Eagles Win Sixth in a Row to Finish Regular Season

Who would have thought that a win over PCA in mid-September would be the start of a six-game winning streak. After a 1-3 start to the season against very tough competition, ACA ran the table the rest of the way to finish the regular season at 7-3. Coach Dockins and his staff deserve a lot of recognition for the turnaround along with the players who just kept working. The 52-21 win over Pike Liberal in the season finale was a great close to the regular season.

Alabama Christian has had some games where they started slow and picked up steam as the game progressed. That was not the case on Friday night. The home team never saw what hit them as ACA had their foot on the gas from the start. The defense turned over the Patriot offense on downs on the opening possession as LaDarius Walters tackled a receiver behind the line of scrimmage on a 4th and 1 attempt. After a pass interference call against Pike Liberal, Mason Henry took to the air again and found Beau Gainey for a 21-yard touchdown. It only took the offense 13 seconds to score its first touchdown of the night. On the next play from scrimmage, under heavy pressure, the Patriot quarterback attempted a pass, although it looked more like a two-handed throw you might see at a soccer game, which Mekhi Gardner intercepted. The offense did not turn the interception into a touchdown, but it did lead to a 25-yard field goal by David Johnson to build the lead to 10-0 with 8:09 left in the first. The defense forced its third turnover in a row on the next series as Levi Summers picked off a pass and raced 60 yards to the house for a 17-0 advantage. The Patriots finally scored on a six-play, 51-yard drive to cut the lead to 10 points with 2:41 left in the opening quarter. ACA scored quickly as Micah Merritt capped an 80 yard drive with a 41-yard run to the end zone on fourth down for a 24-7 lead right before the end of the period.

The second quarter did not bring any better fortune to the Pike Liberal offense. On the first play of the quarter, Aiden Whiten sacked the quarterback causing a fumble which was recovered by Hudson Smith at the Patriot’s 14-yard line. Two plays later. Bryson Dabney scored on a 13-yard run to make the score 31-7 with 10:57 left in the half. LaDarius Walters and Andy Fleming combined on a third down sack to stop the next Pike drive. A 34-yard catch and run by Ethan Dabney highlighted the next Eagle possession. The play gave ACA a 1st and Goal at the 4-yard line. Three plays later, Micah Merritt carried the defense into the end zone on a 3-yard ride to extend the lead to 38-7. The defense forced another three and out to give the ball back to the offense around midfield. Four consecutive completions covering 54 yards from Mason Henry to three different receivers gave the team seven more points. The last two plays were back to back 10 yard receptions by Beau Gainey. With 3:53 left in the half, ACA led 45-7. A Charlie Hibbard third down sack ended the next Pike drive and allowed the offense one last shot at points in the half. Unfortunately, for the Patriots the punt was shanked badly and only netted three yards. The Eagles offense only had to cover 18 yards in just over two minutes to score again. The offense worked the clock perfectly and scored with just eight seconds left in the half for a 52-7 lead. Mekhi Gardner did the honors with a 3-yard scoring run. You know things are in control when the bleacher coaches were not offering their expertise as the clock ran down in the half. Since the locker room was too far away, ACA headed to the corner of the field with a whopping 52-7 lead at the half. ACA’s offense was perfectly balanced in the first half. The group had 141 yards rushing and 140 yards passing in the half.

As you might imagine, the second half moved quickly as a running clock was used for both the third and fourth quarters. ACA used the opportunity to give many of their players real game experience. Carlos Smith carried the load on offense with 13 second half rushes. Even when everyone knew he was getting the ball he still managed a respectable 34 yards on the ground. Inexperienced players and communication issues on defense allowed Pike to score a couple of times in the second half to make the score a little more tolerable. 

LaDarius Walters led the defense with eight tackles and a sack. Mekhi Gardner finished with six tackles and an interception. Charlie Hibbard had two sacks while Aiden Whiten, Andy Fleming, and Landon Widmer each had one. Levi Summers put points on the board for the defense with his pick six. Mason Henry completed 11 of his 12 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Both scoring passes were to Beau Gainey who finished with three catches for 41 yards. Dee Howze also had three receptions for 19 yards. Micah Merritt gained 93 yards on just seven carries with two touchdowns. Gardner and Bryson Dabney both added rushing touchdowns.  

ACA Hammers Trojans in Key Region Contest

Don’t look now, but Alabama Christian is riding a five-game winning streak and has secured a winning season after they thumped St James Friday night, 35-7. A trip to St James is always an adventure, and this year’s game was no different. The festivities started when ACA’s play-by-play team and videographer were kicked out of the pressbox before the game started. The boys couldn’t even get a shout out in the invocation. Maybe investing in some hosting classes might be a wise idea.

Three things stood out in Friday night’s contest: the wind, the defense, and Micah Merritt. The wind played havoc with the passing and kicking games of both teams. Both squads had punts of less than 10 yards while kicking into the wind. The Eagle’s defense brought the pain all night long. They held the Trojans to 101 yards of offense and picked off three passes. The only touchdown surrendered was on a short field after a wind restricted punt. Lastly, there was #7, Micah Merritt. The offense hitched its wagon to the rugged back and he bludgeoned the St James defense for 209 yards on 32 carries and five, count ‘em, five touchdowns.

The two offenses traded punts on the first four possessions of the game and the first period ended with ACA facing a 2nd and 14 on the St James 26-yard line. On fourth down from the same spot, the Trojans were called for pass interference which almost made up for the horrendous missed interference call in the first. The flag set up ACA for a 4th and 1 at the 13-yard line. Everyone in the stadium knew who was getting the ball on fourth down, and he still scored a touchdown to give ACA a 7-0 lead. With the wind at their backs, St James thought they could break out their passing attack on offense. The defense was not impressed. After an incompletion, Mekhi Gardner lit a receiver up on a second down screen to set up a 3rd and 11. Bryson Dabney picked off the third down attempt and returned it to the Trojans 38-yard line. The offense stretched the lead to 14-0 with 7:02 left in the half as they covered the needed yards in eight plays, six of them runs. The defense held St James to a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. A holding call backed the Eagles up to the 14-yard line and forced a punt from the 21 on fourth down. The wind hampered the kick and the Trojans had the ball only 40 yards from the end zone. The home team scored in six plays to cut the lead in half, 14-7, with just 1:34 left in the half. ACA ran out the clock and headed to the locker room with a touchdown lead.

