E.A. Sports Today

Hot, hot, hot

Faith Christian so hot early they had to call the fire department; Donoho gets first win, Jacksonville keeps rolling, Weaver spoils Wellborn’s opener

THURSDAY’S BOYS GAMES
Donoho 72, Jacksonville Christian 66
Faith Christian 69, Ragland 66
Hokes Bluff 69, Coosa Christian 34
Jacksonville 79, Gadsden City 69
Pell City 79, Lincoln 19
Weaver 61, Wellborn 43

By East Alabama Sports Today

Faith Christian was so hot shooting the basketball Thursday night they had to call the fire department – literally.

Jacques Prater and Thomas Curlee both hit three 3-pointers in the first half and the Lions opened a 10-point halftime lead in an eventual 69-66 area victory over Ragland.

“We were doing a lot of shooting in practice and I think it translated to the game,” Prater said. “It was big because it helped our confidence, getting momentum going early.”

“We came out and did our job,” Faith coach Cory Hughes said. “I’ve said before if our guys do our job we’re going to be tough to beat. The first half they came out and did their job.”

It was a rather unsettling scene for those arriving late. Just as the teams were headed into halftime something set off the fire alarm in the gym. It brought a truck from the Anniston Fire Department to the parking lot with red lights blazing and it stayed on site through the first four minutes of the third quarter as the firemen investigated.

The Lions cooled off after they left, scoring fewer points in the second half than they did in the second quarter. They scored only five points in the third quarter as Ethan Richerzhagen remained on the bench in foul trouble.

An ember caught fire in the fourth quarter as the Lions hit their first five shots from the floor to pull away from a tight game.

“Once he got back in the fourth quarter we started making our way in the game again,” Hughes said.

It didn’t extend to their free throw shooting, though. The Lions went 3-for-11 from the line in the final 1:47 to let the Purple Devils get back into it. That could be attributed to fatigue; the Lions used only six players.

But in spite of all the adversity, they never lost the lead.

“That’s probably the most proud I’ve been of our guys for playing that disciplined, that tough,” Hughes said. “That’s very different for us and I’m super impressed by that. At the end they clinched up, played tough, threw the ball where we wanted it and did exactly what we were trying to do.”

Ragland had four scorers in double figures, led by D.J. Turner’s 19 points. 

“I liked the way we fought, we didn’t give up,” Purple Devils coach Andy Eden said. 

Faith Christian 69, Ragland 66
RAGLAND –
Dante Pickett 0 0-0 0, Javaris Turner 3 0-0 6, Jordan Turner 3 4-6 12, Braxton Layton 6 0-0 14, Kentrell Turner 6 2-4 15, Ezra Hill 0 0-0 0, D.J. Turner 9 1-3 19. Totals 27 7-13 66.
FAITH CHRISTIAN – Yashua Arevalo 5 3-8 13, Jacques Prater 3 4-8 13, Thomas Curlee 11 1-2 26, Ethan Richerzhagen 5 5-7 15, Demonde Bell 0 0-0 0, Colton Pahman 1 0-1 2. Totals 25 13-26 69. 
Ragland          15  20 14  17  –  66
Faith               20  25    5  19  –  69
3-point goals: Ragland 5 (Jo. Turner 2, Layton 2, K. Turner); Faith 6 (Prater 3, Curlee 3). Technical fouls: Richerzhagen. Fouled out: Ja. Turner. Total fouls: Ragland 22, Faith 12. Officials: Gilbert, Warren, Mallicoat.

Donoho 72, Jacksonville Christian 66

Drew Williamson scored 23 points and Dean Harrell and Nick Goad had 14 apiece as the Falcons claimed their first victory of the season in their area opener.

The Falcons (1-3) trailed 54-50 early in the fourth quarter, then got two 3-pointers from Williamson and one from Nick Goad to take the lead for good.

The Thunder got as close as 67-64, but the Falcons closed it out by hitting five of six free throws over the final 46 seconds after struggling from the line most of the game.

“It feels good to get that first one on out the way,” Donoho coach Korielle Beavers said. “It’s a good area win, too, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do.

“I know what we can do, it’s just getting them to believe. I knew it was a matter of time before it happened.”

JCA’s Ethan Fair led all scorers with 33 points.

