Casting her own shadow
- Updated: February 11, 2017
Area roundup: Spring Garden girls, Piedmont boys win area crowns; Jacksonville, Alexandria girls drop close title games
By Shannon Fagan
Special to East Alabama Sports Today
SPRING GARDEN – Sometimes it’s not an easy thing living in an older sibling’s shadow.
A year ago, Tiyonna Rogers was on the bench watching her sister Tykeah put up 30-point outings on the Lady Panthers’ path to another Class 1A girls basketball state championship.
But now, the junior forward is beginning to cast her own shadow.
Friday night against Jacksonville Christian in the Class 1A Area 10 girls tournament championship game, Rogers posted 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the third-ranked Lady Panthers’ 74-20 thumping of the Thunder. It was her second 30-point outing of the season and helped earn her the tournament’s Most Valuable Player honor.
“Winning MVP means a lot,” she said. “Watching my sister play from the bench, Coach Rat (Ricky Austin) was like ‘Next year is going to be your turn to step up.’ I had to step up and be in her spot. If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t be doing as good. I got this because of them.”
As big a game as Rogers had Friday night, Austin believes her best performance is yet to come for the Lady Panthers (21-7).
“We’ve been trying to push her into that role of being our game changer,” Austin said. “We don’t want her to be Tykeah. We’re not asking her to be Tykeah. We just want her to be as good as she can be. We think she has the potential to carry us.
“Her performance tonight was very impressive, the first half, as active as she was. She played really well tonight. I was proud to see her get MVP. I just felt like she has to be that kind of person for us.”
JCA (11-9) felt Rogers’ presence early. She scored 12 of her points in the first quarter and 13 more in the second.
But her presence wasn’t the only thing the Thunder had trouble with. Spring Garden’s defense held them scoreless until a floating jumper by Briah Cupp with 2:10 left in the first quarter.
All-tournament selection Savannah Dempsey delivered three treys and finished with 11 points for Spring Garden. AJ Broome added 10 points, six boards and six assists.
Kayla Barnes and Briah Cupp represented the Thunder on the all-tournament team. Other all-tournament selections included Spring Garden’s Kerstin Bryant, Faith Christian’s Sydnee Johnson and Donoho’s Lauren Holbrook.
Shannon Fagan is sports editor of the Cherokee County Herald
Spring Garden 74, Jacksonville Christian 20
JCA — Kylie Cupp 2 0-1 6, Haley Moses 1 0-0 2, Briah Cupp 2 1-4 5, Mia Morales 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Goss 0 0-0 0, Kayla Barnes 3 0-0 6, Sidney Hancock 0 1-2 1. Totals 8 2-7 20.
SPRING GARDEN (21-7) – A.J. Broome 4 2-2 10, Katie Williams 1 2-2 4, Macy Reedy 3 0-0 8, Kerstin Bryant 0 0-0 0, Savannah Dempsey 4 0-0 11, Payton McGinnis 1 0-0 2, Tiyonna Rogers 13 3-4 30, Madison Jennings 3 1-1 9, Breanna Rogers 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 8-9 74.
Jacksonville Christian 4 4 3 9 — 20
Spring Garden 21 22 15 16 — 74
3-point goals: JCA 2 (K. Cupp 2); Spring Garden 8 (Reedy 2, Dempsey 3, Rogers, Jennings 2). Total fouls: JCA 11, Spring Garden 14. Officials: Harvey, Coley, Moseley.
5A Girls: Boaz 34, Alexandria 32
BOAZ – The Lady Cubs came out on the positive end of a close game in the opening round of the Class 5A Area 13 tournament, but the worm turned in the championship game.
Baylee Alldredge’s backside layup at the buzzer sent the Lady Cubs to defeat and on the road for their sub-regional game Monday night. Alexandria will play Arab.
The game was tied with three seconds left when Boaz inbounded the ball under its own goal. They found 33 on the backside and she hit the shot just before the horn sounded. Alldredge scored all of the Lady Pirates’ points in the fourth quarter and had 13 of her 18 in the second half.
ALEXANDRIA – Molly Parker 0 0-0 0, Destiny Heathcock 3 0-1 6, Kayleigh Steen 0 0-0 0, Kameron Simpson 0 0-0 0, Sarah Kilgore 5 0-0 14, Bre Bradford 5 2-2 12, Shelby Lowery 0 0-0 0, Allison Bonds 0 0-0 0, Alierra Bradford 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 2-3 32.
