Back on the bench
- Updated: January 7, 2021
JCA’s Bryant returns to bench for first time after birth of her daughter, says it changes her perspective on being a coach
THURSDAY’S GIRLS SCORES
Alexandria 42, Ohatchee 35
Coosa Christian 57, Gaylesville 33
Glencoe 51, Pleasant Valley 49
Jacksonville 62, Etowah 28
Ragland 66, Jacksonville Christian 46
Wellborn 45, Munford 23
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Katy Bryant was having an easy conversation outside the locker room after a not-so-easy result when she looked down at her right hand and realized she was holding a baby binky where a coach’s whistle would usually be positioned.
There’s a lot of things she’s learning to get used to now that she has the title of Mom to go along with Coach.
Bryant was back on the Jacksonville Christian bench Thursday night for the first time this season after delivering daughter Paisley Kate on Dec. 3
The short-handed Lady Thunder and Ragland battled for three quarters until Ragland pulled away with a big fourth for a 66-46 area victory.
Bryant knew she was going to deliver her first child after the season began and her plan as late as the county volleyball tournament seeding meeting in November was to have the baby and then return to the bench after a few days of recovery.
A health issue arose in the hospital and after consultation with the doctors and her dad, JCA boys coach and headmaster Tommy Miller, it was decided she’d wait until the start of the new year to start her new year.
Cindy Fair directed the team during Bryant’s absence and Miller said “did a really good job with them.”
Coming from a family whose life has been centered around sports and the church, Bryant admitted it was difficult to sit things out during games.
“I was glad to be back,’ she said. “I missed it. Obviously, I was thankful to get to spend some off time with my kid but we just live sports in our family so I was very bored at home watching everybody else get to live my life.”
She did watch one of the girls’ games during her recovery – the Lady Thunder’s only win of the season against West End – and she ran practice for the first time Monday. But beyond that she spent all her time playing with the baby and resting.
She said having the baby has changed her perspective on coaching a little as it has made her think of what kind of person she’d want coaching her daughter. It changed the things she’d say in practice and games, she said, but not her coaching intensity.
“I don’t know if I would say less vocal, but how and what I say,” she said. “You realize basketball is a little less important. I’m trying to do more teaching. Before I was a little more fiery. I’m trying to be a better teacher.”
Paisley Kate was in attendance Thursday night, wearing a red and white princess outfit with a red head bow. While the Lady Thunder was battling on the floor, the baby was sleeping in Miller’s arms – a feeling that never gets old for the now eight-time grandfather – and later the arms of a cousin. Bryant said the horns and the whistles and the squeaky sneakers of the game don’t bother her in the least.
The coach already has her daughter indoctrinated into the basketball life – they watched the Duke-Notre Dame together shortly after they came home – and she has some of her sports career path already planned.
In time, she expects Paisley Kate to become a team manager.
And probably in about 15 years the team’s point guard.
“It has been fun because it’s something I love and I hope she does, too,” Bryant said.
Ragland 66, Jacksonville Christian 46
RAGLAND – Cadence Buchanan 9 2-5 21, Campbell Adams 8 6-11 23, Baleigh Hines 3 0-0 7, Aubrey Ball 0 0-0 0, Nya Brewster 1 1-2 3, Rylee Mickler 3 0-0 6, Jewel Ferguson 3 0-4 6. Totals 27 9-22 66.
JCA – Rebekah Carter 4 2-4 10, Kara Grace 2 0-0 5, Mia Morales 3 6-9 12, Karli Barnwell 2 3-4 9, Abbie Stovall 3 0-0 6, Erin Prater 1 0-2 2, Kirsten Walker 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 11-19 46.
Ragland 10 16 15 25 – 66
JCA 16 11 11 8 – 46
3-point goals: Ragland 3 (Buchanan, Adams, Hines); JCA 3 (Grace, Barnwell 2). Fouled out: Ball, Morales. Total fouls: Ragland 17, JCA 19.
JACKSONVILLE 62, ETOWAH 28: Patience Carr scored a game-high 15 points and six players scored at least six points as the Lady Golden Eagles routed Etowah in an area game. Ashley Grant and Maggie Anderson each had nine points off the bench, while Amarie Curry and Rebekah Gannaway each had eight.
Carr also grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals. Kayla Broom was held to three points, but she grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists and three steals.
Jacksonville 62, Etowah 28
ETOWAH – Zniya Manning 4-13 5-7 14, Abbi Martin 1-5 2-5 4, Anna Jones 0-1 2-2 2, Jaleigh Devine 1-9 0-0 2, Katie Hyde 1-1 0-0 2, Laura Wood 1-6 0-1 2, K. Roden 1-1 0-1 2, Kynzlon Gibbs 0-1 0-0 0, V. Roden 0-3 0-0 0, Chloe Kelley 0-0 0-0 0, Ranyiah Dupree 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 9-40 9-16 28.
JACKSONVILLE – Patience Carr 5-12 3-9 15, Ashley Grant 3-7 3-4 9, Maggie Anderson 4-9 0-0 9, Amarie Curry 3-7 2-4 8, Rebekah Gannaway 3-7 2-2 8, Bree Edmonson 2-3 0-2 6, Amiyah Buchanan 2-4 0-0 4, Kayla Broom 1-8 1-2 3, Autumn Carr 0-0 0-0 0, Kierra LaCount 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-57 11-23 62.
