Clash of the titans
- Updated: February 12, 2021
Boys roundup: White Plains slips past Anniston in area showdown; Oxford, Piedmont, Alexandria also win area titles
| Friday’s boys scores | Cross area |
| 1A-8: Winterboro 68, TCC 56 | Notasulga 81, Loachapoka 71 |
| 3A-11: Piedmont 88, Weaver 53 | Saks at Childersburg (Sat.) |
| 4A-9: White Plains 57, Anniston 53 | Etowah at Jacksonville (Sat.) |
| 5A-11: Alexandria 66, Moody 39 | Parker at Ramsay (Sat.) |
| 6A-13: Oxford 69, Springville 41 | Huffman 61, Woodlawn 56 |
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Brody Baker raced down the floor with the game in his hands and nothing but hardwood and nylon in front of him. He was so excited he could barely feel the floor under his feet.
The White Plains senior knew converting the breakaway layup with the clock winding down would mean another area championship and nothing was going to stop him.
It as an easy layup and when it dropped through the basket, the Wildcats had a 57-53 victory over top-seeded host Anniston for the Class 4A Area 9 championship.
“It was a real good feeling,” the area MVP said. “There was like a point-one percentage chance I would have missed it. Everybody was celebrating behind me, so I knew I was going to make it. I just felt a whole flash of happiness went through me and excitement. I had so much adrenaline going through me. It was a great feeling.”
The Wildcats now have won area titles in two different areas (10 and 9) with two different sets of teams in back-to-back years. They’ll host the loser of Saturday’s Area 10 title game between Etowah and host Jacksonville in Tuesday’s sub-regional round. Anniston will travel to the Area 10 champion.
“I feel like this is the toughest area in the state and to come out of it as area champions that’s something they’ll remember the rest of their lives,” White Plains coach Chris Randall said. “To win the area that’s got two of the best teams in the state in Handley and Anniston we’re really proud of it. Nobody gave it to us. We didn’t back-door into anything. We earned it.
“We had to win some tough games. We always say you can win with talent at home, but you’ve got to be tough on the road and I thought our kids were tough, especially in the third quarter. It took a lot of guts and was a program culture win. We’re proud of it.”
Quin Wilson hit some “heroic” 3-pointers, Walker Osteen hit two of the biggest free throws of the season with 28 seconds to play and, of course, Baker had his game-sealing layup to produce the victory. Baker and Wilson both scored 17 points and Osteen had 10.
Anniston was the No. 1 seed in the area and No. 2 team in the final regular-season statewide 4A rankings. White Plains was the No. 2 area seed and No. 3 team in the state.
The Wildcats could make a case as the presumptive No. 1 in 4A heading into the sub-regionals after top-rated Williamson lost in double overtime in its area semifinals and is done for the season and them beating the team directly ahead of them in the ratings. But Randall would entertain none of that talk.
Anniston played without star guard Antonio Kite all game and without leading scorer Malcolm Carlisle for the last quarter and a half.
Kite lost feeling in his right hand Thursday and, with the Bulldogs guaranteed another game regardless of Friday’s outcome, was held out after Friday’s visit to the doctor for precautionary reasons. He was on the bench in street clothes.
Carlisle, on the other hand, was pulled midway through the third quarter – “coach’s decision,” Anniston’s Torry Brown explained – and spent the rest of the game seated in the middle of the back row of the bench even when the Bulldogs could have used some of his outside shooting.
The senior did hit three deep 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Bulldogs opened a five-point halftime lead and he scored their first three points of the third quarter. But was apparently pulled after missing a 3-pointer attempting to answer back-to-back 3s by Wilson and Baker that tied the game with 4:14 left in the quarter. He had 18 points.
Both are expected to be on the floor in the sub-regional game.
The players who did play for the Bulldogs with their two stars on the bench did a good job keeping their team in the game by keeping the Wildcats guessing upon whom to focus. Mark Toyer gave them 10 points and eight rebounds.
“We played well,” Brown said. “We got back to how we used to play with two big guys and three guards. That’s how we played since I’ve been here, up until maybe last year.
“They played good. They played through the system. They didn’t have to do a whole lot of creating. The ball found the open the guy and guys made plays, so that was really good. I was happy with that. We’ve got kids who can play no matter if (Kite and Carlisle) are playing or not.”
Wilson hit five 3-pointers, three in a big third quarter that took the Wildcats from five down to five up going into the fourth quarter and, according to Randall, “made us believe we could win the game.” One of them came when he lost his footing on a loose ball, but got to his feet when Jaden Chatman corralled the ball and drained one that gave White Plains a seven-point lead with 1:32 to go in the quarter.
“Quin hit some just heroic 3s,” Randall said. “He’s done that all year. When we need him the most it’s like he knows it and he’s not afraid to take the big shots.”
“Once you get going you start feeling the adrenaline, it’s like the basket was huge,” Wilson said. “I’m going to remember that one, but I’m definitely going to remember Walker hitting two clutch free throws.”
