Sowing those seeds
- Updated: January 4, 2020
Calhoun County teams await county tournament seeding Sunday; Alexandria, Faith boys go into meeting off Saturday victories
Saturday’s scores
Boys games
Alexandria 69, Cherokee County 56
Faith Christian 66, Wellborn 51
Hokes Bluff 56, Pleasant Valley 50
Spring Garden 72, Sand Rock 65
Girls games
Cherokee County 54, Alexandria 44
Hokes Bluff 50, Pleasant Valley 43
Lincoln 49, Etowah 47
Ranburne 45, Randolph County 9
Spring Garden 52, Sand Rock 39
Wellborn at Faith Christian
By East Alabama Sports Today
Calhoun County basketball teams await their seedings in the Calhoun County Tournament Sunday, but several had to take care of a little business Saturday first.
Oxford and Anniston (boys), Anniston and Sacred Heart (girls) are the anticipated top two seeds in each bracket for the tournament that starts Jan. 17, but there’s sure to be some spirited debate as the coaches gather to formulate the entire field.
But first a little business …
Faith Christian was playing its third game in as many days, but looked surprisingly sharp in a 66-51 victory over Wellborn Saturday.
The Lions are actually in the middle of an intense stretch of games, broken up only by the New Year’s holiday and Sundays.
They played Fort Payne, Cedar Bluff (a win) and Alexandria in the Glencoe Holiday Shootout, then went on this latest stretch with Sand Rock and Spring Garden (in a game that got away in the fourth quarter) before playing Wellborn. It continues next week with games against Ranburne and JCA (an important area game) Monday and Tuesday.
“Bouncing back from last night’s tough loss was big,” Faith coach Justin Kisor said. “I thought we came out with a lot of energy, intensity. We needed that win tonight. We’ve had a tough stretch of basketball. I’m glad our guys came out there and were focused. The intensity was great.”
Ethan Richerzhagen led the Lions with 16 points. C.J Gomez had 14. The starters played three quarters.
“Ethan has a lot of talent,” Kisor said. “I think in the last two weeks he’s picked his game up on both sides of the basketball. He’s got a very bright future. He’s a matchup nightmare, to me. He can be just as good on defense as offense and that’s rare to find. He didn’t score as much as he’d like last night (against Spring Garden) but defensively he did what we asked of him.”
Alexandria 69, Cherokee County 56
CENTRE – Landan Williams scored 20 points and three other Alexandria players scored in double figures as the Valley Cubs pulled away from a close game in the second half.
The Valley Cubs, a projected top four seed in the county boys bracket, held a 30-28 halftime lead. Williams scored 16 points in the second half, six in the fourth quarter, four from the free throw line. The Cubs were 13-of 16 from the line in the fourth quarter.
Julian Wright scored eight of his 12 points in the second half. Seth Slaton also scored 12 points, hitting three 3-pointers. D’Anthony Walton added 11. Cherokee County’s Bradley Elrod led all scorers with 23 points.
ALEXANDRIA – Javais McGhee 1 4-6 6, Callin Taylor 2 0-0 5, D’Anthony Walton 4 2-2 11, Seth Slaton 3 3-4 12, Julian Wright 5 2-5 12, Javarious Williams 1 0-0 2, Landan Williams 8 4-4 20. Totals 24 15-21 69.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Dylan Culver 1 0-1 2, Walton Green 3 0-0 8, Nas Diamond 7 0-0 15, Jason McSpadden 1 0-0 2, Slade Alexander 2 2-2 6, Bradley Elrod 10 0-0 23, Courtlin Brooks 0 0-0 0, Tristen Starr 0 0-0 0, Matthew Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 2-3 56.
Alexandria 16 14 19 20 – 69
Cherokee Co. 11 17 17 11 – 56
3-point goals: Alexandria 6 (Taylor, Walton, Slaton 3, J. Williams); Cherokee Co. 6 (Green 2, Diamond, Elrod 3). Fouled out: Elrod. Total fouls: Alexandria 6, Cherokee Co. 17. Officials: Campbell, Simpson, Daffron.
Hokes Bluff 56, Pleasant Valley 50
JACKSONVILLE – Payton Lemons scored 14 points and did a masterful defensive job on Pleasant Valley scorer Josh Ballew to lead Hokes Bluff to its victory.
Lemons was one of three Eagles scoring in double figures; Caleb McGinnis was their leading scorer with 15 points. In addition to his scoring, Lemons, who has turned into the Eagles’ defensive stopper in the absence of injured Ashton Gulledge, limited Ballew to 10 points. Jake Malsy led PV with 15 points.
The game was tight into the third quarter. The Eagles put together a four-minute stretch that carried into the fourth where they put together several defensive stops and converted on the offensive end to build an 11-point lead.
