Eagles Fall to Trojans in Region Contest

Alabama Christian’s trickery and aggressive play calling kept St James off balance in the first half, but in the end the undefeated Trojans defeated ACA 42-20 The Region loss sets up a must win for the Eagles next week against PCA.

The Trojans won the toss and went against the norm and elected to receive to get their offense on the field to start. ACA tripped up those plans as Darrius Gardner recovered an onside kick and kept the St James offense on the sidelines. It appeared the offense would give up the ball after three plays, but AC Walters picked up 27 yards around the right end on a fake punt to keep the drive alive. The junior back finished the drive with a touchdown on two direct snap calls that covered 14 yards. A second onside kick try was recovered by the Trojans which gave them the ball at their own 46-yard line. St James scored with 5:06 left in the first quarter to tie the score, 7-7.

The next Alabama Christian drive was a thing of beauty. The Eagles manufactured a 16-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 9:54 of the first half clock. The offense overcame two sacks and a holding call to take the lead 14-7 with 7:00 left in the second period. The key play of the drive was 4th and 5 conversion on the Trojan 31-yard line. AC Walters hit Christian Snipes on a throwback to the quarterback. Walters punched it in from one yard out seven plays later. The St James offense started their second drive of the night with just seven minutes left before the half. The potent Trojan offense tied the contest 14-14 with 2:47 left in the second.

For the second week in a row, ACA endured a disastrous ending to the first half. The game officials didn’t do the Eagles any favors with their botched handling of the clock. As the drive stalled, St James used their timeouts and got the ball back with 1:21 left. The 81 seconds left was plenty of time as St James scored in just half that time. A 38-yard scoring pass gave St James a 21-14 lead heading to the locker room.

The second half did not start the way ACA wanted as they lost three yards on their first possession to punt the ball back to St James. The visitor’s offense continued to click as they scored again on another long pass play for a 28-14 cushion with 7:20 left in the third. Down two scores the offense mustered another long, impressive drive. AC Walters left the field injured during the drive, but the offense finished it off to cut the lead to 28-20. Another fourth down conversion was crucial to the score as Christian Snipes connected with David Ortiz-Ramirez for a 16-yard drive extender.

The next Trojan drive produced the decisive play of the game. Down just one score, the defense looked like they had stopped St James on a fourth down to give the ball back to the offense. The ball was fumbled by the Trojan runner well behind the first down marker, but the ball went out of bounds beyond the line to gain. After a lengthy delay and several conferences with each other and both coaches, the officials determined the ball should be placed where it went out of bounds and awarded a first down to St James.

The Trojans took advantage of the break given them and scored early in the final period to take a 35-20 lead. ACA could not overcome the bad break and gave the ball back to the visitors after three plays. St James stretched the lead two plays later and led 42-20 with 9:18 left. The Eagles tried to put together one final effort to cut the score, but the drive ended at the Trojan 13-yard line with 5:11 left in the game. St James took their time and ran off the final minutes of the game for the three score win.

AC Walters led the team in rushing and receiving with 92 yards on the ground and 42 yards in receptions. Christian Snipes finished with 50 yards rushing with a touchdown and 69 yards passing. David Ortiz-Ramirez had 41 yards rushing and 19 yards receiving on the night. Jaylan McCovery led the defense with six tackles. William Milner and Lane Smith both had five tackles while Ari Bowman and Mariner Smith both had four.

Next week, Alabama Christian travels to PCA in a very important Region matchup.

Alabama Christian Defeats MA for the Third Year in a Row

Historically, the ACA/MA series has been dominated by the Vaughn Road Eagles, but this Alabama Christian coaching staff and team looked to make their own history as they beat MA for the third consecutive year, for the first time in program history, with a 28-20 victory. Two of the three wins in the streak have been at MA, including spoiling Homecoming activities on Friday night. The defense recorded a season high three sacks and held the MA rushing attack to 83 yards, allowing just 30 in the second half.

It took a little while for the offenses to click as neither team scored in the first period. MA took the opening kickoff and drove to the ACA 23-yard line, but were turned away by William Milner and Jalen Flowers on a fourth down run to turn the ball over on downs. Alabama Christian picked up one first down its first time out, but punted it back to MA as the drive stalled. The first quarter ended with MA being turned over on downs again on a failed fourth down attempt. TJ Merritt provided good coverage to prevent the conversion for MA.

ACA began the second quarter with a turnover on a mishandled exchange between quarterback and running back to give MA the ball at their own 45-yard line. AC Walters broke up a long pass at the goal line and a bad snap on the next down forced a punt from the home team. Walters was shaken up on the pass play which meant David Ortiz-Ramirez would be the featured back in the series. The lightning fast junior bolted 77 yards past the defense on the second play of the drive to give ACA a 7-0 lead with 6:22 left in the half. A fired up defense sacked the MA quarterback on back to back snaps on second and third down to force another punt. Darrius Gardner and Blake Shaw recorded the sacks on the drive. A 24-yard punt return by AC Walters started the next drive at the MA 36-yard line. Alabama Christian ran the ball on five consecutive plays and took a 14-0 lead with 1:15 left in the second. Ortiz-Ramirez finished the drive with a 15-yard run for his second score of the game. With just 75 seconds left in the half, the only thing the defense did not want to do was give up a cheap score. Much to the dismay of the ACA nation, MA scored on a 39-yard wide receiver screen on the last play of the half to cut the lead to 14-7. The receiver caught the short pass and was surrounded by ACA defenders and then all of a sudden like a magic trick, he wasn’t. The defense, the crowd, no one could believe what they just saw.