Osteen put in another hour’s worth of 3s and an hour’s worth of free throws in the White Plains gym earlier in the day – like he does every day – and the work paid off as he hit two free throws with 27.9 seconds left to break a 53-all tie. Randall called them “the two biggest free throws of the year.”
“I just got on the line and did what I always do and shot ‘em,” Osteen said modestly.
After Toyer was denied a game-tying layup in traffic, Baker flew down the court on his breakaway to make it a four-point game with six seconds to play. The Bulldogs complained at the end of the game of not getting a call in the lane on their final two attacks at the basket White Plains got on the play that led to Osteen’s two tie-breaking free throws.
White Plains 57, Anniston 53
WHITE PLAINS (19-6) – Quin Wilson 5 2-2 17, Jaden Chatman 0 3-4 3, Jacob Wheeler 3 0-0 7, Landon Senciboy 0 0-0 0, Brody Baker 6 4-7 17, Jesse Hubbard 1 0-0 3, Walker Osteen 3 4-6 10, Garrett Wilson 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 13-19 57.
ANNISTON (22-6) – Mark Toyer 4 1-1 10, Malcolm Carlisle 7 1-2 18, Troy Hall 1 0-0 3, Miciah Myles 3 0-0 6, Tadyn Jones 2 1-2 6, Taishun Hall 1 1-2 3, Kam Sandlin 3 1-2 7, Talib Christian 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 5-9 53.
White Plains 15 11 22 9 – 57
Anniston 15 16 12 10 – 53
3-point goals: White Plains 8 (Q. Wilson 5, Wheeler, Baker, Hubbard); Anniston 6 (Toyer, Carlisle 3, Tr. Hall, Jones). Total fouls: White Plains 7, Anniston 14. Officials: Binion, Childs.
Moore of the same
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – Oxford ran its winning streak to 25 games with a dominating 69-41 victory over Springville for the Class 6A Area 13 tournament championship.
The Yellow Jackets (29-2) have not lost since falling to 7A No. 1 Vestavia Hills over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Justin Moore was unstoppable as he was all over the floor, slamming home four dunks, sinking three 3-pointers and ending up with 23 points. Rylan Houck scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds and Roc Taylor had 14 points and five rebounds.
The Jackets will host Woodlawn Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Class 6A sub-regionals. Woodlawn lost to Huffman Friday and will be the runner up from Area 11.
“We like playing at home,” Oxford coach Joel VanMeter said. “We don’t have to get on a bus and are in familiar surroundings.”
Springville (19-5) came out blazing as it hit three buckets to take a 7-2 lead. Oxford answered with 10 straight points – five from Roc Taylor and two on a steal and tomahawk dunk by Moore. The Tigers kept hitting 3s and Mike McGraw hit one for Oxford as the Jackets finished the quarter with a 17-15 lead.
The Jackets put on an awesome display of offense and defense in the second quarter. They reeled off the first 15 points of the quarter and outscored Springville 22-2 to take a 39-17 halftime lead.
Moore had two more steals and thunderous dunks and buried a 3-pointer to go with two free throws in the run. Taylor had five more points, while Houck added six points. The Jackets’ defense created eight turnovers and did not allow a Springville field goal until the two-minute mark of the quarter.
“We are a team that just keeps attacking and as the game goes on these guys get into a rhythm and once we hit that rhythm we are off and running,” said Van Meter.
The Jackets hit that rhythm in the second quarter. They completely took the life out of the Tigers, who were having difficulty getting the ball up the court and the Oxford offense was coming at them from all directions.
The Jackets cruised out to several 28-point leads. Taylor, Houck and Moore were named to the all-tournament team.
“It was pretty exciting,” Moore said of his four dunks. “I was trying to give the team some momentum. I have been working hard on my shots and I had it going on tonight.”
“Justin is just an outstanding player and is one of the best dunkers I have seen,” VanMeter said.
You’ll recall it was Moore’s slam that provided the exclamation point on the Jackets’ Calhoun County title game victory.
And it was Moore of the same Friday night.
Oxford 69, Springville 41
SPRINGVILLE (19-5) – Jamal Williams 0 3-3 3, Garrett Howard 0 2-2 2, Luke Richardson 0 0-0 0, Cason Kersh 1 4-7 7, Amari Cowan 0 0-0 0, Larry Winston 2 0-0 5, Rece Gleason 0 0-0 0, John Wolf 0 0-0 0, Pearson Baldwin 6 0 0-1 12, Gage Frederick 0 0-0 0, Vincent Gooch 2 0-0 5, Chase Higgins 1 2-2 4, Jake Goolsby 1 0-0 3. Totals 13 11-14 41.
OXFORD (29-2) – Avelon Bush 0 0-0 0, Cordell Chatman 0 0-0 0, Rylan Houck 5 4-6 15, Peyton Watts 1 0-0 3, Mike McGraw 3 0-1 8, Roc Taylor 5 4-6 14, Bakari Dailey 0 0-0 0, Justin Moore 9 2-2 23, Josh Johnson 1 0-0 2, Josh Patton 0 2-2 2, Zurrell Garrett 1 0-0 2, Jarek Burroughs 0 0-0 0, Aaron McFarland 0 0-0 0, Kyler Wright 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 12-17 69.
