ACA Falls in Area Play to MA

Alabama Christian looked to make a move in the Area with success against MA Tuesday night, but the visiting Eagles won both games to move ACA down in the standings. The girls were never into the game and didn’t score their first basket until midway through the third period in a 13-40 loss to a very mediocre team. The Lady Eagles (9-9) could not handle the basic press from MA and looked to be doing their own thing on offense. In the first period, ACA missed all fourteen shots attempted, ten from the floor and four from the line, and trailed 0-8 after one. In the second, Katelyn Sutton finally got the Eagles on the board with 3:47 left in the half as she made one of two free throws to cut the score to 1-10. ACA would not score again in the half and trailed 1-16 at intermission. Alabama Christian missed all fifteen shots from the field while committing seventeen turnovers and making just 1 of 10 free throws.

Despite playing arguably the worst half in program history, ACA only trailed by fifteen and was hoping to regroup and play a better half of basketball. Unfortunately, the home team never even got the deficit to under fifteen in the half. Jaide Newkirk scored the first field goal with 5:10 left in the third and ACA trailed 9-28 after three. The fourth period was much the same as MA prevailed 40-13.

Jaide Newkirk led the anemic offensive attack with six points and added six rebounds and three blocks. Addison Smith was the team’s leading rebounder with seven while Katelyn Sutton’s three steals led the team.

The boys game followed the same pattern as Trinity just four days ago. ACA (13-6) was able to hang close for three and a half quarters, but the lack of depth once again proved costly down the stretch. In the fourth, the Eagles managed just three points and were outscored by ten. ACA jumped out early and led 13-5 with a minute left in the first when Tyree Saadiq picked up his third foul. Connor Mark and Darius Gardner combined for ten of the thirteen points to spark the offense. After Saadiq went to the bench, both teams scored once and ACA led 15-7 after one. For most of the period Saadiq’s absence did not adversely affect the home team. Alabama Christian led 29-22 with 2:32 left, but MA closed the half on a 13-0 run and led 35-29 at the half.

ACA was able to cut the lead to four, 43-47, late in the third, but it was as close as they were able to get. In fact, MA closed the third and began the fourth by scoring the next thirteen points to open a 60-43 lead with four minutes left. The final margin was eighteen points in the 46-64 loss.

Mac Moorer was the team’s top scorer with 13 points while Connor Mark added 11 with five assists and four rebounds. Darius Gardner led the team with 10 rebounds while Tyree Saadiq recorded three steals.

Alabama Christian continues Area play Friday night as they play host to St James.

ACA Loses to Trinity in Area Competition

The Lady Eagles wrapped up the toughest three game stretch a team could have with a contest against Trinity Friday night. Last Saturday, ACA started the trio of games against the three-time defending State champ PCA, followed by St James on Tuesday, and finished with last year’s State champ, Trinity. The Lady Wildcats roster is loaded as the Birmingham to Montgomery pipeline is alive and well. Last year, Trinity added a player from Mountain Brook and this season a trio of sisters, formerly of Briarwood Christian, have been added to the roster.

ACA trailed 24-5 after a quarter and the outcome was never in doubt. Trinity had an answer for everything the Eagles offered and controlled the game from the outset. Despite the large lead and the game in hand, the visiting coaches pleaded for every single call. Trinity cruised to an 82-22 victory. Katelyn Sutton led the team with eight points followed by Izzy Warrick with six points.

The boys looked to extend their winning streak as they hosted the Wildcats, but knew this one would be difficult. The visitors pulled away in the fourth period as the lack of depth for ACA was evident. In addition, the Wildcats went to the line twenty-seven times (making twenty-two of them) as compared to eleven attempts for ACA.

The first half was close as neither team led by more than five points. Mac Moorer scored half of the team’s twenty-four first half points, on four 3-pointers, as the Eagles trailed 24-26 at the break. In the third period, Alabama Christian tied the score twice, but could never take the lead. The third ended with a Moorer three, the old fashioned way as he was fouled after scoring. Trinity led 40-39 after three. Early in the fourth, Sam Davidson nailed a three to give ACA a two-point lead, but the Wildcats outscored the Eagles 20-7 over the final six minutes. Eleven of those points came from the charity stripe which kept the Eagles from making a serious run late.

Mac Moorer led the team with 17 points and added three rebounds. Darius Gardner had 14 points and seven rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks.

ACA continues Area competition next Tuesday, January 16th, as they host MA.

Alabama Christian Defeats St James in Area Opener

Alabama Christian (13-4) opened Area play in the best way possible with a road win over St James. On Saturday, the Eagles held PCA to eight second half points and the defense did it again on Tuesday as they limited the Trojans to twelve over the final two quarters. The game was tied at the half as Darius Gardner and Mac Moorer combined for 15 of the team’s 22 points. Gardner carried the offense in the second half as the senior scored 17, five more points than the home team. The Eagles led 37-27 after three and continued to pull away in the fourth for a final score of 52-34.

Darius Gardner was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points while Mac Moorer scored 14 points, hitting all four of his free throws in the fourth period. Sam Davidson finished with five points followed by Conner Mark (4), Tyree Saadiq (2), and AC Walters (2).

The Lady Eagles (9-7) faced a very strong opponent for the second game in a row in an Area contest with St James. The Trojans overwhelmed ACA early and dominated in a 76-24 victory. Jaide Newkirk led the offense with eleven points while Katelyn Sutton scored eight, followed by Izzy Warrick with five.

Alabama Christian continues Area play on Friday as they host Trinity.

ACA WIns Two in Weekend Action

Alabama Christian improved their season record to 12-4 as they picked up road wins on Friday and Saturday. The two victories extended the Eagles winning streak to eight games which is the longest since ACA won the first nine games of the 1993-94 season. Ellwood Christian went quietly on Friday, losing by over forty points, 67-26. ACA led 17-5 after the first period and the rout was on. Conner Mark and Mac Moorer both scored 20 points to lead the offense. Alabama Christian has won all four contests against Ellwood in the series by an average of forty-eight points per game.

Saturday night saw the level of competition go up as the Eagles visited PCA. The defense stifled the Panthers in the second half as they shutout the home team over the final twelve minutes in the 44-29 triumph. The game was physical both ways early which started a game long discussion between the PCA coach and the officials about when an offensive foul should be called. The Panthers picked up three fouls in the first fifty-nine seconds of the game. After each team’s initial score, the offenses went on ice. Neither team scored over the middle four minutes of the quarter as the team’s combined for nine missed shots, four turnovers, and five fouls. The period ended in a 6-6 tie.

Conner Mark opened the second quarter with consecutive scores to give ACA a 10-6 advantage. After a Panther three, Mac Moorer scored followed by a Mark bomb to give the Eagles their biggest lead of the half, 15-9. PCA answered and took the lead late in the half until Moorer connected on a heavily contested three to give ACA a 23-21 lead at the half. The three was Moorer’s 100th of his career and came at a crucial time in the game. The junior is the tenth player in program history to make at least 100 threes. Mark and Moorer each scored seven points to lead the offense in the half.

Both teams traded scores to start the second half as the Panthers retook the lead 29-28 midway through the third. It would be the last points the home team would enjoy as they missed their last fourteen shots. Conner Mark responded with a three on the next possession and ACA never trailed again. The last score of the period showed the grit and determination of the Eagle’s squad and in particular, Darius Gardner. The senior refused to let PCA have the ball and corralled five offensive rebounds in one possession which finally ended with a Mac Moorer three-ball. The team and the fans were fired up after the Herculean effort. PCA immediately called a timeout to curb the momentum, but it was too late. Alabama Christian showed they wanted it worse than the home team. Like the second quarter, Mark opened the fourth with consecutive scores to build the lead to 39-29. At this point, ACA slowed the pace and took their time as they scored five more points over the final five minutes.

Conner Mark was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points and four rebounds. Mac Moorer added 13 points with three assists. Tyree Saadiq finished with six points and eight rebounds. Darius Gardner ruled the glass with ten rebounds, seven offensive.

The Lady Eagles (9-6) also played two over the weekend as they split their games. Like the boys, ACA had an easy time at Ellwood Friday night as they won handily, 54-25. The offensive trio of Jaide Newkirk (25), Katelyn Sutton (21), and Izzy Warrick (17) scored all of the points in the game.

Saturday was a different story as the Eagles played the three-time defending State champion. The game was added late with a hope of getting the team ready for Area play with better competition. Despite PCA’s success there were less than fifty fans in the stands for the home-standing Panthers. As the home team’s starting lineups were announced the lights went out for dramatic effect, but no spotlight ever shone on the players. In the end, the fans couldn’t see who the starters were until they turned the lights back on. The same thing happened in the boy’s game so maybe they don’t like spotlights.

