Basketball

GIRLS Class 7A 1. Hoover 2. McGill-Toolen 3. Sparkman 4. Austin 5. Spain Park 6. Davidson 7. Grissom 8. Auburn 9. Hewitt-Trussville 10. Foley Class 6A 1. Hazel Green 2. Eufaula 3. Hartselle 4. Blount 5. Opelika 6. Huffman 7. McAdory 8. Cullman 9. Park Crossing 10. Dothan Class 5A 1. Ramsay (19-6) 2. Charles

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent Southside jumped out to a 14-5 lead after one quarter and never trailed in a 39-19 win over Hokes Bluff in the semifinal round of the Etowah County Schools Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Sardis. The Lady Panthers (15-4) face either Glencoe or Sardis in Friday’s championship game. Southside

Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Hayden Lipscomb (left) blocks a shot by Sardis’ Alex James during the Eagles’ 56-49 win in the Etowah County Basketball Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Sardis. Credit: Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter. By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent Hokes Bluff outscored Sardis 21-9 over the final eight of the game to take a

By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter

West End High School is a special place to Clint Brannon, and he hopes to enjoy a long tenure as varsity boys basketball coach for his alma mater.

Brannon, a 2001 West End graduate, has moved up from the junior varsity coaching ranks to take over the Patriots’ varsity program.

He succeeds Keith Thr ash er, who

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Gaston High School basketball star Morgan Beaird was the most highly decorated female high school athlete during the 2011-12 school year.

Beaird led the Lady Bulldogs to the Northeast Regional Tournament at Jacksonville State University. Beaird earned All-Area and All-County during her senior season, and was selected as The Messenger’s Little-7 Player of the Year.

Beaird led

Westbrook Christian senior Mary Katherine Catanzaro signed a basketball scholarship with Birmingham Southern College on May 11 during a special ceremony held in the Westbrook Christian gymnasium. Catanzaro lettered in basketball at Westbrook from eighth through twelfth grades. She earned All-Area honors three times, All-County first team two years and All-County one year. Catanzaro was

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Gadsden City High School head coach Reginald Huff was named Coach of the Year and Titan point guard Jalen Strong was named Player of the Year on the Big 3 varsity boys basketball team, which was comprised of players from Gadsden City, Southside and Etowah high schools. 

Gadsden City finished 26-5 this season under Huff’s leadership and won…

By Joshua Price
Sports Editor

Etowah point guard Bri Aaron and head coach Ryan Fore top the Big 3 All-Messenger girls basketball team     

The squad comprised of players from Etowah High School, Gadsden City High School and Southside High School. Aaron was named girls Big 3 Player of the Year and Fore was named girls Big 3 Coach of the Year.

Aaron…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Gaston High Schoolguard Morgan Beaird and Hokes Bluff head coach Jason Shields were the best in the business in their respective roles this season. Beaird led all Etowah County girls basketball players, netting 20.4 points per game. Beaird did most of her damage behind the 3-point line, where she average 52

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

The All-Messenger Little 7 boys basketball team is composed of the cream of the crop of the smaller high school in Etowah County - Coosa Christian, Gaston, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Sardis, Westbrook Christian and West End.

Westbrook Christian sophomore guard Colin Edwards was selected the 2011-12 All-Messenger Player of the Year and Glencoe head coach Ryan Barkley was…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

It took an overtime session to decide the winner of a match of Class 3A powerhouses in Northeast Regional semifinal girls basketball on Feb. 22. 

Second-ranked Pisgah defeated tenth-ranked Hokes Bluff, 78-73. The Lady Eagles finished the season 28-5, while Pisgah improved to 29-3.

Hokes Bluff trailed, 48-38, at the end of the third quarter.

Carlie Shields connected on a…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Sylvania ended Glencoe’s title run rather abruptly on Feb. 22. The Rams whipped the Yellow Jackets, 61-45, in Northeast Regional boys basketball semi-final action at Jacksonville State University. Glencoe finished the season at 21-9, while Sylvania improved to 21-11. Glencoe fought back to tie the match in the final minute of

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Gaston weathered a sluggish third quarter to defeat Woodville, 47-31, in Northeast Regional semi-final basketball action on Feb. 21 at Jacksonville State University.

The potent Gaston offense fell flat in the third quarter, scoring only five points. 

“They went to a man defense in the second half,” Gaston head coach Tonya Bogle said. “We were still getting off good…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor

Etowah High School played inspired basketball against Centerpoint in the semi-final Northeast Regional basketball tournament at Jacksonville State University on Feb. 21, but the Lady Blue Devils fell short to the defending Class 5A state champions, 49-39. Etowah finished the season at 19-12.

Etowah fought the Lady Eagles tooth-and-nail for three quarters before Centerpoint caught fire.

Keonna Farmer’s free…

By Shannon Fagan/Cherokee County Herald

It didn't take long for Cedar Bluff head coach Joe Carpenter to have a little deja vu Tuesday.

Last Friday, the Tigers fell behind by 12 points at Skyline early in the sub-regional round before his team turned up the intensity. Things started that way again against Gaston on Tuesday in the Class 1A Northeast Regional semifinals…

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent

Chance Cassidy scored 25 points to lead Glencoe over White Plains in Northeast Sub-regional boys basketball action on Feb. 17, 71-61.

Cassidy and White Plains’ Jaylen Hill engaged in a fourth quarter shootout, with each netting 12 and ten points, respectively. 