The Eagles were against the wind to start the half. The conditions were so bad, just surviving the quarter would be an accomplishment. ACA not only survived it, they built their lead as well. After both teams swapped punts to start the half, Alabama Christian turned the ball over as an errant snap was recovered by the Trojans at ACA’s 12-yard line. If the home team was ever going to get back in it, the time was now. Instead, Levi Summers picked off a third down pass at the three and returned it out to the 21-yard line. The stunned Trojans were not ready for Micah Merritt to throw the knockout punch. The senior ran for 30 yards on the first play of the drive to stagger the opponent. On the next play, they never saw the uppercut coming as the big man rumbled 49 yards to the house for a 21-7 lead with 1:14 left in the third.

As the fourth quarter started, ACA could smell blood in the water. After a twelve yard punt, into the wind, the Eagles started their next drive on the 37-yard line. Mekhi Gardner provided the big gainer with a 24-yard pick up, but Micah Merritt ran the ball the other six plays of the drive as ACA extended their lead to 28-7 with 8:11 left in the contest. Three plays later, Levi Summers got his second pick of the night to set up the offense at their opponent’s 16-yard line. Merritt scored his fifth touchdown of the night with 5:09 left for a 35-7 advantage. ACA’s offense set up in Victory formation when it got back on the field with just over a minute remaining. Two kneel downs later, and the game was over. 

Keenan McCarthy led the defense with seven tackles followed by Cooper Milner with six. Mekhi Gardner had five tackles and 35 yards rushing while Aiden Whiten and LaDarius Walters both had four tackles. The windy conditions hampered the passing game as Mason Henry threw for 26 yards on the night. Levi Summers led the receivers with two catches for 14 yards.  

Alabama Christian Finishes Home Schedule with a Win

The Friday matinee contest could not have started any worse for the Alabama Christian football team. The Eagles muffed the opening kickoff giving Fort Dale a short field to work with. The offense ran just three plays for minus nine yards over the first 16 minutes of the game. On the flip side, the visiting Eagles ran 18 plays over the same time span. The teams combined for 22 penalties for 164 yards. Eighteen of the flags were thrown in the first half. 

After recovering the ball on the opening kickoff, Fort Dale was only 41 yards away from the end zone. However, they managed to run 13 plays and eat up almost seven and a half minutes of the clock before they scored their only points of the game. ACA’s first possession was over in three plays as they gave the ball right back to Fort Dale. The visitors held the ball for 13 more plays, but could not put points on the board. A missed field goal gave the ball to ACA. Fort Dale drove all the way to the Eagle’s 12-yard, but back to back tackles for loss by Mekhi Gardner made the field goal attempt longer. 

With 7:45 left in the first half, the ACA offense trotted onto the field for its second possession. Micah Merritt got things rolling with a 26-yard run on the first play of the drive. The senior ran the ball on four of the first five plays of the drive to move the ball to the Fort Dale 32-yard line. Facing a 4th and 1 from the 23-yard line, Merritt finished the drive as defenders bounced off of him on the way to the end zone. With 4:37 left in the half, the game was tied 7-7. Landon Widmer set the tone on the next series with a tackle for loss which eventually led to a three and out for FDA. Alabama Christian had 2:50 to navigate 85 yards at the end of the half. Ethan Dabney gained 19 yards despite a holding call downfield to start the march. Mason Henry found Levi Summers for 14 more on the second play and the Eagles had already reached midfield. Five of the next six plays were penalties, two on ACA and three on FDA. The net result was a 1st and 10 for the home team on the FDA 28-yard line. On 2nd and 13 from the 21-yard line, Henry threw to Summers for a six-yard gain. As ACA moved quickly to the line Henry threw a fade to Summers in the end zone. The junior receiver went up to go get it and came down with a foot inbounds for the score. The stunned Fort Dale defense never saw the two-point conversion coming and ACA led 15-7 with 43 seconds left in the half.

The third period was a disaster for Fort Dale as ACA pulled away for a comfortable lead. Throwing caution to the wind on their first series, FDA went for a 4th and 6 on their own 36-yard line. The attempted pass fell incomplete and ACA’s offense had great field position. The Eagles drove as far as the nine-yard line but could go no further. David Johnson hit a 27-yard field goal to give ACA an 18-7 cushion. On the next offensive play for Fort Dale, Cooper Milner intercepted a pass to put the offense right back on the field. ACA scored in three plays as Micah Merritt finished the drive with a three-yard lunge over the goal line to give the Eagles a 25-7 lead. Fort Dale picked up a first down on their next series but quickly found themselves facing another fourth down. Beau Gainey intercepted the fourth down attempt to shut down the drive. Whatever hope might have been left for the visitors after Gainey’s pick disappeared like a puff of smoke as they watched Mekhi Gardner race down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown on the very next play. With 2:10 left in the third, ACA led 32-7. The ball stayed on the ground in the fourth quarter as the clock moved quickly. There were only three drives in the period and no points were scored.

After giving up the early score the defense stood tall and performed well all afternoon. Mekhi Gardner led the squad with 12 tackles and a sack. Three Eagles, Aidan Whiten, Levi Summers, and LaDarius Walters each had six tackles. Whiten and Landon Widmer each had a sack while Cooper Milner and Beau Gainey each had a pick. Micah Merritt finished with 98 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns while Gardner had 84 yards on two rushes and a score. Mason Henry was 7 of 11 for 83 yards and a touchdown. Levi Summers had five catches for 56 yards and a score while Ethan Dabney had two receptions for 27 yards.

Eagles Celebrate Homecoming with Win Over Wadley

The fact that Alabama Christian essentially plays all of its football games on the road is generally not a big deal. They do get to play, but not practice, on a new, shiny field and the scoreboard has a lot of bells and whistles on it. I guess that should count for something. However, Homecoming has a different feel to it. Former players, cheerleaders, and band members want to come back to the field they performed on at the campus they attended to relive great memories. Although the field where the Eagles currently play their home games is just across the ditch, it’s not our field at our school.  