Alabama Christian hung close through the first few minutes of the game, but the talented Panthers proved too much as they pulled away and led 17-5 after a quarter. PCA continued to stretch the margin each quarter and eventually won by a score of 76-18. The lone bright spot for the Eagles was Katelyn Sutton who played fearlessly and finished with team highs in points (11) and rebounds (9).

Alabama Christian opens Area play on Tuesday, January 9th, at St James.

Alabama Christian Closes 2023 with a Pair of Wins Over Notasulga

After winning both games yesterday, ACA came home and won two more to close out the calendar year. The Eagles (10-4) defeated Notasulga 52-38 while the Lady Eagles (8-5) handled the Blue Devils 55-13.

Alabama Christian traded baskets with Notasulga to start the boys game as the lead changed hands four times in the first three minutes. Trailing by a point, Tyree Saadiq put the Eagles up one, 6-5, and the lead would not change for the rest of the afternoon. Connor Mark and Mac Moorer hit back to back bombs followed by a Jayden Jones two to extend the lead to 14-5. Mark and Moorer connected again later in the period to give ACA a 20-8 lead after one. The second quarter was played evenly as Alabama Christian never led by more than fourteen and Notasulga was never closer than eight points. The Eagles led 32-21 at the break.

ACA turned up the heat defensively in the third period scoring eight consecutive points for a 40-23 advantage as four different players scored in the run. The two teams both scored seven points to end the third as the home team held a 47-30 lead. The defense continued to shine as the Devils did not score over the first three minutes in the final quarter. Neither team scored over the final 2:45 of the contest as ACA won the game, 52-38.

Mac Moorer led the offense with 21 points as he connected on eight of ten shots from the field. Jayden Jones finished with ten points, four rebounds, and three assists while Connor Mark contributed ten points of his own with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Darius Gardner led the team with eight rebounds and Tyree Saadiq produced five steals and five assists.

Katelyn Sutton missed most of Thursday’s game with foul trouble, but she more than made up for it Friday with a magnificent game against Notasulga. The junior point guard made eight of eleven shots and led the team in rebounds and assists. ACA overwhelmed its opponent as they shutout Notasulga in the first period to lead 22-0 after the first eight minutes. The trio of Sutton, Jaide Newkirk, and Izzy Warrick scored all of the points in the quarter. The visitors managed just four shots in the first and committed ten turnovers. Neither team scored to start the second until Warrick broke the string more than three minutes into the period. The Blue Devils scored their first points of the game with three minutes left in the half. Alabama Christian led 31-4 at the half led by Sutton’s 14 points.

The starters rested for chunks of the second half, but with just nine players there was only so much Coach Cantrell can do. Marcy Gregory and Madison Williams both scored in the quarter as the offensive opportunities spread to everyone. The Lady Eagles led 46-12 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, Addison Smith joined the scorers column and Katelyn Sutton put an exclamation on her performance with a three to close out the scoring in the 55-13 final.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 22 points and added eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Jaide Newkirk finished with 15 points and six rebounds while Izzy Warrick added a double-double with ten points and ten steals.

Alabama Christian will finish their Christmas break and return to the court Friday, January 5th, at Ellwood Christian in Selma.

ACA Breezes Past Westminster-Oak Mountain

The Alabama Christian varsity squads last played twelve days ago at Thomasville, but returned to the hardwood Thursday afternoon with games against Westminster-Oak Mountain at Kingwood Church in Alabaster. The girls looked to halt a two-game losing skid while the boys aimed to extend their winning streak to five games. Both teams accomplished their mission with dominating performances as the girls won 55-22 and the boys final was 60-32. The boys victory was the ninth of the season which surpasses the win total from last season. Coach Jake Mitchell and his staff have done an excellent job in their first year with the program.

The girls game was one of milestones and records. Jaide Newkirk moved into the Top 10 career points in the second quarter and younger sister Adalynn Newkirk scored the first of what is sure to be many points of her career. Addison Smith set a new single game record with 11 steals. The home team scored the first three points of the game as ACA was scoreless in their first three possessions. Katelyn Sutton got the team on the board with a three and Izzy Warrick scored after a steal on the press and the Eagles never trailed again. The pressure defense employed by Alabama Christian overwhelmed the Knights who committed ten turnovers in the period. ACA led 16-8 after the first. Sutton, Warrick, and Newkirk each scored early in the second to stretch the lead to 22-8 and force a Westminster timeout with 6:05 left in the half. The Lady Eagles steadily increased the lead through the remainder of the half and took a 32-14 into the closet. Normally I would say locker room, but the locker room was literally a closet. Newkirk (15) and Warrick (10) combined for 25 of the team’s 32 first half points.

ACA outscored the home team 12-1 over the first half of the third period to build a 44-15 cushion despite one the starters fouling out early in the quarter. The defense did not allow a single made basket in the third as all five points from Westminster were from the free throw line. With a 52-19 lead after three quarters, the clock would run continuously and would end the game mercifully. The Eagles only score in the fourth was an Adalynn Newkirk three as Alabama Christian won 55-22.

Jaide Newkirk outscored the opponent with her 23 points and added 12 rebounds and five steals. Izzy Warrick followed with 17 points, nine steals, and seven rebounds. The team recorded 34 steals in the game as all nine players had at least one theft.

Like the girls game, Westminster scored the first basket of the nightcap, but a Mac Moorer trey gave the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. In fact, after the opening score, ACA ran off twelve straight for a 12-2 lead midway through the first. Jackson Burton saw his first action of the year and scored in the opening period for a 14-4 lead. Burton was very active for the Eagles and gave a solid effort while on the floor. Moorer and Tyree Saadiq both hit threes to close the quarter for a 20-7 advantage. Both teams were cold to start the second as they combined to miss the first seven shots taken until Jayden Jones broke the streak with 5:42 left in the half. Moorer and Saadiq combined to score the next eleven points for Alabama Christian to build a 33-14 lead. Sam Davidson closed the half with a three for a 36-17 score at the break.

Jayden Jones and Tyree Saadiq carried the offense in the third period as the duo combined to score all ten of the squad’s points. Although the team scored just ten points, they held Westminster to seven on 3 for 15 shooting to extend the lead to 46-24 after three. ACA continued to pull away in the fourth quarter finally reaching the magic thirty point lead which triggered the running clock. The home team scored the final three point for the 60-32 final margin.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 21 points as he connected on four of five shots from long range. Jayden Jones finished with 14 points and five rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Jackson Burton led the team in rebounding off the bench with seven boards followed closely by Darius Gardner and TJ Merritt with six each.

Alabama Christian hosts Notasulga on Friday, December 29, for more holiday games.

ACA Beats Tallassee with Strong Second Quarter

After losing by seven last week at Tallassee, the Eagles exacted a measure of revenge Friday night aided by a strong second quarter to win on their home court. ACA (7-4) outscored the visiting Tigers 20-9 in the frame to take a 32-21 lead into the locker room at the break. Tallassee’s top player was benched for the second half and the Tigers were never able to make a serious run at Alabama Christian.

When ACA held on to the ball in the first, they shot well as they hit five of nine shots in the quarter as five different players scored. However, five turnovers in the period kept the offensive chances at a minimum. Although ACA would hold an eleven point lead at the half, the home team held a slim one point lead with 3:21 left in the second. In the final three minutes of the half, the Eagles outscored Tallassee 12-2. The run was sparked by a Darius Gardner block which led to his score on the other end of the floor. A Jayden Jones steal and score on the next possession made it 24-19. Christian Snipes hit a three to stretch the lead to 27-19 and then blocked a shot on the defensive end before a Mac Moorer bomb made it 30-19. Tyree Saadiq finished the scoring with a putback on an offensive rebound to take a 32-21 lead.

The defense continued to clamp down on Tallassee in the third period as the Tigers hit just one of fourteen shots from the floor. Jayden Jones scored the first Eagle points of the quarter and the last to give ACA a 45-29 cushion after three. Tallassee picked up full court pressure in the fourth and double teamed Saadiq to try and keep the ball out of his hands, but ACA handled it as the lead stayed double digits through the quarter. The final margin was eleven points in the 54-43 victory.

Mac Moorer led the team with 14 points and added three rebounds. Jayden Jones finished with 12 points while Connor Mark had nine with four rebounds and two blocks. Tyree Saadiq once again led the team with twelve rebounds and six assists.

A week ago, the Eagles won a hard fought game against Tallassee 46-40, On Friday night, two key players were out due to injury and illness. The squad missed Katelyn Sutton’s floor leadership and ball handling and Annabelle Pugh’s fierce defense and competitive spirit. The defense suffered the most as the Tigers scored 65 points on the night. ACA scored 53, just above their season average.

The Tiger pressure rattled Alabama Christian in the beginning, but an 11-0 run midway through the first put ACA ahead 13-6. Jaide Newkirk led the surge with seven of the eleven points as she hit from inside and outside. The Tigers responded and scored the final seven points of the quarter for a 13-13 tie after one. WIth 3:38 left in the half, Tallassee sank two free throws to break a tied score and would never trail again. The visitors led 25-22 at the half.

