Sports

Photo: NyNy Davis, head coach Ryan Locke, Trent Davis (pictured, from left) and the Etowah High School football team were ranked fourth in Class 4A in the Alabama Sports Writers Association preseason rankings for the 2020 season. (submitted photo) Courtesy of al.com The state’s reclassification last fall had a huge impact on the first Alabama

Photo: Rainbow City’s Adam Brown (pictured at left) and Gadsden’s Greg Diggs (right) display their first-place plaques and a $10,00 prize after winning the Alabama Bass Trail North Division Tournament on July 25 at Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden. (Courtesy of Chris Brown) By Jason Duran/alabamabasstrail.org The fourth stop of the Alabama Bass Trail North

Rod Orr, head coach Ali Smith and Rashad Johnson (pictured, from left) from Gadsden City High School took questions from local media during the 2020 Etowah County Football Preview event on Tuesday, July 28, at the Downtown Civic Center in Gadsden. See the August 31 edition of The Messenger for more photos. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)

Photo: 2020 Gadsden State graduate and Hokes Bluff native Landon Johnson was one of four GSCC student-athletes recently selected to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s 2019-20 All-Academic first team. (Courtesy of Gadsden State) A number of Gadsden State student-athletes and two of the college’s sports teams were recently selected to the 2019-20 All-Academic team

On July 27, 1997, I stood in the front of many friends and family members at East Gadsden Nazarene Church and waited for the doors in the back to open. I’ve spent a lot of time in a lot of tree stands and deer blinds, so I’ve had a ton of experience waiting for something

Photo: The Gadsden State volleyball team must wait until next spring to defend its ACCC state championship. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Gadsden State’s volleyball and men and women’s basketball teams must wait a bit before hitting the court at Beck Field House. On July 13, the National Junior College Athletic Association announced that the

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent To on one’s surprise, my week of fishing has been another exercise in futility – small catches, or even worse, nothing at all. My trend of being mostly useless continued. If I had a winning lottery ticket, I would lose it. About all I can say is that it is hot

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent  Opening day of archery season in Alabama is something I have looked forward to for 34 years. Make sure and study up on the upcoming season. Alabama has created two new zones. Some areas in Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence and Winston counties make up Zone D, while some areas in Barbour,

During its annual summer meeting in Montgomery, the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Central Board of Control approved the AHSAA’s Return to Play ‘Best Practices’ recommended guidelines on Wednesday, July 22 while reaffirming plans to start fall sports on time. Fall sports teams have the option to begin fall workouts on July 27 with the

Two area high school athletic programs are hosting benefit fundraisers in the near future. The Glencoe High School softball team will host cornhole tournaments on Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8. Both events will be held at Glencoe City Park on the little league baseball field. Friday’s participation fee is $30 per team. Check-in will

Photo: Pictured is the construction progress on the concession stand at the Etowah County Mega Sports Complex located off Kinzie Lane in Rainbow City. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Via a Zoom conference of the Gadsden Kiwanis Club’s July 15 meeting, Etowah County Mega Sports Complex Authority Chairman provided an update on the facility’s progress.

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent I only managed to fish a few days this past week due to family obligations. Of course, I can’t make it through a week without doing something like a knot head. My lack of success on the river was mostly due to bad decisions more than anything. Quite frankly, I should have

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent My dad started taking me dove hunting early on. It was fun and there was usually a good bit of action. Pay attention, because the North Alabama dove season opens earlier than usual this year. Opening day is September 5 at noon. From September 6 to October 25, you can

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor “I want to make the Gadsden Country Club shine. I want to make it the best facility in Alabama. If I don’t do that, I haven’t done my job.” Such was Paul Robin’s immediate response when asked what his primary objective was as the new director of tennis at the Gadsden Country

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Caleb Carpenter is back in Bulldog country. The 2006 Ashville High graduate, who was recently hired as the school’s boys varsity basketball coach, is delighted that his first head basketball coaching position will be at his alma mater. “It’s definitely exciting to come back and coach where I once played,” said Carpenter

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent It was an eventful week and weekend of the Fourth of July. There was a lot of fishing but not much catching. The holiday weekend brought out anything with a motor that floats out on the river and lake, as well as fireworks. Other than early in the morning, fishing this

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent Hunting season is getting closer every day. Among the many other tasks that need accomplished, we’re already beginning to bush hog, clear roads and make plans for when we plant food plots. Hunting is hard work, and there is a lot of time invested prior to sitting in a stand.