BOAZ – Jericha Lybrand 0 0-2 0, Miley Bozarth 0 0-0 0, Sarah Diamond 0 0-0 0, Caitlyn Hunkeapillar 1 0-0 2, Kaitlyn Gillilan 2 0-0 6, Meghan Duvall 1 0-0 2, Autumn Patterson 2 1-2 6, Baylee Alldridge 8 1-2 18. Totals 14 2-6 34.
Alexandria 8 5 12 7 — 32
Boaz 5 12 10 7 — 34
3-point goals: Alexandria 4 (Kilgore 4); Boaz 4 (Gillilan 2, Patterson, Alldredge). Total fouls: Alexandria 7, Boaz 7. Officials: Hunter Allen, Lucretia Battles, Billy Williams.
4A Girls: Hokes Bluff 50, Jacksonville 48
HOKES BLUFF – Kendall Johnson led three Hokes Bluff scorers in double figures with 17 points as the Lady Eagles won the Class 4A Area 12 championship.
Jacksonville’s Kyra Williams led all scorers with 25 points. Sierra Stone and Kayla Broom both were held in check in their second games back after injuries. Stone was held to three shots and two points in 14 minutes, while Broom went scoreless in eight and a half minutes.
Jacksonville now travels to Anniston for its sub-regional game, while Hokes Bluff will host Handley.
JACKSONVILLE (17-10) – Kyra Williams 6-9 11-14 25, Aniyah Robinson 4-12 0-2, Tatiyana Thomas 3-5 0-0 8, Sierra Stone 1-3 0-0 2, Aniya Jefferson 1-4 0-0 2, Essence Hutchinson 1-2 0-0 2, Kayla Broom 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-35 11-16 48.
HOKES BLUFF – Kendall Johnson 7-10 3-5 17, Tylynn Register 5-8 1-2 12, Sydney Ball 4-6 1-3 11, Logan Black 3-6 0-0 8, Amanda Noah 1-3 0-0 2, Gracie West 0-1 0-0 0, Kelsee Otwell 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-35 5-10 50.
Jacksonville 10 15 7 16 — 48
Hokes Bluff 10 17 13 10 — 50
3-point goals: Jacksonville 5-11 (Williams 2-2, Robinson 1-4, Thomas 2-3, Jefferson 0-1, Hutchinson 0-1); Hokes Bluff 5-10 (Register 1-1, Ball 2-4, Black 2-4, Noah 0-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 20 (Robinson 4, Thomas 4, Stone 4); Hokes Bluff 20 (Register 4, Ball 4). Total fouls: Jacksonville 16, Hokes Bluff 11.
3A Boys: Piedmont 50, Glencoe 42
GLENCOE – Piedmont lost the coin toss for the No. 1 seed to Glencoe, but it eventually took down the Yellow Jackets for the bigger prize.
The Bulldogs won their eighth area title in 11 seasons under coach Tommy Lewis Friday night with a 50-42 victory over Glencoe in the Class 3A Area 10 tournament championship game.
The victory allows the Bulldogs (15-14) to host Calhoun County rival Wellborn in their Class 3A sub-regional game Tuesday night. The teams played in the opening round of the Calhoun County Tournament last month and the Monday after the tournament concluded; Piedmont won both games.
Glencoe will travel to Weaver.
The Bulldogs hit all four of their 3-pointers in the game in the first quarter to open a lead (17-8) they maintained the rest of the game. Austin Brazier led the Bulldogs with 23 points and six rebounds; he was 11-of-14 from the floor, including one of the 3-pointers. Taylor Hayes scored eight points and Easton Kirk had eight points and seven rebounds.
PIEDMONT (15-14) – A.J. Fairs 0 2-3 2, Cardavion Myers 1 1-2 3, Taylor Hayes 3 2-5 9, Easton Kirk 2 3-4 8, Carl Myers 0 0-0 0, Lee Stanley 0 0-0 0, Austin Brazier 11 0-3 23, Weston Kirk 1 0-0 2, T.J. Fairs 1 0-0 3, Kaedon Jenkins 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 8-17 50.
GLENCOE – Brandon Bishop 0 0-0 0, Aaron Bush 2 0-0 4, Noah Huff 0 0-0 0, Justin Barkley 4 0-0 9, Sam Holbrooks 5 2-5 12, Micah Sizemore 4 0-3 10, Jakeb Amberson 3 0-0 7, Paul Hicks 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 2-8 42.
Piedmont 17 14 4 15 — 50
Glencoe 8 16 7 11 — 42
3-point goals: Piedmont 4 (Hayes, E. Kirk, Brazier, T. Fairs); Glencoe 4 (Barkley, Sizemore 2, Amberson). Total fouls: Piedmont 11, Glencoe 14. Officials: Davis, Whitmire, Forbuy.
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