Springville 15 2 10 14 – 41
Oxford 17 22 10 20 – 69
3-point goals: Springville 4 (Kersh, Winston, Gooch, Goolsby); Oxford 7 (Houck, Moore 3, Watts, McGraw 2).
Piedmont’s in seventh heaven
PIEDMONT – Tournament MVP Alex Odam scored 32 points and Omarion Foster again had a full box score as top-seeded Piedmont took down a surging Weaver team 88-53 to win the Class 3A Area 11 tournament championship.
It was the Bulldogs’ seventh straight area title and 12th in the last 13 years.
The Bulldogs (16-7) will host the loser of Saturday’s Saks-Childersburg game Tuesday in the Class 3A subregionals. Weaver will travel to the Area 9 champion.
Odam, who became Piedmont’s all-time boys leading scorer earlier this season, was 14-of-19 from the field. He also had three assists and three steals. He scored 25 points in the first half as the Bulldogs raced to a 47-28 halftime lead.
Luke Bussey had 11 of his 14 in the first half as well. He also had six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
Foster heated up in the second half, scoring all 12 of his points in the third quarter as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 74-41. He had four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Weaver was 3-1 and had won three in a row since coming back from COVID-19 quarantine two weeks ago. Kyle Knight led the Bearcats with 13 points. Brendyn Knight had 12 and Jackson Williams 10.
Odam, Bussey, Jadon Calhoun, Omarion Foster and Jakari Foster all made the all-area team. They were joined by the two Knights from Weaver, Josh Ballew from Pleasant Valley and Ohatchee’s Trey Pesnell.
Piedmont 88, Weaver 53
WEAVER – Brendyn Knight 4 3-6 12, Kyle Knight 6 0-0 13, Brylee Carter 0 0-0 0, Jackson Williams 4 0-0 10, Kohl Perry 0 0-0 0, Dawson Brooks 2 0-0 5, Jeffery Miles 2 1-2 5, Trevor Clendenin 0 0-0 0, Tristan Brown 2 4-6 8. Totals 20 8-14 53.
PIEDMONT – Alex Odam 14 4-5 32, Omarion Foster 5 2-4 12, Gavin Lawler 2 1-1 5, Luke Bussey 6 0-1 14, Rhett Alford 0 0-0 0, Ridge Fagan 1 0-0 2, Jadon Calhoun 1 3-5 5, Jack Hayes 1 0-0 3, Coleman Reid 1 2-2 4, Jakari Foster 4 0-0 9, Sean Smith 1 0-0 2. Totals 36 12-18 88.
Weaver 12 16 13 12 – 53
Piedmont 23 24 27 14 – 88
3-point goals: Weaver 5 (B. Knight, K. Knight, Williams 2, Brooks); Piedmont 4 (Bussey 2, Hayes, J. Foster). Fouled out: Brown. Total fouls: Weaver 15, Piedmont 13. Officials: Guyton, Baker, Poss.
Walton leads way for Valley Cubs
D’Anthony Walton erupted for 31 points and keyed a big second quarter that carried Alexandria past Moody for the Class 5A Area 11 tournament title.
Walton hit all three of his 3-pointers and scored 17 points in a 28-6 second-quarter surge that helped the Valley Cubs to a 39-18 halftime lead. Landan Williams scored 10 of his 16 and Kory Cargal scored six of his 10 in the quarter.
It was the Valley Cubs’ second straight area title. They will host the loser of Saturday’s Parker-Ramsay game in the Class 5A sub-regionals. Parker is coming off an unusual 6-4 win over Carver in which both teams stalled and the Thundering Herd scored the winning points with one second to play.
Alexandria 66, Moody 39
MOODY – Landon Echols 1 0-0 3, Andrew Adams 0 0-0 0, Davion Dozier 3 1-2 7, Peyton Ingram 5 2-2 14, Ahmari Rowe Brown 0 0-0 0, Ceione Reaves 2 0-0 4, Mason Trimm 1 2-2 4, Carson Dillishaw 2 1-2 5, Ethan Hopper 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 6-8 39.
ALEXANDRIA – Javais McGhee 1 0-0 3, D’Anthony Walton 11 6-6 31, Collin Taylor 2 2-2 7, Ivonte Davis 0 0-3 0, Cory Cargal 0 0-0 0, Julian Wright 5 2-5 12, Seth Johnson 0 0-2 0, Landan Williams 4 5-6 13. Totals 23 15-24 66.
Moody 12 6 13 8 – 39
Alexandria 11 28 17 10 – 66
3-point goals: Moody 3 (Echols, Ingram 2); Alexandria 5 (McGhee, Walton 3, Taylor). Total fouls: Moody 18, Alexandria 11. Officials: Burroughs, Calkins, Graves.
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