Donoho 72, Jacksonville Christian 66
JCA –
Emmanuel Kidd 0 0-0 0, Ethan Fair 11 7-10 33, Tyler Doggrell 4 2-7 11, Braxton Brown 3 4-5 11, Jordan Garner 0 2-2 2, Cameron Moses 1 2-7 4, Brodie Clay 1 3-6 6. Totals 20 20-37 66.
DONOHO – Dean Harrell 5 0-0 14, Isiah Smith 1 0-0 3, Nick Goad 5 0-2 14, Drew Williamson 8 2-3 20, Sean Keel 0 1-2 1, Rich Goad 2 3-4 7, Jack Burgess 1 1-3 3, Eric Tolson 4 2-5 10. Totals 26 9-19 11 72.
JCA                   18  23    6  19   –  66
Donoho           17  16  17  22   –  72
3-point goals: JCA 6 (Fair 4, Doggrell, Brown); Donoho (Harrell 4, Smith, N. Goad 4, Williamson 2). Fouled out: Clay, Tolson, Harrell. Total fouls: JCA 18, Donoho 28. Officials: Brown, Gamble, Moore

Jacksonville 79, Gadsden City 69

JACKSONVILLE – John Broom, who missed the first meeting between the teams because of illness, scored 26 points and Caden Johnson had 21 and the Golden Eagles used a big fourth quarter to beat Gadsden City for the second time this season.

Broom hit 6 of 10 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, and went 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Johnson was 9-of-13 from the floor. He also grabbed nine rebounds and had three steals.

The game was tied after three quarters and Jacksonville pulled away with a 19-9 run in the fourth.

Jacksonville 79, Gadsden City 69
GADSDEN CITY –
Malik Kidd 5-14 2-4 13, Dylan Sawyer 5-12 0-0 12, Mica Merriman 3-7 3-4 10, Shamar Huff 3-4 0-0 8, Austin Rigby 3-3 0-0 6, Jay Parker 2-5 0-0 6, Qwon Bridges 2-3 0-0 4, Rodney Johnson 2-3 0-0 4, James McFadden 1-2 0-0 2, Tae Wright 1-2 0-0 2, Bubba Vinson 1-1 0-0 2, Khamari Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Khalil Hughley 0-0 0-0 0, Isaiah Taylor 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-56 5-8 69
JACKSONVILLE – John Broom 6-10 10-10 26, Caden Johnson 9-13 3-7 21, Cade Phillips 4-4 1-5 9, Julian Hill 3-7 0-2 7, Camren Johnson 2-11 1-2 6, Ethan Duke 2-2 0-0 4, Devin Barksdale 1-6 2-4 4, Taj Morris 1-4 0-0 2, Kydric Fisher 0-0 0-0 0, Jaacoby Zackery 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-58 17-30 79.
Gadsden City   13  24 23    9  –  69
Jacksonville     13 21  26  19  –  79
3-point goals: Gadsden City 8-24 (Kidd 1-5, Saywer 2-6, Merriman 1-3, Huff 2-3, Parker 2-5, Bridges 0-1, McFadden 0-1); Jacksonville 6-27 (Broom 4-7, Cd. Johnson 0-1, Hill 1-5, Cm. Johnson 1-8, Barksdale 0-2, Morris 0-3, Zackery 0-1). Rebounds: Gadsden City 31 (Kidd 5, Sawyer 5); Jacksonville 42 (Cd. Johnson 9, Phillips 6). Fouled out: Sawyer. Total fouls: Gadsden City 25, Jacksonville 13. 

Weaver 61, Wellborn 43

Kohl Perry scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half as Weaver opened a big lead and remained perfect at the free throw line. Perry hit two free throws and is now 13-of-13 for the season. Jeffrey Miles scored all 14 of his points in the first half and Tristan Brown had 10 of his 12 in the half.

Wellborn was opening its season. Ethan Tidwell led the Panthers with 14 points.

Weaver 61, Wellborn 43
WEAVER –
Tristan Brown 4 2-3 12, Jeffrey Miles 5 4-4 14, Kohl Perry 8 2-2 19, Elijah Smith 0 1-2 1, Dawson Brooks 2 1-1 6, Buck McGregor 0 0-0 0, Zack Garner 0 0-0 0, Armane Burton 2 1-2 5, Dalton Homesley 1 0-0 2, Brayden Character 0 0-0 0, Peyton Martin 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 11-14 61.
WELLBORN – Messiah Moore 3 0-0 8, Jesse Lewis 2 0-0 5, Xavier Parker 0 0-0 0, Kameron Jackson 2 2-4 6, Kennith Turner 0 0-0 0, Trey Downs 0 0-0 0, Kenyale Turner 2 0-0 5, Conner Woodard 0 0-1 0, Ethan Tidwell 6 1-1 14, Avery Odom 2 1-1 5. Totals 17 4-7 43.
Weaver 20  28  13    0   –  61
Wellborn            5  13    9  16   –  43
3-point goals: Weaver 4 (Brown 2, Perry, Brooks); Wellborn 5 (Moore 2, Lewis, Ky. Turner, Tidwell). Total fouls: Weaver 10, Wellborn 12.