By Marty Dixon/Staff Correspondent It has been a couple of weeks since I last checked in, and I was not able to fish too much during the week before last. I did get to fish in the Gadsden Super Tournament. or at least I attempted to fish. I managed to fish for 12 hours without boating

By Bobby Dale Welch/Staff Correspondent I’ve enjoyed telling bear hunting stories over the past few weeks. I have a few more in the can, but as I’ve previously stated, I’m a deer hunter. It took years for me to kill a deer after I started hunting. I remember my very first bow kill in Lee

Photo courtesy of Bentley Gray Photography By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter Sardis head football coach Gene Hill (pictured above) recently said that his team would begin installing plays, running pass routes and conditioning following its current weight room sessions. Teams can start preseason practice July 27, instead of the traditional first Monday in August.

Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy Several Gadsden State student-athletes and two teams were recently recognized for academic achievement by the Alabama Community College Conference. Named to the 2020 Spring Semester Commissioner’s Honor Roll were Shelby Bates, China Lane, Joan Lang, Madelyn Massey (pictured above), Grace Nolen, Aubrey Pope, Leighanna Tralongo and Gracie West from

By Bobby Dale Welch My first Canadian bear hunt was some kind of fun experience. My ferocious bear guide, Natalie, sure did a good job. One day while we were running bait sites, I yelled for her to stop the four-wheeler. Up in the trees, I saw it. I ran to it, picked it up,

Photo: Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy By Shannon J. Allen, Sand Mtn. Reporter West End High School head football coach Kyle Davis is excited about what the 2020 season holds, both for his team and its leader, senior quarterback Eli Pearce. Last year, Pearce finished with 3,154 yards and 43 touchdowns at the controls

Photo: 2020 Ashville High Schol graduate Lexi Copeland signs a softball scholarship with Judson College on June 15. Pictured, sitting, from left: dad Chadd, Lexi, mom Sonya. Standing, from left: AHS softball coach Kristen Seals, Judson softball coach Tom Hannah. (Emma Kirkemier/Messenger) By Emma Kirkemier, Editorial Assistant Recent Ashville High School graduate Lexi Copeland signed a

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Two local student-athletes are gearing up for four more years of competitive soccer. Recent Southside High graduates Isaac Franklin (pictured left) and Kevin Laby (pictured right) signed scholarships with Shorter (Ga.) University and Talladega College, respectively. Southside boys soccer coach Randy Vice had high praise for his former players, who helped

Photo: 2020 Westbrook Christian graduate Will Edwards signed a football scholarship with Huntington College on July 17 in Rainbow City. Pictured, sitting, from left: mom Jill, Edwards, dad Eddie. Standing, from left: sister Anna Cate, grandfather Mike Nunn, grandmother Betty Nunn, brother Jake. (Katie Bohannon/Messenger) By Katie Bohannon, News Editor and Chris McCarthy, Publisher Will

Photo: Ashville High graduate J’Brelin Cook (pictured seated at center) is joined by family members and coaches while signing a track scholarship with Montevallo University on June 12. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor A trio of recent Ashville High School graduates realized their dreams of playing sports at the next level. Tori Layfield, Ty

By Marty Dixon I had a much better week than the previous two. The Bass Savage Aluminum Stump Jumper is back in service, thanks to Brown’s Outboard. I was unable to fish much after I got it back since I had to work the weekend at Silver Lakes for a golf tournament, but I managed to

By Bobby Dale Welch Naptime was over for the day, and the truck, with me in it, was leaving for the first evening Canadian black bear hunt. A friend of mine from North Carolina was the first hunter on the board, and it was a real trophy. Getting a Boone and Crockett black bear is

Photo: West End football players Hunter Tucker (left) and Kaleb Pierce (right) listen as head coach Kyle Davis (center) gives instructions during a summer workout session last Monday (June 8) in Walnut Grove. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Slowly but surely, area student-athletes are shaking off several weeks’ worth of rust from the spring coronavirus