ACA beats Northside at Tournament in Orange Beach

The Lady Eagles (2-9) defeated Northside 9-2 on day one of the Pot O’ Gold Tournament on Thursday. ACA was scheduled to played four games in all, but the last game against Milton (FL) was cancelled due to weather. The highlight of the weekend came as Izzy Warrick set a new single game record with five steals against Bob Jones.

Game one - Bob Jones

Alabama Christian outhit the Patriots and led 5-4 heading to the bottom of the fifth, but Bob Jones scored two to take the lead and closed it out in the sixth. ACA started the scoring as Elizabeth Hall knocked in Izzy Warrick in the first for a 1-0 lead. The designated home team tied it up in the bottom half with an RBI single. In the third, the Eagles scored two runs as the first four batters reached base. Annabelle Pugh drove in one with a single to center and Anna Gleason drove the second in with an infield ground out. The Patriots scored three in the third thanks to three ACA errors to retake the lead 4-3. Lily Sconyers and Sydney Jones drove in runs in the fifth as the Eagles see sawed back in the lead. Bob Jones hit a two-run homer in the bottom half to retake the lead and the game, 6-5.

Izzy Wrrick led the offense with a 3 for 3 day with five steals and two runs scored. Elizabeth Hall and Lily Sconyers both had two hits and drove in a run. Maddie Traywick went the distance, but took the loss over five innings with two strikeouts.

Game two - Northside

In the second game Thursday night, ACA whipped Northside 9-2 in five innings. Izzy Warrick got things going immediately as she led the game off with a single, advanced to second on the throw from the left fielder, stole third, and scored on an error by the third baseman during the steal attempt. Warrick then took the circle and blanked the Rams for four innings. The ACA offense exploded in the fourth with six tuns to take a commanding 7-0 lead. The Eagles had four hits in the frame, the biggest of which was a three-run smash by Maddie Traywick. Both teams scored two in the fifth as time ran out during ACA’s half of the inning.

Three players led the way at the plate as Campbell Hammett, Anna Gleason, and Izzy Warrick each delivered two hits. Warrick and Chloe Childs both scored two runs while Maddie Traywick led the team with three runs driven in. Warrick picked up the win as she allowed zero earned runs over five innings with five punch outs.

Game three - Orange Beach

ACA was treated rudely by the host team as they were dominated in a 0-12 loss to the Macos. The Lady Eagles were no-hit over six innings and were run-ruled as a three-run homer ended it. Maddie Traywick took the loss as she pitched all six innings.

ACA Impresses in Road WIn at Tallassee

Tallassee handled Alabama Christian in its first match up of the season, but the Eagles turned the tables on Thursday night with a convincing 6-1 defeat of the Tigers. It was the best performance of the year heading into spring break. The home dugout was loud and rowdy to start the game, but as the Eagle pitching and defense kept posting zeroes on the scoreboard, the dugout grew quieter and quieter. One group that did not stay quiet was Tallassee’s own peanut gallery who were perched on a hill all the way down the left field line. Despite the distance from the field, the group was able to point out everything the umpires missed.

Cam Sutton started for ACA and performed masterfully as he used his defense behind him with an efficient effort. Sutton faced just eight batters over the first two frames as his catcher, Jackson McGuire helped him out of trouble in the second. With one out and runners on first and third, McGuire threw out the runner attempting to steal second for the second out of the inning. It was a close play and the Tallassee coach disagreed with the call. When the next batter flew out to left, the coach chirped at blue all the way across the infield. After several warnings to stop, the umpire tossed the coach out of the game.

The Eagles offense then provided some fireworks of its own with three runs in the third. Bryson Dabney led off the inning with a walk followed by a Mac Moorer single. Jackson McGuire tried to move the runners over with a sac bunt, but Dabney was forced out at third for the first out. The next three batters, Landon Nelson, Grant Cornette, and Jackson Burton, each drove in a run to build a 3-0 lead. Tallassee finally scored in the fourth, but Sutton held the Tigers to a single run. Neither team scored in the fifth or sixth as ACA looked to add some insurance in their final at bat.

Mac Moorer and Jackson McGuire started the seventh with back to back walks. Landon Nelson singled to center to drive in Moorer and move McGuire to third. An infield error loaded the bases and Jackson Burton followed with a ground ball single to center to drive in two runs for a 6-1 cushion. Nelson, who came in to relieve the starter in the fifth, set the Tigers down in order by striking out the side to pick up the save.

Three players delivered two hits apiece to lead the offense in the win. Jackson Burton went 2 for 3 with three RBIs while Mac Moorer finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Landon Nelson was 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Bryant Swindle, who courtesy ran for Jackson McGuire, scored the other two runs. Cam Sutton picked up his first varsity victory going 4 1/3 innings while giving up a run with one strikeout. In relief, Nelson pitched 2 2/3 innings and struck out six to earn the save.

The Eagles head south for spring break to play four games in Gulf Shores. Monday’s schedule sees ACA face Brighton (TN) and Hilldale (OK).

Lady Eagles Pick up First Win in Early Week Play

Meagan Whisenant recorded her first win as head coach of Alabama Christian (1-6) as her team beat Stanhope Elmore in a continuation of the season opener from February 22. Eighteen days passed between the start of the game and the finish, but it took the Eagles just one inning on Monday to win 9-8 in eight innings. The game ended tied at seven two weeks ago. In the top of the eighth, Stanhope Elmore scored once to take an 8-7 lead over ACA. In the bottom half, Maddie Traywick led off with a single to tie it then stole second and third with one out. Anna Gleason hit a ball the Mustang shortstop could not handle and Traywick scored the game winner.

