Jags claw back

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: November 16, 2021

7A Spain Park rallies from nine-point halftime deficit, then holds off Jacksonville in the closing seconds to dump the Golden Eagles

TUESDAY’S GAMES
Boys Scores
Munford 67, Donoho 58
Oxford 70, White Plains 27
Spain Park 59, Jacksonville 52
Talladega 64, Etowah 57
West End 51, Pleasant Valley 39

Girls Scores
Munford at Donoho
Oxford 68, White Plains 22
Piedmont 44, Jacksonville 26
Pleasant Valley 69, West End 23

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

JACKSONVILLE – After Jacksonville broke the scoreboard in its season opener with a shorthanded lineup, everyone wanted to know what the Golden Eagles could do with a full complement of players.

The Golden Eagles got half of their football-playing basketball players back Tuesday night, but it doesn’t matter how many players you add if the ball doesn’t go in the basket.

They looked just as sharp as they did in their opener in the first half and opened a nine-point halftime lead, but they went cold in the second and lost to 7A Spain Park 59-52.

Jacksonville got back three of its six football players for the game – twins Cam and Caden Johnson and Quin Long – and with only one formal practice under the belts they combined for 11 points in the first half mixing in with John Broom, Cade Phillips and the rest, but they were held scoreless in the second half.

In fact, the Golden Eagles, who scored 104 points in their opener against Faith Christian, scored only 13 points after halftime – three in the third quarter. They were 5-for-21 from the field against the 2-3 zone the Jags switched to at halftime.

They hit just one of 12 shots from the floor in the third quarter and after leading most of the first half trailed by two going into the fourth quarter.

“They went zone and we let them dictate the tempo; that was the biggest thing,” Jacksonville coach Shane Morrow said. “I told them if they go zone you’ve got to push the ball. That’s what we are, that’s what we did in the first half, but when they went zone, I think we got a little tired, playing with eight, three of them football players still working their way back in.

“The 2-3 zone dictated the tempo. Instead of us getting out and running, we let them dictate the tempo, slowed it down and went cold.”

The lead went back and forth six times early in the fourth quarter until the Jags (1-1), who lost a heartbreaker to Grissom in their season-opener, took the lead for good with 2:41 to play when Collin Turner backed in on Ethan Duke for a layup.

It was a three-point game with seven seconds left, but Josh Harrington never gave the home team a chance to get back in it. He converted two one-and-ones, stole an inbounds pass that forced Jacksonville to foul, giving him a chance to “put an exclamation point on this game,” and blocked the Golden Eagles’ final shot of the game.

“He’s an ultimate competitor and he’s a champion,” Jags coach Chris Laatsch said of Harrington. “He’s been a three-year starter, he’s undersized, he’s tough as nails and he just wins.

“He is one of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to turn this program around over the last three years, just simply because of his heart, competitiveness, leadership and he just makes plays like that. Whatever we need, he just does it. That’s just who he is.”

Turner and Harrington, the only two holdovers from last year’s Final Four team, had 21 and 17 points, respectively.

Broom followed his 49-point season opener with a team-high 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. Phillips had 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Golden Eagles have three more football players in the wings – Taj Morris, Jacoby Zackery and Kydric Fisher. Morrow is giving them as much of the 10-day transition they feel comfortable taking.

“They finished football Friday,” Morrow said. “There’s a big difference in football shape and basketball shape. It’ll take them a while to work in, work their shots in, get in basketball rhythm, get in basketball shape, so I didn’t expect a whole lot out of them. I know what they can do and I know what they will do once they get going.”