In the third, the Tigers got hot and outscored ACA 19-10 to take a 44-32 lead into the fourth. Back to back scores by Jaide Newkirk and Izzy Warrick to start the fourth quarter closed the lead to eight points, but it was as close as ACA would get. Over the next four minutes, the Tigers outscored the Lady Eagles 13-3 to extend the lead to 57-39. Alabama Christian never gave up and cut away at the lead as best they could, but in the end Tallassee prevailed, 65-53.

Jaide Newkirk was the game’s top scorer with 24 points along with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Izzy Warrick had 18 points with five rebounds and five assists. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Alabama Christian’s final game before the Christmas break is at Thomasville on Saturday, December 16th.

Alabama Christian Defeats Thorsby in Both Varsity Contests

The Lady Eagles won their sixth straight contest Thursday night to improve to 6-3 on the year with a 49-26 defeat of Thorsby. ACA sweeps the season series after defeating the Rebels two weeks ago on the road. Alabama Christian got off to a quick start as they held a ten-point advantage after the first quarter. Kateyln Sutton carried the offensive load early as she scored 10 of the team’s 14 points. The second period was more evenly played as Thorsby settled into the flow of the game. ACA held a 23-12 lead at the half.

The Eagles opened the second half with an 8-3 run to extend the lead to 31-15. Four different players scored a basket in the run as the team was moving the ball well. Five of the eight made field goals in the quarter were assisted. ACA extended the lead to 41-20 at the end of three. The final period saw Alabama Christian maintain the lead at around twenty points as the final margin was twenty-three points in the 49-26 triumph.

Katelyn Sutton led all scorers with 14 points on the night. Izzy Warrick (12) and Jaide Newkirk (11) both reached double figures in the victory.

After losing by two at Thorsby, the boys team held serve on their home court with a 51-41 win over the Rebs. ACA moved to 6-4 on the season with the victory. Both teams traded scores to begin the game, but Thorsby went cold after the initial score. The Rebels did not score again over the next four minutes as they missed their next four shots and were forced into six turnovers. During the same stretch, the Eagles scored eight points and led 10-3 in the first. The Rebels scored in the final minute to cut the score to 13-8 after one. Despite dominating the quarter, the Eagles led by just five points. The defense harassed Thorsby all night as the visitors had trouble with the aggressive man to man defense. ACA led 26-17 at the half led by Christian Snipes with seven points off the bench.

Early in the third quarter the Eagle defense kicked it up a notch and stole the ball on three out of four possessions which resulted in easy transition layups. The defensive outburst caused a Thorsby timeout with 5:09 left in the third with ACA leading 33-17. The offensive woes continued for Thorsby who did not score until the 2:28 mark of the quarter. Jayden Jones ended the period with a three to give the home team a 41-24 lead after three. Thorsby continued to fight and scored the last seven points of the game, but it was too little too late in the 51-41 win for ACA.

Sam Davidson and Mac Moorer led the offense with 11 points apiece as both had three rebounds. Christian Snipes finished with nine points. Once again, Tyree Saadiq did a little bit of everything as he led the team in steals (8), rebounds (5), and assists (5).

ACA Handles Elmore County in Tuesday Night Action

Alabama Christian (5-4) hosted an old foe Tuesday night as Elmore County came to town for some hoops action. The series between the schools began in 1964 when Elmore County was known as Eclectic High School. The fiftieth meeting between the two schools was a thriller won by the Eagles, 48-46.

ACA came out hot and it looked as if they would blow the Panthers out in the first period. Mac Moorer scored the team's first six points from behind the arc while Connor Mark and Sam Davidson joined in to build a 12-1 lead late in the quarter. Elmore County was an abysmal 1 for 9 from the field and committed four turnovers as they trailed 14-3 after one. As well as the Eagles shot in the first, they turned cold in the second as they failed to score in the first four minutes of the period. Despite the offensive drought, ACA still led 14-11 as they went to the foul line with 3:55 in the half and scored their first point of the quarter. Neither team did much offensively the rest of the half as Alabama Christian led 19-15 at the half.

Mac Moorer connected on a three early in the third to give ACA a 24-18 lead and the team’s traded baskets afterwards as the home team led 27-22 with 1:55 left in the quarter. The Panthers made a run at the end of the third and tied it up with a score at the buzzer. After three quarters the game was all even, 32-32. Just twelve seconds into the final period, Elmore County took its first lead of the game making two free throws. The lead changed hands six times in the fourth and kept the crowd on an emotional roller coaster. The Panthers biggest lead of the night came after a made three with five minutes left for a 41-37 advantage. Moorer and Connor Mark hit big time threes over the next two minutes to give ACA a 43-41 lead. With 1:44 left, the Eagle faithful thought Tyree Saadiq had drawn a charge, but the official did not see it that way. The shot was good and a block was called against ACA. After the free throw, Elmore County led 44-43. On the next possession, Moorer connected for the sixth time from deep to vault Alabama Christian back in the lead, 46-44. Mark’s blocked shot and rebound gave the ball back to the Eagles, but a turnover led to an Elmore County score to tie it up. Saadiq missed the next ACA shot, but never gave up on the play and stole the ball at mid-court and found a streaking Jayden Jones for a layup with 4.7 seconds left. The Panthers tried to throw the ball the length of the floor on the inbound pass, but hit the rafters to turn the ball over. However, ACA could not inbound the ball and was called for a five second violation. Saadiq stole the next inbound try and dribbled the game out for a thrilling victory.

Mac Moorer led all scorers with 18 points on a 6 for 11 night from deep. Connor Mark had 13 points and five rebounds while Tyree Saadiq had six points with a team best eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals.

The Lady Eagles (5-3) have historically had success against Elmore County with a 24-10 series lead coming into action on Tuesday night. However, the Panthers had won the last three and ACA looked to stop that streak. The final score does not give a true indication of how close the game was in the first half as ACA pulled away in a 53-38 victory.

Jaide Newkirk opened the scoring as she rebounded her own miss for a 2-0 lead. An Izzy Warrick three gave ACA a 9-5 lead midway through the period. The Lady Panthers answered and led 11-10 after one quarter. In the second, the Eagle defense fouled excessively and put Elmore County in the bonus with 5:26 left in the half. To their credit, ACA only fouled once more in the quarter and kept the visitors off the free throw line. Midway through the second Marcy Gregory rebounded an Eagle miss and found Katelyn Sutton for a three pointer which gave ACA a lead they would not give up the rest of the night. The Lady Eagles scored six points in the final thirty-five seconds to take a 29-22 lead and the game’s momentum into the half.

Two scores by Jaide Newkirk to open the second half increased the lead to 33-22 two minutes in. The Panthers would not go away as they cut the lead to five on two occasions and trailed by six, 40-34 after three periods. In the fourth quarter, the Alabama Christian defense locked down Elmore County and held the Panthers to four points on 1 for 15 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the team with not a lot of depth outran their opponent down the floor over and over again in the fourth. Newkirk scored eight of the team’s thirteen points as her teammates found her repeatedly. The determined Eagles eventually won by fifteen points, 53-38.

Jaide Newkirk led the offense with 18 points and added 11 rebounds and two blocks. Izzy Warrick had 13 points with three rebounds while Campbell Hammett finished with 12 points and three steals. Katelyn Sutton did it all with eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Marcy Gregory also contributed three rebounds and three assists.

ACA hosts Thorsby Thursday night, December 14th, as they continue a busy week.

Lady Eagles Defeat Tallassee on the Road

It was a typical night of basket-brawl at the Tallassee gym Friday night. The rough play was magnified by the officials who allowed very rough play in both games. The girls managed to pull out a victory against the Tigers, but the boys dropped a close one.

Even with the lack of calls, the Lady Eagles (4-3) found early foul trouble as Katelyn Sutton had two fouls just 30 seconds into the game. Izzy Warrick ran the point while Sutton had to go to the bench. Jaide Newkirk scored six of the team’s twelve points in the first as ACA held a 10-2 lead with about three minutes left. The two teams traded baskets and Alabama Christian led 12-5 after one. The second period began with both opponents once again trading scores as the margin remained seven points with five minutes left in the half. Sutton started a 7-0 run with a steal and a score followed by two Newkirk scores sandwiched around a Warrick free throw. The Lady Eagles led 24-10 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Tallassee managed three points in the final half minute to cut the lead to eleven points at the break.