In game two, ACA pitching held the Mustangs to just four hits, but the Eagles lost 1-4. Stanhope scored two in the first to take an early lead. The Eagles lone run of the contest came in the second as Bentley Lamberth scored after an infield error by the home team. The Mustangs scored two more in the third for a 4-1 advantage. ACA had at least one runner on three of the final four frames, but could not come through with a timely hit to cut the margin. Four players, Izzy Warrick, Elizabeth Hall, Anna Gleason, and Anna Prempramot, each had singles while Warrick and Campbell Hammett each stole two bases. Maddie Traywick and Warrick split the pitching duties.

On Tuesday, ACA met Catholic for the 63rd time in series history. Like Monday, Eagle pitching held its opponent’s offense to minimum success, but a lack of offense resulted in a 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Lady Knights. Catholic scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the game. ACA loaded the bases with two outs in the third and put two runners on in the fifth, but were unable to score. Izzy Warrick relieved Maddie Traywick in the fifth and Catholic was able to extend their lead to 2-0. The Eagles finally scored in the sixth as Maddie Owens singled in AG Blackburn to cut the lead to one run. Unfortunately, the Knights scored one run, which would prove monumental, in the bottom half for an insurance run to build the lead back to two runs. In the Eagles final at bat, Elizabeth Hall singled to center to drive in Warrick with two outs, but the next batter ground out to the pitcher to end the game.

Elizabeth Hall led the offense with a 2 for 3 day with a double and an RBI. Maddie Traywick and Izzy Warrick once again split the pitching duties as Traywick took the loss.

ACA Defeats Greenville in Armstrong Tournament

There were doubts all day about whether or not Alabama Christian’s (3-5) game against Greenville would even be played on Tuesday afternoon. Fortunately, the rain held off enough to let the contest go on and the Eagles came away with a convincing 10-1 win over an over matched Greenville squad. For the second game in a row the starting pitching was excellent as Mac Moorer followed Landon Nelson’s example from Monday and pitched a gem of his own. The junior right-hander pitched a complete game four-hitter and allowed just one run with six strikeouts.

ACA scored in each of the first three innings to build a commanding 8-0 cushion. After Moorer set down the first three Tiger batters on just eight pitches, the Eagles scored two in the bottom half. Landon Nelson singled to right to drive in Moorer and later scored on a throwing error for a 2-0 lead. In the second, Cam Sutton and Zander Costanza both singled followed by a Bryson Dabney walk to load the bases with no outs. Sutton scored on a wild pitch and Costanza and Dabney both scored on a Jackson McGuire single to left for a 5-0 advantage. Later in the frame ACA scored two more runs on consecutive passed balls to build a seven run lead. In the third, Sutton scored on a throwing error as Greenville tried to turn two.

Meanwhile, Mac Moorer continued to dazzle and had not allowed a hit through three innings. Greenville hit back to back doubles down the third base line to start the fourth, but Moorer rebounded and retired the next three hitters to keep the damage to one run. Alabama Christian scored its last two runs of the night in the sixth. Landon Nelson doubled down the left field line to score Moorer and with two outs Sam Schoeteker walked and scored on a Grant Cornette single for a 10-1 lead. Moorer closed the door in the seventh for ACA’s second win in a row.

Landon Nelson finished the night going 2 for 3 with a double and two runs driven in. Cam Sutton also went 2 for 3 with two runs scored. Jackson McGuire had two RBI’s while Mac Moorer scored two runs.

The Eagles will continue play in the Armstrong Tournament on Thursday at Paterson Field against Pike Road.

Alabama Christian Shuts Out Beulah

After dropping a game at Beulah a little over a week ago, ACA (2-5) blanked the visitors 7-0 on Monday night behind the right arm of Landon Nelson. The senior took the mound and dominated the Bobcat lineup as he struck out a career high 13 batters over five innings while giving up just one hit. Nelson set the tone early as he struck out the side in the first on just eleven pitches.

Neither team scored through the first two innings, but the Eagles touched home four times in the third to give their pitcher all the runs he would need. After Mac Moorer and Jackson McGuire opened the frame with singles, Landon Nelson drove in the first run of the night with a double down the left field line. Jackson Burton followed with an RBI on a fielder’s choice and Cam Sutton drove in the last two on a pop up single to shallow left that the Beulah shortstop could not catch. Nelson again struck out the side in the fourth to make sure the Bobcats didn’t have any thoughts of a comeback. Although his control was not as sharp in the fifth, he finished the night with his 13th punch out of the night.

In the final innings, ACA looked to pad the four run lead for some insurance. In the fifth, ACA looked poised for a big inning as Bryson Dabney coaxed a one-out bases loaded walk to extend the lead to 5-0 and turn it over to the top of the lineup. Unfortunately, the rally was halted as a jog down the first base line aided an inning ending double play. Cam Sutton relieved Nelson and set the Bobcats down 1-2-3 in the sixth. In the home half, ACA scored twice more on a Grant Cornette ground out and a Teilan Long double. In the seventh, Beulah’s lead off hitter reached base, but was erased on a beautiful around the horn double play. The last hitter popped up and the game belonged to Alabama Christian.

Jackson McGuire led the hit parade with a 3 for 3 night with a walk. Zander Costanza finished 2 for 3 with a walk as five other batters each had one hit. Cam Sutton’s two RBIs were the most on the team while Grant Cornette and Jackson Burton each scored two runs for team high honors. Landon Nelson and Teilan Long had the team’s extra base hits as both hit doubles.

