Sports

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy A pair of touchdown runs by C.J. Miller and one each from JaQuan Woods, Artavious Hicks and Demarcus Macon sparked Gadsden City to 45-20 victory over Fort Payne last Thursday (Aug. 28) at GCHS. For the Titans (2-0) Brady Troup was 15 for 20 in passing for 287 yards,

Hokes Bluff’s Abby Watkins (41) and Haley Kate Wekkingham (13) rise to block the kill attempt of Ashville’s Whitney Goodwin during a volleyball tri-match on August 20 in Sardis City. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)

Sardis High’s Harlee Vincent (15) and Lili Underwood block a tip by Ashville’s Ryleigh Waid during a volleyball tri-match on August 20 in Sardis City. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)

 By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent Believe it or not, I managed to catch a few fish this past week. I got our on the water on Friday, and while flipping down a bank on the river I noticed a pontoon boat floating down toward me as other boats drove by. I did not think much of

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent It’s about time of year. It’s time to bush hog those food plots, put the finishing touches on that dove field and don’t forget to fling some arrows down range. A friend and I were talking this week about how much we used to practice with our bows. After much

Released August 26 Class 7A Rank Record Points 1. Thompson 1-0 276 2. Hewitt-Trussville 1-0 196 3. Hoover 1-0 195 4. Central-Phenix City 0-1 143 5. Auburn 1-0 141 6. Fairhope 1-0 120 7. Prattville 1-0 62 8. Dothan 0-0 56 9. James Clemens 0-1 39 10. Austin 1-0 32 Others receiving votes: Spain Park

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent The Gary Nelson era at Southside got off to a rollicking start after the Panthers defeated Lincoln, 40-27, on August 21 at Keith Howard Memorial Stadium. Southside senior running back Carnel Davis rushed for 222 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries, including a 37-yard score in the fourth quarter to

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Trailing 13-0 midway through the second half, Ashville scored a pair of touchdowns within three minutes to pull out a 14-13 victory over Oak Grove in the Bulldogs’ season opener on August 21 at AHS. Ashville’s first score came late in the third quarter when junior quarterback Dylan Harris ran it in

Photo: Westbrook Christian’s Ryan Scott (right) runs for a first-quarter touchdown as Coosa Christian’s Koby Roberts (9) pursues during the Warriors’ 49-12 victory in high school football last Saturday (Aug. 22) in Gadsden. By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor The first play of the Westbrook Christian/Coosa Christian football game last Saturday (Aug. 22) was a harbinger of things to

Submitted photo By Chris McCarthy/Publisher/Editor Glencoe High sophomore Katie Giles won individual first place and the Southside boys took the top spot at the White Plains Wildcat Twilight 5K Invite on August 20. Giles (pictured above) won the Class 1A-4A race with a time of 21:19.98, a full minute faster that runner Trinity Roberts of

Photo: Etowah High’s Trent Davis (center) is helped along by teammate Brevan Knight (right) while a host of Gadsden City defenders converge for the tackle during the Titans’ 34-0 victory in high school football on August 21 in Attalla. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor With an offense jam-packed with playmakers and a defense featuring the team’s

Courtesy of Bethany Smith Photography Eli Pearce finished with 290 total yards and four touchdowns as West End opened its 2020 season with a 27-21 victory over Susan Moore on August 21 in Walnut Grove. It was the Patriots’ first win over the Bulldogs since the 2017 season. Pearce (pictured above) was 7 of 16

Gaston opened its 2020 season on August 21 with a 38-33 victory over Asbury at Cap’n Bill Boyd Field. The win snapped a 12-gme losing streak for the Bulldogs and gave Matt Harris his first win as GHS head coach. A pair of seniors had big nights for the Bulldogs. Quarterback Josh Campbell (pictured above)

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent Since we last spoke, I got in a few days of decent fishing. Of course, I extended my streak of misfortunes by setting my hook into a tree on two different occasions. I managed to keep my composure and fished an area that I had not fished at a while. My

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent I spent some time over the last week or so down Memory Lane, specifically Maryland Avenue in East Gadsden. My parents had a pecan tree fall in their backyard and I was fortunate to have some time to help clean it up. Reflecting on this past week, it was much

GCHS SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from right: Da’Quandaio Daniel, Sebastian Messer, Ra’Tavious Hicks, Caleb Parmer, Tristan Scripps, Orrin Brock, Rashad Johnson, Alija Bell, Caleb Harris, J’Monte Lee, Jayden Lawson, Calvin Wilson, JaQuan Woods. Standing, from left: Zykerrius Marshall, Kohiton Sandridge, Jahemn Norris, Brady Troup, Zion Kirby, Wesley Stone, Rod Orr, Cameron Moore, Jermaine Edwards, Elijah

SOUTHSIDE SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Shaun Davis, Connor Rowland, Jason Garrett, Hayden Fry, Hunter Sitz, Aulden Battles, Michael Rich, Dakota Stevenson, Will Warrick, Jacob Gaskey. Standing, from left: Coadale Walls, Eli Martin, Noah Miles, Austin Rainey, Maddox Parsons, Hayden Robertson, Haden Aldredge, Joran Wells, Garrett Orr, Lukas Johnson. (Not pictured: Carnel Davis, C.J.

