Sacred Heart rolls

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: February 8, 2015

Cardinals put five scorers in double figures, blast Ragland for area title; includes all boys area finals

By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today

Cinderella is back and carrying a big club these days.

Freshman Diante Wood scored 26 points and sophomore Kevion Nolan added 21 as Sacred heart pounded Ragland 96-57 to win the Class 1A, Area 12 championship Saturday night.

With the win – their 14th straight – the Cardinals (22-8) now host Winterboro Tuesday in the Northeast subregional. A win will send them to Jacksonville State for the Northeast Regional.

Last year the young Cardinals captivated the hearts of the state as one of the smallest schools to make it to 1A state semi-finals. They took a group of eighth- and ninth-graders, played all the big schools and defied logic with their performance.

It proved to be no fluke as coach Ralphael Graves has built the program to be even better this year.

Saturday’s win over Ragland was a game to marvel over as they had five players in double figures and scored with an array of lobs, dunks, great passes and seven 3-pointers.

A swarming press created turnover after turnover as they rolled to a 91-43 lead in the fourth quarter before calling off the dogs. Ragland used a 14-5 run to finish the game

“The Heart,” won their two area tournament games by 46 and by 39. In addition to Wood and Nolan, sophomore D.J Heath 18 and sophomore Kavarri Wood had 16.

School officials are quick to point out the pride this team has brought to the school. They talk of how its success helped bring the school together and created a special time in the life and history of Sacred Heart. With the young players they have, this will grow beyond a Cinderella story as long as they can keep that hunger and teamwork.

“I guess we are where we need to be,” Graves said. “We are hosting Winterboro in the next round of the playoffs. I always think there is room for improvement. Tonight we came out and executed very well. I was very proud of them and they are playing well as a team.

“I actually feel like we have not reached our peak yet and can play better and we do not fear anyone. We have lost eight games this year against some very good teams, so we know we have to play better to get what we want. I feel the best is yet to come with this team.”

It’s all business for this team. Graves had it running “suicides” in their gym after the win Saturday night.

Sacred Heart 96, Ragland 57

RAGLAND — Alex McClendon 6 0-0 12, Stoney Merritt 4 0-0 8, Jagger Phillips 3 5-5 18, Devin Turner 0 0-0 0, Donovan Turner 6 2-2 14, Braxton Thomas 1 3-4 5, Tyler Thornton 1 0-0 2, Dustin Bunt 1 0-0 3. Totals 22 10-11 57.

SACRED HEART (23-8) — Diante Wood 12 1-1 26, Sam Miller 4 2-6 10, D.J. Heath 7 4-7 18, Kavarri Ross 6 2-2 16, Kevion Nolan 8 1-2 21, Keith Orlowski 1 0-0 2, Caleb Lafollette 1 0-0 3. Totals 39 10-18 96.

Ragland 15 16 8 18 — 57
Sacred Heart 26 27 30 13 — 96

3-point goals: Ragland 3 (Phillips 2, Bunt); Sacred Heart 8 (Di. Wood, Lafollette, Ross 2, Nolan 4).

Boys Area Tournament Finals

CLASS 7A
Area 1: Theodore 70, Davidson 61
Area 2: McGill-Toolen 67, Murphy 55
Area 3: Lee-Montgomery 59, Enterprise 56
Area 4: Central-Phenix City 61, Auburn 33
Area 5: Tuscaloosa County 61, Hoover 60
Area 6: Mountain Brook 62, Vestavia Hills 25
Area 7: Gadsden City 90, Huntsville 78
Area 8: Hazel Green 43, Sparkman 35.

CLASS 6A
Area 1: LeFlore 49, Blount 46
Area 2: Spanish Fort 74, Daphne 59
Area 3: Dothan 67, Northview 54
Area 4: Carver-Montgomery 70, Park Crossing 49
Area 5: Opelika 87, Russell County 72
Area 6: Paul Bryant 42, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 39
Area 7: Bessemer City 65, Northridge 53
Area 8: Jackson-Olin 54, Minor 49
Area 9: Homewood 51, Pelham 45
Area 10: Chelsea 51, Oxford 41
Area 11: Woodlawn 69, Shades Valley 44
Area 12: Pinson Valley 76, Clay-Chalkville 68
Area 13: Scottsboro 64, Albertville 44
Area 14: Lee-Huntsville 61, Arab 25
Area 15: Cullman 73, Austin 68
Area 16: Muscle Shoals 45, Athens 44 (OT)