If the rain holds off, ACA is scheduled to participate in the Jason Armstrong Tournament on Tuesday against Greenville at Riverwalk.

ACA Loses to Elmore County in Error Filled Game

Like the baseball team the day before, the softball team committed nine errors in a 5-8 loss to Elmore County. ACA led 5-1 after four innings, but six miscues over the final three innings doomed the fate of the home team.

ACA gave up a run in the first, but a bases loaded two-out double from Izzy Warrick in the second gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, the home team scored three more times thanks to a Lily Sconyers single and a two-run error by Elmore County. The ACA defense fell apart in the fifth with four errors which allowed the Panthers to tie the score, 5-5. Over the final two innings, Elmore County managed to score three runs, one in the sixth and two in the seventh, but the Alabama Chrsitian offense managed only a single hit from Warrick.

Warrick collected three of the team’s five hits and pitched a complete game with 12 strikeouts. The junior also drove in two runs and stole a base. Anna Gleason and Lily Sconyers had the other two hits for the offense.

The Lady Eagles next contest is against Brew Tech at home on Thursday, February 29.

Eagles Drop Decision to Trinity

Alabama Christian (1-5) hung tough for 5 1/2 innings, but eventually lost at Trinity, 3-8. ACA trailed by one run as the Wildcats came to bat in the sixth, but gave up four runs in the frame for the final tally. Jackson McGuire’s five innings was the most any starter has thrown this season and gave his team a chance to win with his effort.

The Wildcats scored two in the second to open the scoring and the score remained 2-0 through four innings. in the fifth, ACA pushed across its first run of the day. With one out, Bryson Dabney walked followed by a Mac Moorer single to put two runners on. Jackson McGuire doubled to right to score Dabney and set up the offense with runners on second and third with just one out. At a minimum, the thought was to at least tie the game, but the next two batters popped out on the infield to kill the rally.

Trinity scored two in the fifth to stretch the lead to 4-1, but the Eagles immediately responded with two runs of their own to bring the deficit back to one run. After walks to Teilan Long and Bryant Swindle, Bryson Dabney delivered a two-out double that scored Long and put runners at second and third. Up next, Mac Moorer walked to load the bases which brought up Jackson McGuire. On a 2-1 count, McGuire singled to right which scored Swindle, but Dabney was held at third. Unfortunately, it looked as if Moorer assumed Dabney would be sent and was caught in a rundown for the third out of the inning. Moorer then came in to relieve McGuire, but after striking the first two batters out was unable to record another out. Trinity scored four times in the inning to extend the lead to 8-3. Landon Nelson led the seventh off with a double to try and mount a comeback, but the next three batters were retired to end the game.

Jackson McGuire, who has arguably been the team’s best player over the first six games, led the offense with two hits in three at-bats including a double and two RBIs. Although the junior picked up the loss on the mound he pitched well over five innings with five strikeouts. Bryson Dabney, Mac Moorer, and Landon Nelson contributed the other three hits for the offense on the day.

Alabama Christian will host Percy Julian, formerly known as Lee, on Friday for their next game.

ACA Defense Falters in Loss at Reeltown

A championship caliber team would have great difficulty winning a game overcoming nine errors. So, you can imagine the strain that would put on a young team still searching for its identity. ACA (1-4) was not able to overcome the miscues in a 4-9 loss at Reeltown. Cam Sutton pitched a good game, as he got the start, but holding the Rebel offense down with six errors behind him was asking too much of the sophomore. Teilan Long and Alex Heilman both made their varsity debuts in the game and made contributions.

Neither team scored in the first, but after a Teilan Long double to center, Sam Schoeteker’s sac fly drove in the first run of the contest. Cam Sutton faced just three Reeltown batters in the second thanks to a Cornette to Nelson to Heilman double play. In the third inning, ACA tacked on two more runs as Bryson Dabney and Grant Cornette hit back to back singles with one out. After a passed ball moved both runners up a base, Jackson Mcguire kept the inning going with a two-run single to right for a 3-0 lead. Sutton retired the first two batters in the home half of the inning, but an infield error that would have ended the inning seemed to take the wind out of the sails of the Eagles. After the error, Reeltown scored twice to cut the lead to 3-2 after three.

ACA committed four errors in the fourth as the game started to get away from the visitors. Reeltown scored four times on just one hit to lead 6-3 after four. In the fifth and sixth frames, the rebels scored three more times for a 9-3 cushion. Jackson McGuire drove in a run in the seventh for the final margin of 4-9.

Jackson McGuire led the offense as he went 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Grant Cornette, Teilan Long, and Bryson Dabney delivered the other three hits for the team. Cam Sutton pitched four innings to start and gave up just one earned run while Grant Cornette pitched the final two innings without giving up an earned run. In an oddity for high school baseball, the two ACA pitchers did not walk or strike out a single batter.

ACA has an early 2:30 start at Trinity on Tuesday next time out.

Eagles Lose First Road Game at PCA

ACA (0-1-1) traveled to Prattville to take on a very good PCA program. Although the bats never came alive, the Eagles kept it close in a 0-5 loss. Maddie Traywick started in the circle for Alabama Christian and struck out four Panthers, with no walks, in a complete game effort. ACA managed just three base runners in the game with only one hit. ACA only trailed 0-2 going to the bottom of the fifth, but PCA scored three runs in their last two at-bats to stretch the lead to five runs.

Izzy Warrick recorded the team’s only hit while Lily Sconyers walked and Maddie Traywick was hit by a pitch.