Although ACA was unable to put Tallassee away, the closest the game got in the second half was five points. A Campbell Hammett three early in the third gave ACA its biggest lead at 30-17. Tallassee answered with seven straight points to cut the margin to six. Alabama Christian led 36-29 after three. Katelyn Sutton and Hammett opened the final quarter with scores to push ACA’s lead back to 41-29, but, once again, the Tigers responded with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 41-36. In the run by Tallassee, both Sutton and Jaide Newkirk fouled out. Newkirk fouled out with 2:38 left in the game and Coach Cantrell counted on Izzy Warrick and Hammett to carry the offensive load. Although ACA did not make another field goal the rest of the game, Hammett sank five huge free throws down the stretch to help preserve the win. The Tigers were 0 for 4 in the same time to help Alabama Christian to a 46-40 victory.

Campbell Hammett led all scorers with 18 points and added seven rebounds. Jaide Newkirk had a double-double in the first half and finished with 12 points and career highs in rebounds (19) and blocks (5). Katelyn Sutton had six points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals while Izzy Warrick had five points, nine rebounds, four steals, and four assists.

The boys game got off to a strange start as Tallassee went to the free throw line due to an administrative technical violation against ACA (3-4). The home team hit one of two and led before the tipoff. Neither team could find the basket for a long stretch of the first period. Tallassee hit a second free throw for a 2-0 lead with 3:59 left. The first score from the field was a three from Christian Snipes to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead with 3:44 left in the quarter. The two teams combined to miss their first eleven shots from the field. Once the seal was broken the flow of the game was much better as Tallassee ended the quarter with a three for a 10-9 lead after one. The second quarter opened with back to back bombs by Snipes and Connor Mark to give ACA a 15-10 lead. The Eagles never trailed the rest of the half and took a 25-20 advantage into the intermission.

The offense began to sputter in the second half, but the game remained tight. The Tigers scored the first seven points of the half to take the lead three minutes into the third. Tyree Saadiq completed a three point play for ACA’s first points to regain the lead with 2:38 left in the quarter. The final two minutes saw both teams trade baskets as Alabama Christian led 33-32 heading into the fourth. Despite just scoring eight points in the period the Eagles maintained the slimmest of leads. ACA was held to three made field goals in the fourth and Tallassee was able to pull away late for the 47-40 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 18 points and added four rebounds. Tyree Saadiq finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and five steals while Connor Mark had five points.

Alabama Christian will be back at home on Tuesday, December 12th as they host Elmore County.

ACA Overwhelms LAMP on the Hardwood

Alabama Christian enjoyed a fun night at the gym with two convincing victories over LAMP. On the boys side, the last four games against LAMP have been close with the average difference being less than four points per game. However, Tuesday night, ACA’s 63-32 win over the Golden Tigers was the largest margin of victory (31 points) in the 54-game history of the series. Similarly, the Lady Eagles ran roughshod over LAMP, 48-10, with their largest margin of victory since 2009. The ten points given up by the Eagles tied for the eighth fewest in a game in school history.

The boys game could not have started any better for the home team as Mac Moorer was fouled just three seconds into the action and sank two free throws to start the festivities. Things continued to go the way of ACA (4-3) as five different players hit threes in the first period as the team connected on six of its first eight attempts from long distance. The defense was spectacular as well and LAMP had no answer for the energy and intensity brought by Alabama Christian. LAMP shot 1 for 12 in the quarter and committed four turnovers as ACA raced to a 26-3 lead after one. The lead would never be under twenty for the rest of the night. Jayden Jones opened the second with a steal and a bucket to further dampen the spirits of the opponent. Sam Davidson closed the quarter with the team’s eighth three of the half for a 41-14 lead. Christian Snipes (11) and Jones (8) led the scoring in the half while Darius Gardner shut down the LAMP big man with stellar defensive play.

The third quarter was evenly played as LAMP actually outscored the Eagles by two points. ACA slowed the pace in the second half and emptied the bench with the big lead. With about four minutes left in the game, ACA hit the magic thirty point lead and the clock ran continuously from that point on. The defense picked back up in the fourth as the Tigers only scored five points in the 63-32 final.

Christian Snipes led the team in scoring off the bench with 13 points. Jayden Jones had 11 points with five rebounds while Connor Mark also had 11 points with four boards. Tyree Saadiq’s seven assists led the team as did Darius Gardner’s four blocks.

Defense was the name of the game for the Lady Eagles as well. ACA (3-3) suffocated LAMP in the first period as the Tigers scored just two points and had 14 turnovers. Jaide Newkirk got off to a quick start with half of the team’s points in the quarter as ACA led 12-2 after one. The lead stayed around ten points in the second quarter until the Eagles scored the last seven points of the half with a little less than two minutes left to take a 25-8 lead into the locker room. Newkirk, Izzy Warrick, and Katelyn Sutton each scored in the seven point run.

LAMP did not make a single field goal in the second half as the ACA defense continued to frustrate them even in the half court. Late in the third quarter as Jaide Newkirk came out to get some rest, Coach Cantrell specifically had Annabelle Pugh guard the LAMP post player which is a testament to her toughness and grit on the floor.. One of the shortest players on the court gave the bigger, taller player fits. With a 42-10 lead after three quarters, the fourth flew by. Only six points were scored in the quarter, all by ACA.

Izzy Warrick tied the school record with nine steals in the game and was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points to go along with three assists. Jaide Newkirk recorded another double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds with four steals and three blocks. Annabelle Pugh had six rebounds and five steals on the night.

ACA travels to Tallassee on Friday for its next contest.

ACA Varsity Basketball Sweeps Ellwood Christian

Alabama Christian hosted Ellwood Christian from Selma Friday night and both teams posted impressive wins. Both offenses produced their highest point totals of the season and were able to substitute freely in the second half.

In the girls game, it took a little while for the offense to get rolling as the game remained relatively close through the first period. The ACA (2-3) pressure harassed Ellwood early and caused eight turnovers by the visitors in the first. Annabelle Pugh and Jaide Newkirk had four of the team’s six steals in the quarter to help spur a 14-8 advantage. Campbell Hammett opened the second with a steal and score and then found Izzy Warrick for a score for a quick four points in thirty seconds. Ellwood responded and scored consecutive baskets to cut the lead to 18-12 with just over six minutes left in the half. After a timeout, Alabama Christian scored the next seventeen points over three minutes to bust the game open. Jaide Newkirk led the attack with ten points during the run and finished with 18 points in the first half. A Katelyn Sutton bucket late in the period gave ACA a 41-19 headed into the half.

The Lady Eagles scored the first eight points of the second half to build a thirty point cushion. The lead extended to thirty-five by the end of the quarter as the bench logged major minutes. Sam Burgess, who made her varsity debut on Tuesday, scored the first point of her varsity career with a free throw with under a minute left in the third and would add a three pointer in the final period. With a thirty point lead, the fourth quarter moved quickly as the clock ran continuously. Another freshman, Madison Williams scored the first points of her career with a trey to close out the scoring on the night. The final was a resounding 75-31 victory.

Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 29 points with 11 rebounds and three steals. The performance was Newkirk’s third double-double of the season. Kately Sutton filled the stat sheet with 20 points, five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Izzy Warrick was the third player to hit double digits with ten points and added five rebounds, five steals, and four assists.

After splitting two nail biters earlier in the week, ACA (3-3) didn’t mind a bit of a breather on Friday night. Like the girls, the boys took a while to click early as they led just 5-4 with three minutes left in the quarter. The Eagles scored the last nine points in the first to take a 14-4 lead into the second quarter. After giving up the first points of the second quarter, ACA ran off eleven consecutive points to extend the lead to 25-7. Jayden Jones and Darius Gardner both scored twice in the stretch to lead the offense. The lead continued to build through the remainder of the half as ACA led 39-15 at the break. Gardner (8) and Tyree Saadiq (7) led the offense through the first two quarters.

The offense got going in the third as the team shot 52.9% (9 for 17) from the field in the quarter. Five of the nine makes were assisted as the ball moved crisply for the Eagles. Tyree Saadiq led the charge with six points in the period on two made threes. The lead ballooned to 43 points with the 61-18 margin at the end of the third. The clock ran in the fourth quarter with the big lead. TJ Merritt and Kaiden Green both scored off the bench in the final eight minutes as the game ended with a 69-24 final score.

Ten different Eagles scored on the night and were led by Tyree Saadiq with 13 points and five assists and Jayden Jones with 10 points. Three players, Darius Gardner, Connor Mark, and Christian Snipes, each scored nine points. For the third straight game Gardner led the team in rebounds with eight and Mark had a team high three steals.

Alabama Christian next plays at home against LAMP on Tuesday, December 5th.

Alabama Christian Defeats PCA in Home Opener

Alabama Christian (2-3) defeated PCA for just the second time in program history Thursday night with a 48-47 thriller at home. It was a long night at the gym with four games and an innumerable amount of traveling calls, but the boys varsity squad made it worth the wait.