The disastrous end to the first half did nothing to alter the focus of the ACA squad. For the first time all night, the offense mixed the pass game into the play calling and seemed to take MA by surprise. Christian Snipes completed all four of his passes on the possession that finished with a 15-yard connection on a slant to Bryant Swindle for a 21-7 lead. The visiting Eagles were not done though as a squib kick was recovered by Jaylan McCovery to hand the ball right back to the offense. Snipes called his own number five of the six plays in the drive that ended with a three yard run for the quarterback’s first touchdown of the year. With 4:29 left in the third quarter, the MA offense finally made it back on the field, trailing 28-7. MA converted a fourth down on their next possession and cut the margin to 28-14 with less than a minute left in the third period.

ACA turned to its ground game in the final stanza. The offense drove to the MA 14-yard line, but missed a chance to extend the lead. The home team scored on their next drive, but Alabama Christian made them eat a lot of time up in the process. The scoring drive lasted twelve plays and covered 80 yards, but took over six minutes off the clock. MA scored with 2:27 left in the game to cut the score to 28-20. Without AC Walters, who was again shaken up on the previous drive, the offense was challenged to make sure MA did not get the ball back. After already running for a first down earlier in the drive, Christian Snipes converted a 4th and 3 to seal the win with 59 seconds left.

William Milner once again led the defense with eleven tackles. Jackson Burton finished with eight tackles followed by Lane Smith with seven. both Darrius Gardner and Blake Shaw recorded sacks in the game. David Ortiz-Ramirez had 120 yards on just eight carries with a touchdown and added one reception for four yards. Christian Snipes had 100 yards on 15 attempts on the ground and 39 yards on four completions through the air. The sophomore signal caller had one rushing and one passing touchdown. Bryant Swindle led the receivers with two receptions for 23 yards and a score.

Next week, ACA returns home and back to Area play with a rivalry game against St James.

Eagles Even Season Record with Area Road Win

Alabama Christian improved to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in Area play with a 50-12 triumph Friday night. ACA traveled two and a half hours to Livingston for its first visit to Sumter Central, The Jaguars were celebrating Homecoming and Senior Night in an event filled night that made the fans want to join the PTF, visit the principal, and not stand on the fence during the game. The Eagles started slow against the much improved home team, but scored three times in the final eight minutes of the first half for a comfortable 31-12 lead.

TJ Merritt’s 21-yard return of the opening kickoff set up the offense with great field position at midfield. The Jaguars were in a giving mood as they jumped off sides two plays in a row to give the Eagles a first down. David Ortiz-Ramirez ran 23 yards on the next play to the 17-yard line as the offense looked poised to score. The next snap brought disaster as it was launched past the quarterback and recovered by the Jaguars at the 40-yard line. Sumter Central scored in just four plays as the drive culminated on a 39-yard pass play to a wide open receiver for the 6-0 lead with 9:14 left in the first period.

ACA’s second series brought a new wrinkle for Sumter Central and future opponents to think about. Christian Snipes came in and split time with AC Walters at quarterback. The move was successful enough that the sophomore took all the snaps in the second half until relieved by the reserves late in the game. The drive ended with a turnover on downs at the Jaguar 7-yard line which backed up the home team’s offense. On third down, William Milner and Blake Shaw combined to stop a run play for a five yard loss to the 1-yard line. The Eagles got on the board as the punter fumbled the snap out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Milner continued to shine as he returned the short free kick to the Jaguar 24-yard line. The offense scored in five plays on a Walters two yard run for a 9-6 lead.

Sumter Central responded with their best drive of the night as they drove 65 yards in eight plays to retake the lead 12-9. It took Alabama Christian just two plays to retake the lead for good. AC Walters hit an uncovered Bryant Swindle for 42 yards to start and David Ortiz-Ramirez finished it with a ten yard run. The defense held and Jaylan McCovery partially blocked a punt to set up the offense on the plus side of the field. Both teams swapped punts and it looked like the half may end with ACA leading 17-12. With 1:52 left in the half, ACA scored in three plays in just 34 seconds capped by a 50-yard Walters run for a 24-12 lead. Not content to run out the clock and get to the locker room, Sumter Central passed on two of its three plays and had to punt it back to the visitors. The failed drive left 38.3 seconds on the clock for ACA. Walters ran the ball three times for 49 yards on the drive and scored from one yard out with 14.9 seconds left in the period for a 31-12 cushion.

The Jaguars started the second half on offense and drove to the ACA 25-yard line where the drive stalled. Surprisingly, they punted from that spot for a touchback, not surprisingly. Christian Snipes took the reins at quarterback and helped drive the offense 80 yards and hit Jackson Burton on a six-yard connection for his first career touchdown pass. After a three and out, the offense scored again as Snipes to Burton worked again for a 43-12 lead early in the fourth quarter. With the 30-point lead, the clock did not stop and the rest of the game moved quickly. Alabama Christian’s last score came on Noah Shack’s first career touchdown as he toted the ball on four consecutive plays and covered 43 yards in the process. Sumter Central scored on the last play of the game for the final margin of 50-18.

The time at running back definitely agreed with AC Walters as he finished with 222 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns. David Ortiz-Ramirez and Noah Shack each has four rushes and a touchdown as they gained 69 and 43 yards, respectively. Four receivers, Bryant Swindle, Bryson Dabney, Ortiz-Ramirez and Jackson Burton, each had two catches. Swindle led the group with 47 receiving yards while both of Burton’s catches yielded touchdowns. Christian Snipes finished the night 6 of 11 for 49 yards and two touchdowns while Walters was 2 for 4 for 47 yards. The tackling machine, William Milner sparked the defense with 11 tackles followed by Lane Smith with eight. Jaylan McCovery, Burton, and Blake Shaw each contributed five tackles.

Next week Alabama Christian visits MA in a non-Area crosstown rivalry game.

ACA Falls to Trinity in First Area Game

In a contest that would test the Alabama Christian football team, Trinity took an early lead and blew out the Eagles late in a 38-6 final score. ACA committed two turnovers in their first four offensive snaps to make the task even more difficult. The first Eagle miscue set up the visitors at the ACA 16 yard line. The Wildcats scored four plays later for the early advantage. The defense kept Trinity out of the end zone after the second turnover as the Wildcats turned it over on downs.

