ACA Defeats Elmore County on the Road

The Lady Eagles (5-4) survived a bumpy second half and held on for a 40-35 win over Elmore County Monday night. ACA dominated in the first half as the Panther offense was stagnant. The Eagles built a 21-10 lead at the break, but lost the lead in just over four minutes in the third period. Alabama Christian did just enough in the second half to walk away with the win. Mary Rachel Hunt came off the bench and gave the team valuable minutes in the second half and contributed to the victory.

ACA jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead as Adalyn Newkirk hit two from long distance for six quick points. After seeing that, the freshman became the focal point of the home team’s defense the rest of the night. The Eagles held an 11-4 lead at the end of the first quarter as Elmore County made their first basket from the field with less than a minute to go in the period. ACA kept the defensive pressure going in the second as the Panthers struggled offensively. The visitors built a 21-10 lead with just over two minutes to go in the second and the score remained for the remainder of the half.

A different Elmore County came out in the third quarter as they made their first three shots from the field to cut the lead to 23-18 in just over a minute. By comparison, the Panthers only made two shots from the floor in the entire first half. Campbell Hammett scored to make the score 25-18, but Elmore County responded with six straight points to cut the lead to one with 3:25 left in the third. ACA never led by more than six points for the rest of the game, but also never allowed the Panthers to take the lead. Hammett and Sam Burgess both made shots late in the third to give the Eagles a 31-28 lead after three.

The Panthers scored on their opening possession of the final period to make the score 31-30. After the initial basket neither team scored for more than two minutes until Sam Burgess knocked down a three for a four-point lead. Addison Smith had a steal and score on the next play to build the biggest lead of the half, 36-30. Mary Rachel Hunt had a put back scored sandwiched between two Elmore County scores to give ACA a 38-34 lead with 3:06 left in the game. The second drought of the game hit as the next point wasn’t scored until Elmore County made a free throw with 20 seconds left in the game. Smith made two freebies with 4.9 seconds left to seal the 40-35 victory.

Adalyn Newkirk’s 11 points, all in the first half, led the team. She also recorded eight rebounds and three steals. Addison Smith had 10 points with a team-high nine rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Campbell Hammett finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists while Sam Burgess had seven points and four rebounds.

Levi Summers' Buzzer Beater Lifts Eagles Over Autauga Academy

For the second time this week the script read the same way for Alabama Christian and Autauga Academy. ACA handled the Generals easily in the JV boys and Varsity girls games, but the Varsity boys game was a thriller that gave the Eagle faithful palpitations. ACA trailed by one with 5.5 seconds left in the game and had to go the length of the court. The ball was inbound to Levi Summers who drove the floor, pulled up from three, and hit the winner as the buzzer sounded.

Boys

Both teams worked on defenses specifically designed to stop the two top scorers from Tuesday night’s game. Both teams planned worked and others were forced to step up and deliver offensively. Autauga Academy scored the first four points of the game but ACA (4-5) quickly tied it up and neither team led by more than three points for the rest of the first period. In the second quarter, an Ethan Capps basket gave the Eagles a 16-15 lead. However, the Generals scored the final six points of the quarter for their biggest lead of the half, 21-16.

The offense continued to sputter in the third which allowed Autauga to build a 10-point lead, 35-25, with just under three minutes left in the third. ACA closed the quarter with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to three points after three. Mason Henry connected on back to back shots for the first five points of the run while Noah Shack, Christian Snipes, and Ethan Capps scored the other points. The home team held ACA at arms length for most of the fourth quarter as they built a six-point lead on three different occasions. The last time with was with about three minutes left to play and the Generals decided to slow things down and run some clock. ACA took advantage when they did decide to shoot with timely rebounding. Capps scored to cut the lead to 43-47 and after another Generals missed shot Levi Summers hit a three from the top of the key to cut the margin to one point. As the clock ticked under a minute, AJ Shannon came up with a steal and found Summers for another three opportunity. Although the sophomore missed, Snipes was there for the put back to give Alabama Christian the lead, 48-47, with 50 seconds left to play. After missing yet again, the Generals had to foul to force free throws and finally sent ACA to the line with 14.6 seconds left. The Eagles missed both free throws and to make matters worse fouled Autauga’s best player with 5.5 seconds left to go. The senior guard made both to set up the heroics from Summers. He did not disappoint as he stunned a rowdy student section into silence with the dagger from deep and the 51-49 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 14 points along with nine rebounds. Levi Summers recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards while Ethan Capps contributed 11 points and five rebounds.

Girls

The girls game on Friday night was not as pleasing to the eye as Tuesday’s contest, but the result was the same. The game was sloppy and riddled with turnovers. The score was still 4-2 more than halfway through the first quarter before the Generals finally melted under the defensive pressure of ACA. The Lady Eagles built a nine-point lead after a quarter and shut the home team out in the second for a 25-5 halftime lead. Like Tuesday, the backups logged important minutes in the second half. ACA continued to pull away as they led by thirty-five after three. The fourth quarter was over in a blink as the clock ran continuously even through free throws and timeouts. The final margin of victory was 50-12.

Campbell Hammett was the only Eagle in double figures as six other players scored between four and six points. The senior finished with 14 points with nine steals, seven rebounds, and three assists. Adalyn Newkirk had six points, four steals, and three rebounds. Addison Smith had five points with four steals while Sam Burgess also scored five points with ten steals and four rebounds.

Alabama Christian Sweeps Autauga Academy at Home

Both the boys and girls varsity teams stopped losing streaks as they defeated the visiting Generals from Autauga Academy on Tuesday night. The girls team won convincingly 66-10 while the boys won an exciting match up 63-59.

Boys

After the JV boys and varsity girls rolled easily by Autauga Academy, the ACA faithful might have thought the nightcap would be a breeze as well. However, the Generals came to play and the game was hard fought throughout. After Christian Snipes scored the first basket of the game, Autauga Academy punched the Eagles right in the mouth with 14 straight points over a three minute stretch. The Generals hit 5 of 6 shots in the run for the 14-2 lead. Ethan Capps and Alex Heilman combined for the final six points of the quarter to cut the deficit to eight points after one. ACA trimmed the General lead to one point twice during the second but could never surge ahead. ACA outscored the visitors 17-13 in the quarter but trailed 25-29 at the half.

The Eagles scored on its first three possessions of the second half to take a 33-29 lead less than two minutes into the period. The lead was never larger than four points for either side during the third as Autauga Academy led 46-42 headed to the final quarter. Two quick scores by Christian Snipes tied the game 46-46 less than a minute into the fourth. The Generals answered and built their biggest lead of the half, 53-48, with five minutes left to play. ACA responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to lead 57-53. Four different players, Snipes, Noah Shack, Levi Summers, and Ethan Capps, scored in the run. The Generals tied it 59-59 with less than two minutes left. Capps put ACA ahead to stay as he drove the right side for a layup and a 61-59 lead with 1:01 left in the game. Snipes added two free throws with 23.4 seconds left to clinch it, 63-59.

Christian Snipes led all scorers with 25 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Ethan Capps scored 22 points as he stepped up in a much needed second scorer role on offense. Levi Summers finished with nine points and a team-high 13 rebounds.

Girls

Alabama Christian dominated from the opening tip as they led 28-0 after one and scored the game’s first 31 points. The team had a season high 19 assists as they ran the floor and looked for the open teammate. Eleven different girls scored during the game. The Generals got on the board a minute into the second quarter and trailed 38-6 at the half. The starters saw very little floor time in the second half as the backups gained valuable experience. ACA led 53-8 after three and the final score was 66-10.