Amazingly, PCA scored the first point of the night at the stripe for their only lead of the game. Christian Snipes scored on the next possession and the Eagles would never trail again. Snipes and Connor Mark combined for ten points in the opening period as ACA led 14-8 after one. In the second quarter the lead grew to seven on two occasions with Mac Moorer and Connor Mark threes. After Mark’s bucket, PCA responded with five points over the final fifty seconds to trim the lead to 23-21 at the half.

Mac Moorer and Jayden Jones hit back to back shots to open a 28-21 lead early in the third quarter. Late in the period the lead grew to eleven as Moorer connected on his second bomb of the half. With just over a minute left in the third, PCA responded with a three ball and gained immediate possession after a foul was called against ACA on the rebound. The Panthers converted to score five points on the possession which cut the lead to six. Another PCA three at the buzzer cut the lead to 40-36 as the team’s prepared for the fourth. ACA outscored the visitors 8-3 over the first four minutes of the final quarter. Moorer’s fourth three of the night gave ACA a 48-39 lead with just over four minutes to play. If you remember the final score, you realize those were the last points scored by the good guys on the evening. With three minutes left, the Panthers scored to cut the lead to 48-41. After an Eagle miss, PCA scored again to cut the lead to four as they had two offensive rebounds on the possession. On ACA’s next time down the court they were called for their fourth charge of the quarter to give the ball back to PCA. The Panthers hit a three to cut the lead to 48-47 with 1:45 left. ACA tried to run the clock out from there and almost made it, but a turnover with 16 seconds left gave the visitors one last chance. After calling a timeout with 9.9 seconds left, the Panthers ran a play and got a decent look but the ball rattled out and the Eagles hung on for the victory.

Alabama Christian finished with three players in double figures. Christian Snipes had 12 points with three rebounds along with Mac Moorer who had 12 on four made threes. Connor Mark finished with 10 points in the win. Darrius Gardner was again the team’s leading rebounder with six while Sam Davisdon and Tyree Saadiq both had five assists to lead the team.

Alabama Christian will host Ellwood Christian from Selma on Friday, December 1st.

ACA Picks Up First Win of the Year at Thorsby

The Lady Eagles (1-3) notched their first victory of the season with a 56-39 triumph at Thorsby. The seventeen-point final margin was not indicative of how close the contest really was as the game was tied with just over six minutes left. ACA closed the deal with a 19-2 run to pull away late.

In the first period, the Eagles tried the whack-a-mole method of defense as they committed eleven fouls in the quarter and put Thorsby in the bonus just two minutes in. The Rebels took advantage and scored nine of their twelve points from the line in the first. Izzy Warrick scored seven in the first eight minutes to give ACA a 15-12 lead headed to the second. Every time it looked as if Alabama Christian was going to make a run, the home team bounced back and kept the game close for the remainder of the first half. Katelyn Sutton hit two free throws with 3:33 left in the quarter to give ACA a six-point lead, its biggest of the half. Thorsby cut the lead to three, 23-20, but Jaide Newkirk hit three of four free throws in the final thirty-seven seconds to give ACA a 26-22 lead at the break.

Thorsby managed to tie the game 28-28 midway through the third, but ACA countered with a 9-4 run to close the quarter led by Jaide Newkirk’s five points during the stretch. The Lady Rebels scored the first five points of the final stanza and tied the contest 37-37 with just over six minutes to play. Katelyn Sutton broke the tie with a long three that Thorsby dared her to take and she kindly obliged. Izzy Warrick scored on the next two possessions with a three and a theft and a bucket to stretch the lead to eight points. From that point the defensive pressure intensified and Thorsby was held to just three shots attempted the rest of the way.

The scoring duties were handled by a trio of players as Jaide Newkirk, Izzy Warrick, and Katelyn Sutton scored 54 of the team’s 56 points. Newkirk scored 20 and equaled her career best with 18 rebounds along with three assists and three steals. Warrick finished with 20 as well with five rebounds and five steals. Sutton had 14 points with five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

In the nightcap, the boys team lost a close one to Thorsby, 47-49. The game was a back and forth affair as the lead changed hands eight times. After falling behind 3-10 in the first period, ACA (1-3) scored the next eight points, four by Jayden Jones, to take its first lead of the night. The first ended with the Rebels holding a one-point lead. Sam Davidson hit threes on consecutive possessions to help retake the lead and Jones’ bucket two minutes into the second period gave ACA a 20-15 lead. After another basket, the first of two long scoring droughts haunted the Eagle offense. The visitors from Montgomery did not score over the final five minutes of the half and Thorsby took advantage to build a 27-22 lead at the half.

Jayden Jones and Tyree Saadiq combined to score the first six points of the second half to vault ACA back into the lead two minutes into the quarter. Although the Rebels retook the lead, Sam Davidson closed the period with a trey for a 36-35 lead headed into the fourth. Unfortunately, the second shooting dry spell occurred in the final quarter as ACA did not score in the first six minutes of the period. Again, Thorsby took advantage and built its biggest lead of the night, 48-36, and looked poised to run away with it. Finally, the Eagle offense was resuscitated and the visitors made a furious effort to come back. Christian Snipes and Connor Mark hit back to back baskets to cut the lead to 41-48 and force a timeout with 1:26 left. After a Mark steal, Saadiq was fouled after a made bucket and his free throw cut the lead to 44-48 with 1:03 left. Thorsby missed a pair of free throws, but Sam Davisdon hit all three of his, after being fouled, to cut the lead to one with 27.1 seconds left. The Rebels connected on one of two freebies on their next trip and ACA got a good look at a game-winning three, but could not connect as Thorsby held on for the 49-47 win.

Sam Davidson led the offense with 12 points and added four rebounds. Tyree Saadiq had 11 points with seven rebounds and four assists while Christian Snipes finished with nine points and six boards. Darrius Gardner led the team with nine rebounds.

Alabama Christian Opens Season in Holiday Tournament

Both boys and girls teams opened the season in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Tournament during the week of Thanksgiving. Coach Jake Mitchell picked up his first win as the ACA head coach in a victory over Notasulga.

Boys tournament - JAG (Jeff Davis)

The boys team opened the season under new coach Jake Mitchell with a match up against JAG High School (more commonly known as Jeff Davis). The offense never got on track in the 33-62 loss to JAG. ACA committed 22 turnovers which led to 18 less shots attempted than their opponent. JAG dominated down low as they out rebounded ACA 36-21 and outscored them 26-10 in the paint.

Connor Mark led the team with seven points and three steals. A pair of Eagles, Sam Davidson and Christian Snipes, both contributed six points on the afternoon. Snipes and Jayden Jones led the team with four rebounds each.

PCA

Day two saw the Eagles play against PCA. ACA led 13-10 at the end of the first, but were outscored 14-4 in the second to trail 24-17 at the half. The game was relatively even in the second half and the Panthers won by ten, 54-44.

Tyree Saadiq led the team in scoring with 14 points with five rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Sam Davidson added 11 points with three rebounds. Jayden Jones and Mac Moorer each contributed six points. Darius Gardner led the team with seven rebounds and four blocks.

Notasulga

The final game of the week saw ACA win their first of the year with a 60-39 defeat of Notasulga. The Eagles started quick and built a 17-5 lead at the end of the first period. Jayden Jones led the way with six points as six different Eagles scored in the quarter. Notasulga scored the first five points of the second, but Alabama Christian rebounded with a 10-2 run to extend the lead to 27-12 and led by twelve at the break. The third period was even, but ACA used a 13-2 run in the fourth to extend the lead to twenty-one points.

Connor Mark led the team with 15 points with four rebounds and four steals. Jayden Jones was one rebound short of a double-double as he finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and four steals. Mac Moorer got hot late and added 10 points with three rebounds.

Girls tournament - Brew Tech

ACA began the season against a tough Brew Tech squad that reached the Final Four in Class 5A last year. Alabama Christian took the Rams to overtime before dropping the contest, 40-44. The game was tight throughout as Brew Tech held a 24-18 lead at the break. The Eagles held their opponent to just two points in the third period to cut the lead to two heading into the fourth. ACA scored the final seven points of regulation to force the extra session despite losing Katelyn Sutton with 2:40 left due to five fouls. The Rams outscored ACA 7-3 in the OT period to secure the win.

Jaide Newkirk recorded the first double-doubles of the season with a team leading 12 points and 16 rebounds. Izzy Warrick also reached double figures with 11 points and five rebounds. Campbell Hammett finished with nine points and six boards while Katelyn Sutton added eight points, seven steals, four rebounds, and three assists.

MA

The Lady Eagles looked to rebound against the host school on Tuesday, but looked out of sync as MA built a 20-9 lead late in the second period. ACA scored the last five points of the half to cut the lead to six points at the break. Although the contest remained close through the second half, Alabama Christian dropped another four point decision, 38-42.