The ensuing series saw Alabama Christian put together the first of two long, methodical drives. ACA ran the ball twelve consecutive times before being held on a 4th and 1. The fourth down opportunity was set up by a pass interference call against Trinity on a 4th and 16 on the previous play. The drive took just over seven minutes and gave the defense a much needed break. After the teams exchanged punts, Trinity scored for the second time in the half on a quick 4-play 63-yard drive to lead 14-0 with 7:12 left in the first half.

Amazingly, that was the last touch for the Wildcat offense of the half. ACA marched the full length of the field as they used all of the clock. Unfortunately, the offense was stopped inside the Wildcat one-yard line as the clock hit zero. David Ortiz-Ramirez touched the ball on the first six plays of the drive (five runs and a catch) for 22 yards to set up a first down at the Trinity 49-yard line. Over the next five plays, ACA mixed the pass and run and forced a timeout from Trinity with 1:13 left in the half as the offense faced a 2nd and 2 from the 13-yard line. AC Walters picked up seven yards on the next play for a 1st and goal at the six. Earlier in the half, ACA was forced to use two timeouts due to misalignment on special teams and defense which came back to haunt them in the closing moments of the half. After Otriz-Ramirez was stopped on second down, ACA had to use their last timeout. Coach Michael Summers started calling timeout with about 28 seconds left, but no official acknowledged him until 17 seconds left. With no timeouts, the offense gambled and tried to run it in on 3rd down, but were held short at the goal line. As the pile broke up slowly, the clock ran out in the first half.

Despite the disappointing end to the half, ACA got the ball to start the second half and had a chance to cut the lead to one score. Instead, the Eagles lost yards over three plays and kicked the ball to its opponent. Trinity kicked a field goal on its first drive of the half to stretch the lead to 17-0 with 6:10 left in the third. ACA went three and out on its next two drives and Trinity took a 24-0 lead at the end of the quarter with a fifty yard touchdown pass. The only score for Alabama Christian was delivered by AC Walters as he returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards through the Wildcat special teams. Trinity led 24-6 after three periods.

If anyone thought Trinity would take their foot off the gas with a commanding lead in the fourth quarter, they would not have been more wrong. In fact, the Wildcat offense seemed even more aggressive as they looked to run up the score. Trinity passed on eight of the next fourteen snaps to extend the lead to 38-6. Finally, as ACA committed its fourth turnover of the night with 2:59 left in the game, the Wildcats put in their offensive subs.

William Milner led the defense with 12 tackles. The senior linebacker is averaging almost 10 tackles per game so far this season. Jaylan McCovery, Lane Smith and AC Walters each finished with five tackles. On offense, David Ortiz-Ramirez finished with 92 yards on 21 carries while Walters added 60 yards rushing and 31 yards passing. Bryant Swindle was the favorite receiver with three catches for 21 yards.

Next week Alabama Christian (1-2, 0-1) travels to York, AL to play Area opponent Sumter Centra (2-1, 1-1).

Alabama Christian Defeats Lynn for First Win of the Year

As much as the outcome of the game was never in doubt last year, Friday night’s match up between ACA and Lynn was a close one-score affair until late in the fourth quarter. AC Walters' third score of the night, with 2:27 left in the contest, gave the Eagles the final margin of victory at 30-20. The win was the first of the year and although everything was not perfect, it was nice to put a mark in the win column for the first time in 2023.

Alabama Christian took the opening kickoff and marched to Lynn’s four yard line before the Bears defense stiffened and kept the Eagles out of the end zone. The offense featured David Ortiz-Ramirez getting outside and gashing the defense with big gains. After exchanging punts, ACA came up with the first big break of the game when Darrius Gardner picked off a Lynn pass and returned it 38 yards to the Lynn 37-yard line. Unfortunately, the Eagles squandered the opportunity and gave it right back with an interception of their own. The visiting Bears put together a 7-play 62-yard drive that consumed 4:26 of the second quarter clock to score the game’s first points.

With 3:55 left in the first half, there was question whether the Eagles had enough to score before intermission. Not only was there enough time to score once, Alabama Christian scored twice before the break. After two AC Walters’ runs gave ACA a first down, the offense caught a break as a mishandled snap looked to be a big loss and drive killer, but a helmet to helmet hit called against Lynn wiped out the loss and gave the offense new life with a first down at the Bear 34-yard line. Finally, facing a 3rd and 5 at the 16 with a little over a minute left, Walters broke through with a 16-yard scoring bolt to close the gap to 6-7. The score looked very similar to the touchdown he had last week against Catholic. The coaching staff and players did a masterful job with calling plays and getting out of bounds on the drive to save the team’s timeouts. The ensuing kickoff hit a Lynn up-man and William Milner recovered to give ACA another shot at scoring before halftime. The saved timeouts proved useful as the team drove to the 11-yard line and kicked a 28-yard field goal to take a 9-7 lead. Tyson Summers' kick came with just seven seconds left in the second.

The team rode the momentum from the first half right into the second half with a three and out from the defense aided by tackles from William Milner and Lane Smith. Lynn had a terrific punt that pinned ACA back to its own 6-yard line. On the first play of the half for the offense, David Ortiz-Ramirez outran everyone to the end zone on a 94-yard lightning strike to extend the lead to 16-7. The visitors responded with a scoring drive of their own and with 7:00 left in the third, ACA led 16-13. As the period closed, Alabama Christian drove into Lynn territory to set up an exciting final quarter.