A victory on Homecoming night is always sweet, but when it is a come from behind thriller, it’s even better. Wadley is a perennial 1A powerhouse who made it to the State championship game last year. ACA knew this would be a tough matchup and a win would be hard earned. The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff and drove 56 yards in nine plays, eating up almost five minutes of game clock to score the first touchdown of the night. After the two-point conversion, Wadley led 8-0. The ACA offense responded with a seven play drive of its own that was capped off by a 10-yard Micah Merritt touchdown run. The big play on the drive was a 17-yard pass from Mason Henry to Ethan Dabney. The Eagles decided to chase the points and went for two, but failed. ACA trailed 6-8 with 3:21 left in the first. Back from his European tour, David Johnson made the ball dance on the onside kick as Alabama Christian recovered the ball on Wadley’s 44-yard line to steal a possession from the visitors. ACA scored in five plays aided by three Wadley offsides calls. Merritt once again took it in, this time from two yards out and ACA led 14-8 after a quarter.

Wadley was on the move again to start the second period. The Bulldogs faced a 4th and 2 at the Eagles 16-yard line and decided to go for it. Cooper Milner made sure the drive stopped there with a tackle for loss forcing a turnover on downs. Mason Henry connected with Levi Summers on two of the first three plays of the next drive covering 64 yards. Once inside the ten, Micah Merritt punched it in to build the ACA lead to 21-8 with 5:16 left in the half. The visitors again drove the ball the length of the field and looked poised to score before the half. The Eagle defense turned them away as they stopped a fake field goal attempt. With less than a minute to go in the half. It would seem the prudent move would be to take a knee and go to the half with a thirteen point lead. Maybe that was Wadley’s thinking, also. The Bulldog defense seemed surprised when Henry threw a quick pass to Bryson Dabney on the left sideline. The senior receiver raced 78 yards before the defense caught him. Once again, the prudent move would be to take the three points from there, but the Eagles scored on the last play of the half on a nine-yard pass from Henry to Summers to take a 28-8 lead to the locker room.

The second half started innocently enough with ACA gaining two first downs on its first drive. As the offense faced a 3rd and 11 at Wadley’s 33-yard line, a bad snap cost the team nineteen yards and forced a punt. The Bulldogs first drive of the second half looked very similar to the one that started the game. Wadley covered 84 yards in seven plays, all runs, to cut the lead to 28-16 with 4:52 left in the third. ACA was forced to punt when snapping disaster struck again. The Eagles lost 37-yards on this snap and gift wrapped a Wadley possession that started on the ACA 5-yard line. Wadley scored three plays later to make it 28-22 with 1:42 left in the quarter.

The fourth period started with ACA’s third straight series with a disastrous snap. This time the loose ball was recovered by Wadley and all the momentum seemed to be on the visitors side of the field. The Bulldogs scored two plays later to retake the lead for the first time since the first quarter, 30-28. With 10:38 left in the game, there was plenty of time left in the game for both teams. Wadley intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop ACA’s next drive with 7:56 left. The defense stood strong and forced a three and out to get the ball back to the offense. With 5:36 left in the game, ACA began its game winning march at its own 48-yard line. Mason Henry hooked up with Ethan Dabney for a 27-yard pass play to start the series. Micah Merritt then ran it four times in a row to make it to the visitor’s 11-yard line. On 3rd and 8, Henry threw to Levi Summers in the end zone for the go-ahead score. With 3:00 left in the game, ACA led 36-30. Three minutes is a lot of time, but tough to manage if you are primarily a running team. Wadley’s first three plays took almost half of the time left in the game. The Bulldogs converted two fourth downs to keep the final drive alive, but in the end turned it over on downs to secure the home team’s victory celebration.

Mason Henry finished the night with a career high 286 yards as he completed 17 of his 22 pass attempts with two touchdowns. Henry’s favorite target was Levi Summers who finished with eight receptions for 112 yards and two scores. Ethan Dabney added four catches for 55 yards. Micah Merritt ran the ball 19 times for 86 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, Summers led the team with eight tackles followed by Keenan McCarthy with six tackles. Cooper Milner and Bryson Dabney both contributed four tackles. 

ACA Crushes Sweetwater in Easy Victory

Friday night, the Alabama Christian football team travelled to Sweet Water, AL, population 228, SA-LUTE! Historically, the Bulldogs have been a 1A powerhouse with a state championship as recently as 2021, but that is not the case this season. ACA overpowered the hapless home team holding them to 25 yards of offense and just two first downs in just over three quarters of play. With a running clock for the entire second half, the game was called with 9:39 left in the contest due to a transformer issue at the field. The score of the game might have had a little something to do with it, too. ACA left town with a convincing 44-0 victory.

Sweet Water started on offense and faced a 4th and 1 at their own 49-yard line. The home team gambled and went for it, but Landon Widmer and LaDarius Walters stopped the runner for no gain to give the offense great field position. ACA threw on its first three plays but gained only seven yards. On 4th and 3, #7 introduced himself to the Sweet Water defense. Micah Merritt rumbled 42 yards to the end zone for the early 8-0 lead. Aiden Whiten’s tackle for loss on first down of Sweet Water’s next possession set the tone for a quick three and out. Once ACA had the ball back, the offense moved 63 yards in six plays for another score. Mason Henry connected with Ethan Dabney on a long pass down the right sideline for a 33-yard touchdown and a 16-0 lead. Whiten and Logan Foster produced another tackle for loss on the next possession to give the ball back to the offense. ACA scored in just three plays as Merritt took it in from 34 yards out for a 23-0 first quarter lead. Max Sanchez kicked the extra point after the score. If you were wondering where our regular kicker is, he is in Sweden playing baseball. That was not on my bingo card for reasons to miss a game.

Keenan McCarthy’s fumble recovery to start the second period provided the offense another chance to score. Mason Henry connected with Levi Summers twice on the drive. The second time was a 12-yard touchdown that Summers just seemed to keep going up to get. With 8:15 left in the half, ACA led 30-0. Sweet Water produced its second first down of the game on the next drive, but a Cooper Milner tackle for loss stalled the drive. The Eagles drove 61 yards on eight plays using just over four minutes of the clock for the last score of the first half. Henry again hit Summers on a 7-yard scoring pass with 1:26 left in the period.