Izzy Warrick led all scorers with 19 points and five steals. Jaide Newkirk added 13 points with eight boards and four steals. Katelyn Sutton had a team best five assists.

Catholic

ACA finished the tournament with a match up against longtime opponent, Catholic. Both of the teams came out hot and combined for 46 points in the first period. The Knights led 26-20 heading into the second quarter. Catholic doubled the lead in the period and took a 41-29 lead into the halftime. The third quarter belonged to Catholic who used a 19-0 run to build a thirty point bulge. The game ended with a Catholic victory, 68-41.

A trio of players, Izzy Warrick, Campbell Hammett, and Katelyn Sutton, each scored nine points to lead the team. Right behind them was Jaide Newkirk with eight points. Newkirk lead the team with five rebounds.

ACA Season Ends at Houston Academy

Alabama Christian’s season ended in the first round of the playoffs after losing to Houston Academy, 49-18. The Raiders handled everything ACA had planned and took control of the game from the outset. It’s easy to focus on the negative after a loss, but the Eagles can hold their heads high at the results of the season. The program made the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year led by Coach Michael Summers. Summers’ twenty-one victories over the past three seasons is more than any other coach’s first three years in program history. Individually, William Milner became the eighth player in history with at least 200 career tackles and David Ortiz-Ramirez and AC Walters both rank in the Top 15 in career rushing yards. Tyson Summers added to his school record of career extra points and now ranks 15th in career points in program history.

The first two series of the night set the tone for the contest and gave a preview of how the night would progress. ACA got the ball first and gained just three yards in three plays and was forced to punt. An awful punt gave the Raiders the ball at ACA’s 38-yard line. Houston Academy scored in just two plays on a 28-yard run up the middle for the early lead. The second set of series produced the same results as Alabama Christian punted after three plays and Houston Academy scored again on a 6-play, 52-yard drive for a 14-0 first period lead. A fake punt by AC Walters brought about the team’s first first down at the end of the opening period. The quarter ended with the home team driving towards its third score of the night.

Three plays into the second, Houston Academy made it 21-0 as the hopes of the Eagles started to slip away. A pick six on the next possession cemented the outcome as the Raiders led 28-0 with 7:48 left in the half. The next Eagle drive finally brought the first points of the game for the visitors. AC Walters was featured prominently in the drive as he carried five times for 45 yards. Facing a 3rd and 8 from the Raider 31-yard line, ACA crossed up the defense with a misdirection handoff to William Milner. The senior raced around the left side and reached the end zone to cut the score to 6-28 (the extra point was blocked). With a little momentum could the defense stop the opponent late in the first half? The unit has struggled in the area all year and Friday night was no exception. After a great kick return and a penalty against Alabama Christian, Houston Academy scored on the next play to make the score 35-6 with 2:25 left in the second. ACA picked up a couple of first downs on the last drive of the half, but the quarter ended at midfield.

The Raiders opened the second half on offense and immediately added to their lead with a 28-yard scoring pass for a 42-6 advantage. To the team’s credit, ACA continued to fight despite the lopsided score. Christian Snipes connected with David Ortiz-Ramirez on a 58-yard bomb to the Raider’s 1-yard line to start the next possession. It was the first time this season, at least to this writer’s memory, the offense took a deep shot like that. Snipes scored on the next play for the team’s second score of the night. After a failed two-point attempt the score was 12-42 with 7:20 left in the third period. Houston Academy slowed the pace on the last drive for their starters. The drive took over six minutes and the Raiders extended the lead to 49-12.

For the first time all night, ACA’s defense stopped the Raiders and forced a punt to start the fourth period. On the second play of the Eagles drive, AC Walters ran through the defense and then outraced them for an 85-yard run to cut the score to 18-49. Both teams had one more drive to finish the game with no points scored. On ACA’s last drive, William Milner was featured in the running game as the staff wanted to let the senior warrior play as many snaps as he could as his ACA career came to a close.

The top six tacklers on the night were all seniors as they left it all on the field. Jaylan McCovery and William Milner, who shared a touching moment at the end of the game, led the team in tackles with ten and nine, respectively. Spencer Meeks finished with five tackles while Ari Bowman, Lane Smith, and Jalen Flowers each had four tackles.

AC Walters finished the night with 167 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. William Milner had 78 yards on 6 attempts while Christian Snipes had 67 yards on 19 rushes. Both backs scored a touchdown. Snipes threw for 86 yards with David Ortiz-Ramirez leading the receivers with two ended at midfield.

ACA will find out which Region they will play in next year after reclassification in December. Hopefully the AHSAA can figure where the Eagles should be without having to appeal the ruling.

Eagles Drop Final Home Game to Bayside Academy

Bayside Academy was looking for a little payback after a 25-point loss to ACA last year. The Admirals dominated from start to finish in a convincing 35-7 defeat of the Eagles on Senior Night. ACA will have to forget this loss quickly as they prepare for postseason play next week. As for Bayside, they will have to clean up the undisciplined play that brought five personal fouls against them on the night.

After a long kick return set them up with great field position, the visitors marched down the field for a touchdown to open the scoring Friday night. Bayside must have seen something on the left side of the Alabama Christian defense as they ran to the right on six of the eight plays on the drive. ACA started their first drive deep in their own territory after a block in the back call on the kick return. The Eagles managed one first down on a ten-yard run by Christian Snipes, but punted three plays later. After an incomplete pass, a Bayside back produced a 66-yard run down to the Eagle’s five-yard line. Ari Bowman never gave up on the play to make the tackle after the long run. Two plays later, the Admirals scored to extend the lead to 14-0. Once again, the offense managed one first down, on a fourth down conversion, but had to punt the ball away. It’s not often a player is penalized for two different infractions on the same play, but a Bayside lineman pulled it off on the first play of their third drive. After being called for holding during the play a personal foul was tacked on as he shoved the ACA defender to the ground well after the whistle. The result was a 1st and 34 hole for the Admiral’s offense. The extra curricular activity seemed to wake up the Eagle defense as Blake Shaw and Jalen Flowers combined on a sack on the next play to push Bayside even further back. The first period ended with a punt to ACA and hopes that some momentum was swinging the way of the home team.

An 11-yard run by David Ortiz-Ramirez took the ball to the Bayside 31-yard line and the Eagles looked ready to take advantage of their opponents' mistakes. On a 4th and 7 from the 28-yard line, Alabama Christian went for it, but an Admiral defender picked off the pass and raced 75 yards for a Bayside score to make the score 21-0 with 8:10 left in the first half. Both teams had the ball one more time before the half, but neither team scored. For ACA, the highlights of the two drives were a 12-yard run by David Ortiz-Ramirez on offense and a sack by Spencer Meeks on defense. ACA would get the ball first in the second half and looked to cut the deficit with points on their first drive.

William Milner opened the second half with a 12-yard run and after another personal foul by Bayside two plays later, ACA had the ball on the Admiral 32-yard line. The next play produced a second interception for Bayside to end the Eagle threat. The visitors drove deep into ACA territory and looked poised to extend the lead until an Ari Bowman interception turned the ball back over to the home team. The offense was never able to sustain a drive all night and the next ACA possession was no different. After picking up one first down, the Eagles punted the ball away. On the second play of the ensuing drive, Bayside stretched the lead to 28-0 with a 45-yard run through the defense with 3:11 left in the third period. On the last drive of the third quarter, ACA took advantage of yet another Bayside personal foul and took the ball down to the Admiral 28-yard line. Unfortunately, the possession ended with Bayside’s third pick of the night which was returned to ACA’s 35-yard line. Two plays later, the visitors scored again to run the score to 35-0 with 9:58 left in the game.

At this point of the game you would think both teams would just want to get out of there as the competitive portion of the game was over. However, Bayside continued to be aggressive and amass penalty yardage. The next Eagles drive was extended due to a roughing the kicker call against Bayside. ACA turned the ball over for the fourth time on a fumble to give the ball back to the visitors. With just over six minutes left in the game and a thirty-five point lead, the Admiral coaching staff thought it would be a good idea to keep throwing the ball. It felt like Bayside was trying to embarrass ACA or it could have been a total lack of game awareness or respect for the game and your opponent. Whatever the reason, it was not a good look for Bayside. After two completions, Lane Smith put an end to the passing foolishness with a sack that forced a fumble which was recovered by Blake Shaw. Now with just under five minutes to go, the light bulb came on and the Admirals started subbing freely. The last drive of the night was the Cooper Milner show. The freshman ran the ball on seven of the eight plays of the drive and scored ACA’s only points of the game with just under a minute left. Older brother William was the first to meet him for congratulations on the sidelines for a nice moment to end the night.