On the second play of the fourth, AC Walters put a Bear defender on spin cycle as he left him at the 15-yard line on his way to a 26-yard score and a 23-13 lead. Once again, Lynn answered the bell with a long methodical drive running right up the middle to cut the score to 23-20. The march took over five minutes and left 6:34 on the clock in the contest. The Eagles goal was to run as much clock as possible and score late to put the game away, and that is exactly what they did. However, the drive got off to a rocky start as the offense faced a 3rd and 3 with 5:55 left. During the heat timeout it was decided to try and draw the defense off sides with a hard count and it worked. The gift five yards from Lynn gave ACA a first down and they never looked back. David Ortiz-Ramirez carried the rock three of the next four plays to set up a 1st and goal at the Lynn 8-yard line. On 3rd and goal, Walters scored from three yards out with 2:27 remaining for a 30-20 cushion.

Lynn did not quit and three consecutive pass interference calls against the Eagles helped move the ball to the 12-yard line with about 90 seconds to play. Three straight standout plays from the defense shut down the last ditch effort of Lynn. On first down, Ari Bowman broke up a pass. On second down, William Milner, stopped the Lynn quarterback from scoring and also held him short of the first down marker. On third down, Lynn spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1:06 left setting up a 4th and 1. On fourth down, Jackson Burton stopped the Bear runner and the celebration began. ACA ran out the rest of the clock and took home their first win of the season.

The running game was outstanding as both David Ortiz-Ramirez and AC Walters ran for more than 100 yards on the night. Ortiz-Ramirez finished with 187 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown while Walters had 140 yards on 22 attempts and found the end zone three times. Walters completed three passes for 37 yards hitting Bryant Swindle twice for 25 yards and Ortiz-Ramirez once for 12 yards. On defense, William Milner led the way with 11 tackles while Lane Smith, TJ Merritt, and Ari Bowman each had five tackles. Blake Shaw had two sacks while Darrius Gardner had an interception.

Next week, the Eagles start Area play as they host Trinity.

Eagles Drop Season Opener at Catholic

Despite the rainy conditions and the opponent, it turned out to be a pleasant night for football. In fact, after enduring 100 plus degree temperatures last week, the 77 degree reading at kickoff felt downright chilly. ACA struck quickly twice in the first half, but in the end the Knights were just too strong. Catholic cruised to a 49-12 victory over the Eagles.

Alabama Christian received the opening kickoff and although they did not score, they took over four minutes off the clock and pinned Catholic on their own 13 yard line after a 48 yard punt. AC Walters converted a 3rd and 10 with a 14 yard scramble to highlight the series. Two late hits on the drive could have been called on the drive, but neither were. Jackson Burton booted an effective punt to end the series as the Catholic return man decided to let the ball go and not catch it. Lane Smith and William Milner’s tackles on first and second down set up a third down incompletion to force a Catholic punt. The kick was shanked to the right and went only 14 yards to set up the offense at the Knight’s 25 yard line. On the next play, Walters kept the ball and darted up the middle for a touchdown, stunning the home crowd. The extra point was blocked, but midway through the opening period, ACA led 6-0. However, as good teams will do, the Knights responded quickly and took the lead just 59 seconds later. Catholic scored again before the end of the period for a 14-6 lead at the end of one.

Catholic extended the lead in the second quarter with a nine play, 56 yard drive for a 21-6 cushion. Once again, ACA scored on a one play drive as David Ortiz-Ramirez took the hand off and raced 83 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-12 with 7:37 left in the second. Just like the first quarter, Catholic responded with two more scores before the half and took a 35-12 lead into the locker room.

Catholic scored in just three plays to start the third period and then the game moved rapidly as the clock ran due to the 30 point lead by the Knights. ACA would possess the ball three times in the half and was never a serious threat to score. The Catholic backups would add the final score with 2:47 left for the final 49-12 margin.

David Ortiz-Ramirez was the team’s leading rusher with 95 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. AC Walters carried the ball 12 times for 24 yards with a score and completed both of his pass attempts for 14 yards. Bryant Swindle and Jackson Burton had the team’s two receptions. On defense, William Milner led the team with six tackles while Lane Smith added five. Jaylan McCovery, Darrius Gardner and William Meeks each finished with four tackles.

Volleyball and Cross Country Open Year in Athletics

The year in sports kicked off this week as the volleyball and cross country teams both participated in their first action of the year.

In volleyball, the Lady Eagles split a tri-match on Thursday at St James with a win over Tallassee before falling to the host school, St James. In game one, ACA overpowered Tallassee in two straight, 25-15, 25-5. The Eagles service game was in mid season form with 15 aces in the match. Morgan Bond and Josie Dye led the squad with four aces apiece. In the nightcap, the Lady Eagles dropped two in a row 11-25, 11-25. On the day, Taegan Scott had seven kills and three blocks while Morgan Bond had four aces, three kills and two blocks. Savannah Dorman finished with seven assists while Annabelle Pugh had six digs.

On Saturday, Kate Finch represented the varsity cross country program at the MA Cross Country Invitational in Grady. The senior runner dominated with a first place finish with a time of 20:17.84 in the girls division beating her closest competitor by more than 17 seconds. Abby Zenor and Avery Moore both finished in the Top 10 in the JV category to help ACA to a second place team finish.

Alabama Christian Run Rules MA

What a way to finish the home season! Preston Hicks started the home season with two homers against Catholic and Hayes Hunt finished it with two bombs against MA in a 13-3 victory. ACA scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to finish the game.

Neither team scored during the first two innings as both teams managed just one hit. The home team put three on the board in the bottom of the third to start the scoring. Hayes Hunt drilled a long one to center for a 2-0 lead followed by Landon Nelson doubling in Preston Hicks to extend the lead to three runs. MA scored two in the fourth to cut the lead to one, but ACA answered immediately with three runs in the bottom half. Hunt delivered the big blow as he smashed another two-run homer as the lead was stretched to 6-2.