Adalyn Newkirk outscored the opponent with 17 points and added seven rebounds. Addison Smith had 11 points, four steals, three rebounds, and three assists. Campbell Hammett finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

ACA Wins One and Loses One to Finish Week

Alabama Christian (2-2) won two out of three this week as they beat Holtville on Thursday and lost at PCA on Friday after a win over LAMP on Tuesday. The Eagles defeated Holtville 51-41, at least we think that was the final score as the official operating the scoreboard had everyone guessing the score most of the night. They finished the week with an underwhelming performance in a 31-71 loss to PCA.

Holtville

Neither team gained a decided advantage in the first quarter as the lead was never more than three points for either side until the visiting Bulldogs scored to make it 13-8 with just under a minute to go in the period. A Holtville 3-pointer two minutes into the second gave the visitors their biggest lead of the night, 16-8. Despite both offenses struggling, ACA managed to outscored the Bulldogs 7-2 over the remainder of the quarter to cut the deficit to two points, 16-18, at the half. AJ Shannon and Mason Henry both scored three points in the run.

Both teams found offense in the locker room as a different game broke out in the second half. ACA outscored Holtville 20-16 in the third quarter. The Eagles trailed 21-29 with 5:24 left in the third when Coach Hill called timeout to refocus the troops. Whatever adjustments were made worked as Alabama Christian outscored its opponent 15-5 over the rest of the quarter to lead 36-34 after three. Christian Snipes scored 13 points in the quarter to spur the comeback. The momentum carried over into the fourth as ACA built a 45-34 lead with three minutes left in the game. Holtville was stuck at 34 points for seven and a half minutes over the third and fourth quarters. The two teams played even the rest of the way and ACA gained the victory, 51-41.

Christian Snipes led the team with 18 points and added five rebounds. Alex Heilman scored eight points and had a team best ten rebounds and three blocks. Mason Henry added eight points.

PCA

The visit to PCA ended up being one of those nights that you put in the trash and move on. The Eagles never seemed into the game and trailed 0-10 before you could get comfortable in your seat. The deficit was twenty points by the end of the period, 5-25. The home team built a 40-11 lead by halftime. In the second half, PCA did what they do as they continued to press up 38 in the fourth quarter and cry about every call to the officials. The Panther program has long had a reputation for rubbing another team’s nose in it whenever possible and Friday night did nothing to diminish that reputation. The final score was 31-71.

Christian Snipes led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds. Ethan Capps finished with five points. No other player scored more than three points.

Lady Eagles Split Late Week Games

After defeating LAMP on Tuesday, ACA’s busy week continued as they hosted Holtville on Thursday and traveled to PCA on Friday. Alabama Chrsitian (2-2) defeated Holtville 49-33 but dropped a hard fought game to PCA, 39-44.

Holtville

The girls team has never lost to Holtville in a series that began back in 1994. Thursday’s contest was the thirty-third meeting and the Eagles have won all 33. ACA started strong as Adalyn Newkirk (8) and Addison Smith (5) combined to score all 13 first quarter points. The visiting Bulldogs hit a free throw with 50 seconds left in the period for their first points. ACA led 13-1 after one. Sam Burgess dialed long distance a couple of times early in the second to help build a 21-2 cushion. The game looked like it would be another typical blowout. The Holtville coach called a timeout with 5:34 left in the half and must have said the right things because his team responded. The visitors ended the half on a 14-3 run to cut the lead at the break to eight points, 24-16. Newkirk had already posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in the first half. The game remained relatively close through the third quarter as Holtville cut the lead to six early in the period. Piper Powers hit two free throws with 1:02 left in the third to give the home team a double digit lead for good. Sam Burgess scored again with 32 seconds left to give ACA a 12-point lead after three. ACA outscored Holtville 14-10 in the fourth for the 49-33 victory.

Adalyn Newkirk was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points. The freshman dominated on the glass with 20 rebounds along with five assists and four steals. Sam Burgess found her touch from outside as she finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Campbell Hammett had eight points and five steals.

PCA

The Eagles knew that the game Friday against PCA would be their toughest test of the week even though the Panthers aren’t nearly as good as they have been over the past decade. The coaching staff put together a good plan for the game, but ACA made too many mistakes down the stretch and ran out of steam late in the game. The Lady Eagles jumped to a 6-0 early lead and led 12-9 at the end of the first thanks to a combined three 3-pointers from Sam Burgess and Adalyn Newkirk. Another Burgess three in the second gave ACA a 17-11 lead matching their biggest lead of the game. PCA gained momentum late in the half and finished with a 13-3 run to take a 24-20 lead into the break.

Once again ACA scored the first six points of the half to retake the lead, 26-24. The score remained close for the rest of the quarter and PCA led 31-28 after three. Adalyn Newkirk’s three tied the game 31-31 and Addison Smith’s steal and scored gave ACA a 33-31 lead with five minutes left in the game. PCA answered with a 9-0 run for their biggest lead of the night, 40-33. The Eagles were able to cut the lead to three with 34 seconds left, but PCA hit its final two free throws for the 44-39 win.

For the second night in a row, Adalyn Newkirk led the offense with 17 points along with 10 rebounds and six steals. Sam Burgess scored nine points while Addison Smith finished with seven points, five rebounds, and three steals.

Alabama Christian Sweeps LAMP on the Road

Both varsity teams picked up their first wins of the season with impressive wins at LAMP on Tuesday. The games begin a busy week of basketball as both teams play on Thursday and Friday as well.

The Lady Eagles never trailed as they led 7-0 after a quarter and scored the first eight points overall in the game. The stingy ACA defense had 24 steals on the night that led to 35 Tiger turnovers. LAMP’s first points came from the free throw line with 6:47 left in the second as they only made two shots from the field in the first half. Despite the dominant defense, the Eagles lead at the break was only seven points, 19-12. The offense heated up in the third as they outscored LAMP 22-6 in the period. Adalyn Newkirk scored ten in the quarter to lead the charge. The dominance continued in the fourth as the final basket of the night by Mary Rachel Hunt gave ACA its biggest lead of the game, 54-22. The bench scored 11 of the 13 points in the final frame.

Adalyn Newkirk led the offense with 15 points along with six rebounds and two blocks. Addison Smith had an all around good game with 12 points, nine rebounds, eight steals, and five assists while Campbell Hammett finished with seven points, seven steals, and four rebounds.

The boys game was not a thing of beauty, at least offensively, but the Eagles did enough and held off a LAMP comeback in the second half. Christian Snipes scored all six first quarter points as ACA led 6-2 after one. The Alabama Christian defense forced the home team to miss all seven of their shots in the period. In the second, the points continued to be hard to come by as Beau Gainey scored the first four to give the Eagles a 10-4 lead midway through the period. Snipes scored the last four to build a 14-4 lead with just over two minutes left in the half. However, LAMP managed to score twice in the final 43 seconds to cut the lead to 14-8 at the break. Much like the girls game, a half of dominance defensively did not equate to a commanding lead.

ACA got off to a good start in the second half as a Noah Shack bucket put the visitors up 23-11 with just over five minutes left in the quarter. LAMP responded with their best run of the night as they outscored the Eagles 12-2 over a four minute span to cut the lead to 25-23. ACA, and sometimes the officials, helped the cause as the Eagles were whistled for five fouls in the stretch. Mason Henry hit a three with less than a minute to go in the third to give his team a 28-23 advantage heading to the fourth. The final quarter belonged to ACA as they outscored LAMP 16-8. for a final margin of 44-31.