Four players, Jaylan McCovery, William Milner, Blake Shaw, and Spencer Meeks, each had four tackles to lead the defense. Milner became just the eighth player in program history to have at least 200 tackles for their career. Ari Bowman had an interception while Shaw, Meeks, Jalen Flowers, and Lane Smith all had sacks. Christian Snipes led the ground game with 49 yards on 14 carries and added 61 yards through the air on nine completions. David Ortiz-Ramirez finished with 33 yards, all in the first half, on eight attempts while Cooper Milner had 32 yards on ten carries and a touchdown. Bowman led the receivers with three catches for 24 yards while TJ Merritt had two receptions for 21 yards.

Next week, Alabama Christian travels to Dothan to face Houston Academy in the first round of the playoffs.

Relentless ACA Squad Outlasts Southside-Selma in Region Play

Don’t tell this team what they can’t do. All off-season the talk was about what this team didn’t have. Although last year’s team was very talented and senior heavy, that didn’t mean this group of players couldn’t make their own history. This group of Eagles has made the ACA nation proud with their hard work and attitude. Friday night was no different as Alabama Christian celebrated a 54-34 Homecoming victory over Southside-Selma. The Panthers might have had the best player on the field, but the best team came away triumphant.

Three starters on offense, AC Walters, Blake Shaw, and Bryant Swindle were all sidelined for the Region match up this week. Despite the loss of these key players, the unit barely missed a beat all night long. Southside played their defense very close to the line daring ACA to throw the ball. The Eagles took the dare and completed a 29-yard pass on the first play from scrimmage to set the tone for the night. On the next play, Southside jumped off sides for the first of eight times in the contest. Christian Snipes converted a 4th and 1 with an eight yard run and finished the drive four plays later on a three-yard run for a 7-0 lead. The drive took over five minutes off the clock. As slowly and methodically as ACA moved the ball down the field, the Panther’s offense was just the opposite. Their opening drive took 56 seconds and ended with a 43-yard pass play to cut the lead to 7-6. Southside did not have a kicker and went for two after every score. The Eagles scored on their second drive of the game as David Ortiz-Ramirez rushed 21 yards for the touchdown for a 14-6 lead. The score was set up by a 26-yard completion to Jackson Burton two plays earlier.

To keep the ball away from the Panthers kick return threat, Alabama Christian tried an onside kick and Ari Bowman recovered the carom off a front line player to get the ball back. On the first play of the second period, Christian Snipes found Jackson Burton for a 10-yard score to stretch the lead to 20-6 as the extra point was blocked. The drive covered 53 yards in seven plays and took three and a half minutes. Bowman recovered his second fumble of the night to end the next Southside threat with 10:11 left in the second. Once again the offense marched down the field and ate up over six minutes of the second quarter as they lined up for a 37-yard field goal attempt. The kick was blocked and as the Eagles stopped, a Southside player picked up the loose ball and raced 65 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14 with 4:08 left in the half.

Facing their first adversity of the night, ACA showed moxy as they looked to score before the break. Their prospects did not look good as they faced a 3rd and 17 three plays into the drive. However, a well timed screen pass to David Ortiz-Ramirez covered 28 yards to pick up the first down and a cheap shot out of bounds by Southside gave ACA 15 more yards. Two plays later Darrius Gardner took a short pass 16 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead. The extra point had some adventure to it. First, ACA lined up for the extra point, but since their previous two kicks had been blocked they called a timeout to discuss their options. After deciding to go for two, the offense lined up quickly after the huddle and forced a timeout by Southside. As ACA came back on the field, the Panther’s coach was in the middle of the field talking to the officials. Once he left the field, ACA finally converted the attempt for a 28-14 lead. As in previous games, Alabama Christian had trouble stopping its opponent at the end of the first half. Southside scored with 5.1 seconds left in the quarter to trim the lead to 28-20 at the half. Alabama Christian possessed the ball for nineteen minutes and seven seconds in the first half. Amazingly, Southside scored twenty points while possessing the ball for just four minutes and fifty-three seconds.

The Panthers scored to start the second half as the momentum started to swing towards the visitors. After an interception, Southside scored on a 52-yard pass play to take the lead for the first time all night, 34-28 with 3:04 left in the third. ACA trailed for only 13 seconds as they matched Southside with a 52-yard scoring pass of their own on the first play of the next drive. David Ortiz-Ramirez took the pass and outran the defense to the end zone to take back the lead. ACA would not trail again. The third quarter ended with Southside on the move hoping to take the lead back.

ACA’s defense bent but did not break as they turned the Panthers over on downs at their own 11-yard line. As the Eagles were buried deep in their own territory and clinging to a two-point lead, Southside once again crowded the line looking to get the ball back. On 2nd and 15 from the 18-yard line, Jackson Burton got behind the defense as the ball was delivered in stride by Christian Snipes. The coaches upstairs were yelling touchdown before the pass was even thrown and the crowd willed Burton to beat the defenders to the goal line. Eighty-two yards later Burton’s touchdown gave ACA a 42-34 lead with 7:56 left in the game. Momentum was clearly back on the side of the good guys. Trailing by just eight points and facing a fourth down at their own 43-yard line, the Panthers surprised everyone with a punt to give the ball back to Alabama Christian. With 6:24 left the thinking must have been to get a stop and with the quick strike offense they would still have enough time to try and tie the game.

Unfortunately, the Southside defense was starting to fade. Christian Snipes and David Ortiz-Ramirez broke off runs of 27, 19, 11, and 15 yards on the first four plays of the next drive to set up a three-yard scoring run from Snipes to stretch the lead to 48-34. At this point, the Panthers were in full desperation mode and began to throw on virtually every down. After three straight incompletions, Lane Smith ended the drive with a fourth down sack to set up the offense just 38 yards from the end zone. Three plays later, Ortiz-Ramirez scored his third touchdown of the night with a 28-yard burst to give ACA a 54-34 lead with 2:24 left in the game. Time expired as Southside tried for one final score to end the game.

When your team scores a season high 54 points, plenty of players have a chance to put up big numbers on the night. Christian Snipes passed for 275 yards while completing 11 of 18 passes with four touchdowns. The sophomore QB also ran for 120 yards on 16 attempts and two more touchdowns. David Ortiz-Ramirez ran for 119 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 126 yards and a third touchdown. The junior back surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the season in the victory. Jackson Burton finished with four catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns while Darrius Gardner had two receptions for 25 yards and a score. As you could probably guess, William Milner led the team with 10 tackles on the night. The senior leader leaves everything he has on the field every game. Burton finished with five tackles and a sack while Lane Smith had four tackles and a sack. TJ Merritt, Ari Bowman, Jordan Frazier, Mariner Smith, and Marlon Matthews each had three tackles.

Next week Alabama Christian hosts Bayside Academy in the regular season finale.

ACA Clinches Playoff Spot with Win at Greensboro

With the 45-8 defeat of Greensboro on Friday night, Alabama Christian clinched a playoff berth for the eighth consecutive year. Before this current streak of postseason appearances, the football program had qualified for the playoffs eleven times in forty-one seasons and never more than four years in a row. Coach Michael Summers and his staff should be recognized for keeping the streak alive this year considering they replaced roughly 80 percent of the starters from last year’s team including the entire offense. Despite the new starters, this year’s team has the same exact overall and region record through eight games as last year. A remarkable job by the coaches and the players who have stepped up and thrived this season. The ACA nation should celebrate and appreciate the fact we are in the midst of the most successful era in program history.

Every fan should travel with the team at least once when the Eagles play in a small, rural town. Most of the time the PA announcer is worth the price of admission and Greensboro’s voice in the sky did not disappoint. He was really more play by play man than PA announcer as he talked before, during, and after every play. At one point the officials had to send word upstairs for him not to point penalties that were happening during play, especially when no call was made. The game itself seemed to take forever as penalties and incomplete passes stopped the clock constantly. To stretch the time even further, there was no running clock in the fourth quarter despite the thirty plus point lead by ACA.

Now, on to the game. The Eagles received the opening kick and marched 54 yards in seven plays to take an early 7-0 lead. David Ortiz-Ramirez picked up where he left off last week with three runs for 22 yards down to the Raider 32-yard line. With the defense keying on Ortiz-Ramirez, Christian Snipes kept the ball on the read option on two consecutive plays to cover the final 32 yards of the drive, scoring on an eight yard run with 9:54 left in the period. Greensboro’s first play from scrimmage was a big gainer of 49 yards down to the ACA 31-yard line. For an instant, it looked like we might have a shootout on our hands, but a holding call on the next play halted the home team’s momentum and they eventually turned the ball over on downs four plays later. The offense mixed in the pass on the second drive as Snipes completed passes to Bryant Swindle and Ortiz-Ramirez on the first two plays of the possession. The offense drove to the Greensboro five-yard line, but were pushed back by a false start penalty and a negative rushing play. The drive ended with a missed field goal with 5:26 left in the first quarter.