MA scored one to cut the lead in half, but ACA ended it in the bottom half. Jud Graham walked to start the festivities followed by a single by David Ortiz-Ramirez. With two on and no outs, MA made sure Hayes Hunt couldn’t go yard again as they hit him on a 2-2 count to load the bases. Three of the next four batters drew bases-loaded walks to run the score to 9-3. Mac Moorer, Landon Nelson and William Milner each drove a run in with the base on balls. Kaleb Hopkins and Ari Bowman each singled in a single run to make the score 11-3. Graham started the fun in the inning and ended it with a game-ending two-run single and a ten-run victory.

Hayes Hunt starred at the plate as he finished 2 for 3 with two homers, three runs scored and four RBIs and efficiently took care of MA on the mound with a complete game effort. Hunt needed just 72 pitches over six innings with three strikeouts in the win. Three other batters, Preston Hicks, Jud Graham and David Ortiz-Ramirez each had two hits to help the cause.

ACA finishes the season with a doubleheader at MA Friday afternoon.

ACA Beats LAMP on Senior Night

Alabama Christian celebrated its three seniors before the contest against LAMP Monday night and celebrated a 6-4 win over the Golden Tigers afterward. Hunter Barfoot, Preston Hicks and Hayes Hunt’s careers are coming to a close and each senior contributed in the victory. Barfoot gutted out six innings on the mound to pick up the victory while Hicks and Hunt combined for three of the team’s six hits, drove in two runs and scored three runs.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Preston Hicks doubled to center field to start a rally aided by LAMP’s defensive miscues. William Milner and Landon Nelson both reached on Tiger errors for a 2-0 first-inning lead. In the second inning, the Eagles scored two more runs with two outs. David Ortiz-Ramirez and Hayes Hunt both walked and then scored on a single by Mac Moorer and a fielding error by the right fielder. LAMP was able to get on the scoreboard with a two-out single in the fourth to cut the score to 4-1.

ACA answered with two more runs in the bottom half as Hayes Hunt tripled in David Ortiz-Ramirez and later scored himself on a Preston Hicks single. The home team led 6-1 after four innings. LAMP scored one in the sixth to cut the lead to four runs. In the seventh, Hicks came into a save situation after the first two Tiger hitters walked. The senior induced a ground ball and exchanged a run for an out. Down three runs with one out, LAMP chose to sacrifice the runner over to third and the Eagles gladly took the second out. Although LAMP scored its fourth run on a wild pitch, the next batter struck out looking to end the game.

Preston Hicks finished 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI and picked up the save to finish the game. Landon Nelson went 2 for 4 with Hayes Hunt and Mac Moorer picking up the other two hits. Hunter Barfoot earned the win with six tough innings and three strikeouts. Moorer produced two exceptional diving stops at second to get the runner at first at key times late in the game.

Alabama Christian closes out the season with a three-game series with MA starting on Thursday. The two teams will play once at the AUM baseball complex on Thursday and a doubleheader at MA on Friday.

Alabama Christian Defeats St James in Extra Innings

It wasn’t easy and the Eagles made it exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time, but in the end, ACA came out on top in a must-win contest at St James. Alabama Christian trailed by two after four innings, tied the game in the fifth, took the lead in the sixth, and extended the advantage to 7-4 in the top of the seventh. To the Trojan’s credit, the home team scored three times in the bottom half to force extra innings. ACA scored one in the ninth and kept St James off the board for the 8-7 triumph.

Landon Nelson got the offense off to a good start in the first inning with a two-out single that scored Hayes Hunt and Preston Hicks. Hunt set the Trojans down 1-2-3 in the bottom half. The Eagles needed the senior lefty to fight and keep the team in the game and he delivered all day long. St James scored three in the second and one in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.

In the fifth, Mac Moorer sacrificed in David Ortiz-Ramirez to cut the lead to one and Hayes Hunt scored on an infield error to tie the game, 4-4. The Trojans committed six errors in the game to help the Eagle’s cause. With two outs in the sixth, Ortiz-Ramirez drew a walk and stole second base. Hunt drove him in with a double to right to give ACA a 5-4 lead. In the seventh, Kaleb Hopkins drove in the team’s sixth run and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a seemingly comfortable 7-4 advantage. 

Hunt retired the first two batters in the home half, but two walks and an infield error loaded the bases. Consecutive St James singles tied the game, 7-7. A second error reloaded the bases, but Hunt induced a pop-up to first baseman Kaleb Hopkins to send the game to extra innings. Both teams were retired in order in the eighth. Preston Hicks led off the ninth with a double but was still standing on third with two outs. On a 1-2 count, Hicks scored on a passed ball to help ACA retake the lead. Mac Moorer looked to pick up a save as he pitched the ninth frame. After a leadoff walk, the Trojans gave away an out to move the runner to second. The next batter bunted for a base hit to third leaving runners at first and third with one out. For the third straight time, St James attempted to bunt, but Moorer came off the mound and threw home for the fielder’s choice. The last Trojan batter flew out to left and the Eagles hung on for an 8-7 thriller in nine innings.

Hayes Hunt picked up the win with eight innings of work as he allowed three earned runs on 104 pitches. Mac Moorer picked up the save as he blanked St James in the ninth. At the plate, Preston Hicks led the team with three hits in five at-bats with a double and three runs scored, including the game-winner. Hunt finished 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Landon Nelson, Kaleb Hopkins and Ari Bowman each had a single hit. Nelson drove in two runs to lead the team.

The two Area foes are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Thursday to finish the series.

ACA Swept in Doubleheader by PCA

Alabama Christian looked to bounce back after a loss to PCA on Thursday but lost both games of a doubleheader and was swept by the Panthers. The Eagles committed six more errors in the twin bill for a total of eleven mishaps for the series. ACA falls to 0-2 in the Area with the losses.

In game one, the Eagles scored in the top of the first as Preston Hicks scored Hayes Hunt on a grounder to second base. PCA responded with three in the bottom half as they cleared the bases on a single and an outfield error. The Panthers clearly snatched any momentum the Eagles had with an early lead. PCA tacked on two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to build a 6-1 cushion. 