Christian Snipes was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points and led the team with eight rebounds and four assists. Mason Henry finished with eight points and four rebounds while Alex Heilman contributed seven points and five boards.

ACA Opens Season Against Lee-Scott

The varsity basketball season started on Thursday as Alabama Christian hosted Lee-Scott Academy. The games were a late addition to the schedule as both the boys and girls teams were looking to gain valuable floor time for new and inexperienced players. Both teams will look drastically different this season. For the girls, all five starters were seniors and accounted for 80% of the offense and rebounding last season. Although not all five starters were seniors for the boys, there were eight total seniors and one player who moved away that accounted for 75% of the scoring and rebounds. Only two players are back from last year’s boys team. Learning roles and trying to figure out where the offense will come from will be major themes for each coach in the early season.

The girls game was riddled with fouls and turnovers which affected the flow of the game. Both teams combined for 47 turnovers and 37 fouls which resulted in 45 free throw attempts. Adalyn Newkirk scored the first point of the year with a first quarter free throw and Campbell Hammett made the first shot from the field as she hit a three in the first to cut the Warrior lead to four points, 8-12. After the Hammett make, Lee-Scott finished the period with a 6-0 run to take a ten point lead after a quarter. A Piper Powers bucket cut the lead to seven late in the second, but that was as close as the Eagles would get. An 8-0 Warrior run to end the half made the halftime score 29-14. Lee-Scott pulled away in the second half and went on to win by a score of 58-32.

Campbell Hammett led the team in scoring with 10 points and added three rebounds. Adalyn Newkirk scored nine points and pulled down a team high 12 rebounds. Piper Powers was a spark off the bench as she scored five points and had four rebounds. Peri Laine Holley recorded a team best three steals.

The boys game was also plagued by fouls as both teams combined for 45 fouls. Both offenses struggled early as the teams missed their first nine combined shots. The first score of the night was made by Lee-Scott with 3:52 left in the first. Levi Summers scored the first basket for ACA as he put back a Cam Sutton miss. The visitors hit a three at the buzzer to take a 12-6 lead after one. The Eagles opened the second by committing four fouls in the first 43 seconds of the quarter. The Warriors shot free throws after any foul for the last 5:45 of the half. With just over three minutes in the half, Noah Shack hit two free throws to bring the deficit back to single digits. However, that was as close as the team would get. ACA trailed by fourteen at the half, 16-30. Lee-Scott consistently increased the lead throughout the second half. The Warriors led by 23 after three quarters and broke the 30-point barrier with 3:47 left in the game which constituted a running clock for the remainder of the game. Lee-Scott would win by a final score of 72-38.

Christian Snipes led the team in scoring with 14 points and five rebounds. Noah Shack finished with nine points while Ethan Capps added six of his own.

ACA Celebrates Homecoming with Victory Over Slocumb

After not playing a home football game for the last five weeks “Homecoming” took on a whole new meaning for everyone as ACA hosted Slocumb in familiar surroundings. The week ended on a high note as Alabama Christian defeated the visiting Red Tops 35-15. After building a 35-0 lead in the third quarter, the bench was cleared as multiple players saw playing time. Eleven different players carried the ball on the night including center Cam Sutton. I imagine no one had that on their bingo card.  

Slocumb got the ball first and Cam Sutton set the tone for the night as he tackled the ball carrier for a two-yard loss on the first play from scrimmage. Three plays later the visitors punted to ACA for their first drive of the night. The Eagles ran the ball seven times in a row using five different rushers to move the ball to Slocumb’s 16-yard line. An eight yard pass to Teilan Tyson-Long got the Eagles half the way there and Christian Snipes covered the last eight with his legs for a 7-0 lead with 6:17 left in the first. The drive covered 72 yards in nine plays and lasted a little over three and a half minutes. On the ensuing kickoff, David Johnson bounced the ball into the air and Beau Gainey beat the Red Top returners to the spot at the Slocumb 37-yard line to give the ball back to ACA. The offense converted a 3rd and 10 on a 17-yard pass from Snipes to Ethan Dabney to keep the drive alive and Dabney capped the possession with a 2-yard run on 4th and goal for a 14-0 advantage.

Once the Slocumb offense got back on the field, they put together a nice drive and moved the ball to the Eagle 21-yard line. However, that was far as they moved due to a penalty and a 4th down sack by Tydarius Moore. Neither team scored for the remainder of the half as both teams had the ball two more times. Micah Merritt ended the half with a sack on the final play. Although the Red Tops outgained ACA by a wide margin in the second period, they were unable to score.

Bryson Dabney opened the second half with a 27-yard kick return to give the Eagles great field position at the Slocumb 44-yard line. Dabney finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown reception on the only pass play of the possession. ACA led 21-0 with 8:56 left in the third. The defense forced a fumble on a sack by Tydarius Moore to give the ball right back to the offense at midfield. Facing a 4th and 6 on the Slocumb 14-yard line, Christian Snipes connected with Beau Gainey for a score to push the lead to 28-0. On the second play of the next possession, Keenan McCarthy forced a fumble on a sack at the Slocumb 10-yard line. On 3rd and goal from the five, ACA had a little fun as they ran the Philly Special for a score as Bryson Dabney threw to Snipes for the touchdown. The good guys led 35-0 with 1:35 left in the third.

As the game moved into the final quarter, ACA shuffled a lot of players on and off the field as they substituted freely. Slocumb drove all the way to the Eagle 1-yard line before they were turned away on a 4th and goal. The highlight of the drive was a trick play that gave the Red Tops an apparent touchdown only to have a 10 minute conversation between the officials and the coaches that ultimately waved the score off for an ineligible man downfield. The good news was the defense prevented a score, the bad news was the offense took over on the one. Two plays later, the visitors scored their first points with a safety. Slocumb scored again from the short field after the free kick to cut the score to 35-8 with 7:35 left in the game. The offense did its job by holding the ball for 6:37 before giving it back to Slocumb. The Red Tops scored on the final play of the game for the final 35-15 margin.

Mekhi Gardner led the defense with eight tackles followed by Bryson Dabney with six. Levi Summers and Aidan Whites both added five tackles. Micah Merritt was the team’s leading rusher with 69 yards on nine carries and also had two sacks. Christian Snipes finished with 67 yards on the ground with a touchdown and 74 yards through the air with two touchdowns. Beau Gainey was the top receiver with two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.

ACA Beaten 23-28 at Wicksburg

Although the night didn’t turn out the way the Eagles wanted in a 23-28 Region loss, the players and coaches could hold their heads high as they left the field at Wicksburg on Friday. A couple of times the team could have rolled over and taken the loss as the home team gained momentum, but they fought all the way to the end. Like last week, ACA cut the lead to one score and had the ball late. The reality of the loss means Alabama Christian will miss the postseason for the first time in a decade ending the longest playoff streak in program history.

Friday night’s game was the first with a chill in the air as fall decided to show up and brought some unexpected misty showers with it. The teams had to deal with the light rain for much of the first half. Wicksburg got the ball first and moved on the ground to ACA’s 35-yard line with six consecutive running plays. The Panthers first pass attempt turned disastrous as the ball slipped out of the quarter back’s hand as he prepared to throw. Keenan McCarthy recovered the muffed pass attempt to halt the Panthers drive. The offense took advantage of the miscue and put points on the board in its first drive. The rattled home team helped with two offsides penalties to help the possession continue. Christian Snipes' 14-yard run to convert a third down was the highlight of the drive. The offense stalled at the Wicksburg 21-yard line, but David Johnson nailed a career best 38-yard field goal to give ACA a 3-0 lead with 6:09 left in the first. After the passing mishap, Wicksburg stuck to the ground on its next drive on 13 straight plays. The scoring march ended at the start of the second quarter as the Panthers took a 7-3 lead with 11:10 left in the half. The methodical drive kept the ball away from ACA for a tick under seven minutes.