When White Plains was forced to foul, it was Cassidy who stepped up for the Yellow Jackets. The…

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent

Five Titans scored in double figures as Gadsden City smacked Clay-Chalkville, 70-50, in Class 5A Northeast Sub-Regional action on Feb. 16.

Portia Sims scored 17 points to lead all Titan scorers. Genesis McCants scored 13, while Brooke Burns netted 12 and Dajia Williams added 11. Takara Blount chipped in 10.

Gadsden City started the game sluggish offensively. Clay-Chalkville hit…

By Deunte Marshall/Sports Correspondent

North Sand Mountain defeated Westbrook Christian on Feb. 16, 69-36, in Class 2A Northeast Sub-Regional tournament action.

The fifth-ranked Bisons dominated the post and checked the Warriors' guards  in the second half. 

“We missed a lot of foul shots," Westbrook head coach Barry Ryan said. "We also lost Chloe Saunders to a knee injury. They just out played us…

By Joshua PriceSports Editor Hokes Bluff used a third quarter surge to defeat visiting Piedmont in Class 3A Northeast Sub-Regional girls basketball action on Feb. 16, 50-40. The win advanced the tenth-ranked Lady Eagles to the Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University next week. “Our girls believe they can win,” Hokes Bluff head coach Jason

By Joshua PriceSports Editor    Gaston High girls basketball head coach Tonya Bogle called a quick timeout after the ball stripped the net and the red, black and silver confetti flew from the Bulldog student section. Senior guard Morgan Beaird had just connected on a 3-point shot moments earlier, giving her 2,000 career points as a

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent 

Carlie Shields came out shooting in the Lady Eagle’s game against Ashville on Saturday, helping the hosts build an insurmountable lead on the way to a 49-31 victory in the Class 3A, Area 10 girls basketball tournament championship. 

Hokes Bluff (27-4) will play either Piedmont or Saks in Thursday’s subregional round.

Shields scored 16 first-quarter points as the No.…

By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent 

The Ragland Lady Devils defeated Gaston, 55-42, in the Class 1A, Area 11 girls basketball tournament finals on Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs travel to Donoho for Thursday’s subregional round. 

Gaston head coach Tonya Bogle was both happy and somewhat disappointed with her team’s effort. 

“We had some mental breakdowns. We got the shots we get every game, they were just…

By Deunte Marshall/Sports Correspondent

With the Class 5A, Area 12 championship on the line last Saturday, Shuntara Howard hit two free throws with eight seconds left to give the Lady Blue Devils a win 45-43 win over Boaz and a home subregional game against Fort Payne on Feb. 16. 

Bri Aaron led Etowah with 25 points and won Tournament MVP honors. 

“Winning the…

By Shannon Fagan/Cherokee County Herald

It should have come as no surprise the Class 2A, Area 13 girls basketball championship game between Sand Rock and Westbrook Christian would come down to the wire.

Sand Rock swept the Lady Warriors in area play this season, winning both regular-season games by a total of three points, including a 60-58 win in double overtime at…

Sparked by Bri Aaron's 21 points, Etowah defeated Southside, 54-49, last Thursday in the Class 5A, Area 12 girls basketball tournament in Attalla.

The Lady Blue Devils (17-11) advanced to Saturday's championship game against Boaz. 

Brooke Perry added 16 points for Etowah, while Savannah Thomas paced the Lady Panthers with 11. 

By Deunte Marshall Sports Correspondent Gaston High senior Morgan Beaird scored 31 points Feb. 9 and became the fourth female basketball player to net 2,000 points in Etowah County history. Beaird’s milestone helped the Lady Bulldogs post a 77-28 victory over Coosa Christian in the semifinals of the Class 1A, Area 11 basketball tournament at

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Glencoe fell to Ashville, 69-41, in Class 3A, Area 10 tournament action on Feb. 9 at Hokes Bluff.  The Lady Bulldogs (21-7) advanced to Saturday’s championship game against Hokes Bluff.  Glencoe head coach John Blackwell said that Ashville won the low-post game. “They were big and strong and hard to jump

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor Hokes Bluff overcame a flat second half to defeat Susan Moore, 58-40, in Class 3A, Area 10 girls basketball tournament action on Feb. 9. The No. 19 Lady Eagles (25-4) face Ashville in Saturday’s championship game at 6 p.m. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Glencoe in Thursday’s other semifinal contest.  The Lady

ASWA Final Prep Basketball Rankings

BOYS

CLASS 6A
1. Carver-Montgomery (22-3)
2. Bob Jones (27-1)
3. Gadsden City (24-4)
4. Baker (26-4)
5. Hoover (26-4)
6. Austin (19-7)
7. McGill-Toolen (21-6)
8. Sparkman (20-10)
9. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (21-6)
10. Jeff Davis (23-6)
Others nominated: Baldwin County (19-11), Benjamin Russell (17-8), Central-Phenix City (21-9), Enterprise (20-6), Florence (21-7), Huntsville (20-10), Murphy (21-5), Sidney Lanier (19-7), Smiths Station (23-5), Spain Park (21-9), Thompson (19-9).

CLASS 5A
1. Wenonah…

By Joshua Price/Sports Editor When sports writers talk about the top basketball teams in the state they should remember the Titans, for the Hoover Bucs will not soon forget. Hoover defeated Gadsden City in the Big Orange Classic on Dec. 28, 53-48, handing the Titans their first loss of the season. Since then, every Titan