Green scores two from close range.

Avery Stuart led the team with 18 points with seven rebounds and three steals. Gerrod Green scored 14 points with seven steals and five boards. Mason Kimbro and Clay Williams both scored eight on the night as Williams also collected five rebounds.

Both teams will play in a Thanksgiving tournament hosted by Alabama Christian next week.

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.