Halftime was more interesting than normal. After the ACA band performed, the PA announcer informed the stadium there was an issue with a transformer on the visitor’s side of the field. All of the lights in the stadium would be momentarily turned off. After ten minutes or so, the crowd was told the game would continue as normal until the workers from Alabama Power arrived. As the teams took the field the two head coaches met with the officials and it was decided to have a running clock for the entire second half. 

Alabama Christian got the ball to start the second half and used it as an opportunity to rest many of its starters. The Eagles had to punt after three plays, but an Aiden Whiten fumble recovery on Sweet Water’s first play of the half, set the offense up at the Bulldog’s 20-yard line. Carlos Smith covered the yardage in two carries, scoring on a 7-yard run to make the score 44-0. Both teams traded punts to end the third quarter. As the clock continued to roll only one play was run in the fourth quarter. Fittingly, it was a tackle for loss by Whiten. With 9:39 left in the game, the Alabama Power workers arrived and the game was called.

Aiden Whiten led the team with seven tackles followed by Mekhi Gardner with five. Logan Foster, Cooper Milner, and Bryson Dabney each had four tackles. On offense, Micah Merritt rushed for 127 yards on just nine carries and two touchdowns. Mason Henry passed for 120 yards, completing 12 of 16 passes with three touchdowns. Ethan Dabney led the receiving corps with five catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. Levi Summers had four receptions for 30 yards and two touchdowns.

Alabama Christian Handles PCA in Region Win

The sexy pick heading into Friday night’s Alabama Christian/PCA matchup was PCA. They sported a 3-1 record, although the only quality opponent they played beat them like a drum, opposed to ACA’s 1-3 record. Even some of the local media drank the purple Kool-Aid and picked the Panthers to win on the road. However, two factors, special teams and Micah Merritt, turned the Panther’s dream of a victory into a nightmarish reality check as the Eagles left the field victorious, 31-14.

Special teams impacted the game immediately. As the kickoff unit took the field Coach Dockins implored his boys to start fast, and boy did they. David Johnson’s onside kick to the right sideline was recovered by Bryson Dabney and ACA stole an offensive possession on the first play of the game. After three plays and facing a 4th and 8 from the Panther 46-yard line, it looked as if the extra possession would be for naught. However, PCA’s defense jumped offsides and committed pass interference on consecutive plays to set up the home team with a 1st and 10 at the 26-yard line. Micah Merritt took it from there as he scored on the next play to give ACA a 7-0 lead just 96 seconds into the contest. The Panthers responded with a 6-play, 70-yard drive to tie the score 7-7 with 8:07 left in the first. Merritt’s 51-yard jaunt on the first play of the next drive set up ACA for a second score in two possessions. Mason Henry found Ethan Dabney in the endzone for an 18-yard touchdown to give the lead back to ACA, 14-7. ACA’s defense held first and stopped the Panthers on their next drive. A third down sack by Keenan McCarthy was a key play in the drive.

The Eagles scored its third touchdown just seconds into the second period. ACA methodically moved down the field with a drive that covered 67 yards in eight plays. On 4th and 2 at the 6-yard line, Mason Henry baited the defensive line to jump again to give the home team a first down. Micah Merritt scored on the next play from three yards out for a 21-7 lead. PCA drove back down the field, but Cooper Milner stepped in front of a pass at the 2-yard line and returned it to the 29-yard line to turn the visitors away. Both teams traded punts and it looked as if the half might close with a 21-7 score. Misfortune struck ACA as a punt return was fumbled and recovered by the Panthers. PCA turned the opportunity into points and trailed 21-14 at the half.

Beau Gainey gave the offense great field position with a 37-yard kickoff return to start the second half. For the next seven plays, the Eagles offense said we are going to give it to Micah Merritt (#7) and we wish you luck trying to stop him. Merritt looked like a man against boys as he tore through the PCA defense. On 1st and goal from the 15-yard line, after a holding call, Mason Henry found Gainey in the end zone for a 28-14 lead. On the next kickoff, David Johnson worked his voodoo again as Noah Shack recovered another onsides kick. Shack’s recovery took any hope out of the Panther team. The offense couldn’t produce a touchdown but they did close enough for David Johnson to connect on a career long 45-yard field goal for a 31-14 advantage. Johnson became the fifth kicker in program history to have a made field goal of 40 yards or longer.

Each team had the ball two more times on the night. PCA never made it inside ACA’s 40-yard line. The Eagles on the other hand slowed everything down and enjoyed watching every second tick off the clock. When it was all said and done, there was no doubt as the players left the field who has the better team and program.

Micah Merritt rushed for a career high 211 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. Mason Henry finished a very efficient 10 out of 15 for 106 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite targets were the Dabney brothers who caught seven of the ten completions. Ethan had four catches for 49 yards and a score while Bryson had three receptions for 28 yards. Mekhi Gardner led the defense with seven tackles. Cooper Milner and Kennan McCarthy both had four tackles. Cayden Meeks and McCarthy both had a sack while Milner had an interception.

Eagles Lose Home Region Game to Trinity

Friday night is one you have to throw away and move on from. The Trinity game was already expected to be a difficult game, but when you turn the ball over six times and gift three touchdowns, the odds are stacked against posting a W. Except for one blown assignment on the first drive of the contest, the defense played an excellent game. Offensively, the team was inconsistent, but showed flashes at times.

Trinity opened the game on offense and scored on its third play from scrimmage with a 55-yard scoring pass. The defense was nowhere to be found for the easy Wildcat TD. The Wildcats led 7-0 just 67 seconds into the game. The visitors scored again quickly with an interception and a 20-yard passing touchdown two plays later for a 14-0 lead with 9:13 left in the first period. If you count that score as a gift, then all four touchdowns were gimmees. To the defense’s credit, they only gave up 167 yards for the rest of the game. 

