Sports

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Blake Hudson provided a five-word response when asked about his recent hiring as the girls head basketball coach at Etowah High School. “I am a blessed man.” Hudson, who served as assistant boys varsity coach, head middle school coach and head junior varsity coach under current EHS boys head basketball coach James

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Auburn Week 10 Review Auburn’s regular season concluded with a 5-4 victory in 11 innings over LSU in Baton Rouge, but the visiting Tigers lost the series overall. LSU won the opener at 7-1 and won the second game at 5-1 as the Auburn offense struggled to produce on the road.

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor A former Blue Devil is pitching his tent in Cardinal country. 2008 Etowah High graduate Bryan Phillips (pictured above) recently was named head coach of the Gadsden State Community College women’s basketball team. Phillips replaced Marty Dixon, who resigned in April. “Coach Phillips has already been an important part of the coaching

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Auburn Week 9 Review Auburn dropped a home series against No. 7 Georgia after losing the series finale, 10-8. The Tigers overcame a 7-2 deficit and tied the game at 7-7 in the bottom of the seventh inning but the Bulldogs scored three additional runs in the top of the eighth

Photo: Westbrook Christian’s John Ross Morgan holds G.W. Long’s Matt Snelll at first base during the Warriors’ 7-0 loss in the Class 2A state baseball championship series on Thursday, May 16, in Montgomery. (Mike Goodson/Messenger)  By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent G.W. Long earned its straight state baseball championship and an AHSAA-record 16th overall title with a

Photo: Westbrook Christian senior Mitchell Cook signed a track scholarship with the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Pictured with Mitchell are his dad Dan and mom Shelly. (Mike Goodson/Messenger)  By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent On May 13, Westbrook Christian senior Mitchell Cook signed a scholarship to run distance track and cross country for the University of

Photo: Westbrook Christian senior Avery Bane signed a soccer scholarship with Shorter University in Rome, Ga., on May 10. Pictured with Avery are her mom Niki and dad Jason. (Mike Goodson/Messenger)  By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent Avery Bane’s 13-year career in competitive soccer will continue for at least four more years. On May 10, the Westbrook

The Westbrook Christian boys and the Glencoe girls finished second and third, respectively, at the AHSAA state golf tournament last Tuesday (May 14) in Prattville. It was the Warriors’ second consecutive runner-up finish (the team competed in Class 1A-2A last season). Westbrook finished with an overall score of 650 to first-place Houston Academy’s 558. T.R.

Photo: The Sardis High School softball team gathers for a photo after finishing second at the Class 5A West Central Regional Tournament earlier his week in Tuscaloosa. Pictured, kneeling, from left: Pascalle Devreede, Lily Towns, Harlee Vincent, Sarah Beth Hallmark, Emily Cook, Hailey Hill, Jade Bonds, Lanese Edmondson, Jade Night. Standing, from left: assistant coach Matt

Several local high school softball team competed in the recent West Central Regional Tournaments in Tuscaloosa. In Class 5A, Southside opened with an 18-1 victory over Pleasant Grove, followed by a 3-2 loss to Mortimer Jordan in the quarterfinals. The Lady Panthers then fell to Moody, 12-2, in the playback bracket. In Class 4A, Hokes

Photo: Southside High’s Hallie-Kate Smith (7) pushes the ball away from Montgomery Academy’s Bae Corley during the Lady Panthers’ 2-1 loss in the Class 4A/5A girls soccer championship match last Friday (May 10) in Huntsville. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor The Southside High girls soccer team finally ran into an opponent that found a way

Courtesy of Florence Times-Daily As the final pitcher in Brooks’ late game-two meltdown against Hokes Bluff on May 8, senior Lake Spurgeon was at the center of the team’s toughest moment of the season. Less than 48 hours later, he was at the center of the team’s best moment yet. Spurgeon drove in five runs

By Cole Frederick/Sports Editor Auburn and Alabama Week 8 Review For the first time since 2011, Auburn beat Alabama in a series at Plainsman Park. The Tigers won the series finale, 17-7, in an offensive explosion to take the series and improve to 12-12 in the SEC and 29-19 overall. It was a back-and-forth game

Photo: Westbrook Christian’s Samuel Dutton delivers a pitch during the Warriors’ 11-1 victory over Decatur Heritage in the Class 2A state baseball semifinals on Wednesday, May 8, in Decatur. (Mike Goodson/Messenger) By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent For the first time in six years, Westbrook Christian will compete in the state championship round of the Class 2A

By Jacob Cole/Florence Times-Daily Photo: Hokes Bluff’s Koby Addison catches a throw just after Brooks’ Charlie Crowley reaches first base during the teams’ 7-1, 5-4 split in the Class 4A state baseball semifinals on Wednesday (May 8) in Killen. (Matt McKean/Florence Times-Daily) After a dominant game one win for Brooks, a disastrous bottom of the

