Back on track
- Updated: January 11, 2021
JCA’s boys snap two-game losing streak with area victory, Miller closing in on a couple basketball coaching milestones
MONDAY’S BOYS GAMES
Childersburg 63, Wellborn 20
Clay Central at Cleburne County, ppd.
Jacksonville Christian 82, Coosa Christian 53
MONDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Childersburg 60, Wellborn 18
Clay Central at Cleburne County, ppd.
Coosa Christian 65, Jacksonville Christian 47
By East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville Christian got closer to full strength and back on track by winning an important area game Monday.
Landon Wills and Ethan Burrage, back stronger after playing limited minutes in a loss to Faith Christian Saturday, combined for 28 points to help the Thunder snap a two-game area losing streak with an 82-53 win over Coosa Christian.
Coosa Christian won the girls game 65-47.
“We feel much better, of course, but we’re starting to get a little strength back and were able to go today,” JCA coach Tommy Miller said. “One is still out, but we played everybody tonight, all 13.
“I know we’re not back in shape, but I emphasized to our guys how important it was to get a win in an area game and they stepped up, sucked it up and played as well as they could.”
The Thunder (9-3) had lost games to Ragland and Faith Christian in their last two starts. The losses helped Ragland extend its lead in the area race.
JCA pressed the Conquerors from the start and opened a 14-point halftime lead. Then they came out with a good 3-4 minutes to open the second half and scored as many points in the third quarter (32) as they did the entire first half. Seven players scored in the quarter.
The Thunder placed four scorers in double figures, combining for 54 points, more than enough to offset a 38-point effort by Coosa’s Deontae Ford.
Willis scored 12 points in the second half, Wilson scored nine of his 11 in the second quarter and Tavian Alexander scored nine of his 15 in the second half. Burrage scored all 11 of his points in the first half, hitting three 3-pointers in the first quarter.
Drake Shew grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Alexander had seven rebounds and Wilson had six steals.
The victory moved Miller within one of 400 as a boys varsity basketball coach (399-369) and within five of 1,000 as a boys and girls basketball coach (995-570). He will become the 85th coach in Alabama with 400 boys wins, according to the Alabama High School Basketball History website, when he reaches that milestone.
In the girls game, Bella Millirons scored 29 points and Chloe Davidson had 23 as the Lady Conquerors (14-2) won the second of their three-game area tournament dress rehearsal and eighth in a row.
Coosa coach Jayme Hollingsworth explained Saturday the team was approaching this three games in four days stretch against the Calhoun County private schools as prep for the area tournament.
The Lady Thunder played their visitors even in the second half, but trailed by 18 at halftime. Millirons scored 10 of Coosa’s 15 points in the first quarter and had 14 in the first half. Davidson scored 12 in the first half.
Mia Morales led JCA with 14 points. Rebekah Carter had 10, eight in the second half. Kara Grace scored all nine of her points in the second half.
Boys game
Jacksonville Christian 82, Coosa Christian 53
COOSA CHRISTIAN (4-3) – Drake Albury 0 0-3 0, Kris Ash 0 0-0 0, Isiah Cole 2 0-0 5, Zack Elrod 1 0-0 3, Deontae Ford 15 2-4 38, J.D. Justus 1 2-2 5, Hunter Millirons 0 0-0 0, Caddon Moore 0 0-1 0, Hunter Price 0 0-0 0, Koby Roberts 0 0-0 0, Thomas Skaggs 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 4-10 53.
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN (9-3) – Tanner Wilson 4 3-3 11, Ethan Burrage 4 0-0 11, Emmanuel Kidd 1 2-2 4, Tyler Doggrell 2 2-2 6, Tavian Alexander 5 3-4 15, Landon Wills 6 4-7 17, Drake Shew 2 0-1 4, Justin Crocker 0 0-0 0, Jordan Garner 0 0-0 0, Mason Johnson 0 0-0 0, Braxton Brown 0 1-2 1, Cam Moses 2 2-2 6, Brodie Clay 3 1-4 7. Totals 29 18-27 82.
Coosa Christian 10 8 20 15 – 53
Jacksonville Christian 20 12 32 18 – 82
3-point goals: Coosa 9 (Cole, Elrod, Ford 6, Justus); JCA 6 (Burrage 3, Alexander 2, Wills). Fouled out: Cole. Total fouls: Coosa 21, JCA 15. Officials: Pratt, McCareeth, Taylor.