The Eagles responded to the home team’s score with one of their own. After Micah Merritt converted a 3rd and 1 with a seven yard run, Christian Snipes connected with Beau Gainey on two big pass plays that covered 62 yards in all to set up a first and goal at the 2-yard line. Snipes powered it in from there and Alabama Christian regained the lead 9-7. It looked as if the defense would get the ball back quickly for the offense as Wicksburg faced a 4th and 4 from ACA’s 44-yard line. The Panthers went for it and drew up a play that snuck the tight end out down the middle (ironically his number was 44, that’s a lot of 4’s) which resulted in a touchdown. With 6:20 left in the half, Wicksburg led 14-9. A three and out by the ACA offense gave the ball back to Wicksburg with just over five minutes to go in the half. The Panthers used the opportunity and the clock to perfection as they scored with just 16 seconds left in the half for a 21-9 halftime lead.

ACA started the second half with a three and out on offense and after a very short punt, the Panthers started on the Eagle 35-yard line. It took the home team just one play to score to extend their lead to 28-9 with 10:05 left in the third. The offense answered with a 7-play, 72-yard drive to cut the score to 17-28. Christian Snipes had an eleven yard run to get the drive going and had two important completions. The first was to Gekar Kelly for 28 yards to the Wicksburg 25-yard line. Four plays later he found Ethan Dabney in the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. For the second game in a row, Mason Henry found Teilan Tyson-Long on the two-point conversion. After a little confusion about where ACA would kickoff from, David Johnson had a Panther in his sights and he nailed him with a line drive that caromed so hard off him that Ethan Dabney recovered the ball at his own 36-yard line (four yards behind where the kickoff came from). The Eagles moved to the opponent’s 29-yard line, but got no closer and turned the ball over on downs.

Wicksburg’s next possession moved all the way to the ACA 7-yard line. However, the defense did not break and forced a field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter. Cam Sutton blocked the kick which allowed ACA to take over on its own 16-yard line. On 3rd and 9 from the 17-yard line, Christian Snipes found Teilan Tyson-Long on a go route for 50-yard pass play to the Panther’s 33-yard line. Reeling from the previous play, the Wicksburg defense never saw the next one coming as Mason Henry lined up at receiver. Snipes handed off to Ethan Dabney on a fake reverse who flipped the ball to Henry for the pass. While all the eyes were in the backfield, no one noticed Beau Gainey 30 yards behind the defense. Henry saw him and the duo hooked up for a 33-yard scoring pass to cut the lead to 23-28 after the two-point conversion failed. The Eagle faithful anticipate many more Henry to Gainey scores in the coming years. Alabama Christian did manage to get the ball back with 1:56 left in the game but was unable to take advantage and turned the ball over on downs. The home team kneeled twice and the game was over.

Christian Snipes finished the game 12 of 28 for 217 yards and a touchdown while Mason Henry completed his only attempt for 33 yards and a score. Beau Gainey finished with four catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. Teilan Tyson-Long also had four catches for 68 yards. Ethan Dabney added three receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Mekhi Gardner was the team’s top tackler with 11 followed closely by Micah Merritt with 10 and Levi Summers with nine. Aidan Whiten finished with seven tackles while Bryson Dabney and Cooper Milner both had six.

Eagles Lose Important Region Game at Houston Academy

If Alabama Christian wanted to keep their postseason streak alive, conventional wisdom was the Eagles would need a split in their two road trips to Houston Academy and Wicksburg. On paper, Houston Academy looked like the easier team to beat, but ACA fell short 14-21 on Friday night. While they can still attain their goal, the path is much harder now with a must-win at Wicksburg next week.

The defense did everything it could to keep the Eagles in the game against Houston Academy without much help from the other phases of the game. Special teams allowed two punts to be blocked which set up scoring drives of 4 and 28 yards, respectively, for the Raiders. After no first downs and only 25 yards of offense in the first half, the strategy turned to throwing deep in hopes of some explosive plays in the second half. On the two drives a long connection was made, ACA was able to put points on the board.

Both defenses dominated early as the six combined possessions in the first period ended with a punt. Although the teams were trading punts, Houston Academy had the field advantage. ACA started the second quarter on its own 20-yard line after a touchback from a punt. After an incomplete pass, Christian Snipes was sacked on second down to give the Eagles a 3rd and 21 from the 9-yard line. Back to back pre-snap penalties moved the ball to the 2-yard line. The offense gained five yards on third down to set up a punt deep in its own territory. Houston Academy was able to block the punt and recover it on the 4-yard line. Three plays later the home team struck first with a touchdown run for a 7-0 lead with 7:52 left in the half. The Raiders scored again with 1:16 left in the second to take a 14-0 lead. The drive covered 56 yards in just four plays. 

Houston Academy got the ball to start the second half and could for all intents and purposes put the game away with a score to start the half. However, the Eagle defense held and gave the offense a chance to cut the lead. On 3rd and 9 from their own 21-yard line, Christian Snipes connected on a 39-yard pass play with Ethan Dabney. A facemask call on the tackle moved the ball to the Raiders 25-yard line. Pass interference on the next play produced another first down at the 13-yard line. Three plays later Snipes ran one in from 4 yards away to cut the lead to 6-14 as the extra point was blocked. The home team geared the offense down and took their time as they kept the ball for the final six minutes of the third quarter. Although they didn’t score, precious time was ticking away.

Houston Academy punted back to ACA to start the fourth period and once again pinned the offense inside their own 10-yard line. Facing a 4th and 7 from the 11-yard line, the Eagles were forced to punt. The Raiders broke through and got a piece of the punt to take over at ACA’s 28-yard line. The home team scored in four plays to extend the lead to 21-6 with 9:21 left in the game. Much to the credit of the players, ACA kept fighting and put together its best drive of the game. The offense moved 67 yards in 9 plays and took just 2:26 to cut the score to 14-21. The big play of the drive was a 36-yard pass from Christian Snipes to Beau Gainey. The duo hooked up again three plays later for another 15 yards to the Houston Academy 3-yard line. Snipes scored on the next play to cut it to a one possession game. The Raiders continued to work the clock as they milked almost four minutes off before punting back to ACA with 2:58 left in the game. The Eagles were 78 yards away from potentially tying the game. The offense made it as far as their own 47-yard line but could not convert a second consecutive fourth down. The home team kneeled in Victory formation one time and the game was over.

Noah Shack led the defense with nine tackles while three defenders, LaDarius Walters, Mekhi Gardner, and Aidan Whiten, each had seven tackles. Cam Sutton and Levi Summers both had six tackles. Christian Snipes finished the night 6 of 19 passing for 117 yards with Beau Gainey being his favorite receiver with three receptions for 60 yards. Micah Merritt was the leading rusher with 23 yards on nine attempts.   

Alabama Christian Overpowers PCA in Region Tilt

Just like last year, the contest against PCA had major playoff implications. The loser would be in a deep hole with little hope for the postseason. Also like last year, Alabama Christian (3-2) handled its business and walked away with a convincing win. After falling behind early, the Eagles put an old fashioned whooping on PCA. If there had been a woodshed around in the fourth quarter, you might have seen the Eagles taking their hosts back behind it.

