Dawgs, Cubs advance
- Updated: February 17, 2016
5A subregional: Alexandria finds a way at the end, Anniston has little trouble reaching regionals
Hakeem Ross (11) leads Anniston on the break against Hayden. On the cover, Bulldogs coach Schuessler Ware discusses a plan with his coaches and players in his last home games as Anniston’s basketball coach. (Photo by Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)
By East Alabama Sports Today
KIMBERLY – Caleb Young struggled at the free throw line early in the game, but he found his stroke when his team needed him most.
Young made his last three free throws in the closing stages of the game Tuesday night to help Alexandria turn back Mortimer Jordan 55-52 and earn a trip to the Class 5A Northeast Regional at Jacksonville.
The Valley Cubs have the daunting task of facing top-ranked J.O. Johnson in their regional opener Friday at 1:30 p.m.
The Cubs struggled as a team at the line, going 9 of 25, but somehow managed to grab a lead after trailing 31-26 at the half. Even missing two of their previous 12 free throws, they still led 53-49 with 19 seconds to play.
Young, who only recently started wearing contact lenses in his games, made only one of his first seven free throws – the first one – before regaining his touch down the stretch.
“You worry about kids like that in that situation,” Valley Cubs coach Jason Johnson said. “But he took a deep breath and of those last four he knocked three of them in that kept the lead between two and four and kept us in the lead. I was real happy for him.”
Dalton Dodd and Marcus Swink kept Alexandria in the game early. Dodd had four 3-pointers in the first half – three in the first quarter — and finished with a team-high 16 points. Swink had four in the first quarter and finished with 11.
“We just found a way to win it at the end,” Johnson said. “You go against a team that doesn’t shoot it real well and they hit some 3s, you’ve got to find a way to find enough stops.”
Their reward for winning is playing one of the top teams in the state regardless of classification.
“It’s going to be a tough one, but it’s a pleasure to get to play them,” Johnson said. “The kids are real excited about it. You always hear how great they are and you want to see how they stack up against a real good team like that. We’ll try to devise a plan and try to be successful.”
Anniston 84, Hayden 44
DeQuan Ross and Tray Croft hit four of Anniston’s 10 3-pointers in the game in the first quarter to get Anniston off to a good start and help the Bulldogs keep coach Schuessler Ware’s final season and their own state championship hopes alive.
Croft finished with 20 points, while Ross and Willie Thomas each scored 16 for the Bulldogs.
Thomas had five assists, six rebounds and six steals. Croft grabbed six rebounds, dished seven assists and had seven steals. Ross had eight rebounds.
The game marked the absolute last one Ware would coach at home with the Bulldogs. He formally retired Feb. 1, but is staying until the team plays its final game of this – Ware’s 19th – season. Cameras followed Ware throughout the course of the game.
“It’s a good feeling to be able to make it to Jacksonville,” Ware said.
The Bulldogs now play Guntersville in their regional opener Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Jacksonville.
TUESDAY’S CLASS 5A BOYS SUBREGIONAL BOX SCORES
Anniston 85, Hayden 44
HAYDEN – Tim Curry 0 2-2 2, Colton Shirley 6 0-0 16, Jordan White 0 0-0 0, Ryan Sanderson 4 0-0 10, Dylan Bradford 2 2-2 7, Christian Chappell 0 3-5 3, Josh Phillips 1 0-1 2, Leonard Johnson 1 0-0 2, Eddie Bolton 0 0-0 0, Hunter Mahaffey 1 0-0 2, Sheridan Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 7-10 44.
ANNISTON – Marrio Dobbins 1 4-6 6, Tray Croft 7 4-6 20, Hakeem Ross 3 1-2 8, Willie Thomas 6 2-4 16, Leonard Brown 1 0-0 3, DeQuan Ross 6 1-2 16, Jarvis Jackson 1 1-1 4, Chris Beard 4 1-2 9, Tae Miller 1 0-0 3, TreVonta Carter 0 0-0 0, Tareeq Wood Packer 0 0-0 0. Totals 30-52 14-21 85.
Hayden 13 11 7 13 — 44
Anniston 23 12 21 29 — 85
3-point goals: Hayden 7 (Shirley 4, Sanderson 2, Bradford); Anniston 10 (Croft 2, H. Ross, Thomas, Sizemore, D. Ross 3, Jackson, Miller). Total fouls: Hayden 14, Anniston 16.
Alexandria 55, Mortimer Jordan 52
ALEXANDRIA – Riley Shaw 1 0-0 3, Chase Smitherman 2 0-3 4, A.J. Martin 0 0-2 0, Dalton Dodd 4 4-6 16, Gerald Murphy 1 0-0 2, Jamal Tucker 2 0-0 5, Caleb Young 1 4-10 6, Marcus Swink 5 1-3 11, Luke Tucker 4 0-1 8. Totals 20 9-25 55.
MORTIMER JORDAN – Justin Anderson 5 0-2 10, Caleb Brown 1 0-0 3, Patrick Burkett 1 0-0 2, Sawyer Swindle 4 0-0 9, Kyle Elsberry 1 0-0 2, William Archer 0 4-8 4, Justin Thomas 0 0-0 0, Colby Moon 7 3-3 22. Totals 19 7-13 52.
Alexandria 15 11 14 15 — 55
Mortimer Jordan 18 13 7 14 — 52
3-point goals: Alexandria 6 (Shaw, Dodd 4, J. Tucker); Mortimer Jordan 7 (Brown, Moon 5, Swindle). Total fouls: Alexandria 15, Mortimer Jordan 18.
Anniston’s Marrio Dobbins puts up a shot in traffic in Tuesday night’s subregional game with Hayden. (Photo by Kristen Stringer/Krisp Pics Photography)
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