Girls game
Coosa Christian 65, Jacksonville Christian 47
COOSA CHRISTIAN (14-2) – Bella Millirons 13 1-1 29, Chloe Davidson 10 3-5 23, Caitlin Cates 1 1-2 3, Erin Snow 1 1-4 3, Malaina Ellen 0 0-0 0, Katherine England 0 0-0 0, Katie Ellen Davis 0 0-0 0, Emma Justus 0 0-0 0, Kailah East 0 0-0 0, Gemma Littlejohn 2 2-4 7. Totals 27 8-16 65.
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN – Rebekah Carter 2 6-9 10, Erin Prater 1 1-2 3, Kara Grace 4 0-0 9, Kirsten Walker 0 0-0 0, Mia Morales 6 2-4 14, Riley Sanders 0 0-0 0, Karli Barnwell 2 0-4 6, Abbie Stovall 0 0-1 0, Hannah Clayton 2 0-0 5, Ella Kines 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 9-20 47.
Coosa Christian 15 18 15 17 – 65
Jacksonville Christian 4 11 13 19 – 47
3-point goals: Coosa 3 (Millirons 2, Littlejohn); JCA 4 (Grace, Barnwell 2, Clayton). Total fouls: Coosa 19, JCA 16. Officials: McCareeth, Pratt, Taylor.
Wellborn-Childersburg
CHILDERSBURG – It was a tough day for the Wellborn offenses. The boys fell to Childersburg 63-20 and the girls team lost 60-18.
Boys game
Childersburg 63, Wellborn 20
WELLBORN – Lewis Patterson 2 0-2 4, Messiah Moore 2 0-0 5, Nathan Sanders 1 3-4 6, Keyonte Curry 2 0-0 5, Ethan Tidwell 0 0-1 0, Kamera Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 3-7 20.
CHILDERSBURG – Lamarr Duncan 1 0-0 2, Sharod Robertson 3 2-2 9, Jordan Mann 2 0-0 4, Javiun Jones 1 0-0 2, Elijah Sims 1 0-0 2, Dakaveon Truss 0 2-4 2, J.T. Stone 3 1-2 7, Jarius Celestine 3 3-3 9, Isaac Marbury 6 1-2 15, Leyton Moeser 1 1-2 3, Kordes Swain 4 0-0 8. Totals 25 10-15 63.
Wellborn 7 3 4 6 – 20
Childersburg 21 9 17 16 – 63
3-point goals: Wellborn 3 (Moore, Sanders, Curry); Childersburg 3 (Robertson, Marbury 2). Technical fouls: Sanders. Total fouls: Wellborn 8, Childersburg 11. Officials: Williams, Caldwell, Garrett.
Girls game
Childersburg 60, Wellborn 18
WELLBORN – Brook Singleton 1 1-3 3, Mikayla Williams 2 1-2 5, Taniya Traylor 0 1-2 1, Cloie Adkison 1 2-6 4, Calla Hayes 1 0-0 2, Anna Odom 0 0-2 0, Annelies Boot 0 3-4 3, Makaiyah Amberson 0 0-0 0. Totals 5 8-17 18.
CHILDERSBURG – Kamareona Simmons 3 2-4 8, Rakiya Spell 4 1-2 11, Malea Jemison 1 0-0 3, Azyriah Morris 0 0-2 0, Shakira Harrison 5 0-0 11, Jada Swain 6 0-4 13, Morgan Townsend 0 3-3 3, Mikayla Wells 0 0-0 0, Lakenya Swain 3 0-0 7, Nykeria Kelley 0 0-0 0, Jakaria Mallory 1 2-4 4, Totals 23 8-19 60.
Wellborn 3 3 7 5 – 18
Childersburg 15 18 18 9 – 60
3-point goals: Childersburg 6 (Spell 2, Jemison, Jackson, J. Swain, L. Swain). Total fouls: Wellborn 14, Childersburg 16. Officials: Williams, Caldwell, Garrett.
Clay Central-Cleburne County
HEFLIN – The games were postponed due to a water leak at Cleburne County. They will be played Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Cover photo: JCA coach Tommy Miller (C) shares a moment with Saks coach Jonathan Miller during last year’s Calhoun County Basketball Tournament.
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