ACA showed signs of life as they strung together consecutive hits and closed the gap to 6-3. Kaleb Hopkins and William Milner both drove in runs in the inning. PCA got both of them back in the bottom of the sixth as Mac Moorer recorded the final out on just one pitch. The Eagles put the first two men on in the top of the seventh, but the next three batters didn’t make it out of the infield for the 8-3 loss.

Five Eagles had hits as Kaleb Hopkins doubled while Hayes Hunt, Mac Moorer, Preston Hicks and William Milner all singled. Landon Nelson took the loss after five innings of work with six strikeouts. Hunter Barfoot and Moorer both relieved in the sixth inning.

In game two, Mac Moorer continued to pitch and took the lead into the sixth inning until two costly errors derailed the chance for the victory. ACA scored first in the top of the third as Moorer and William Milner both had run-scoring singles. Moorer held the Panthers down for five innings on an economical fifty pitches. Unfortunately, a defense that worked for him up until the sixth committed two critical errors.

The inning started with a walk and an error on a fly ball to left field. After a strikeout, PCA doubled in a run and scored again on a sac fly to tie the game, 2-2. A second walk put runners at first and third with two outs, but an infield error allowed the game-winning run to score for PCA. The Eagles went quietly in the seventh, three up and three down.

The offense produced five singles in the contest and no batter reached safely more than once. Mac Moorer took the loss despite giving up just one earned run over six innings with four strikeouts.  

Eagles Drop Series Opener Against PCA

Although the Eagles have played fifteen games entering the contest against PCA, the season really started Thursday afternoon in game one of the Area series against the Panthers. Over the next two weeks, four teams in class 3A Area 6 will compete for two playoff spots. The other teams, MA and St James, also started a series against each other on Thursday.

Both teams had been off for at least a week after spring break, but ACA came out lifeless and PCA jumped out to an early lead. The Panthers scored one in the top of the first on an RBI groundout. In the bottom half, Alabama Christian had two runners in scoring position but failed to produce the run-producing hit. ACA would eventually leave nine runners on base through the game. After PCA scored their second run on a bases-loaded walk, the number nine hitter launched a grand slam to make the score 6-0 and effectively secured the outcome after just an inning and a half. 

PCA added three more in the fifth for a 9-0 advantage. The Eagles finally crossed the plate in the fifth as Hayes Hunt and Mac Moorer hit back-to-back doubles. ACA scored a second run in the sixth but never mounted a real threat. In the seventh, trailing 10-2, the Eagles scored twice as the Panthers gladly traded runs for outs.

Hayes Hunt and Mac Moorer led the offense with two hits apiece as each drove in a run. Hunt took the loss on the mound with three strikeouts over five innings. Jackson McGuire pitched two effective innings in relief to end the game with two strikeouts.

Games two and three of the series will be played on Friday at PCA. 

Lady Eagles Dominate Trinity in Area Play

ACA emphatically thumped Trinity in its Area opener Thursday afternoon 15-0. Although the game was close after two innings, the Eagles erupted for fourteen runs in the third and fourth for the run-rule triumph. Izzy Warrick was impressive in the circle as she allowed just three hits and struck out seven in four innings.

The Lady Eagles scored their first run on a run-scoring grounder from Elizabeth Hall scoring Izzy Warrick. In the third, the first six batters reached base on their way to a five-run frame. Lily Sconyers and AG Blackburn both delivered RBI singles. In the game-ending fourth inning, the first two batters were retired. With two outs twelve consecutive batters reached safely and sent the Wildcats home. 

Lily Sconyers and AG Blackburn both singled followed by an RBI single by Emmah Clement. Sydney Jones doubled in one and Campbell Hammett knocked in two more for a 10-0 lead. Izzy Warrick doubled in two more and the thirteenth run scored on a Trinity infield error. Blackburn and Clement knocked in the last two runs for the 15-0 shutout.

Anna Williams led the offense with a 3 for 3 afternoon with a walk and two runs scored. Five Eagles, Lily Sconyers,, AG Blackburn, Emmah Clement, Sydney Jones and Campbell Hammett, each had two hits and drove in eight runs between them.

Alabama Christian next plays in a weekend tournament in Oxford. 

Bats Come Alive as ACA Defeats Tallassee

Alabama Christian amassed twelve runs and thirteen hits in Thursday’s contest against Tallassee which is as many as they had over their last four games combined. The offensive output was a welcome sight and hopefully is a good sign as the team starts Area play in just two weeks.

Despite giving up a single, Hayes Hunt cruised through the first inning on just seven pitches as three of the four Tallassee batters swung at the first pitch. Hunt led off the bottom half with a walk and as Mac Moorer stepped into the box you just knew what was going to happen next. Sure enough, Moorer was hit by the first pitch he saw. Preston Hicks made the Tigers pay for the two free passes as he singled to center to drive in Hunt. Moorer later scored on an infield error to give ACA a 2-0 lead. Tallassee scored twice in the second inning to quickly tie the score, 2-2. Neither team scored in their next two at-bats, but a Landon Nelson diving catch in right field was the defensive play of the game in the third inning.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Preston Hicks was intentionally walked and the hitters behind him made the Tigers pay. Hunter Barfoot walked to load the bases, Landon Nelson drove in two with a line drive single to center, Ari Bowman drove in another run with a single to right, and Jackson McGuire singled to left for two more runs after a Kaleb Hopkins walk. Five batters in a row delivered after the intentional pass to Hicks. The Tigers scored two in the fifth to cut the lead to three runs, but a double steal by ACA scored Mac Moorer for an 8-4 cushion.

Tallassee failed to score in the sixth and Alabama Christian scored four more times to put the game out of reach. William Milner drove in a run with a productive out, Hayes Hunt singled in Kaleb Hopkins, and Mac Moorer knocked in Jud Graham and Hunt for a 12-4 lead. Moorer relieved Hunt and pitched the seventh to close out the game.