PCA got the ball first and moved quickly down the field as they took advantage of the size of their outside receivers. With 9:30 left in the first the home team led 6-0. ACA’s first possession was a marathon 11-play, 63-yard march that ate up eight minutes of the first quarter clock. The offense converted two third downs and a fourth down on the way to the end zone. Micah Merritt punctuated the drive with a 21-yard scoring run to tie the game 6-6 late in the first. The defense got after it on the Panther’s second drive as Merritt and Keenan McCarthy both had sacks that eventually forced a punt.

In the second period things started to get strange with the clock. Before a fourth down, PCA called a timeout with 10:30 left in the second. Five plays later, with one of those plays being an incomplete pass which should have stopped the clock, the Panthers punted the ball back to Alabama Christian with 5:35 left in the half. ACA managed to score to take the lead but again big chunks of time seem to be coming off the clock. Ethan Dabney scored on a 39-yard run with 1:42 left in the half for a 12-6 lead. PCA then made a crucial mistake as they fumbled deep in their own end to give the Eagles another chance to score. Levi Summers recovered the fumble on the PCA 26-yard line with 1:22 left. Christian Snipes scored from 4 yards out with 29 seconds left to build a 19-6 lead heading into halftime. At the break, it was rumored a Go Fund Me was set up for remedial clock operating lessons to help with future games.

The Eagles would get the ball to start the second half and hoped to take control with an early score. After two pitiful onside kick attempts, ACA took over on its opponent’s 48-yard line. Three different runners carried the ball over five plays as the offense found pay dirt to take a 26-6 lead. Mekhi Gardner had a 23-yard scoring romp for the first points of the half. To PCA’s credit, their team responded with an 11-play, 72 yard drive to cut the margin to 26-13. Micah Merritt made sure the momentum did not stay on the Panther’s side as he rumbled 53 yards to the PCA 26-yard line on the first play of the next possession. Four plays later, David Johnson hit a 30-yard field goal to give ACA a 29-13 lead with just over two minutes left in the third. PCA turned it over on downs with 10:28 left in the game to start ACA’s next drive.

Teilan Tyson-Long hit the PCA defense with lightning as he ran for 16 and 35 yards, respectively, on the first two plays of the Eagle drive. Micah Merritt delivered the thunder as he scored two plays later to extend the lead to 36-13. The Panthers seemed uninterested in fielding the next kickoff and when they finally did, they fumbled and Noah Shack came up with the ball for the good guys. With 4:48 left in the game, the night was over for a number of starters including QB Christian Snipes. Even with the backups, ACA scored again as Tyson-Long had a six-yard score for a 43-13 lead. On the next play from scrimmage for PCA, Levi Summers took the ball away from the Panther runner and raced 34 yards for another Eagle touchdown. With 3:10 left in the game, Alabama Christian led 50-13. PCA punted the ball back to ACA with just three seconds left in the game. Every coach's favorite play, Victory formation, was executed and the Eagles left Prattville with a ‘W’.

The ground game was king on Friday night as ACA racked up 285 rushing yards and needed to throw just nine passes all night. Micah Merritt led the rushers with 137 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Ethan Dabney had three carries for 63 yards and a score while Teilan Tyson-Long had 53 yards on six attempts and a touchdown. Mekhi Gardner and Christian Snipes also had rushing touchdowns. Snipes finished 5 of 8 for 50 yards passing. Beau Gainey and Tyson-Long both had two receptions to the receivers. On defense, Merritt had seven tackles and a sack to lead the way. Noah Shack and Aiden Whiten both had five tackles while Kennan McCarthy, Jackson Burton-Elayihan, and LaDarius Walters all had four tackles.

Eagles Drop Region Game to Trinity

Unfortunately for the Alabama Christian program, Friday night’s game against Trinity was the same story, just a different chapter. ACA was optimistic coming into the game and although the offense was ineffective in the first half the game was still competitive. However, the visiting Wildcats came out of the halftime locker room and controlled the second half in a 28-0 victory over Alabama Christian. The offense managed just 134 total yards and had only two first downs in the second half.

ACA got the ball first and converted one third down opportunity, but ultimately punted the ball to Trinity. Levi Summers booted the ball 48 yards to the Wildcat 4-yard line. The visitors moved the ball to ACA’s 32-yard line but turned it over on downs as a fourth down pass fell incomplete. After a three and out by ACA, Trinity turned the ball over again in Eagle territory as LaDarius Walters recovered a fumble with 4:48 left in the first period. The home team returned the favor as the Wildcats recovered an ACA fumble at midfield to start the second quarter.

For the third time in a row the Wildcats drove into enemy territory only to come away with no points. This time they missed a 25-yard field goal attempt to keep the game scoreless with 5:34 left in the half. Once again the offense could not move the ball and produced just an 11-yard punt to give Trinity the ball on ACA’s 23-yard line. The visitors did not waste the chance to score this time. The Wildcats scored on its only completed pass of the first half to take a 6-0 lead with 3:18 left in the second. In the second half, Trinity scored touchdowns on its first three possessions while the Eagles had a turnover and two three and outs to essentially end the suspense of the outcome.

The defense was led by Mekhi Gardner with 10 tackles. LaDarius Walters had eight tackles followed by Bryson Dabney with seven. Four Eagles, Noah Shack, Cam Sutton, Jackson Burton-Elayihan, and Aiden Whiten, each had five tackles. Micah Merritt was the team’s leading rusher with 60 yards on eight carries. Christian Snipes finished with 42 yards on the ground and 41 yards in the air. Beau Gainey was the top receiver with four catches for 25 yards.

Alabama Christian Rolls Over Northside Methodist in Region Opener

In a scheduling oddity, Alabama Chrsitian was their opponent’s season opener for the third week in a row. Northside Methodist, out of Dothan, only scheduled Region games this year as the program navigates a shortage of players. The Knights fought hard and had some significant gains on the ground in the first period. However, in the end ACA proved to be too much for the visitors in a lopsided 45-8 contest.

Northside took the opening kickoff and drove to the Eagles 31-yard line before they turned the ball over on downs. It did not take the offense long to find the end zone. On the fourth play of the drive Christian Snipes found Ethan Dabney on a 57-yard catch and run for six points. David Johnson added the first of his six extra points on the night. The Knights second possession made it to the ACA 24-yard line before Levi Summers' interception stopped the drive. Micah Merritt ACA’s second drive with a 71-yard rumble down to the Knight’s 8-yard line. Three plays later Merritt finished the drive from the one for a 14-0 lead with 5:12 left in the first. The defense put together a good series as the momentum was clearly on ACA’s side. A three and out highlighted by a Cayden Meeks tackle for loss gave the ball back to the offense.

The Eagles closed the first and began the second with a methodical 11-play 86-yard drive that ate up 6:52 off the clock to build a 21-0 advantage. The longest play of the series was a 20-yard Christian Snipes run to turn a 2nd and 16 into a first down. Micah Merritt scored his second 1-yard touchdown of the night. Northside turned it over on downs in ACA territory as Aidan Whiten made a fourth down tackle. The home team moved quickly and scored in just 58 seconds as Teilan Tyson-Long went 42 yards for the touchdown to make it 28-0. After forcing a punt, Alabama Christian scored its final points of the half as Snipes found Ethan Dabney for a touchdown for the second time in the game with 1:58 left for a 35-0 cushion.

Mason Henry took the field to guide ACA in the second half as Christian Snipes and many of the starters were given the rest of the night off. The freshman QB gained valuable experience and looked impressive leading the offense. After a good kickoff return by Teilan Tyson-Long, it took the offense only four plays to put points on the board. Henry found Ethan Capps on a short pass and the receiver made his way to the end zone on a 29-yard scoring play for a 42-0 advantage. David Johnson’s 32-yard field goal made it 45-0 and were the last points put on the board by ACA. 