ACA’s first points of the game came in the second quarter as the team drove 64 yards in 11 plays eating more than six minutes of the clock. The Eagles employed a direct snap to the back which took Trinity by surprise. ACA ran the ball on ten of the eleven plays which was capped by a 13-yard Micah Merritt touchdown run. Merritt met the safety at the five and carried him into the end zone. With a 2-point conversion, the home team cut the score to 8-14 with 4:00 left in the half. The defense forced a three and out and the momentum seemed to be shifting. On the punt, ACA failed to field it in the air or on the bounce and watched the ball roll all the way to the 2-yard line. The worst outcome imaginable happened on the next play as the Eagles fumbled and the Wildcats recovered in the end zone for a 21-8 halftime lead.

Both teams had the ball twice in the third quarter but neither team could score. On the second play of the final period, ACA lost a fumble on a sack at their own 1-yard line. Trinity scored on the next play for a 29-8 lead with 10:16 left in the game. The Eagle defense held again after another interception which led to Alabama Christian’s second score of the game. The offense covered 82 yards on six plays to cut the lead to 15-29. Mason Henry was 4 for 4 on the drive and Bryson Dabney scored on a beautiful cutback against the grain for a 13-yard touchdown run. Trinity ran out the clock for the 14-point win.

Levi Summers led the defense with eight tackles and also delivered some blows as a runner on offense. Mekhi Gardner and LaDarius Walters each had seven tackles while Noah Shack and Cooper Milner both had six. Tyler Money had an interception and Bryson Dabney had a sack. On offense, Micah Merritt finished with 85 yards on 17 attempts and a touchdown. Summers and Dabney both had three catches to lead the receivers. Mason Henry finished 8 of 14 for 62 yards.  

On paper, the hardest part of ACA’s schedule is behind them. However, winning games and clinching a playoff spot aren’t done on paper. The Eagles must lock in and play to their potential in the final six games of the regular season. 

Alabama Christian Drops Area Opener

It’s fitting that Mrs. Wynn’s 10th grade class has been reading Dante’s Inferno before a trip to MA. The other Eagles have improved greatly over the past few seasons and make it hard for a visiting team to get a win. However, every year the ACA fans can count on having a rough time too. From the death trap bleachers to the obstructed view seating, visiting fans do not enjoy a good gameday experience. On the bright side, no cars were threatened to be towed this year.

Now to the game. MA was clearly the better football team on Friday night. ACA showed flashes, but the home team remained in control the entire game. MA scored on seven of eleven possessions including the kneel at the end of the game. They also added a defensive touchdown. ACA’s lone score came on a pass intended for Beau Gainey but ended up in the hands of Ethan Dabney for a 26-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 7-14 with 5:17 left in the first period.

On offense, Mason Henry finished 11 out of 20 for 104 passing yards and a touchdown. Ethan Dabney led the receivers with six catches for 53 yards and a score while Beau Gainey finished with three catches for 26 yards. Micah Merritt led the team in rushing with 60 yards on 18 attempts. On defense, Keenan McCarthy led the team with nine tackles and two sacks. Levi Summers had seven tackles while Aiden Whiten followed with six tackles.

Alabama Christian Notches First Win of the Season

Alabama Christian hit the road for the first time this season to play the second of six new opponents this year. The visiting Eagles took care of business in a 41-0 blowout. The game started slowly, but once ACA gained the momentum, the Panthers folded their tents and looked forward to next week. The win was the first of hopefully many for Coach JL Dockins.

Georgiana received the opening kickoff and seemed as if they didn’t want to let ACA’s offense on the field. The home team held the ball for 14 plays and drove as far as the Eagles 16-yard line, but could get no further. A Micah Merritt sack helped stall the drive. The Eagles offense took the field for the first time with 5:30 left in the opening period. ACA methodically moved down the field with four runs and four passes to use up the rest of the time in the first quarter. The period ended with ACA at Georgiana’s 13-yard line in the midst of their first drive.

The second quarter opened with a 13-yard scoring run by Micah Merritt for a 7-0 ACA lead. Once again Georgiana moved the ball inside the 20-yard line but stalled as they neared the Eagles goal line. For the second possession in a row the Panthers gave up the ball on downs. ACA returned the favor and turned it over on fourth down on its next drive. However, special teams blocked a Panther punt to give Alabama Christian the ball back with 2:38 left in the half. For the second week in a row the offense worked the clock brilliantly to end the first half despite all of the coaches in the stands imploring the team to move faster. Mason Henry found Levi Summers at the pylon for a 4-yard touchdown with just 29 seconds remaining. ACA entered the break with a 13-0 advantage.

It didn’t take long for the Eagles to take the momentum in the second half. Micah Merritt had two carries that covered 80 yards to score a minute into the half. He outran the Panther defense on his 66-yard touchdown jaunt. Another botched punt attempt gave ACA the ball on their opponent’s 28-yard line. Three plays later Merritt punched it in from a yard out for a 27-0 lead. Hudson Smith set up the next score with a fumble recovery on the ACA 40-yard line late in the third period.

Mekhi Gardner scored on a 4-yard run early in the fourth to build the cushion to 34-0. The final score of the night was thanks to Tyler Money as the big man picked off a pass and rumbled to the Panther 10-yard line. Ethan Dabney scored on the next play to make the score 41-0. After one final stop by the ACA defense, Carlos Smith picked up a first down on the ground which allowed the offense to line up in victory formation. After a knee the game was over.

Micah Merritt led the team with a career high 148 yards on the ground on 12 carries with three touchdowns. The senior also added four tackles and a sack on defense. Mekhi Gardner finished with 52 yards on seven attempts and a touchdown. Mason Henry threw for 122 yards while completing 11 of 16 passes with the one touchdown toss to Levi Summers. Ethan Dabney led the team with four receptions for 56 yards while Summers finished with three catches for 29 yards and Beau Gainet added two catches for 35 yards. On defense, Keenan McCarthy and Landon Widmer led the team with seven tackles apiece while Aiden Whiten and LaDarius Walters both had five tackles.  

ACA Baseball Week in Review

The baseball season came to an end Friday as Alabama Christian (14-17) split a doubleheader with MA. ACA’s young team stayed in the postseason race until the last day of the season. The batting lineup for many games this year was made up of three juniors, four sophomores, and two freshmen. In addition, three of the four regular starters were two sophomores and a freshman. Hopefully, a year of experience will pay dividends on the field next year.