Hayes Hunt picked up the win on the mound with a solid six innings as he gave up just three hits while striking out seven Tigers. Hunt helped himself at the plate as he was one of four players with two hits on the night. Ari Bowman, Preston Hicks and Mac Moorer each collected two hits. Hunt scored three runs to lead the team and Moorer, Jackson McGuire and Landon Nelson each drove in two runs.

If the rain holds off, ACA is scheduled to play Brew Tech on Friday for their next game.

Eagles Fall to Catholic in Another One Run Defeat

After winning 5-4 on Monday, ACA dropped one at Catholic by the same score. The Eagles scored two in the first inning and did not cross the plate again until the sixth. The tying run got on in the seventh in the person of Mac Moorer, but for the third time in the game, the Catholic catcher ended an inning throwing out an Eagle base runner.

In ACA’s half of the first, Hayes Hunt and Mac Moorer were both hit by pitch and Preston Hicks walked to start the action. Moorer is gaining a reputation for the ball finding him in the batter’s box. If he keeps getting hit at this pace his walk-up music will change to “You Wear it Well” by Rod Stewart or “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar. Hunt scored as Hunter Barfoot grounded into a double play and Landon Nelson had an infield hit to help Alabama Christian take a 2-0 lead. The Knights responded by scoring in each of the first three innings for a 5-2 advantage.

Mac Moorer came in to relieve Preston Hicks in the fourth and kept the Catholic bats in check. The sophomore faced the minimum over three innings with four strikeouts. In the top of the sixth, two Catholic errors and a pop single by Landon Nelson loaded the bases with no outs. William Milner worked a walk to drive in a run and, after a strikeout, Jud Graham drove in a run with a ground out to cut the lead to one run. However, the Eagles flew out with the bases loaded to end the threat. The Eagles failed to score in their final at-bat for the one-run loss.

Hayes Hunt and Landon Nelson each collected two hits to lead the offense. Nelson, William Milner and Jud Graham each drove in a run.

Alabama Christian returns to action Thursday night as Tallassee visits. 

Alabama Christian Slips Past Trinity in Close Game

What a great way to start a busy week full of games. The Eagles hosted Trinity Monday afternoon and defeated the visitors, 5-4. ACA took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth and held the Wildcats off in the seventh for the win.

Landon Nelson faced the minimum in the first as he picked off the Trinity runner at first to end the inning. In the second, Trinity loaded the bases with the help of two hit batsmen and scored twice to take the early lead. David Ortiz-Ramirez got Alabama Christian on the board with a two-out single in the bottom half to cut the score to 2-1. The Wildcats got the run back on a controversial call at home to regain the two-run advantage. With a runner on second and one out, Preston Hicks fielded a grounder up the middle and threw to first for the out, but the runner at second did not stop at third and headed for home. The throw from Hayes Hunt beat the runner home, but the runner jumped over catcher Jud Graham and was called safe by the umpire even though it appeared Graham tagged him on the leg.

In the fourth inning, Ari Bowman grounded out and drove in Landon Nelson to cut the lead to 3-2. In the fifth, the Eagles tied the score without the benefit of a hit. With one out Hayes Hunt bunted and reached on a throwing error which allowed him to advance to second as the ball rolled past the first baseman. As the two players came together at first, Hunt inadvertently kicked the glove off the first baseman’s hand into right field. After Mac Moorer was hit by a pitch for a second time, Preston Hicks reached base after another Wildcat error. Hunt scored from second on the play to tie the game, 3-3. 

In the sixth inning, Trinity got very aggressive at the plate as the first two hitters hit singles on just three pitches. On the fourth pitch, both runners advanced on a passed ball. The next three outs were recorded on only three pitches. Unfortunately for ACA one of the outs was a sac fly that gave the Wildcats a one-run lead. In the home half, the Eagles scored twice without a hit. Ari Bowman walked to start the inning and was sacrificed to second by William Milner. David Ortiz-Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Hayes Hunt walked to load the bases with one out. Mac Moorer was hit for a single game-record third time to tie the score at four. After a pitching change, Preston Hicks drew a walk to give ACA the lead. Landon Nelson climbed the hill one more time for the seventh inning and looked to seal the win for the Eagles. Although two runners reached, Nelson coaxed three infield popups out of Trinity for the victory.

Landon Nelson pitched a complete game gem as he struck out three over seven innings. Nelson was one of only two Eagles to hit get a hit. Mac Moorer became the third player ever to be hit three times in a game. Moorer, Preston Hicks, Ari Bowman and David Ortiz-Ramirez each drove in a run.

ACA plays at Catholic Tuesday afternoon for their next game. 

Eagles Lose Close One to Elmore County

After a rainout on Thursday, ACA closed out the week with a contest against Elmore County in the FCA/Jason Armstrong tournament. Once again, the Eagles got good starting pitching and solid defensive play, but the bats continued to struggle. Alabama Christian had chances to tie it up late in the game but came up just short in the 3-4 defeat.

Starter Hayes Hunt set down the Panthers with just six pitches in the first inning and posted another zero in the second. ACA had multiple runners on base in each of the first three innings, but could not plate a run. Elmore County scored three in the bottom of the third for the first runs of the game. The Eagles answered in the fourth with a two-out single from Hunt to score William Milner and again in the fifth as Hunter Barfoot scored on a dropped third strike.

Elmore County hit back-to-back doubles to open their half of the fifth to make the score 4-2. Neither team scored in the sixth which meant ACA needed two runs to extend the game in the final inning. The frame began with a Preston Hicks walk and Hunter Barfoot thought he did too on four straight balls, but the umpire said it was just 3-0 and made Hicks go back to first even though he should have been awarded the base because it was a live ball. Luckily, Barfoot walked on the next pitch and the Panther reliever was pulled from the game. However, the new pitcher lasted for only one batter and was pulled after another walk. With the bases loaded and no outs, ACA looked poised to tie the game, at a minimum, but managed just one run and fell by the final score of 3-4.