Northside started the fourth period with their only score of the night. They kept the ball on the ground and drove 68 yards in eight plays to cut the score to 45-8 with 9:09 left in the game. The Eagle offense then bled the last nine minutes of the game away as they picked up three first downs and drove to the North Methodist 5-yard line before taking a knee three times in a row to end it.

The offense showed a balanced attack with 237 yards on the ground and 217 yards in the air. They also controlled the clock as they held possession for 35 of the 48 minutes in the game. Christian Snipes had a great first half throwing the ball as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball five times for 35 yards. Mason Henry had a solid second half as he finished 6 of 6 for 54 yards and a touchdown. Ethan Dabney was the top pass catcher on the night with seven receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Ethan Capps finished with three catches for 36 yards and a score. Micah Merritt was the leading ground gainer with 82 yards on five carries and two touchdowns. Teilan Tyson-Long had two rushes for 55 yards and a touchdown while Carlos Smith gained 43 yards in the fourth period on six carries.

The defense held its opponent to just eight first downs and 148 yards on the night. Nineteen different players recorded tackles on the night as the coaches substituted freely in the second half. Cooper Milner led the team with five tackles while four players, Levi Summers, Aidan Whiten, Tydarius Moore, and Mekhi Gardner, all had four tackles.

ACA Defeats Goshen in Home Opener

The defense we thought we might see last week showed up and dominated in the home opener. The Eagles held the Goshen ground attack to 35 yards and forced four turnovers in a convincing 27-6 victory. All three phases of the game improved over their week one performance.

Neither offense could garner any momentum in the early going. The combined five possessions in the first quarter resulted in two punts, two turnovers, and a blocked field goal. ACA was held to minus two yards of offense in the opening stanza. The highlight of the quarter was the first of two Bryson Dabney interceptions. Goshen began to move the ball to start the second and held possession for over four minutes but eventually had to punt it back to the home team. Alabama Christian’s initial drive of the second period posted the first points of the night as the offense moved 70 yards in eight plays in just over three minutes. The unit overcame three penalties as they moved down the field. Christian Snipes converted a big third down to start the drive as he found Jackson Burton-Elahiyan on an 18-yard pass play. The duo hooked up two more times on the drive, the first on a 39-yard play to the visiting Eagles 14-yard line. Two plays later, Snipes put the ball up in the air and let his big tight end go get for a 13-yard touchdown. Even Burton-Elayihan’s teammates bounced off him as he corralled the ball for the 6-0 lead. Both teams had two more shots to score in the first half but the defenses held their ground and the score remained 6-0 heading into the half.

Goshen was able to score in just four plays to open the second half to tie the score, 6-6. Levi Summers tackled the holder after a bad snap on the PAT to keep the contest tied. ACA had to punt on its first drive of the third quarter and Summers launched his best punt of the night at 53 yards. The sophomore flipped the field all night for the Eagles as he punted five times for a 45.8 yard per punt average with no return yards. Goshen’s next drive ended as LaDarius Walters recovered the fumble of an Eagle receiver. Alabama Christian took advantage as the momentum started to swing towards the home team. Two plays after the turnover, Micah Merritt rumbled 42 yards for a score to give ACA a lead it would not relinquish. As the end of the third period neared Goshen went for a 4th and 13 from the ACA 38-yard line. Bryson Dabney stopped the receiver one yard short of the marker to give the ball back to the offense.

The success of the pass game in the first half softened the Goshen defense and allowed the running game to carry the offense in the second half. Christian Snipes only had to throw four passes in the second half. As the Eagles extended the lead to 20-6 early in the fourth, the drive covered 74 yards in eight plays and was capped off by a Snipes 9-yard run. A quick three and out gave the ball right back to the offense. Last year as the game wore on, the Goshen run game took over. ACA had a bit of payback as the next drive consisted of six consecutive runs that covered 43 yards and ended with a Snipes 2-yard run with 4:05 left in the game. Bryson Dabney’s second pick of the night ended the next drive for Goshen and Aidan Whiten recovered a fumble to end the last drive of the night to preserve the 27-6 victory.

Jackson Burton-Elahiyan led the defense with eight tackles followed by Micah Merritt and Levi Summers with seven apiece. Cam Sutton, Mekhi Gardner, Aidan Whiten, and Noah Shack each had four tackles. Sutton blocked a first quarter field goal while LaDarius Walters and White both recovered fumbles and Bryson Dabney had two interceptions. Christian Snipes finished the night with 12 completions on 22 attempts for 164 yards and a touchdown. Snipes favorite target was Burton-Elayihan who had six catches for 98 yards and a score. Ethan Dabney finished with 3 receptions for 32 yards. Micah Merritt led the ground attack with 93 yards on eight rushes and a touchdown while Snipes added 61 yards rushing on 10 carries and two touchdowns.   

ACA Loses Season Opener to Lee-Scott

The 2025 season opened in disappointing fashion as Lee-Scott dominated the visiting Eagles, 40-20. The preseason thoughts of the defense being the strength of the team did not show itself on the field as Warrior runners ran through tackles and receivers were open most of the night. Alabama Christian did not help matters as they were penalized 12 times for 135 yards.

It only took Lee-Scott 40 seconds to score their first touchdown, but the Eagles answered on their second drive with a touchdown of their own to cut the lead to 6-7 with 5:11 left in the first. Christian Snipes scored on a 1-yard run to cap a six-play, 77-yard drive. The key play of the drive was a 38-yard pass play to Ethan Dabney which set up a first and goal at the five-yard line. The home team controlled the rest of the half as they scored three more times, including the last touchdown with just 33 seconds left in the second. The Warriors took a 27-6 cushion into the halftime locker room.

Alabama Christian showed a little life in the second half as they scored on their first possession to cut the lead to 13-27. Christian Snipes scored his second touchdown of the night with a 5-yard run. Lee-Scott responded by scoring on its next two possessions to increase the lead to 40-13 at the end of three quarters. The ACA offense sustained a long drive to start the final period. The Eagles held the ball for over six minutes on a 15-play, 58-yard drive that produced the final points of the night. Snipes again scored on the ground, this time from three yards out to cut the margin to 20-40. The Warriors virtually ran the clock out after that as they gave the ball back to the Eagles with just 42 seconds left in the game.

Christian Snipes finished with 142 yards passing, completing 14 of 19 passes, and 36 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. Micah Merritt was the leading rusher with 42 yards on three carries. Jackson Burton had three receptions for 63 yards while Ethan Dabney caught seven passes for 59 yards. On defense, Cooper MIlner led the way with six tackles while Mekhi Gardner and Levi Summers both had five tackles.

ACA looks for its first win of the season in the home opener against Goshen next week.

Lady Eagles Beat Trinity Twice to Advance to Regionals

Alabama Christian has been playing fast-pitch softball since 1996 and only COVID has prevented the Eagles from advancing to Regionals. Of course in 2020, nobody went to Regionals due to the cancellation of the season. ACA’s second win over Trinity in as many days propelled into next week’s round of the postseason.

The Eagles defeated Trinity 5-2 on Monday to start the Area tournament. With the game tied 1-1, ACA scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take control. Two runs scored on an infield error and the third run was driven by Anna Gleason. Alabama Christian tacked on an insurance run in the sixth as Izzy Warrick led off the inning with a double and came around to score after Lily Sconyers single to right. The Wildcats scored one in the seventh for the 5-2 final.