The Eagles host Elmore County on Tuesday in their next action.

ACA Opens Season Against Stanhope Elmore

It’s not often a softball game ends in a tie, but that is exactly what happened in Alabama Christian’s (0-0-1) season opener against Stanhope Elmore. ACA scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score 7-7 and the game was called due to darkness.

Izzy Warrick scored the season’s first run in the opening inning. After a walk, the junior advanced to third on two wild pitches and broke for home on a bad throw between catcher and pitcher. To top it off, she struck out the side in the following half inning. Stanhope did score twice in the third to take a 2-1 lead. In the fourth, ACA seesawed back into the lead with two runs. Warrick and Elizabeth Hall scored on consecutive ground outs to retake the lead. In the fifth, the visitors tied the game, 3-3.

In the sixth, ACA broke through with three runs for a seemingly safe 6-3 lead. Elizabeth Hall drove in Izzy Warrick on a single to right to take the lead and two Stanhope errors tacked on tow more runs to stretch the lead to three. A three-run homer in the top of the seventh from the visitors catapulted the Mustangs back into the lead. Campbell Hammett led off the last inning by reaching on an infield error. With one out, she stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch with two outs to tie it up. It was decided not to play extra innings due to darkness.

Elizabeth Hall led the offense going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Annabelle Pugh and Maddie Traywick had the other two hits in the game. Izzy Warrick reached base three times and scored three runs while Anna Gleason drove in two runs. Warrick went the distance in the circle with eight strikeouts.

Alabama Christian Loses at Home Against Tallassee

ACA (1-2) hosted Tallassee on Thursday night and fell to the visiting Tigers, 1-7. Tallassee scored three runs in the first inning and never looked back in the easy victory. Starting pitcher Landon Nelson began the game with a strikeout, but five of the next six batters reached safely to build a three run lead. Mac Moorer and Grant Cornette led off the Eagles half with back to back singles and Nelson drove in a run with an infield ground out, but the offense couldn’t push anyone else across. The offense had three base runners in the first, but only five more would reach base over the next six frames.

Tallassee scored two in the second and two more in the fourth to open a 7-1 cushion. Grant Cornette stayed hot in the third with his second hit of the night, but was erased on an inning ending double play. Cam Sutton made his pitching debut in relief and pitched the final four innings for the Eagles.

Grant Cornette had half of the team’s hits as he finished 2 for 3 on the night. Mac Moorer and Conner Foucault had the other two hits as Moorer scored the only run of the night. Landon Nelson (4) and Cam Sutton (6) combined to strike out ten Tigers in the game.

Alabama Christian hits the road on Friday as they travel to Beulah for their next game.

ACA Defeats Catholic in Home Opener

The Eagles (1-1) opened the home season with a 15-6 defeat of Catholic. The game was tied 6-6 when ACA exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win.

Mac Moorer started for the home team and set the Knights down 1-2-3 in the first. The offense wasted no time getting on the board as they pushed across three runs in the bottom half. The first run scored on a Landon Nelson sac fly followed by a two-run missile over the left field wall by Jackson Burton. After a scoreless second, Catholic got on the board with five runs in the third to take a 5-3 lead. Alabama Christian got one back in the bottom half as Burton drove in Nelson on an infield ground out.

Jackson McGuire relieved the starter in the fourth inning and promptly sat down the Knight’s 2, 3, and 4 hitters as he struck out the side. In the bottom of the fourth, Mac Moorer was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to tie the score and a Grant Cornette sac fly gave the Eagles a one-run lead. The Knights scored one in the fifth to tie it back up. McGuire did not allow a run in the sixth to leave the game tied heading into the big inning for ACA.

With one out in the sixth, ACA strung together three consecutive singles to load the bases. Jackson McGuire hit a sac fly to left, for the second out, to give the Eagles the lead. After that out, Catholic pitching put the next five batters on by a walk or hit batsman which gave the home team an 11-6 advantage. Grant Cornette then doubled down the left field line to drive in two more followed by a Landon Nelson two-bagger that drove in another two for a 15-6 lead. Eight men reached base safely between the second and third outs in the frame. McGuire came back out in the seventh and finished off the night with a strikeout.

Jackson McGuire picked up the win in relief as he gave up just one run over four innings while striking out six and walking one. The junior also helped himself at the plate with the game winning sac fly in the sixth. Landon Nelson and Jackson Burton led the offense as both players finished 3 for 4 with three RBI’s and two runs scored. Grant Cornette finished 2 for 3 with a double, three runs driven in and three runs scored while Mac Moorer was 2 for 3 with two ribbies and two runs scored. Cam Sutton continued to get on base by any means necessary as he was hit two more times in the game. The sophomore has reached base safely in six out of seven plate appearances without a hit.

ACA will be back at home on Thursday as they take on Tallassee.

Alabama Christian Opens Season at Chilton County

It was a beautiful day to open the 2024 baseball season as Alabama Christian (0-1) traveled to Clanton to play. Unfortunately, the game did not begin until 7:00 and the cold crept back in after the sun went down. The Eagles fell to Chilton County by a score of 5-2.

Mac (or Mal as the PA announcer liked to call him) Moorer looked in mid-season form to lead off the first as he was hit on the second pitch of the game. Landon Nelson singled to center with one out, but a double play ended the threat and the first inning. Nelson toed the rubber for ACA and although he had base runners in every frame he pitched, he allowed just one hit over his 3 ⅔ innings and struck out seven. The hit he gave up was a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth for the first runs of the night. The hit was a heart breaker as it came after Nelson and the entire team thought he had struck out the batter before which would have ended the inning and kept the contest scoreless.