Watching Jackson Burton hit the ball Friday brought a lot of “what if” thoughts to mind, but it was good to see him get some at-bats late in the year. The MA coaching staff was sure impressed as they intentionally walked Burton late in a meaningless game although they were aware of his situation. I’m not sure if they were trying to save the confidence of their pitchers or their physical safety as one of Burton’s hit almost took the pitcher into center field with the ball.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Ethan Dabney - .381, Teilan Long - .375, Jake Hunt - .317 On-Base % - Teilan Long - .519, Ethan Dabney - .487, David Johnson - .446 Extra Base Hits - Beau Gainey - 10, Teilan Long, Ethan Dabney, David Johnson, and Bryson Dabney - 5 RBI’s - David Johnson and Bryson Dabney - 18, Beau Gainey - 17 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 24, Bryson Dabney - 23, David Johnson - 21 Stolen Bases - Ethan Dabney - 17, Teilan Long - 11, Jeremiah Johnson - 9

Wins - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 4, David Johnson - 3 Innings Pitched - Cam Sutton - 40 2/3, Mason Henry - 39 1/3, David Johnson 38 Strikeouts - Mason Henry - 39, Beau Gainey - 33, Cam Sutton - 31 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.75, Mason Henry - 3.38, David Johnson - 5.16 Opponent’s Batting Average - Mason Henry - .256, David Johnson - .299, Cam Sutton - .302

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (8-22-1) dropped all three of their games this week but hope to bounce back next week as they get ready for the Area tournament. The lone home game next week will be on Tuesday against BTW-Magnet on Senior Night.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Laura Matthews - .417, Elizabeth Hall - .413, Anna Gleason - .373 On-Base % - Elizabeth Hall - .500, Campbell Hammett - .459, Laura Matthews - .451 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 24, Anna Gleason and Maddie Owens - 19 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 34, Elizabeth Hall - 25, Nora Burgess - 17

Wins - Maddie Owens - 6, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 49, Adalee Lincoln - 6 ERA - Maddie Owens - 7.05, Adalee Lincoln - 10.88

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (13-14) played their second Area series of the season this week and once again split the first two games and lost the tie-breaker. Although the PA announcer at St James prematurely pronounced that the Trojans had clinched a playoff spot, all four teams in the Area still have a chance to make or miss the postseason. ACA’s path would be a two-game sweep of MA and a sweep by either PCA or St James of each other.

The week started with games on Monday and Tuesday against Park Crossing and Autauga Academy. The Eagles defeated Park Crossing on Monday 20-4, which was the first time the Eagles had scored that many runs since 2009. On Tuesday, ACA defeated Autauga Academy 9-0 highlighted by a three-run homer by Teilan Long. Four pitchers were able to get some work and ready themselves for the St James series. However, the moment of the night was a third inning pinch-hit appearance by Jackson Burton. The senior has been unable to play so far this season due to injury and he delivered an RBI single in the at-bat. The run driven in was the 53rd of his career and moved him into the Top 20 in program history.

In game one of the St James series, the Trojans struck first with a run in the first, but ACA answered in the second to tie the game. Dee Howze delivered a two-out single that drove in Kennan McCarthy. St James scored three times in the fourth aided by two ACA errors and they would never trail again. St James scored ten runs over the last four innings to pull away for an 11-2 win. Bryson Dabney led the offense with two hits and a walk.

Like the PCA series, ACA got off to a good start in game two of the series. David Johnson and Beau Gainey delivered run scoring singles in the first to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. The lead stretched to four runs in the second as Ethan Dabney and David Johnson each drove in a run. The St James offense woke up and scored four runs over the next two innings to tie the game after three. David Johnson came in and shut the Trojan offense down over the final four innings as he allowed just two hits while striking out three, earning the victory on the mound. ACA scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh frames for the 7-4 win. Ethan Dabney went 3 for 3 with two walks, two RBI’s, and two runs scored to lead the offense. David Johnson finished 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs driven in. The offense could not put anything together in the tie-breaker and St James steadily pulled away for a 10-0 win in five innings. The offense mustered just four hits.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Ethan Dabney - .388, Teilan Long - .352, Beau Gainey - .310 On-base % - Teilan Long - .511, Ethan Dabney - .495, David Johnson - .458 RBI’s - Bryson Dabney - 18, Beau Gainey - 17, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - 16 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 23, Bryson Dabney - 21, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - 19

Wins - Mason Henry - 4, David Johnson and Beau Gainey - 3 Strikeouts - Mason Henry and Beau Gainey - 31, David Johnson and Cam Sutton - 29 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.63, Mason Henry - 3.03, David Johnson - 4.04

ACA Softball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (8-19-1) played two important Area games this week and ended with a split as they beat Trinity on Thursday after a loss to St James on Tuesday. The win over the Wildcats should help the team’s confidence as they prepare for the Area tournament. The Eagles will play Trinity in the opener of the tournament.

ACA played St James close in the early innings and trailed by just one run going to the bottom of the fourth inning. The Trojan bats came alive at that point as the home team scored nine times over the final three innings for a 12-2 win. Ann Marie and Adalee Lincoln recorded the only two hits for the Eagles.