Izzy Warrick was dominant in the circle as she tossed a three-hitter with no earned runs given up and eight strikeouts. At the plate, Anna Gleason led the way with three hits in four at-bats and two runs driven in. Warrick and Lily Sconyers both had two hits in the victory.

A loss to St James set up the rematch on Tuesday against Trinity. The winner of this one would keep playing next week while the loser would pack it up for the year. The Eagle offense gave starter Izzy Warrick four first inning runs and the game was over. Warrick held Trinity to one hit on the day with four strikeouts. In the first, ACA kept putting the ball in play and Trinity could not make the plays. Warrick, Lily Sconyers, Emma Redmon, and Maddie Traywick all scored in the frame. The offense added a fifth run in the seventh as two seventh graders did the work. With two outs, Peri Lane Holley doubled to center and was driven in by an Adalee Lincoln single.

Lily Sconyers and Maddie Traywick were the only Eagles to get a hit, score a run, and drive in a run. Izzy Warrick, Peri Lane Holley, and Adalee Lincoln each had one hit.

Alabama Christian Ends Season with Sweep of MA

At Senior Night earlier this week, Jackson McGuire stated his favorite ACA memory was the sweep of MA last year in baseball. Well, now he can add this year’s sweep to his list of favorite memories. It wasn’t easy and the team did its best to let the third game of the series slip away from them, but in the end they duplicated last year’s sweep.

Game one of the series was the last home game of the year for ACA (13-17). Mac Moorer took the hill and pitched a complete game gem in the final start of his career. The home standing Eagles jumped all over MA in the first inning with six runs. The visitors used three pitchers just to get through the frame. ACA scored the runs on just three hits as MA walked in the last three runs of the inning. Levi Summers scored on a wild pitch in the second to make the score 7-0. The lead moved to ten runs in the third as Jackson McGuire singled in a run and Alex Heilman and Bryson Dabney both had sac flies. Leading by the same score after four, Alabama Christian just needed to hold MA scoreless in the top of the fifth and everyone could call it an early night. In a theme that would pop up again later in the series, ACA was unable to keep MA off the scoreboard as the visitors scored three runs in the fifth. ACA added one insurance run in the sixth and went on to defeat MA, 11-3.

Mac Moorer struck out five with no walks as he picked up the win. The senior also led the offense as well with a 3 for 4 night with a double, two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI. Jackson Burton finished 2 for 4 with two runs driven in. Jackson McGuire drove in two runs while Ethan Dabney and Levi Summers both scored two runs.

Game two of the series moved to MA for a doubleheader on Friday. Jackson McGuire, like Mac Moorer the night before, would be pitching the last game of his career and he threw a beauty. The senior tossed a three-hitter as he allowed one run and struck out four. Offensively, the Dabney brothers put on a show. The two outfielders combined to go 6 for 6 with two doubles, seven RBI’s, two walks, and two runs scored.

The first two batters were retired in the top of the first, but the next five ACA batters in a row reached safely to give ACA a 2-0 lead after one. Mac Moorer batted again in the second inning and would eventually bat once in all five innings. Alex Heilman and Bryson Dabney had run scoring hits in the second to build the lead to 5-0. The highlight of the third inning was a bases loaded clearing double by Bryson Dabney to break the game wide open at 11-1. Jackson Burton and Dabney drove in runs in the fourth to run the score to 14-1. Jackson McGuire finished the home team off in the fourth and fifth for a 14-1 five-inning run-rule win.

Bryson Dabney finished the game 3 for 3 with a double and seven RBI’s. The seven runs driven in is the most since Matthew Mallett did it in 2007. Ethan Dabney also went 3 for 3 with a double and scored two runs. Jackson Burton was 2 for 3 with four RBI’s and three runs scored. Mac Moorer also scored three runs.

Game three started off as a laugher, but ended with ACA lucky to walk away with the win. The good guys scored seven in the first as they sent twelve men to the plate. Jackson Burton set the tone early as he hit a missile right at the pitcher who was able to get his glove and deflect the ball into centerfield. The highlight of the inning was a two-run triple by Teilan Long up the alley in right field. Jackson Burton pitched for ACA and although he was in consistent trouble managed to hold MA to two runs over the first four innings. ACA scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth to build a 12-2 lead going to the bottom of the fifth. If ACA could keep MA off the board, the game would be over. Unfortunately, MA put a five-spot on the board and cut the lead to 12-7 after five. The home team tacked on another run in the sixth to make the score 12-8. In the seventh, MA scored three times to cut the lead to one and had the bases loaded with two outs. Alex Heilman got the final out on a full count called third strike.

Ethan Dabney continued his hot hitting as he went 2 for 3 with a triple and three RBI’s. Mason Roosendaal also finished 2 for 3 as he scored two runs. Jackson Burton got the win as he went 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and Alex Heilman got the save as he relieved Cam Sutton to get the final two outs.

A special thank you to Cathy Moorer who has graciously allowed me to use her photos all year long. Thank you Cathy!!

ACA Swept in First Area Series

The Eagles drew the top team in the Area for their first series of the year. PCA won the Area last year and advanced to the State quarterfinals. This year their sights are set higher as they were able to add a senior transfer from Stanhope Elmore, who is now their best player, to help them chase the blue map.

Although PCA was favored to win the series, the start of game one on Thursday gave the Eagles some hope. Jackson McGuire took the mound for the first game and should have gotten out of the first inning on just six pitches. Unfortunately, the first pitch of the game was misplayed in the outfield which meant after six pitches, PCA had a runner on first with two outs. The visitors made ACA pay for the extra out as they scored twice with two outs and added twenty extra pitches to McGuire’s pitch count. Alabama Christian tied the game in the bottom of the second. Teilan Long led off with a double followed by Alex Heilman getting hit by pitch. With two outs, Brtson Dabney hit a flare to right that scored both runners. Neither team scored in the third or fourth innings as both pitchers settled in. In the top of the fifth, PCA finally broke through and the Eagles could not stop it. The Panthers sent 16 man to the plate in an 11-run frame to blow the game open. ACA was unable to score in the bottom half and the game was over. What was a pitcher’s duel after four turned into a run-rule victory in a single inning.

Bryson Dabney finished the game 1 for 2 and drove in the only two runs of the game. Mac Moorer, Jackson McGuire, and Teilan Long each had a hit. McGuire took the loss and although the final stat line did not look great, he really just had the one rough inning where he ran out of gas after throwing over 100 pitches.

Games two and three were held at PCA on Friday. The home team saved its new ace for game two. The PA booth opened the game playing “Hells Bells” which seemed out of place for two Christian schools. To say the home crowd was into the game would be a huge understatement. Every pitch was like game seven of the World Series and just like little league the Panther players had coaches on the field and in the stands. PCA did not run-rule the Eagles in game two but was in command from the outset. The Panthers scored in each of the first four innings to build an 8-0 lead. The score remained the same until the end as the home team got the shutout victory. In an unrelated story, Stanhope Emore lost to Hueytown on Friday.

Jackson McGuire, Teilan Long, and Bryson Dabney collected the team’s three hits. McGuire was the only player to reach twice as he also drew a walk. Cam Sutton got the loss as he and Mason Roosendaal split the pitching duties.