BOYS GAMES
Spain Park 59, Jacksonville 52
SPAIN PARK (1-1) – Collin Turner 9-15 2-2 21, Josh Harrington 3-9 8-8 17, Sam Wright 3-7 0-0 6, Zach Gray 2-5 0-0 6, Chad Pickett 1-1 0-0 3, Hunter Herritt 1-4 0-0 2, Chase James 1-4 0-2 2, Pierson Cole 1-2 0-0 2, Korbin Long 0-4 0-0 0, Chantz Pickett 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 10-12 59.
JACKSONVILLE (1-1) – John Broom 7-16 0-1 17, Cade Phillips 5-7 2-4 13, Julian Hill 3-10 0-2 9, Caden Johnson 2-6 2-2 6, Cam Johnson 1-5 0-0 3, Quin Long 1-4 0-0 2, Ethan Duke 1-2 0-4 2, Hayden Robinson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-50 4-13 52.
Spain Park 14 16 14 15 – 59
Jacksonville 20 19 3 10 – 52
3-point goals: Spain Park 7-21 (Turner 1-1, Harrington 3-5, Wright 0-2, Gray 2-4, Cd. Pickett 1-1, Herritt 0-2, James 0-2, Cole 0-1, Long 0-3); Jacksonville 8-29 (Broom 3-10, Phillips 1-1, Hill 3-8, Cd. Johnson 0-2, Cm. Johnson 1-5, Long 0-3). Rebounds: Spain Park 37 (Turner 9); Jacksonville 26 (Phillips 8). Assists: Spain Park 6 (Harrington 3); Jacksonville 13 (Broom 4). Total fouls: Spain Park 18, Jacksonville 15.

Oxford 70, White Plains 27
WHITE PLAINS (0-1) – Tucker Pearson 0 3-4 3, Paul Laube 0 0-0 0, Dylan Barksdale 1 0-0 2, Cole Senciboy 0 0-0 0, Josh Wheeler 1 2-2 5, Z.J. Rosario 0 0-0 0, Braden Knight 1 0-0 2, Daniel Williams 1 2-2 4, Walker Osteen 3 1-2 7, Kendrick Ball 2 0-1 4, Cullen Spivey 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 8-11 27.
OXFORD (1-1) – Jaylen Alexander 2 0-0 4, Zurrell Garrett 0 1-2 1, Rylan Houck 7 0-2 17, Kyler Wright 3 0-0 7, Aaron McFarland 3 0-0 8, J.D. Jones 2 3-4 7, Mike McGraw 3 3-4 9, Jayden Lewis 1 0-2 2, Christian Gibson 3 0-0 9, Brock Reaves 2 0-0 6. Totals 26 7-14 70
White Plains          4    9    7    7   —  27
Oxford                     14  23 19  14  —  70
3-point goals: White Plains 1 (Wheeler); Oxford 11 (Houck 3, Wright 1, McFarland 2, Gibson 3, Reaves 2). Fouled out: Barksdale. Total fouls: White Plains 12, Oxford 15.

Munford 67, Donoho 58
MUNFORD (1-0) – Jaquan Anderson 8 7-9 27, Corderio Holland 1 0-0 3, Jacoby Young 0 0-0 0, Connor Morgan 9 4-6 27, Jaiden Turner 0 0-0 0, Demetrius Norwood 2 0-0 4, Lathan Stephens 0 0-0 0, Alex Petty 2 1-2 6, Jayden Tucker 0 0-0 0, Kelby Tucker 0 0-0 0, Daniel Beckman 0 0-0 0, Kyler Gibson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 12-17 67.
DONOHO (0-1) – Dean Harrell 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Smith 0 0-0 0, Rich Goad 4 0-0 8, Drew Williamson 9 10-15 31, Sean Keel 0 0-0 0, Nick Goad 0 1-2 1, Jack Burgess 1 0-0 2, Eric Tolson 6 4-9 16. Totals 20 15-26 58.
Munford                25  14 10  18  –  67
Donoho                  11  13 10  24  –  58
3-point goals: Munford 11 (Anderson 4, Holland, Morgan 5, Petty); Donoho 3 (Williamson 3). Technical fouls: Norwood. Total fouls: Munford 23, Donoho 15. Officials: Oden, Brown, Whiteside.