ACA answered in the top of the fifth with two runs of their own to tie the game at 2-2. Jackson McGuire led off with a single followed by a walk from Cam Sutton. Zander Costanza sacrificed the two runners over to put runners at second and third with one out. After a strikeout, Mac Moorer delivered a two-out infield single which scored Bryant Swindle, who was running for McGuire, and after an error by the shortstop Sutton came around to score to tie the game. Moorer relieved in the home half of the fifth, but gave up an unearned run as Chilton County pulled back in the lead. The home team scored two more unearned runs in the sixth for the 5-2 victory.

Mac Moorer, Grant Cornette, Landon Nelson, and Jackson McGuire each had a single for the team’s four hits on the night. Moorer and Cam Sutton each reached base three times.

ACA resumes play on Tuesday, February 20th as they host Catholic in the home opener.

Lady Eagles Open Season with Win Over Chilton County

The 2024 soccer season began on Thursday night as ACA hosted Chilton County. It was a cold night, but it is February so it is to be expected. The girls team started the night with a 3-0 shutout of the visitors. Alyssa Valentine recorded eight saves as she blanked the Tigers. The Eagles (1-0) scored twice in the first half as Chloe Jordan teamed with Presley Lewis on both occasions. The third goal was scored by Lewis just forty seconds into the second half as she raced up the left side and put the ball in the net. The senior scored all three goals on the night. Jordan who patrolled the middle of the field finished with two assists.

The boys did not enjoy the same success against a very good Chilton County squad. Cole Jordan scored the first varsity goal of his career in the 10th minute to tie the game 1-1, but the offense did not score again in a 1-6 loss to the Tigers. Karson Oakley assisted on the goal and Grady Roberts had 12 saves in goal.

The two teams will be back at home against Tallassee on Tuesday, February 5th, for their next game.

Alabama Christian Closes Regular Season with Wins at LAMP

Both games at LAMP were similar on Tuesday night as both the boys and girls team won easily, but could never quite break the 30-point lead barrier to start the running clock. Both teams won convincingly as they closed out the regular season.

The boys game started with ACA (18-7) scoring the first eleven points over the first five minutes of the game. Sam Davidson hit back to back threes to lead the team with six points in the run. Over the final three minutes of the period, LAMP stayed even and trailed 8-18 after one. The offense cooled off in the second, but the defense remained stout and did not allow the Tigers to close the gap. Leading 24-15 late in the period, Connor Mark put back a missed three and after a Tyree Saadiq steal, Mac Moorer hit a three for five quick points and a 29-15 lead at the break.

Darius Gardner and Mac Moorer played inside/outside in the third as the duo combined to score all fourteen of ACA’s points in the third. Gardner had four field goals in the paint for eight points while Moorer hit two long ones for six points. Team facilitator, Tyree Saadiq assisted on four of the six made baskets. The third ended with Alabama Christian leading 43-22. ACA outscored LAMP 10-3 to start the fourth to lead 53-25, their largest of the night, with four minutes left. AC Walters and Broderick Williams scored in the quarter and Ethan Capps made his varsity debut. The team did not score over the final four minutes of the game, but still won by a 53-33 margin.

Mac Moorer’s 17 points led the offense and added four rebounds. Darius Gardner recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Sam Davidson finished with 12 points and three steals. Tyree Saadiq had eight assists to lead the team.

The girls opened the night with a comfortable win over LAMP, but it took a while for things to start rolling. In the first quarter the offense fell in love with the three point shot despite only making one of their first 13 attempts. With a minute left to go in the period and leading 7-3, Coach Cantrell called timeout and implored the troops to stop hanging out at the three point line and start running the offense. Although the team did not score in the last minute of the first, the timeout must have worked as the Eagles (13-11) hit their first five shots, from four different players, of the second to open a 21-3 commanding lead. As quickly as the burst of offense appeared it disappeared just as quickly as ACA scored only one more point over the last five minutes of the half. Luckily, the defense shut down the home team as Alabama Christian 22-6 at the half.

In the third, LAMP scored six to double their score to twelve for the game. Unfortunately, for the Tigers, ACA scored fourteen in the period to stretch the lead to 36-12. Annabelle Pugh, who was the only player not to shoot a three in the first half, hit a long one to start the scoring in the half. The Eagles continued to spread the ball around as five different players scored. With just over a minute left in the game, Izzy Warrick nailed a three to give ACA a 48-16 lead for the final score of the night.

For the third game in a row, Katelynn Sutton led the offense with 17 points and had an all around solid game with six rebounds, six steals, and three assists. Izzy Warrick followed with 11 points and seven rebounds while Addison Smith had seven points and five rebounds.

Lady Eagles Defeat MA in Area Road Test

A trip to MA is met without about as much anticipation as a trip to the dentist. It seems accommodations for visiting fans are the lowest of priorities. The bleachers were an accident waiting to happen without a single handrail in any of the three sections of seating. Tack on two special events during the games that lengthened the time considerably and it was a swell night at the gym.

Luckily, the Lady Eagles (12-11) made it more bearable as they avenged an earlier loss to MA with a 47-39 victory. In the previous meeting it took over eighteen minutes for ACA to score their first bucket, but on Friday night they turned the trick in just twenty-two seconds. Jaide Newkirk scored on a feed from Katelyn Sutton for the first points of the contest. Sutton nailed a three late in the period to give the visiting Eagles a 15-7 lead after one. The point total for the first quarter surpassed the amount of the entire previous game against MA. Sutton opened the second with another long distance dedication to stretch the lead to 18-7 just seconds into the quarter. The junior point guard has looked fantastic the past two nights as she paced the team with 15 points in the first half. ACA led 26-15 at intermission. Despite the never ending moaning and complaining about the lack of calls his team was getting, MA only had two more fouls called against them as compared to ACA. At the end of the night, MA had twenty-five fouls called on them, while ACA had twenty-three.

