The Hokes Bluff Lady Eagles had a four-games-in-five-days stretch that spilled into the week of Thanksgiving, but it was a challenge that they took head on. After defeating Southside 47-42 last Friday, Hokes Bluff immediately turned around the next morning to play in the 2025 Champions Thanksgiving Classic. The field was set with Hokes Bluff, Piedmont, Alexandria, and Central High School of Clay County.
Last Saturday’s opening round had the Lady Eagles taking on the Piedmont Bulldogs. Fresh off of an emotional late-night win, it took the Lady Eagles a bit to get things going against the Bulldogs. It was a hectic opening to the game, with both teams committing their fair share of turnovers and mental errors. After that, it became a bit of a “who wants it more” type of affair.
Piedmont Head Coach Shane Morrow had his team playing extremely hard and with a physical edge. Piedmont was able to draw several fouls and put the Lady Eagles in a tough position early in the second quarter.
After a carousel of substitutions, Hokes Bluff was able to take a 23-13 lead into the half. The third quarter followed roughly the same script as the first half, with Piedmont sinking a three-pointer at the buzzer to bring the score to a 38-33 Lady Eagles advantage as the game entered the fourth quarter. However, the fourth quarter decidedly belonged to Hokes Bluff, who used a huge quarter from sophomore forward Addison Simmons to put the Bulldogs away. Simmons scored 8 points in the fourth en route to finishing the contest with a career-high 28 points. She also collected 13 rebounds and 2 steals. Hokes Bluff’s Mazely Ball and Pressley Wall each chipped in 5 points as well. Hokes Bluff defeated Piedmont 56-37.
This win secured the Lady Eagles a spot in the championship against Alexandria, who handily defeated Central High School of Clay County 57-24 last Saturday evening. This game would serve as a rematch from last season’s subregional playoffs, where Alexandria earned a spot in the Northeast Regional Tournament by defeating Hokes Bluff 48-37.
This game was much different than the opening round, with each team playing different variations of zone defense to try and feel each other out. The Valley Cubs got out to a quick 7-0 lead, and the Lady Eagles had to take a timeout to collect themselves.
Alexandria played with either full-court or three-quarter-court pressure for essentially the entire game. It took Hokes Bluff a little time to adjust, but once they did, it became a highly-paced chess match of sorts, as each team was having to push and pull at one another zone defenders to see what opportunities might come open.
The game remained close for much of the second half, but the Lady Eagles started to slowly pull away down the stretch. Alexandria, much like Hokes Bluff in their opening game, found themselves in serious foul trouble. With only eight available players, Head Coach Craig Kiker was having to substitute consistently in order to stave off big runs from the Lady Eagles. It ended up being too much for the Valley Cubs to overcome, and Hokes Bluff was able to protect its lead until the final buzzer sounded, securing a 46-40 victory and some new hardware to commemorate their tournament win. Hokes Bluff’s Haylen Marbut led the Lady Eagles with 14 points, and Ball was close behind her with 13 points of her own.
Hokes Bluff Head Coach Evan Talbot was happy for his team, and he said as much after the game.