GIRLS GAMES
Piedmont 44, Jacksonville 26
JACKSONVILLE (1-1) – Halaina Lozano 0 1-2 1, MiArah Hardy 0 0-0 0, Alexis Phillips 2 0-0 5, Lamiah Steagall 0 0-0 0, Ashley Grant 4 0-0 11, Rachel Sanders 0 0-0 0, DeAsia Prothro 0 1-2 1, Alyssa Willingham 1 0-0 3, Mya Swain 0 0-0 0, Amarie Curry 2 0-3 4, Kiara LaCount 0 1-2 1. Totals 9 3-9 26.
PIEDMONT (1-0) – Ava Pope 2 1-2 5, Josie Young 0 0-0 0, Rylie Ann Holbrooks 0 0-0 0, Jaycee Glover 0 0-0 0, Lele Ridley 6 5-6 17, Carson Young 0 0-0 0, Gracie Naugher 0 0-0 0, Z’Hayla Walker 6 1-4 13, Emily Farmer 3 0-0 8. Totals 17 7-12 44.
Jacksonville          5  8 5 8  – 26
Piedmont             12  9 12  11 – 44
3-point goals: Jacksonville 5 (Phillips, Grant 3, Willingham); Piedmont 3 (Ridley, Farmer 2). Rebounds: Jacksonville 15 (Grant 6); Piedmont 45 (Ridley 10, Walker 16). Total fouls: Jacksonville 10, Piedmont 10. Officials: Howell, Batey, Mallicoat.

Oxford 68, White Plains 22
WHITE PLAINS (0-1) –Callyn Martin 1 0-0 2, Isabella Higgins 0 0-0 0, Cooper Martin 0 2-3 2, Hallie Williams 3 0-2 6, Halie Smith 0 0-0 0, Camden Wilson 1 0-0 2, Addison Bradley 0 0-0 0, Adriana Sotelo 0 0-0 0, Braeton Moran 1 0-0 2, Angel Bozarth 4 0-0 8, Cassidy Arnold 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 2-5 22.
OXFORD (2-0) –Justice Woods 1 0-0 2, Xai Whitfield 8 1-1 19, Lauren Ellard 0 0-0 0, LaMya McGrue 3 4-8 10, Leah Taylor 3 3-4 10, JaMea Gaston 4 0-0 9, Keziah Mickler 0 2-4 2, Shaniya Calloway 0 1-2 2, Kaylen Kenney 2 1-2 5, Mikiya Wilson 4 2-2 10, Jaslyn Montgomery 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 14-23 68.
White Plains    8    4     6    4    –  22
Oxford             11  19 22  16   –   68
3-point goals: Oxford 4 (Whitfield 2, Taylor, Gaston). Total fouls: White Plains 15, Oxford 12.

Pleasant Valley 69, West End 23
PLEASANT VALLEY (2-0) – Lily Henry 5 2-2 13, Rylee Haynes 7 5-4 18, Rebekah Gannaway 1 0-0 2, Marlie Wright 4 0-0 12, Kianna Hester 2 0-2 6, Gracie Hood 3 0-0 9, Macey Roper 3 2-2 9, Abby Parris 0 0-2 0. Totals 25 8-13 69.
WEST END – Hannah Wall 2 0-0 6, Hope Jenkins 1 0-0 2, Katie Parker 1 0-0 2, Allie Kidd 1 0-0 3, Julie Chapman 0 1-2 1, Anna Mayo 2 0-0 4, Daleigha Wheeler 2 1-2 5, Natalee Dumas 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 2-4 23.
Pleasant Valley 18  25  16  10  –  69
West End               7     6    7   3  –  23
3-point goals: Pleasant Valley 11 (Henry, Wright 4, Hester 2, Hood 3, Roper); West End 3 (Wall 2, Kidd). Total fouls: Pleasant Valley 10, West End 12.