HOKES BLUFF – Payton Lemons 4 4-4 14, Mikell Mooneyham 0 0-0 0, Caleb McGinnis 7 1-3 15, Drake Rainey 3 3-7 10, Connor Faulkner 0 0-2 0, Jalen Robinson 1 0-2 2, Jordan Presley 3 2-2 9, Tucker Marsh 1 4-6 6, Jackson Millandor 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 14-26 56.
PLEASANT VALLEY – Jake Upton 0 0-0 0, Jake Malsy 5 4-8 15, Brayden Wright 0 0-0 0, Josh Ballew 3 3-5 10, Brody Phillips 4 0-0 9, Coleman Haynes 1 1-3 3, Garrett Cranmer 3 1-2 8, Jamie Winningham 1 3-6 5. Totals 17 12-24 50.
Hokes Bluff 18 10 15 13 – 56
Pleasant Valley 15 12 10 13 – 50
3-point goals: Hokes Bluff 4 (Lemons 2, Rainey, Presley); Pleasant Valley 4 (Malsy, Bellew, Phillips, Cranmer). Fouled out: Robinson, Haynes. Total fouls: Hokes Bluff 18, Pleasant Valley 22.
Girls games
Hokes Bluff 50, Pleasant Valley 43
JACKSONVILLE – Kileigh Blackwell scored all eight of her points in the second quarter when Hokes Bluff took the lead and Jayden Presley got eight of her 10 in the fourth quarter when the Lady Eagles held on to win.
When Pleasant Valley coach Brad Hood looks back at the game one statistic will get his attention. The Lady Raiders were 7-of-21 from the free throw line; that, on the heels of a 22-for-40 outing in an overtime loss at White Plains the night before.
“I know what we’re going to do at practice the rest of the year,” Hood said. “We’re going to shoot free throws for an hour and just go home.”
Striking a more serious tone, he acknowledged the issue may be a by-product of the team’s full-court, man defensive style with limited reserves.
The Lady Raiders were 1-for-5 in the second half Saturday, 15-for-30 in the second half and overtime Friday.
HOKES BLUFF – Meghan Cashman 1 0-0 2, Madison Wolfe 4 1-2 11, Mackenzie Bates 1 0-3 2, Maddie Smith 1 1-2 3, Halle Davenport 1 0-0 2, Kristen Shields 3 0-2 6, Bailee Latronico 2 0-1 4, Kileigh Blackwell 3 1-2 8, Jayden Presley 5 0-3 10, Kaylee Ingram 1 0-1 2. Totals 22 3-16 50.
PLEASANT VALLEY – Rylee Haynes 0 1-2 1, Marlie Wright 1 0-0 3, Gracie Hood 1 0-1 3, Emma Hood 8 3-9 19, Macey Roper 4 1-4 9, Anna Worthy 0 0-0 0, Karmyn Sparks 3 2-5 8. Totals 17 7-21 43.
Hokes Bluff 12 14 8 16 – 50
Pleasant Valley 15 6 9 13 – 43
3-point goals: Hokes Bluff 3 (Wolfe 2, Blackwell); Pleasant Valley 2 (Wright, G. Hood). Fouled out: Sparks. Total fouls: Hokes Bluff 16, Pleasant Valley 17. Officials: Taylor, Kelley, Barber.
Cherokee County 54, Alexandria 44
CENTRE – Jordyn Starr scored 12 of her 20 points in the second half, eight in the fourth quarter, when Cherokee County pulled away from a tied game to slide past Alexandria.
The Lady Cubs were 15-for-16 from the free throw line, but they didn’t go to the line once in the second half.
Ashley Phillips and Kameron Simpson were a combined 10-for-10 at the line and both scored 11 points.
ALEXANDRIA – Ashley Phillips 2 6-6 11, Sarah Pelham 0 0-0 0, Kayleigh Steen 3 0-0 9, Kameron Simpson 3 4-4 11, Jordyn Walker 0 2-2 2, TyShica Woodgett 3 0-0 6, Rylee Gattis 0 2-2 2, Chloe Gattis 1 1-2 3. Totals 12 15-16 44.
CHEROKEE COUNTY – Emily Allen 3 0-0 7, Aubrie Williams 5 1-4 11, Karlee Perry 2 0-0 5, Sidney Johnson 0 2-2 2, Audrey Wester 1 0-0 2, Jordyn Starr 7 4-6 20, Brooklyn Mahannah 0 0-0 0, M. Johnson 3 0-4 7. Totals 21 7-16 54.
Alexandria 11 15 9 9 – 44
Cherokee Co. 15 11 11 17 – 54
3-point goals: Alexandria 5 (Phillips, Steen 3, Simpson); Cherokee Co. 5 (Allen, Perry, Starr 2, Johnson). Fouled out: Steen. Total fouls: Alexandria 20, Cherokee Co. 15.
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