MA increased the defensive pressure in the second half and tried to make a run at the visiting Eagles. Midway through the quarter they cut the lead to three, 27-24, but another Sutton three and a free throw from Jaide Newkirk stretched the lead back to seven. Alabama Christian led 41-31 after three. The fourth quarter was not a thing of beauty. Through the first five minutes of the period, MA scored four points to cut the lead to 41-35 as ACA missed all six of their shots and turned the ball over eight times. Izzy Warrick righted the ship as the MA press could not contain her and watched her score ACA’s final six points of the evening in the 47-39 win.

Katelyn Sutton’s 25 points led the team to go along with six rebounds. Izzy Warrick finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists followed by Campbell Hammett with seven points, six boards, and three steals. Addison Smith led the team with nine rebounds, all in the second half.

The boys contest was much closer than the first meeting although ACA (17-7) never led during the game. Sam Davidson made a three to tie the score, 5-5, but MA scored the next ten points to lead 15-5. All night long, MA would build the lead and Alabama Christian would respond and cut into the deficit. The first period ended with the home team leading 22-14. Back to back treys by Mac Moorer and Tyree Saadiq early in the second cut the lead to two points, 22-24. MA answered with a 7-0 run and would eventually lead 33-24 at the break.

ACA would cut the lead to seven on two occasions in the third period, but it was as close as they would get. The squad never stopped and competed until the very end as they scored the last seven points of the contest for the final margin of 50-59.

Tyree Saadiq led the offense with 22 points with six assists. Mac Moorer finished with eleven points while Darius Gardner had eight points with nine boards. AC Walters tied Gardner with a team high nine rebounds.

Alabama Christian wraps up the regular season against LAMP on Tuesday, January 30th.

Alabama Christian Cruises Past Billingsley

Alabama Christian enjoyed a trip up I-65 to Billingsley as both varsity teams defeated the Bears on Thursday night. The Lady Eagles (11-11) opened the night with a 65-53 win as they seemed to be playing the home team and the officials. ACA had 26 fouls called on them while the home team was called for just 12 fouls.

Katelyn Sutton came out on fire as she scored ten of the team’s fifteen first quarter points. The contest was knotted at fifteen apiece after a quarter. Billingsley scored the first four points of the second, but Sutton countered with two 3-pointers to give ACA a 21-19 lead that they would not lose for the rest of the night. Addison Smith hit another long distance shot to stretch the lead to 24-19. Sutton’s free throws with 1:13 left in the half were the last points of the quarter as the junior guard scored 21 of the team’s 33 first half points.

In the second half, the home team did everything they could to keep Katelyn Sutton from scoring which opened up opportunities for Jaide Newkirk. Like Sutton in the first half, Newkirk carried the offensive load in the second half. After Billingsley scored the first four points of the third, Newkirk scored with an and one chance to extend the lead to 36-31. Late in the period, the Eagles used a 7-0 run to double the lead to fourteen points, 50-36. A Marcy Gregory three late in the quarter gave ACA a 53-39 lead heading to the fourth. Although ACA never pulled away in the final period, the lead stayed in double digits to hold the Bears off, 65-53.

Katelyn Sutton finished with a career high 26 points and added six steals, five assists, and three rebounds. Jaide Newkirk added 24 points, 20 in the second half, with 13 rebounds.

As you can imagine with the disparity of fouls called in the girls game, the fans had primed the refs for the boys match up. Luckily, Alabama Christian (17-6) was just a better team and the officiating did not play into the outcome in the 59-36 victory. ACA scored the first nine points of the game, seven by Mac Moorer, to start hot. By the time Billingsley called a timeout with 2:03 left in the quarter, the Eagles had connected on seven of eleven shots from the field and led 17-5. Tyree Saadiq scored at the buzzer to end the first with a 19-5 cushion. The offense stalled a bit in the second, but since the Bears could not score either, the visitors increased their lead. Sam Davidson’s three at the end of the half gave ACA a 26-9 halftime lead.

Tyree Saadiq controlled the game in the third quarter. The point guard harassed the Bears on defense and created points on offense for his team. In the third alone, Saadiq had 13 points with five steals, three rebounds, and two assists. At the end of the third, Jackson Burton stole the ball and headed to the basket like a freight train to beat the buzzer and give ACA a 47-25 advantage. Alabama Christian maintained a twenty point margin for the bulk of the fourth period and left town with a twenty-three point win.

Mac Moorer finished with a game high 21 points and Tyree Saadiq followed with 15 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Broderick Williams and Jackson Burton had productive games off the bench as they combined for eight points and ten rebounds.

Alabama Christian will wrap up the Area schedule on Friday night as they visit MA.

ACA Dismantles Trinity in Road Area Triumph

When shots are falling, life is good! ACA (16-6) experienced the good life Tuesday night at Trinity as they dominated their longtime rival, 77-57. The offense posted a season high in points and made 11 of 21 threes in the Area contest. The defense also clamped down on the Wildcat’s only real offensive weapon and held him in check until he exploded in the final period. The postman would finish with 36 of the home team’s 57 points.