With the series in hand, PCA felt so good about themselves they didn’t even bother to redraw the batter’s box for the second game of the night. I’m not sure I have ever seen a church league softball game not have a batter’s box much less a varsity baseball game. The Panthers scored four in the first which would end up being enough runs for the win. ACA responded in the second as Mason Roosendaal pulled a ball down the left field line for a double that drove in Teilan Long and Alex Heilman. In the top of the fifth, the Eagles trimmed the lead to one run as Jackson Burton delivered a two-out single to right that scored Mac Moorer. Although the series was already decided, a palpable nervousness could be felt from the PCA faithful. The home team answered with a run of their own to make the score 5-3 after five. ACA did get the tying run on base in the seventh but could not score.

Jackson Burton, Teilan Long, Alex Heilman, and Mason Roosendaal each had hits in the game. Long was the only Eagle to get a hit in each game of the series. Mac Moorer got the loss as he pitched the full six innings with seven strikeouts.

Eagles Win Two to Start the Week

Alabama Christian (10-10) won on Monday and Tuesday as they prepare for their first Area series of the season against PCA on Thursday and Friday. The two games were very different, but ACA came from behind late in both of them to secure the victories.

Monday - Park Crossing

The Park Crossing game was a three-hour marathon that saw ten pitchers used. The Thunderbirds played as the home team although the game was played at ACA’s field. Alex Heilman started for the Eagles and held the opponent to just two runs over four innings. Meanwhile, Alabama Christian put six on the board in the third and fourth innings. In the third, Jackson Burton doubled over the left fielder’s head to drive in the first run of the game. Teilan Long singled in the second run and Burton scored on an error by the catcher for a 3-1 lead. In the fourth, Park Crossing gifted a couple of runs to the Eagles and Long drove in another run on an RBI ground out. ACA led 6-2 after four and looked to be in control.

The Thunderbirds scored six runs in the fifth off the bullpen to take an 8-6 lead. Cam Sutton came in and stopped the bleeding, but the damage was done. Another run in the sixth made it 9-6 going to the seventh inning. Down three heading into their last at-bat, the Eagles put together an eight-run inning. Beau Gainey and Ethan Dabney both singled to start the frame followed by a Jackson McGuire walk to load the bases. Jackson Burton was hit on a 2-0 pitch to drive in a run to make it 9-7. The next two batters were retired and the bases were still loaded. Ethan Dabney scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to one run and McGuire scored on another wild one to tie it as Levi Summers walked. ACA took the lead on yet another wild pitch as Burton scored from third. Two more walks produced another run for an 11-9 lead. With the bases still loaded, Ethan Dabney singled to right driving in two and a third runner scored on a throwing error from the right fielder for a 14-9 advantage. Mason Roosendall pitched the seventh to close it out.

Ethan Dabney looked great in the leadoff spot as he went 3 for 6 with a double, three runs scored and two RBI’s. Jackson Burton and Teilan Long both went 2 for 4 with two runs driven in. Burton also scored three runs. Cam Sutton picked up the win with two solid innings of relief. Starting pitcher Alex Heilman struck out five over four innings and allowed just one earned run on three hits.

Tuesday - Beulah

As much as Monday’s game resembled a church softball game with all of the runs scored, Tuesday’s contest was a low scoring game where the pitching dominated for much of the night. Two of Beulah’s four hits came in the second when they scored and four of ACA’s six hits came in the fifth when they scored their three runs. The other twelve half-innings produced just four hits.

Teilan Long started for the Eagles and pitched well enough to win as he went four innings allowing one run with three strikeouts. Long was helped by the play of Beau Gainey at shortstop. Twice Gainey made plays deep in the hole to help hold Beulah to just one run. Gainey came into relieve in the fifth and retired the side in order. ACA’s offense came to life in the bottom of the fifth as the visitor’s defense helped the cause. With one out, Levi Summers fought off an 0-2 inside pitch and drove it into left for a single. Up next, Mason Roosendaal hit a grounder for what could have been an inning ending double play, but the second baseman booted it and both runners were safe. In the next at-bat, Summers was almost picked off second by the catcher, but he was able to avoid the tag. With two outs Ethan Dabney and Mac Moorer hit consecutive singles to drive in two runs while a third scored on an error by the right fielder. Once he had the lead Gainey pitched two scoreless frames to end it for the 3-1 win.

Jackson McGuire led the offense with two hits in three at-bats. Mac Moorer, Jackson Burton, Levi Summers, and Ethan Dabney had the other hits. In relief, Beau Gainey pitched three innings and gave up one hit and no runs.

ACA Splits Four Games in Spring Break Action

After dropping all three games last week, the Eagles (8-10) headed south for their annual trip to the coast during spring break. ACA hoped to build some momentum heading into Area play next week. The team won two and lost two over three days. ACA defeated Victory Christian (OK) and South Lamar and lost to Oak Ridge (TN) and Dale (OK).

Game one - Victory Christian

Jackson McGuire started the week off with a called strike, but Victory did manage to score a run in their first at-bat. ACA went down 1-2-3 in their half of the first to trail by a run after one. McGuire bounced back and retired the side on just six pitches in the second inning. The Eagles put up a crooked number in the second as Bryson and Ethan Dabney both had run scoring singles to help build a 5-1 lead. Mason Roosendaal and Bryson Dabney each drove in runs in the third as Alabama Christian stretched the lead to 8-1. Victory scored two unearned runs in the fourth and would not cross the plate again. ACA tacked on two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth for the 12-3 final.

Bryson Dabney had a perfect game at the plate as he went 2 for 2 with three RBI’s. Jackson Burton, Alex Heilman, and Teilan Long each went 2 for 4 and combined for five runs scored and three runs driven in. Jackson McGuire got the win with six strong innings allowing just one earned run with nine strikeouts.

Game two - Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge was the best team ACA faced over the four games. The team from Tennessee dominated from the beginning and won easily, 18-0. Mason Roosendaal drew the very tough assignment of facing Oak Ridge as the Eagles used four pitchers in all. The offense mustered just two hits, a third inning single by Mac Moorer and a pinch-hit single in the fourth by Sam Schotteker.

Game three - South Lamar

Tuesday’s game was easily the most exciting as ACA scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a walk-off victory. Alex Heilman tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI ground out in the second. In the third, Mac Moorer knocked Bryson Dabney in and later scored himself on an infield error to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead. In the fifth inning, South Lamar scored three runs to take back the lead as the first six batters reached base, four via an error. In the bottom half, Heilman once again drove home the runner from third with an RBI ground out to tie the game, 4-4. South Lamar scored twice in the sixth and led by the same 6-4 score going to the bottom of the seventh.

Remarkably, ACA sent six men to the plate in the seventh and not a one of them was retired. Jackson McGuire worked a walk to lead off, Jackson Burton followed with a double to left, and Teilan Long was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Alex Heliman drove in his third run of the day with a single to center to make the score 6-5. Levi Summers tied the game with another single to center. Mason Roosendaal finished it as he swung at the first pitch and singled to center for the game winner, 7-6.

Cam Sutton did not get the decision, but kept the team in it over six innings. Beau Gainey pitched the seventh and picked up his first varsity win of his career after ACA walked it off. Mason Roosendaal and Bryson Dabney both finished 2 for 3 while Levi Summers went 2 for 4 .

Game four - Dale

It was fitting that Mac pitched against Dale in the finale of the week. The Dale offense scored five runs with two outs as they proved difficult to retire. ACA scored two in their first at-bat for a promising start. Alex Heilman knocked in Mac Moorer and Sam Schotteker with a single to the shortstop. Unfortunately, the offense only produced one more run while Dale scored in every inning except the third. Dale would defeat ACA 10-3.

ACA had opportunities as the team had eight hits led by Jackson McGuire and Teilan Long who both had two hits. Mac Moorer, Alex Heilman, Levi Summers, and Ethan Dabney had the other hits.