SARDIS SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Andrew Blackwell, Tyler Chanie, Brody Love, Dylan Holcomb, Garrett Howington. Standing, from left: Justin Golden, Torin Bright, Peyton Wherwein, Carson Grant, Jackson Burns. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor It’s safe to say that the 2020 Sardis High football team required a bit of re-tooling. The Lions enter the season

ETOWAH SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Kyshawn Hunter, NyNy Davis, Chris Harden, Ethan Foster, Dezmin Blair. Standing, from left: Aidan Gooden, Toby Camp, Trevor Gladden, Brevin Knight, Ollie Finch, Trent Davis. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor First-year Etowah High coach Ryan Locke is looking to write a new chapter in the Blue Devils’ rich

ASHVILLE SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Luke Harris, Adrianne Hernandez, Anthony Zito. Standing, from left: Clay Keller, Hayden Phillips, Gabe Sawyer, J.J. McGinnis. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor The Shea Monroe Express is up and running in northeastern St. Clair County. The former Westbrook Christian football coach was hired in May to take over

GLENCOE SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Justin Dove, Bryant Speer, Eli Huff, Colby Lancaster, Taylor Shaneyfelt. Standing, from left: Josh Loftis, T.J. Peeples, Taylor Smith, Sam Hines, Trent Hudson. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Although it’s been rough going record-wise over the past two seasons at the corner of Lonesome Bend and East Air

HOKES BLUFF SENIORS. Pictured above, front row, from left: Terry Jenkins, Trent Dooley, Daylon Day, Levi Richey, Tyler Weaver, Cole Turner. Back row, from left: Nickey Jenkins, Hunter Burke, Will Clemons, Brody Lumpkin, Austin Blevins, Connor Faulkner, Dawson McDonald. (Katie Bohannon/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor For the first time since the 2011 season, Hokes Bluff will

WESTBROOK SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Carson Wiggins, Kason Campbell, Presley White, Bryce Wood, Will Noles, Micaiah Meyers, Cooper Long, Ridge McHugh. Standing, from left: Tanner Coley, Garrett Hall, Jesse Kantzler, Russell pair, Cole Patterson, Dylan Nuckols, Deacon Godfrey, Hall Bouleware, Grayson Wright. (Courtesy of Patrick Wright)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor With so many Westbrook

WEST END SENIORS. Pictured above, kneeling, from left: Brady Jenkins, Dakota McAlpine, Kaleb Pierce, Andrew Dodge. Standing, from left: Jacob Camacho, Eli Pearce, Hunter Tucker, Trevor Willet. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor West End certainly won’t be lacking for firepower in 2020. The Patriots’ offensive arsenal features The Messenger’s 2019 Offensive Player of the Year

GASTON SENIORS. Pictured above, from left: Josh Campbell, Ethan Stone, Nick Lewis. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Whatever else is in store for the 2020 Gaston Bulldogs, first-year head coach Matt Harris is confident that at least one short-term goal will be realized. “We’re going to learn how to play football hard, fast and physical,”

COOSA CHRISTIAN SENIORS. Pictured above, from left: Isiah Cole, Evan Delp, Elijah Cole, Caddon Moore. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor As Evan Delp goes, so go the 2020 Conquerors. It’s not a stretch to say that the fortunes of the team rests on the health and production of the standout senior receiver and Jacksonville State

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent It has been a mixed bag of fishing this past week – go out one day and catch a couple of decent sized fish and do the same thing the next day and get nothing. I was unable to fish any this past weekend since we kept the Hurricane Anna all

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Mark O’Bryant is ready for some home cooking in South Gadsden. The 1991 Emma Sansom High School graduate was named interim head football coach at Coosa Christian earlier this week after Rod Cates took a leave of absence. O’Bryant (pictured at right) already has a connection to the school. “My 13-year old

By Chris McCarthy/Publisher/Editor Daylon Philpot didn’t let a pandemic derail his dreams of playing college baseball. After his senior season was cut short in mid-March due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the 2020 Gadsden City High School graduate spent the much of the summer playing in showcase games around the state. He drew the interest of

That time of year is getting closer by the day. I’ve already noticed trailers behind trucks with tractors, bush hogs, four wheelers and side by sides. Hunting is a lot of work and provides lots of revenue for cities and the State of Alabama. Hunters buy licenses, fuel, equipment, seed, fertilizer, food, etc. Don’t let