Both teams felt each other out over the first few minutes of the game as Trinity led 3-2 three minutes in. Mac Moorer connected on his first three of the night to give the visitors a 5-3 lead that would never be relinquished. Moorer would finish the quarter with 10 points as ACA led 19-13. Alabama Christian overwhelmed Trinity in the second period as they outscored the Wildcats 13-5 for a 32-18 cushion at the break. Sam Davidson had six in the stanza to lead the team as ACA continued to cook from the outside.

The Eagles came out of the locker room for the second half with confidence as the team looked loose and relaxed warming up for the third. Trinity continued to press in the second half and ACA continued to handle it. The visitors threw over it, moved through it, passed around it as the coaching staff had prepared them well. Two unusual and comical plays happened in the third. The first happened as ACA inbounded underneath their own basket. However, no one seemed to realize it as ACA threw it in everyone headed towards the half court line. Just as Connor Mark approached the line, he turned and threw it to a wide open Darius Gardner who laid the ball in for a 44-27 lead. The second occurred as the Trinity coach pleaded for a foul call and claimed his player’s nose had been bloodied. After further inspection, that seemed to be a gross exaggeration as the player's white jersey was pristine and looked like it was fresh from the factory.

ACA led by twenty-five heading into the fourth and maintained the lead midway through when Trinity decided to start fouling and make the Eagles earn it from the stripe. Coach Mitchell knew the plan was to foul Tyree Saadiq and he masterfully outmaneuvered his counterpart as he moved the senior around the floor and made it difficult for the Wildcats to employ their strategy. When they were able to get to Saadiq, he made them pay as he hit 3 of his 4 freebies down the stretch. Trinity never got closer than 17 points in the fourth as ACA cruised to a 77-57 win.

Mac Moorer scored a career high 34 points, the most since Reed Teel matched the total in 2009, as he connected on six 3-pointers. Sam Davidson finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists followed by Darius Gardner with 12 points and a team-high six boards. Tyree Saadiq, the best point guard among the CCC schools, produced ten points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

The Lady Eagles (10-11) knew the competition was top notch on Tuesday, but they did not back down and played with heart despite the lopsided final. Trinity scored 25 points per quarter over the first three in a 79-34 defeat of Alabama Christian.

Jaide Newkirk led the team with 18 points and added four rebounds. Izzy Warrick followed with seven points, three rebounds, and three assists. Katelyn Sutton had four points and a team best seven rebounds.

Alabama Christian will travel outside of Area competition as they visit Billingsley on Thursday, January 25th.

Alabama Christian Wins at the Buzzer for Second Straight Game

For the second day in a row Alabama Christian (15-6) won at the buzzer in dramatic fashion. The team’s two seniors closed out the home portion of the schedule in grand fashion as Tyree Saadiq hit the winner on Friday night and Darius Gardner scored at the basket to lift his team over Thomasville 48-46 on Saturday. The Eagles won the first meeting of the season in overtime and the second meeting was close throughout.

Neither team could make a shot until Connor Mark broke the seal with a three with 5:15 left in the first. Tyree Saadiq scored the team’s next four points and Sam Davidson connected on a bomb at the buzzer to tie the game 10-10 at the end of one. As the second period started, the Thomasville head coach, who coached all three Tiger teams on the day, had seen one perceived missed call too many. The sideline eruption resulted in a technical and a seat on the bench for the rest of the contest. Mac Moorer hit both freebies from the infraction for a 12-10 lead. Later in the quarter Moorer made a three for a 19-16 advantage, but the Tigers responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to lead 23-19. Saadiq returned to the game and scored for ACA to cut the deficit to two at the half.

Thomasville stretched the lead to six on a couple of occasions in the third as Coach Mitchell turned to his bench and inserted Broderick Williams into the game. Williams’ effort ignited the team and the bench and helped the Eagles to erase the Tiger lead. With 1:33 left in the quarter, Connor Mark made two from the line to give ACA a 35-33 lead. The Eagles would never trail again. The home team led 37-34 after three. Tyree Saadiq scored to start the final period to give ACA a five point cushion. The lead stayed around there for the next few minutes until the visitors scored on back to back trips to tie the score, 44-44. Trailing 44-46, Mac Moorer drove through heavy contact for a reverse layup to knot the game back up. With 1:00 left Thomasville called time and drew up a plan that was stopped due to an errant pass which was picked off by Saadiq. ACA held it for the last shot, but was fouled on the floor with 3.3 seconds left. After a timeout, Moorer drove to the hole, but again was fouled on the floor with 1.0 second remaining. Coach Mitchell called a timeout and drew up a play, but decided to scrap it and called a second timeout to diagram another play. The move worked as Saadiq found Darius Gardner at the right block for a layup and the victory, 48-46. The celebration might have been smaller with no cheerleaders and no student section, but that didn’t stop the players from relishing the moment.

Mac Moorer scored 20 points with seven rebounds. Tyree Saadiq filled the stat sheet with ten points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Connor Mark finished with nine points, four rebounds, and four assists. Darius Gardenr tied Moorer with a team high seven boards.

So far the flip of the calendar to 2024 has not been kind to the Lady Eagles (10-10). Although the team played much better in a loss Friday night, ACA looked to snap its five game January losing streak. The Eagles were missing four players in the first matchup with Thomasville and lost by 20 in their visit to Clarke County.

On Saturday, the Tigers were surprised as the home team jumped on them early. Thomasville made a free throw on their first possession for their only lead of the game. Jaide Newkirk made Alabama Christian’s first score and the team never looked back. Katelyn Sutton distributed the ball successfully on three consecutive possessions to build a 9-1 lead. The quarter ended with a 12-3 advantage for the home team. Izzy Warrick opened the second with five points to build the lead to 17-3. Although the offense managed just three more points in the half, ACA led 20-9 at the break.