The Raiders offense was forced to punt after three plays and a botched fake punt gave the ball back to the Eagles just five yards from the end zone. Broderick Williams who ran onto the field late just kept on going as he tackled the punter for the eleven yard loss. Christian Snipes scored on the next play and Alabama Christian led 14-0 with 4:12 still left in the first. The home team turned the ball over on downs after just four plays to give the ball back to ACA. Consecutive completions to Bryant Swindle and Mariner Smith moved the ball to the three-yard line. Coach Summers sent William Milner in with directions to get in the end zone after he had a touchdown called back last week. It took two tries, but the senior scored his first career touchdown to extend the lead to 21-0 with an amazing 1:21 still left on the first quarter clock.

The calendar flipped to the second quarter with the Greensboro offense once again on the Eagle’s side of the fifty. A long kick return set the Raider offense up with great field position. Greensboro was able to move to the seven-yard line before the defense stiffened. Jalen Flowers tackled the back for a two-yard loss on first down and William Milner, who was fired up from his earlier touchdown, pressured the QB into a third down incompletion and broke up a pass on fourth down to stop the drive. The offense produced its most impressive drive of the night with an 11-play, 91-yard march to stretch the lead to 28-0. David Ortiz-Ramirez and Christian Snipes handled the ball on the first ten plays of the drive to move the ball to the 15-yard line. Facing a 3rd and 7, Snipes found Broderick Williams in the right flat for the score with 6:02 left in the half. The Raiders again drove deep into enemy territory, but Darrius Gardner ended the threat with a spectacular interception at the three-yard line. Hoping to get one more score before the half, the Eagles were aggressive on offense and moved the ball out to the 33-yard line. On 3rd and 1, Snipes waited patiently for Ortiz-Ramirez to clear his defender and hit him in stride for an apparent score. However, a holding call on the perimeter negated the touchdown, but the first down was made. The most impressive part of the play was the thirty-yard flag toss from the back judge and his keen eyesight on the alleged infraction. The drive ended with a turnover on an old fan favorite, the hook and ladder. With just 16 seconds left in the half, Greensboro threw a long pass that was picked off by Gardner, his second of the half. The Eagles headed to the locker room with a four touchdown lead.

The Raiders opened the second half with another drive into ACA territory aided by a fairly obvious missed double pass by the officials. Despite the non-call, Broderick Williams and William Meeks ended the drive with a third down sack to force a punt. The Eagles first drive ended in a touchdown and was highlighted by a 26-yard run by David Ortiz-Ramirez. William Milner finished the drive two plays later with an eight-yard run for his second touchdown of the night. Down by thirty-five, a desperate Greensboro offense went for it on fourth down on their own 21-yard line on their next drive. The incomplete pass set up Alabama Christian deep on the Raider’s side of the field. At this point, the Eagles started to substitute freely to allow the backups some much needed varsity experience. Tyson Summers connected on a 33-yard field goal to extend the lead to 38-0 with 59.9 seconds left in the third.

A delay of game penalty coming out of the quarter break summed up the night for Greensboro. Lane Smith broke up a third down pass to force another punt. Freshman Noah Shack was featured in the next drive for Alabama Christian as he ran the ball four times in five plays and scored from four yards out for a 45-0 advantage with 8:40 left on the clock. The Raiders finally found the end zone with 6:19 remaining on a 25-yard pass play to cut the lead to 45-8. An Eagle turnover gave Greensboro another chance to score late, but Mekhi Gardner’s third down sack ended any serious threat. The Eagles got the ball back with 3:07 left and kept the ball the rest of the way. Kaiden Green’s 19-yard keeper to convert a third down put the game away for ACA.

Christian Snipes’ seventeen pass attempts in the first half was a season high for the Eagles. The sophomore finished 11 for 18 for 111 yards and a score and was the team’s leading rusher with 98 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. David Ortiz-Ramirez finished with 89 yards on 14 rushes while Noah Shack had 78 yards on 10 attempts and a touchdown. William Milner had two scores on just three carries for eleven yards. Bryant Swindle led the receiving corps with four catches for 44 yards while Ortiz-Ramirez added three catches for 25 yards. Mariner Smith, Broderick Williams, TJ Merritt, and Darrius Gardner each caught one pass. Three defenders, Milner, William Meeks, and Lane Smith, led the way with six tackles apiece. Jaylan McCovery added five tackles while Jalen Flowers and Marlon Matthews each had four. Meeks and Broderick Williams combined for a sack while Mekhi Gardenr had one on his own. Darrius Gardner had two picks on the night.

Alabama Christian hosts Southside Selma for Homecoming next week. The winner of the contest will have the number three seed in the Region heading into the playoffs.

Alabama Christian Dominates PCA in Road Region Game

ACA all but guaranteed a postseason appearance with a punishing 44-14 whooping of PCA Friday night. If the Eagles can win one of their last two Region games, they will make the playoffs for a school record eighth consecutive year. The road win was even more impressive due to the team’s premier offensive weapon, AC Walters, being sidelined for the contest. Several players stepped up on the night to make up for Walters’ absence. The win was Coach Michael Summers 19th at the helm and moved him into third place on the all-time wins list.

Tyson Summers' touch back on the opening kickoff put the Panthers offense in a tough spot to start the night. PCA picked up a couple of first downs on their initial drive, but Ari Bowman intercepted a fourth down pass and paired with a face mask call on his return, gave ACA the ball just twenty-seven yards away from the goal line. Four plays later, Christian Snipes scored the first of his school record five rushing touchdowns for an early 6-0 lead. The Panthers answered with their only score of the first half with a eight-play 80-yard drive to tie the score, 6-6. The quarter ended during Alabama Christian’s second drive.

Last week, ACA showed the ability to put together long drives and keep the ball away from their opponent. The trend continued on the unit’s second drive that lasted over six minutes and covered 59 yards. ACA converted two third downs and a fourth down on the way to a 37-yard field goal from Tyson Summers for a 9-6 lead. PCA looked to have something going on offense on their next drive, but Jaylan McCovery forced a fumble that was recovered by Ari Bowman to give the ball back to the offense with 4:16 left in the half. David Ortiz-Ramirez gashed the defense for 38 yards on the next play and the offense scored three plays later for a 16-6 advantage with 3:18 remaining in the second period. Neither team scored on their last possession of the half which gave ACA a ten-point cushion at the break.

The game was too close to have a shortened-quarter running clock to start the second half, a PCA tradition, but ACA would handle that in the fourth period. David Ortiz-Ramirez ran for 46 yards on the second play of the half to set up a nine yard scoring run by Christian Snipes. ACA led 23-6 just 86 seconds into the third quarter. PCA continued to move the ball between the twenties, but William Milner ended the next drive with a fourth down sack. Two straight pass interference calls against the home team gave Alabama Christian the ball at PCA’s 25-yard line. It took three plays to make the end zone for a commanding 30-6 lead with 5:56 left in the third. Snipes scored again from two yards out for the fourth time. The Panther offensive pattern continued as they drove to the Eagle 19-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs.

David Ortiz-Ramirez delivered a game-long run of 51 yards, his third of more than 35 yards, to give ACA a 37-6 lead with 2:41 left in the third. The drive covered 81 yards in two plays aided by a face mask call against the Panthers. The defense was fired up as they sacked the PCA QB on third and fourth downs after a long kick return put the Panthers deep in ACA territory. Blake Shaw recorded the sack on third while Jalen Flowers and Marlon Matthews turned the trick on fourth down. Unfortunately, the Eagles fumbled and gave the ball back to PCA on the next play.

The turnover proved costly as the Panthers scored and converted a two-point try to cut the lead to 37-14 with 9:41 left in the game. Although ACA got the ball back at midfield after the failed onside kick effort, the offense still ate up over six minutes as they scored the final points of the game. Christian Snipes finished things off with his record tying fifth rushing touchdown of the night. Snipes tied Courtney Moss for the most rushing touchdowns in a game as Moss achieved the feat against Bullock County in 2008. PCA’s last drive and the game ended on a Marlon Matthews sack.

David Ortiz-Ramirez rushed for 207 yards on 18 carries to lead the offense and scored a touchdown. William Milner rushed 7 times for 60 yards while Christian Snipes had 58 yards on 11 attempts and five touchdowns, Snipes finished 4 of 6 for 33 yards in the air connecting one time each with Darrius Gardner, Jackson Burton, TJ Merritt, and Bryant Swindle. Lane Smith led the defense with 12 tackles while WIlliam Milner finished with 10 tackles and a sack. Blake Shaw had six tackles and a sack while five players, Ari Bowman, Jalen Flowers, TJ Merritt, Jaylan McCovery, and Darruis Gardner, all finished with five tackles. Flowers and Marlon Matthews each recorded sacks while Bowman produced an interception and a fumble recovery.

Alabama Christian stays on the road next week with a Region game at Greensboro. A win next week clinches a playoff spot.