Last week, Trinity handled ACA easily and the Lady Eagles knew they had to make a statement in Thursday’s match up. Maddie Owens was solid in the circle as she allowed just four hits and one run in her five innings of work. Six Wildcat errors aided the offense as Alabama Christian won 11-1. Campbell Hammett drove in four runs with two hits to lead the offense. Elizabeth Hall and Anna Gleason both contributed two hits as well.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .429, Anna Gleason - .411, Laura Matthews - .395 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .493, Anna Gleason - .476, Campbell Hammett - .442 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 19, Maddie Owens and Anna Gleason - 16 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 29, Elizabeth Hall - 19, Nora Burgess - 15

Wins - Maddie Owens - 6, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 45, Adalee Lincoln - 5 ERA - Maddie Owens - 5.76, Adalee Lincoln - 10.32

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (7-18-1) had a very busy week with two Area games and a weekend tournament in Northport, just outside Tuscaloosa. Although the results were not exactly what was hoped for, the week saw a few milestones reached. Tuesday against Trinity, Elizabeth Hall recorded her 100th career hit. Thursday against MA, the program won its 1,000th game. In the same game Anna Gleason reached the 100 career hit plateau with three doubles, which tied a single game record.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .431, Anna Gleason - .412, Laura Matthews - .405 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .492, Anna Gleason - .483, Campbell Hammett - .443 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 19, Anna Gleason and Maddie Owens - 15 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 28, Elizabeth Hall - 18, Nora Burgess - 13

Wins - Maddie Owens - 5, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 44, Adalee Lincoln - 4 ERA - Maddie Owens - 6.01, Adalee Lincoln - 9.87

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (10-12) opened Area play this week against PCA. ACA split with the Panthers although PCA won the tie-breaker game. Monday’s game against Tallassee was cancelled which meant it had been six days between games as the series started at PCA on Thursday. The umpiring school that the home fans must go to before each season really paid off as the crowd was able to loudly critique each perceived missed call by the umpires. The importance of the pitch, the score, the situation, did not matter, they gladly offered their expertise to the men in blue. Another thing that stood out was the glacier-like pace the Panther pitchers implemented, especially during games two and three. It was a mild surprise the ACA batters didn’t cramp up waiting for the pitch to be thrown.

Game one was dominated by PCA’s staff ace. The senior controlled the game from the outset. The highlight of the game was a sixth inning single by Mason Henry which broke up a no-hit bid by the PCA hurler. Dee Howze followed with another knock for the only two hits of the game for the Eagles. The game went the full seven innings in a 9-0 win for PCA.

PCA might have come in a little over confident to Friday’s doubleheader. The dominant performance the previous day and the recent results the past few years had the visitors feeling loose. The Panthers decided not to throw their number two starter in Friday’s opener but went with a pitcher ACA was very familiar with. The Eagles rocked their old friend for seven runs over 2 1/3 innings forcing an early exit. After three innings, ACA led 7-1. Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both delivered two-out singles in the first for ACA’s first two runs. In the second, Ethan Dabney doubled on a deep ball to center to drive in Dee Howze. After PCA scored in the top of the third, the home team took the momentum right back with four runs in the bottom half. Mason Henry, David Johnson, and Ethan Dabney all contributed run scoring hits in the frame. PCA scored three in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 7-4, but Alabama Christian responded again with two runs of their own to make it 9-4. ACA tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth to win the game 11-5 and split the series with PCA. Ethan Dabney was a force offensively with a 5 for 5 effort including a double and five RBI’s. Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both had three hits and drove in a run. David Johnson picked up the win controlling a very good lineup with three strikeouts over five innings. Cam Sutton pitched the last two innings in relief for the save.

The number two pitcher PCA saved for the tie-breaker game proved be just a little more than the ACA offense could handle with the exception of Ethan Dabney. After going 5 for 5 in game one the sophomore racked up two more hits in his first two at-bats of game two for seven straight hits over the two games. Dabney did all of this while catching all three games of the series. ACA was able to cut the lead to one run after four innings on a beautiful squeeze bunt by Alex Heilman but could not score again. In the seventh, trailing 5-1, the Eagles mounted a two-out rally and brought the tying run to the plate but was unable to score. PCA won the tie-breaker 5-1.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Teilan Long - .407, Ethan Dabney - .391, David Johnson - .312 On-base % - Teilan Long - .556, Ethan Dabney - .488, David Johnson - .477 RBI’s - Beau Gainey - 15, David Johnson - 13, Ethan Dabney and Jeremiah Johnson - 12 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 20, David Johnson and Bryson Dabney - 15

Wins - Mason Henry - 4, Beau Gainey - 3, David Johnson - 2 Strikeouts - Mason Henry and Beau Gainey - 27, Cam Sutton - 26 ERA - Mason Henry - 2.15, Cam Sutton - 2.60, Beau Gainey - 3.99

ACA Baseball Week in Review

ACA (7-9) went to the beach for spring break to play in the Gulf Coast Classic. The Eagles won their last game of four for the week as they defeated Calera, 9-1. The squad played a doubleheader on Monday in frigid weather with single games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Four players, Teilan Long, Ethan Dabney, David Johnson, and Beau Gainey, had hits in all four games. Long and Gainey led the team with seven hits each.

In the finale, Jake Hunt’s two-run triple in the bottom of the fourth jump started the offense. In the fifth, Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both had run scoring singles in a six-run frame. ACA tacked on a final run in the sixth for a 9-1 triumph. Mason Henry pitched all six innings for the win allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Teilan Long and Bryson Dabney both had two hits to lead the offense.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Teilan Long - .370, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - .333 On-base % - Teilan Long - .547, David Johnson - .524, Ethan Dabney - .459 RBI’s - Beau Gainey - 12, David Johnson - 10, Bryson Dabney and Jeremiah Johnson - 9 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 17, Bryson Dabney - 14, David Johnson - 12

Wins - Mason Henry - 3, Beau Gainey - 2, Cam Sutton and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Mason Henry - 26, Beau Gainey - 22, Cam Sutton - 21 ERA - Mason Henry - 2.44, Beau Gainey - 2.67, Cam Sutton - 2.88

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (4-11) spent half of their spring break at the beach participating in the Gulf Coast Classic. The team won one of five games as they completed against teams from Alabama and Tennessee. The schedule makers did them no favors as ACA played in the final game of the day on Monday night and the first game of the day at 8:00 Tuesday morning. Elizabeth Hall, Ann Marie Lincoln, and Adalee Lincoln each had four hits on the week to lead the team.