Ninety seconds into the second half, Coach Cantrell was not happy with the production of her starting five which prompted putting the next five in off the bench. Despite questions of who would handle the ball and where would the scoring come from, the second unit gave the team a solid three minutes on the floor and only lost one point off the lead. Adalynn Newkirk hit a three for the team’s only points in the stretch. With the first five focused, they outscored Thomasville 9-4 for the rest of the period for a 33-17 lead headed to the fourth. The Tigers scored the first two baskets in the fourth, but a Jaide Newkirk three helped keep the momentum on ACA’s side. As Thomasville started to foul late to extend the game, Katelyn Sutton made 6 of 8 free throws over the final 2:31 to hold off the visitors 48-39.

Jaide Newkirk led all scorers with 18 points and added six rebounds and five steals. Izzy Warrick had 13 points and five rebounds while Katelyn Sutton had 12 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

Alabama Christian returns to Area play on Tuesday against Trinity.

Alabama Christian Completes Season Sweep of St James

After an eighteen point loss to ACA (14-6) ten days ago, the St James head coach knew he had to change tactics to have any chance on Friday night. On defense, the Trojans abandoned their man to man for a packed in zone. On offense, Coach Card channeled his inner Norman Dale and slowed the pace of the game drastically. Glaciers were making jokes about how slow the pace was. The changes almost worked, but Tyree Saadiq’s game winner at the buzzer in overtime ruined the plans of the visitors. The good guys prevailed 38-36.

ACA jumped out to an early 8-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first period. The Trojans had only attempted one shot three and a half minutes into the game. Despite the bad start, St James stuck to the plan and did not try to play fast. A technical call on the Trojan coach seemed to light a spark under his team as the Trojans cut the lead to 11-7 at the end of one. Connor Mark hit his second three of the half to start the second period and give ACA a 14-7 lead. However, the pace of play affected the rhythm of the offense as the team only took seven shots over the last six minutes of the half. Midway through the second, Darius Gardner scored to give the Eagles a 16-12 lead. It would be the last two possession lead for either team the rest of the night. As a preview of things to come, Tyree Saadiq hit a shot at the halftime buzzer to give Alabama Christian a 20-19 lead at the break.

If the fans thought the pace was slow in the first half, they hadn’t seen anything yet as the third period unfolded. The teams combined for a paltry eight points in the quarter as the ACA student section grew restless and let St James know what they thought about it. At one point, the visitors went three minutes between shots. One offensive possession for ACA stood out as the team corralled four consecutive offensive rebounds before Darius Gardner hit a layup to give the Eagles a 22-21 lead. The quarter ended with the home team ahead 24-23. The Trojans scored the first three points of the fourth for a 26-24 lead, but Tyree Saadiq tied it with a steal and a score. After a Trojan three, Saadiq was at it again with another steal and scored three the hard way with an and one opportunity to tie the game back up. For the third time in the period Saadiq answered a Trojan score with one of his own to tie the game with ninety seconds remaining. The ball was in Saadiq’s hand at the end of regulation, but a no-call in the lane forced overtime. The official raised his hand to make the call, but never blew the whistle after the shot.

In the overtime period, Alabama Christian hit a free throw and after regaining possession decided it was their turn to put the brakes on the pace of the game. Unfortunately, an Eagle turnover turned into a St James score for a 33-32 Trojan lead. Darius Gardner scored with just over a minute to play to give the lead back to ACA. After a defensive stop, the Eagles were able to run the clock down to 16.7 seconds before Mac Moorer hit two free throws to give the home team a 36-33 lead. The Trojans hit a deep three to tie the score with just 7.7 seconds left which was more than enough time for Tyree Saadiq. The senior went the length of the floor and scored as the horn sounded for a 38-36 overtime thriller over St James. The team and the student section mobbed Saadiq in celebration.

Tyree Saadiq scored 16 points to lead the team as he scored 12 of the team’s 18 points after the half. The point guard added six steals, five assists, and four rebounds. Darius Gardner finished with eight points and seven rebounds while Mac Moorer had eight with four rebounds. Connor Mark rounded out the scoring with six points.

Although the girls lost to St James in the first game of the night, the team played with determination and effort not seen in the past few games. It was good to see the team that the faithful are used to watching go out there and give it everything they had.

ACA (9-10) scored off the opening tip as the Lady Trojan jumper tipped the ball right to Izzy Warrick who raced to the basket for a layup. The Eagles built a 7-2 lead early as Jaide Newkirk scored on consecutive possessions. ACA did a much better job of handling the St James press and 1-3-1 half court defense. The Eagles trailed 10-15 after a quarter. Alabama Christian kept the deficit in single digits for about half the second period, but St James started to pull away towards halftime. The Trojans led 35-18 at the break.

In the second half, ACA continued to fight, led offensively by the three-headed monster of Izzy Warrick, Katelyn Sutton, and Jaide Newkirk. The trio combine to score all but one of the Eagles’ points. Everyone who got on the floor gave it their all despite the score and battled until the end. St James would end up winning 71-47.

Jaide Newkirk led the team with 20 points and seven rebounds. Katelyn Sutton had 16 points with five rebounds and four assists while Izzy Warrick finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Campbell Hammett also recorded seven rebounds to tie for team high.

Alabama Christian gets right back at it on Saturday afternoon as they host Thomasville.