Girls games

THURSDAY’S GIRLS GAMES
Gadsden City 40, Jacksonville 14
Hokes Bluff 54, Coosa Christian 15
Jacksonville Christian 67, Donoho 19
Pell City 70, Lincoln 19
Ragland 40, Faith Christian 22
Weaver 44, Wellborn8

Weaver 44, Wellborn 8
WEAVER –
Peyton Marvasty 3 0-0 6, Erionna Richmond 0 0-6 0 D.J. Gibbs 5 5-6 15, Madison Atchley 5 1-3 11, Naveah Hawkins 1 0-1 2, Tiana Lawrence 0 4-10 4, Taylor Lawrence 2 0-2 4, McKenley Davis 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 10-28 44. WELLBORN – Calla Hayes 1 0-0 2, Anna Odom 0 0-0 0, Destiny Benefield 0 0-0 0, Taniya Traylor 0 0-0 0, Mikayla Williams 1 2-5 4, Bentley Rae Bean 0 0-0 0, Others 1 0-0 2. Totals 3 2-5 8.
Weaver            11  16  10    7  –  44
Wellborn            4    2    1    1  –    8
Total fouls: Weaver 10, Wellborn 23. Fouled out: Traylor.

Jacksonville Christian 67, Donoho 19
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN –
Erin Prater 7 1-2 16, Kara Grace 6 1-3 13, Addy Lee 5 0-0 11, Kirsten Walker 2 0-0 5, Kaatie Beth Hudson 2 0-0 4, Ella Kines 2 0-0 4, Riley Sanders 0 0-0 0, Hannah Clayton 6 2-4 14, Payten Walker 0 0-0 0. Totals 30 4-9 67.
DONOHO – Rory Parks 0 0-0 0, Gracie Perry 1 1-2 5, Anna Grace Jones 1 1-2 3, Ryals Jones 5 1-3 11, Caitlin Campbell 0 1-2 1, Claire Payne 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 4-9 19.
JCA                  20  20 15  12   –  67
Donoho            3    5    7   4   –  19
3-point goals: JCA 3 (Prater, Lee, Walker); Donoho 1 (Perry). Technical fouls: Donoho. Total fouls: JCA 17, Donoho 8. Officials: Allen, Moore, Gamble.

Gadsden City 40, Jacksonville 14
GADSDEN CITY –
Tameah Gaddis 5-9 0-0 11, Ajainay Tinker 4-7 0-0 10, Jaedyn Sharp 3-5 3-4 9, Aaniyah Williams 2-4 0-2 4, Karleigh Sheffield 1-6 0-0 2, Zyaja Lindsey 1-5 0-0 2, Zaniyah Brooks 1-5 0-0 2, Monique Curry 0-3 0-0 0, Madison Tinker 0-1 0-0 0, Mariah Ragland 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 3-6 40
JACKSONVILLE – Halaina Lozano 2-6 1-2 6, Amarie Curry 1-7 1-2 3, MiArah Hardy 1-2 0-0 3, Kiaara LaCount 0-1 1-2 1, DeAsia Prothro 0-1 1-3 1, Mya Swain 0-4 0-0 0, Alexis Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Olivia Rowan 0-0 0-0 0, Rachel Sanders 0-0 0-0 0, Lamiah Steagall 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 4-22 4-9 14.
Gadsden City   14  12 12    2  – 40
Jacksonville       1    3    8   2  – 14
3-point goals: Gadsden City 3-22 (Gaddis 1-5, Tinker 2-4, Sheffield 0-3, Lindsey 0-4, Brooks 0-4, Curry 0-2); Jacksonville 2-11 (Lozano 1-5, Curry 0-2, Hardy 1-1, Swain 0-2, Steagall 0-1). Rebounds: Gadsden City 27 (Williams 6, Sheffield 6); Jacksonville 25 (LaCount 4, Swain 4). Total fouls: Gadsden City 7, Jacksonville 10.

Ragland 40, Faith Christian 22
RAGLAND –
Hannah Ragsdale 0 0-0 0, Sammie Day-Jones 4 0-4 8, Rylee Mickler 2 0-0 4, Cadence Buchanan 8 3-8 19, Jaymie Rains 0 0-1 0, Campbell Adams 1 1-4 3, Shelby Spanyer 1 0-0 2, Aubrey Ball 1 0-2 2, Nya Brewster 1 0-6 2. Totals 18 4-25 40.
FAITH CHRISTIAN – Ari Arevalo 3 1-2 7, Anna Strautman 1 0-0 2, Serenity Pate 0 0-0 0, Joelle Tillery 2 0-0 6, Ally Folsom 2 3-6 7, Gabrielle Price 0 0-2 0, Megan Ford 0 0-2 0, Jona Harrison 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 4-12 22.
Ragland                        9    7   17    7   –  40
Faith Christian            5   12    1    4   –  22
3-point goals: Faith 2 (Tillery 2). Fouled out: Mickler, Folsom. Total fouls: Ragland 16, Faith 19. Officials: Mallicoat, Gilbert, Warren.


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