In the weeks only win, Alabama Christian trailed 1-4 going to the bottom of the third inning. The offense exploded for eight runs over the next two frames for the 9-4 victory. In the third, the Lincoln sisters produced back to back singles driving in three runs to tie the game, 4-4. In the fourth, Emma Redmon drove in the winning run with a double to right and later scored herself in the five-run frame. Four players, Elizabeth Hall, Chloe Childs, Ann Marie Lincoln, and Adalee Lincoln, each had two hits to lead the offense. Adalee drove in three runs and scored twice.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .500, Laura Matthews - .409, Anna Gleason - .400 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .526, Adalee Lincoln - .486, Anna Gleason - .471 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 13, Adalee Lincoln - 7, Anna Gleason, Laura Matthews, and Maddie Owens - 6 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 18, Elizabeth Hall - 11, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 8

Wins - Maddie Owens and Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 21, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Maddie Owens - 7.10, Adalee Lincoln - 9.00

ACA Baseball Week in Review

The Eagles (6-6) played in-town opponents this week and won one of three games. The week started at home against Brew Tech on Monday. The game was a pitcher’s duel which ACA won, 3-2. The offense was provided by the Dansby brothers as they collected all four hits for the Alabama Christian offense. Ethan drove in the game winner in the sixth with a two-out single to left driving in AJ Shannon. Beau Gainey picked up the win with three innings of one-hit relief work. The righty struck out three with no walks.

Tuesday brought Catholic calling in what would end up as a high scoring game. Early on, the Eagles had things their way as they scored three runs in the first and David Johnson mowed through the Knight’s lineup not allowing his first hit until two outs in the fourth inning. However, once the Catholic offense got rolling, ACA couldn’t stop them. The visitors scored eleven runs over the final four innings in an 11-7 defeat of ACA. Jeremiah Johnson and Teilan Long led the offense with two hits apiece.

Friday sent ACA to Trinity for an afternoon contest. The song choices from the press box for the opposing players was disappointing at best, classless at worst, but that didn’t take away from the Wildcat’s effort on the field. The Eagles had Trinity’s starter on the ropes in the first two innings but could not produce the timely hit needed to score a run. In the first, ACA had runners at first and second with no outs, but two strikeouts and fly ball ended the inning. In the second, ACA loaded the bases with one out but a strikeouts and a fly ball once again ended the threat. The offense did not put a man in scoring position with less than two outs again until the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Trinity’s offense did just enough for the 5-0 win. Jeremiah Johnson, Alex Heilman, and Ethan Dabney each had two hits to lead the offense.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Alex Heilman - .324, David Johnson - .312, Jeremiah Johnson - .306 On-base % - David Johnson - .532, Teilan Long - .521, Ethan Dabney - .467 RBI’s - Jeremiah Johnson and Beau Gainey - 9, David Johnson - 8 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 13, Bryson Dabney - 11, David Johnson - 9

Wins - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 2, Cam Sutton and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 19, Cam Sutton - 18 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.33, Mason Henry - 2.88, Baeu Gainey - 3.07

ACA Softball Week in Review

For the second week in a row, Alabama Christian (3-7) played just one game over the course of the week. The Eagles hosted Stanhope Elmore on Monday and were defeated in an extra inning shootout, 10-13. ACA scored three in the first as Elizabeth Hall smashed a two-run homer in the inning. Stanhope scored seven in the third and owned a 7-4 lead after three. In the sixth, ACA took a two-run lead after scoring three times in the bottom half. Unfortunately, the Mustangs scored twice in the seventh to force extras. In the eighth, the visitors scored four times and held ACA to one run for the 13-10 win.

Despite the loss, the offense was in high gear on the afternoon. Anna Gleason went 4 for 5 with three RBI’s to lead the team. Campbell Hammett and Elizabeth Hall both had two hits. Hammett scored five runs and stole four bases against Stanhope. She is the eighth player in program history to score at least five runs in a game and the first since 1996. In addition, she is just the sixth player in program history to steal at least four bases in a game.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .524, Anna Gleason - .440, Campbell Hammett - .333 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - ..536, Anna Gleason - .517, Adalee Lincoln - .500 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 13, Laura Matthews - 6, Anna Gleason - 5 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 16, Elizabeth Hall - 9, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 7

Wins - Adalee Lincoln - 2, Maddie Owens - 1 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 16, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Adalee Lincoln - 5.37, Maddie Owens - 8.08

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (5-4) split its four games this week as they participated in the FCA tournament Wednesday through Saturday. The week started with a home game against Autauga Academy on Monday. ACA took advantage of nine General’s walks, five errors, three hit batsmen, and two catchers interference calls in a 10-2 victory. David Johnson pitched six innings with eight strikeouts to earn the win and added two hits at the plate. Dee Howze went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s.

The remainder of the week, the Eagles played in the FCA tournament with all three of their games being held at Riverwalk. ACA opened against Lee-Scott on Wednesday. The game was tied 1-1 after three innings, but LSA scored ten runs over the next three innings for an 11-1 win. David Johnson drove in Teilan Long in the first inning for the team’s only run. On Friday, Alabama Christian took on Pike Road. The contest did not feature much offense, but the Patriots did just enough for a 2-1 victory. Cam Sutton pitched a solid six innings and deserved a better outcome, but the offense left eight runners on base and did not have a single hit with runners in scoring position.

Saturday saw Mason Henry pitch a gem of a game and the offense came through in a 6-1 defeat of Marbury. The freshman went the distance allowing just three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. The righty also helped himself at the plate with three hits in four at-bats. Beau Gainey also delivered three hits with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Bryson Dabney, Teilan Long, and David Johnson each had two hits. Every starter had at least one hit.

ACA trailed 0-1 after four innings. In the fifth, Ethan Dabney had a two-out single to center to tie the game. In the sixth there was more two-out drama as the Eagles took the lead on a bases loaded walk by Teilan Long. In the seventh, four insurance runs sure felt good as ACA pulled away. Beau Gainey, Alex Heilman, and Long each had run scoring hits.

Team Leaders

Batting Avg. - David Johnson and Dee Howze - .400, Teilan Long - .333 On-Base % - David Johnson - .571, Teilan Long - .556, Ethan Dabney - .485 RBI’s - David Johnson and Beau Gainey - 8, Jeremiah Johnson - 7 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 12, Bryson Dabney - 11, Jeremiah Johnson and David Johnson - 7

Wins - Mason Henry - 2, Cam Sutton, Beau Gainey, and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Cam Sutton - 18, Beau Gainey - 16, David Johnson - 15 ERA - Cam Sutton - 0.84, David Johnson - 1.36, Mason Henry - 1.91