Photo: The Glencoe High girls golf team gathers for a photo after winning the Class 1A-3A North sub state tournament last Tuesday (May 7) at Silver Lakes in Glencoe. Pictured, from left: Asia Dennis, Camryn Blackwell, Abby Powell, Lauren Cole.  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor For the third time in five years, the Glencoe High girls golf

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Westbrook Christian earned four medals on the way to a fifth-place finish at the Class 2A boys state track and field meet last weekend in Cullman. Jonah Morris won the Warriors’ lone gold medal, as the senior took the top spot in the boys 3200-meter run with a time

Photo: Southside catcher Ryan Martin (right) returns the ball following a called strike during the Panthers’ loss to Springville in the third round of the Class 5A state baseball playoffs on May 3 at Southside. (Gary Wells) By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Class 5A No. 4 Southside’s unexpected journey in the state baseball playoffs came to a

Messenger file photo by Alex Chaney Hokes Bluff’s path to the Class 4A state baseball championship series got little bit shorter last week. The top-ranked Eagles dispatched Fayette County, 5-1 and 2-1 in a doubleheader sweep in the quarterfinal round on May 3 in Fayette. Hokes Bluff (25-3) visits Brooks on Wednesday for a best-of-three

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Courtesy of Florence Times-Daily Westbrook Christian scored 25 runs in two games and brothers Samuel and Andrew Dutton limited Red Bay from the mound in an 11-1, 14-1 doubleheader sweep in the quarterfinal round of the Class 2A state playoffs on May 2 in Red Bay. The Warriors (21-12) travel

Photo: Etowah High’s Ollie Finch, Justin Harris, Alex Howard, NyNy Davis and Deaundrea Williams (pictured, from left) display their first-place gold medals during the Class 5A state track and field meet last Saturday (May 4) in Gulf Shores. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor After finishing runner-up at last year’s Class 5A state track and field

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Etowah County will be well-represented at the AHSAA state track and field meets this weekend. Classes 1A through 3A will be held at Cullman High School, while Class 4A through 7A will take place at the Gulf Shores Municipal Sports Complex. Coosa Christian had four athletes

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Dominant pitching catapulted Class 4A No. 1 Hokes Bluff into the quarterfinals of the state baseball playoffs, as the Eagles swept Wilson on April 26 at Estes/Wright Field. The Eagles (23-3) travel to Fayette County on Friday, May 3, for a best-of-three third round series.

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Isaac Franklin (pictured above) finished with three goals and two assists in Southside’s 8-2 victory over Leeds in the first round of the Class 4A/5A boys soccer state playoffs on April 26 at Barney Hood Stadium. The Panthers (17-2) host Springville Tuesday (Apr. 3) in a second rounds match.

Photo: Brennan Stokes (left) and Brock Ford helped Southside post a 4-1 win over Russellville in game three of the teams’ Class 5A second round baseball series last Saturday (Apr. 27). (Chris McCarthy/Messenger file photo) By Craig Thomas/Florence Times Daily For the first time since 2014, Russellville won’t be part of the Class 5A state

Photo: Westbrook Christian’s Andrew Dutton delivers a pitch during the Warriors’ sweep over Section in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs on Apr. 26 in Rainbow City. (Mike Goodson/Messenger) By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent The Westbrook Christian baseball team appear to be on a crusade. After out-scoring Vincent by a 32-0 margin in

Courtesy of al.com Gadsden City was swept by Bob Jones, 19-6 and 8-0, in the first round of the Class 7A state baseball playoffs on April 26 in Madison. The Patriots scored 10 runs in the first inning of Game 1. John-Michael Riley finished 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks and five RBI. Dylan

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Emma Barber’s goal with 17 seconds left in the second overtime gave Westbrook Christian a 4-3 victory over Springville in the first round of the Class 4A/5A girts state soccer playoffs on Thursday (Apr. 23) at Springville. The Lady Warriors (12-3) visit Southside on Tuesday, April 30, in a

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Southside scored five goals in the second half to breeze past Mortimer Jordan, 6-0, in the first round of the Class 4A/5A girls state soccer playoffs on Thursday (Apr. 24) at SHS. The Lady Panthers (18-2) host Westbrook Christian in a second-round match on Tuesday, April 30. Caroline Prince

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Auburn Week 6 Review The friendly confines of Plainsman Park helped guide Auburn to a series win over Ole Miss last weekend. The Tigers won the series finale at 6-5 in 10 innings after a walk-off single from Conor Davis. Davis was also the hero in Friday’s 7-4 victory over the