CLASS 5A
Area 1: Faith Academy 61, B.C. Rain 60
Area 2: Vigor 63, Jackson 52
Area 3: Eufaula 67, Charles Henderson 47
Area 4: Greenville 83, Brewbaker Tech 65
Area 5: B.T. Washington 70, Beauregard 65
Area 6: Dallas County 80, Sumter Central 51
Area 7: Central-Tuscaloosa 65, Helena 53
Area 8: Talladega 62, Shelby County 57
Area 9: Ramsay 58, Fairfield 46
Area 10: Parker 48, Dora 37
Area 11: Mortimer Jordan 57, Springville 50
Area 12: Anniston 87, Alexandria 73
Area 13: Douglas 40, Boaz 37
Area 14: West Point 63, Lawrence County 44
Area 15: J.O. Johnson 64, Butler 54
Area 16: Columbia 59, St. John Paul II 36

CLASS 4A
Area 1: W.S. Neal 59, UMS-Wright 48
Area 2: Straughn 69, Andalusia 60
Area 3: Monroe County 42, Clarke County 39
Area 4: St. James 64, Montgomery Catholic 58
Area 5: Dadeville 62, B.T. Washington Magnet 40
Area 6: Bibb County 53, Holt 42
Area 7: Montevallo 67, Holy Family 64
Area 8: Leeds 53, Handley 50
Area 9: Carbon Hill 57, Cordova 51
Area 10: Locust Fork 70, J.B. Pennington 58
Area 11: White Plains 65, Saks 52
Area 12: Cherokee County 58, Hokes Bluff 50
Area 13: Haleyville 62, Hamilton 61
Area 14: Westminster Christian 49, North Jackson 44
Area 15: West Limestone 50, East Lawrence40
Area 16: Central-Florence 65, Deshler 60

CLASS 3A
Area 1: Excel 54, Cottage Hill Christian 52
Area 2: Hillcrest-Evergreen 78, T.R. Miller 38
Area 3: Daleville 58, Slocomb 42
Area 4: Pike County 73, Abbeville 66
Area 5: Montgomery Academy 49, Prattville Christian 44
Area 6: Greene County 62, American Christian 50
Area 7: Aliceville 59, Gordo 56
Area 8: Midfield 63, Fultondale 58
Area 9: Winfield 65, Winston County 33
Area 10: Holly Pond 80, Vinemont 52
Area 11: Westbrook Christian 61, Ohatchee 40
Area 12: Piedmont 72, Weaver 70
Area 13: Sand Rock 53, Brindlee Mountain 51
Area 14: North Sand Mountain 47, Plainview 43
Area 15: Madison Academy 78, West Morgan 53
Area 16: Colbert County 72, Lexington 53

CLASS 2A
Area 1: St. Luke’s 59, Leroy 53
Area 2: Washington County 59, Choctaw County 54
Area 3: Houston Academy 67, Cottonwood 59
Area 4: G.W. Long 46, Ariton 36
Area 5: Elba 52, New Brockton 40
Area 6: Central-Hayneville 71, Calhoun 66
Area 7: Francis Marion 80, R.C. Hatch 65
Area 8: LaFayette 62, Lanett 59
Area 9: Vincent 76, Thorsby 33
Area 10: Randolph County 61, Ranburne 49
Area 11: Altamont 73, Tarrant 70
Area 12: Cleveland 55, Asbury 51
Area 13: Fyffe 70, Collinsville 57
Area 14: Cold Springs 84, Tanner 80
Area 15: Sulligent 51, Red Bay 41
Area 16: Tharptown 55, Hatton 40

CLASS 1A
Area 1: Chickasaw 71, Fruitdale 58
Area 2: Brantley 61, Pleasant Home 46
Area 3: Georgiana 89, J.F. Shields 66
Area 4: A.L. Johnson 68, Linden 65
Area 5: Sunshine 64, Akron 51
Area 6: Autaugaville 46, Maplesville 26
Area 7: Loachapoka 70, Notasulga 57
Area 8: Talladega County Central 61, Winterboro 57
Area 9: Jefferson Christian 57, Westminster-Oak Mountain 48
Area 10: South Lamar 77, Marion County 43
Area 11: St. Bernard 27, Lynn 25
Area 12: Sacred Heart 96, Ragland 57
Area 13: Cedar Bluff 75, Coosa Christian 39
Area 14: Skyline 74, Woodville 50
Area 15: Phillips 64, Covenant Christian 49
Area 16: R.A. Hubbard 63, Decatur Heritage 52