Sports

Several Gadsden State student-athletes recently were named to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s 2019 Academic Awards with the qualifying grade-point average for each honor. Named to the first team with a 4.0 GPA were Alexis Rich (pictured above), Grace Nolen and Landry Bussey from women’s volleyball; Sloan Gartman and Stephen Walker from men’s tennis;

Photo: Pictured is new Sardis High School girls basketball coach Matt Lofthus with wife Jenna and son Isaac. (Courtesy of Sand Mountain Reporter) By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter Matt Lofthus has packed plenty of coaching assignments into his nine years on the Sardis High School faculty. “I’ve coached football, girls basketball and boys basketball,

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent For years, teams from the Southeastern Conference have excelled in virtually every NCAA sport. While success in college football is typically the most recognizable because of its prominence throughout the country, the SEC has also competed for championships annually in various sports for both men and women. For 2018-19, however, the

Photo: Coosa Christian and Westbrook Christian kick off the local high school football season on Aug. 22 in Rainbow City. Pictured is action from the teams’ 2018 game in Gadsden. (Gary Wells)  By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor With the local high school football season on the horizon, it’s worth taking a look at games between Etowah County

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent College World Series recap For the second time in school history and second time since 2014, Vanderbilt is the college baseball national champion. The Commodores have experienced unprecedented success under head coach Tim Corbin and now have the best program in all of college baseball. Vanderbilt defeated Mi-chigan, 8-2, in the

Photo: Jim Bogle (pictured at center) speaks to members of the 2019 Coosa Christian volleyball team following a summer workout earlier this week. Bogle also will coach the school’s boys basketball and boys and girls track and field teams. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)  By Chris McCarthyPublisher/Editor A veteran local high school educator and coach has made his

Photo: Sardis High rising senior Jacob Hopper, pictured scoring a touchdown against Hokes Bluff last season, recently committed to play football for the University of South Alabama in Mobile. (Courtesy of Sand Mountain Reporter) By Shannon J. Allen/Sand Mountain Reporter Sardis High School rising senior Jacob Hopper is 6-foot-6, 232 pounds, so you can’t miss

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent The first six games of the College World Series all were decided by two runs or less. On the opening day of the tournament, Florida State stunned Arkansas, 1-0, while Michigan continued its magical run with a 5-3 win over Texas Tech in Bracket 1. In the elimination bracket, the Red

Photo by Chris McCarthy/Messenger By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Saying that opposing hitters fared poorly against Westbrook Christian’s Samuel Dutton this past high school baseball season is putting it mildly. The rising junior moved with ease through most of lineups he faced, as teams batted a collective .121 average against the LSU commitment. In 63 and two-third

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Sardis High’s first trip to Lagoon Park in six years likely would not have occurred without the services of Hailey Hill. Game after game, the junior shortstop (pictured above) tore a gaping hole in opposing teams’ pitching staffs. Her .525 batting average, 63 hits, 48 runs scored, 15 RBI and 29 stolen

Photo courtesy of rolltide.com Brock Love might be spending quite a bit of time in South Florida in the future. The 2015 Southside High graduate and University of Alabama redshirt junior recently was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 34th round (the 1,011 players taken overall) in the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent For the first time in over two decades, Auburn is going to Omaha, Neb., for the College World Series. The Tigers won their Super Regional matchup over North Carolina as they exploded for 25 runs in their two wins in Chapel Hill. Auburn won the series opener,11-7, after scoring nine runs

Photo: 2019 Southside High School graduate Alexis Thompson recently signed a basketball scholarship with Snead State Community College in Boaz. Pictured, sitting from left: SSCC women’s head basketball coach Destinie Smith, Alexis, Alexis’ dad Terry. Standing: SHS girls basketball coach Kim Nails.  (Gary Wells) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Alexis Thompson will bring her cage skills at

Photo: Former Gadsden City High head football coach Bart Sessions recently was hired as coach at McAdory. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger file photo) By Ben Thomas/al.com Former Gadsden City High School head football coach Bart Sessions was approved as the new McAdory head football coach earlier this week by the Jefferson County Board of Education. Sessions replaces

Southside High School rising seniors Isaac Franklin and Carlos Herrera were listed first and 15th, respectively, on MaxPreps.com for total points for the 2019 high school soccer season. Franklin (pictured above) finished with 30 goals and 33 assists this past season while helping the Panthers post a 16-2-1 record, win an area championship and make

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor The recently released 2019 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State baseball teams confirmed that it most definitely was a banner year for several local high schools. Eight area players made the first team, including three each from Westbrook Christian and Hokes Bluff and one each from Southside and Etowah. Highlighting the list was

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Five area players recently were named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s All-State softball teams for the 2019 season. The lone first-teamer was Southside junior Kaylee Brown at Class 5A Designated Hitter. Playing primarily at catcher, Brown (pictured above) batted .423 with 55 hits, 44 RBI, 40 runs scored, 12 doubles, two home

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent There was a heavy dosage of SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament, and that trend will continue into the Super Regionals. Ten teams from the SEC competed in the regionals, and six of those remain standing. Vanderbilt earned the No. 2 overall seed, and the Commodores flexed their muscle throughout the

Photo: The Alabama Heat’s Ben Clements (15) congratulates teammates during the team’s match against Talladega College on March 31 at Murphree Stadium in Gadsden. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger) By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Slowly but surely, the Alabama Heat Futbol Club is spreading its roots through the fertile soccer soil of Gadsden and Etowah County. Approximately halfway through the

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Unlike most of us, Rick Hagedorn gets to view his recent weight gain in a positive light. The Gadsden resident recently was inducted as part of the inaugural class of the Alabama Powerlifting Hall of Fame on May 25 in Northport. “I never really thought of myself as a great lifter; I

Several area soccer players and one local coach recently were named to the Alabama High School Soccer Coaches Association’s Super All-State team for all classifications. On the girls’ side, Southside’s Tiffany Cargill (pictured above) was selected Small School Coach of the Year after guiding the Lady Panthers to a 21-3 record and the program’s third

By Cole Frederick/Sports Correspondent Vanderbilt outlasted Ole Miss, 11-10, in an offensive outburst to win its third SEC Tournament championship in school history. Philip Clarke hit a single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth to score the winning run, and the Commodores overcame an eight-run deficit to win the title. The Commodores

By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor After a combined 37 victories, two area titles and state runner-up finish, the Southside High School soccer programs received a double dose of recognition this past week. The Panthers placed 11 players on the 2019 boys and girls All-Etowah County teams along with both Player of the Year awards and both Coach

Photo: 2019 Etowah High graduate Alex Howard (pictured, sitting) recently signed a track and field scholarship with the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Pictured with Howard are EHS Principal Steve Hall (left) and EHS track and field coach Blake Hudson. By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor Alex Howard will hone his discus skills in the Rocket City for

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