Etowah 6 6 7 9 – 28
Jacksonville 18 10 12 22 – 62
3-point goals: Etowah 1-17 (Manning 1-3, Martin 0-3, Devine 0-6, Woods 0-2, Gibbs 0-1, V. Roden 0-2); Jacksonville 5-20 (P. Carr 2-3, Grant 0-3, Anderson 1-5, Gannaway 0-1, Edmonson 2-3, Broom 0-5). Rebounds: Etowah 36 (Jones 13); Jacksonville 44 (P. Carr 9, Broom 9). Fouled out: Gibbs. Total fouls: Etowah 17, Jacksonville 17.
GLENCOE 51, PLEASANT VALLEY 49: Jaxson Sizemore scored 17 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 1:30 to play, and the Lady Jackets kept PV from getting closer by making their free throws down the stretch. Hailey Hanner had 15 points and Bri Beyerle added nine.
Rylee Haynes led PV with 16 points. Macey Roper had 14. They combined for all 13 of the Lady Raiders’ first-quarter points, including 5-for-5 from the free throw line.
Glencoe 51, Pleasant Valley 49
PLEASANT VALLEY – Lily Henry 3 2-3 8, Rylee Haynes 5 5-7 16, Marlie Wright 2 0-0 6, Kianna Hester 0 0-0 0, Gracie Hood 2 0-0 5, Macey Roper 4 6-6 14. Totals 16 13-16 49.
GLENCOE – Madalyn Amberson 1 1-2 4, Adley Massenburg 0 0-0 0, Autumn Greene 1 0-0 2, Katie Giles 0 0-0 0, Kayla Traylor 2 0-0 4, Bri Beyerle 4 1-2 9, Hailey Hanners 6 3-9 15, Jaxson Sizemore 5 5-10 17. Totals 19 10-23 51.
Pleasant Valley 13 3 14 19 – 49
Glencoe 10 6 18 17 – 51
3-point goals: Pleasant Valley 4 (Haynes, Wright 2, Hood); Glencoe 3 (Amberson, Sizemore 2). Fouled out: Hood. Total fouls: Pleasant Valley 20, Glencoe 13. Officials: Morriss, Dupree, Roberts.
ALEXANDRIA 42, OHATCHEE 35: Ashley Phillips scored six points and Jordyn Walker and Sarah Pelham each hit a 3-pointer in the fourth-quarter flurry that lifted the Lady Cubs to victory. The Lady Indians carried a two-point lead into the fourth quarter before Alexandria erupted.
Phillips led Alexandria with 14 points. Walker finished with 13. Ohatchee’s Jorda Crook led all scorers with 17 points.
Alexandria 42, Ohatchee 35
ALEXANDRIA – Ashley Phillips 5 4-10 14, Jordyn Walker 5 0-0 13, Jill Cockrell 1 0-0 3, Kirsten Heathcock 1 0-0 2, Sarah Pelham 3 0-0 7, Kailey Dickerson 0 0-0 0, TyShica Woodgett 0 1-2 1, Aubrey Christian 1 0-0 2, Chloe Gattis 0 0-2 0. Totals 16 5-12 42.
OHATCHEE – Gracyn Snow 0 0-0 0, Tori Vice 4 2-7 10, Morgan Foushee 0 0-0 0, Gracie George 3 0-0 6, Milllie Rainwater 0 0-0 0, Jorda Crook 6 5-7 17, Alyssa Davis 1 0-1 2. Totals 14 7-15 35.
Alexandria 12 6 11 13 – 42
Ohatchee 9 9 13 4 – 35
3-point goals: Alexandria 5 (Walker 3, Cockrell, Pelham). Total fouls: Alexandria 16, Ohatchee 13. Officials: Howell, Hollingsworth, Dyar.
WELLBORN 45, MUNFORD 23: Cloie Adkison scored 11 of 19 points in the first quarter as the Lady Panthers opened a 14-5 lead and scored her remaining eight in the third quarter when they extended the lead. Brook Singleton scored eight of her 13 in the second quarter. Wellborn held the Lady Lions to three field goals in the first half.
Wellborn 45, Munford 23
MUNFORD – Layla Tyus 2 2-2 6, Ryleigh Keith 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Goodson 0 1-2 1, Mekiah Mosely 1 0-0 2
Abrielle Meadows 2 0-3 5, Kaylyn Turner 2 3-8 7. Totals 8 6-15 23.
WELLBORN – Brook Singleton 5 3-4 13, Mikayla Williams 2 1-1 5, Taniya Traylor 1 0-0 2, Cloie Adkison 7 5-7 19, Carla Hayes 0 2-2 2, Anna Odom 1 1-2 3, Annelies Boot 0 1-1 1. Totals 16 13-17 45.
Munford 5 6 7 5 – 23
Wellborn 14 14 14 3 – 45
3-point goals: Munford 1 (Meadows). Fouled out: Keith, Adkison. Total fouls: Munford 15, Wellborn 18. Officials: Lackey, Hall, Lorello.
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