Hunter Barfoot led the offense with two hits in three at-bats with a walk. Hayes Hunt and Jud Graham each collected a hit with an RBI in the contest. Hunt picked up the loss but had a strong outing with seven strikeouts with just one walk over six innings.

Alabama Christian will be busy next week with four games. The week will start with a visit from Trinity on Monday.

ACA Drops Opener in Armstrong Tournament

There’s more than one way to get a batter out and two contrasting methods were on display as ACA tangled with Stanhope Elmore in the opening game of the FCA Jason Armstrong Tournament. Starting pitcher, Hunter Barfoot used movement and change of speeds while the hurler for the Mustangs tried to throw it through his catcher on almost every pitch. Barfoot matched zeroes for four innings although the score read 1-0 in favor of Stanhope. The Mustangs were the beneficiary of a blown call at first in the third which resulted in their first run. If umpires were assessed runs for bad calls, the first run of the game would have been charged to the one in the field. In the fifth, Stanhope Elmore hit two solo shots to extend the lead to 3-0.

Neither team recorded a hit until the botched call at first which produced the first safety of the game for the Mustangs. The Eagle’s bats were silenced by the opposing pitcher as the Eagles never had more than one base runner on in an inning. ACA only had two real shots to score but came up empty both times. In the second inning, Ari Bowman was hit by a pitch and after a stolen base was moved to third on a groundout by Jud Graham. Next, William Milner hit a grounder to second, but with the infield playing in, Bowman was thrown out at the plate. In the sixth, and trailing by three runs, Hunter Barfoot singled to right with two outs, but Landon Nelson was thrown out at home to end the inning.

In a game where pitching and defense were going to have to shine, Alabama Christian played their best game of the year. However, the bats could not match the strong pitching performance of the Mustangs. Hunter Barfoot pitched five innings with two strikeouts and had the team’s only hit on the day. Mac Moorer pitched a scoreless sixth in relief. Eight different fielders recorded outs in the contest with just one error.

Alabama Christian will next play Holtville Thursday evening at Riverwalk Stadium. 

Alabama Christian Steamrolls Jeff Davis in Saturday Afternoon Contest

ACA played a rare non-tournament matinee game against Jeff Davis on Saturday. The two foes met Tuesday and the result was the same in Saturday’s matchup. The Eagles won easily 19-1 as they visited Peter Crump Field. The nineteen runs were the most scored by ACA since 2013. The Volunteer pitchers allowed a bevy of runners as they walked ten men and hit seven more.

Despite the lopsided final score, the game was tied 1-1 after an inning. Hayes Hunt scored from third on a wild pitch and Jeff Davis doubled a runner in for their only run of the day. In the second inning, the visitors scored five runs highlighted by a Hunt hit that drove in a run. The other four runs scored on an error, a groundout, another error and a wild pitch. After Preston Hicks pitched a three up, three down second inning, ACA scored five more runs in the third. Six of the first eight batters reached base via a hit by pitch or a walk. Jud Graham drove in the final run of the frame with a single up the middle that scored Mac Moorer.

Hicks struck out the side in the third as Jeff Davis finally made it all the way through the batting order. With a comfortable lead, Alabama Christian swung the bat freely in the fourth and scored eight more runs in the process. Hayes Hunt, Landon Nelson and Ari Bowman each had run-producing hits to stretch the lead to 14-1. Jackson McGuire was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced for the team’s fifteenth run. William Milner and David Ortiz-Ramirez knocked in two more runs while Kaleb Hopkins and Mac Moorer drove in runs with a walk and a hit by pitch, respectively. Bowman took the hill to close out the game and was effectively wild with two hit batters of his own and three strikeouts.

Preston Hicks earned the win on the mound with seven strikeouts over three innings while giving up just one hit. Hayes Hunt finished 2 for 2 with a walk and a double with three RBIs and four runs scored. Hunt’s four runs scored tied a single-game record held by a host of Eagles that was last accomplished by Thomas Stovall just last season. Jud Graham and David Ortiz-Ramirez both went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Landon Nelson drove in two while Ortiz-Ramirez and Mac Moorer each scored three runs.

Alabama Christian will participate in the annual FCA tournament next week and will face Stanhope Elmore Wednesday afternoon. 

ACA Soccer Month in Review

The 2023 soccer season began February 7th for both varsity squads with a visit to Wetumpka. For the month, the girls had a 2-3-1 record with victories over Brew Tech and BTW-Magnet and a tie with Stanhope Elmore. The Lady Eagles were beaten by Wetumpka, Houston Academy and Trinity. In the Trinity match, goalkeeper Marcy Gregory set a new school record with 51 saves. 

Presley Lewis leads the team with nine goals on the year, including a team-high six against BTW in a 10-0 shutout. Chloe Jordan has three goals while Olivia Justiss has two. Jordan leads the team with six assists and assisted all three of Lewis’ scores in a 4-1 defeat of Brew Tech. Marcy Gregory has kept the net in every game but one and has averaged 26 saves per contest. Alyssa Valentine was in goal for the season opener against Wetumpka and recorded 23 saves.

The boys finished February with a 1-5-1 record with a win over Lanier and a tie with Carrol. The team lost to Wetumpka (twice), Trinity, Catholic and Brew Tech. The highlight of the season was a 9-0 blanking of Lanier. Tommy Sutterfield found the net five times on the night while Wes Peake scored twice and Aiden Lee and Marcus Kim each scored once. 

Sutterfield leads the team with nine goals and had scored every goal on the season until the Lanier match. Emmett Sanford has played goalie in every game and has averaged just over eight saves per game.