CLASS 3A BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Montgomery Academy outlasts Mars Hill for title
Montgomery Academy earned the Class 3A state championship trophy on Friday, defeating Mars Hill Bible in the finals. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
BIRMINGHAM -- History was being made on Friday in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 3A boys’ state finals at Legacy Arena.
On one end of the court was Mars Hill Bible, the defending 2A state champion which had been elevated to 3A by Competitive Balance Factor and had defied the odds to reach the finals.
On the other end of the court was Montgomery Academy, a team that had never advanced past the regional semifinals over the previous nine years and had defied the odds by reaching the state tournament for only the fourth time in school history.
The Eagles won out early with their defensive pressure and transition game, then held off the Panthers down the stretch to claim a 65-56 victory and the school’s first-ever boys’ basketball championship.
“All 15 of our young men on our team, they deserve every second of this,” Montgomery Academy coach Jeremy Arant said. “They’re such a blessing in my life. These kids work their tails off. They’re obviously super talented.”
Mars Hill Bible (25-9) cut Montgomery Academy’s lead to a point in both the third and fourth quarters. The Eagles responded to the second challenge by scoring nine unanswered points in the final two minutes to win the battle.
“It’s definitely a blessing,” said Montgomery Academy senior Skyler Stovall, the tournament’s most valuable player. “I definitely want to thank God. It was a battle. They made us work for it. Hats off to them but we came out on top. I’m overwhelmed. It’s amazing.”
Since the regional format was introduced in 1994, Montgomery Academy has earned just four trips to the state tournament, the first three under former coach Anthony McCall. The Eagles made the 3A semifinals in 2012 and 2015 and lost in the 2A finals to Sumter County High in 2004.
“It means a lot to win the state championship because our school has never done it,” MA sophomore Braden Gordon said. “This is the first time in school history. Everyone of our seniors deserve it.”
Mars Hill Bible coach Jeremy Pounders didn’t see it that way. The Panthers never led and trailed by as much as 17 points late in the second quarter before going on a 12-0 run to close out the first half and pull within five points at the break.
“We didn’t really start the game like we wanted,” Pounders said. “We kind of gave away a quarter and a half of basketball. I don’t know, it was about 3 (minutes) or 3:30 to go, down one, I think we had a great opportunity to put the game away there. Congratulations to Montgomery Academy, but after we were down 17, we showed we were the better team. I think we knew they couldn’t guard us in the halfcourt. When we didn’t turn the ball over, we got kind of what we wanted in the halfcourt.”
Montgomery Academy got 48 of its 65 points from Stovall and Gordon. When the Eagles extended their lead with a 16-4 run in the second quarter, a lot of the offensive explosion came from Stovall, who contributed four baskets, a free throw and an assist.
“There in the second quarter, we started to stretch it out and it almost got the feeling like some of the other games that we’ve played this year have gotten,” Arant admitted. “Really, their experience … Eli Pounders was phenomenal, unbelievable in the game. Him and (Sam) Sweatt, they just controlled their team really well (with) their toughness. We’re not going away. All the credit goes to them.”
In the third quarter, Montgomery Academy extended the lead to nine points on two occasions, but the Panthers continued to rally. In the fourth quarter, Mars Hill Bible pulled within 56-55 with 2:25 left and Gordon came through with the clutch basket that triggered a 9-0 run.
“I wanted the ball,” Gordon said. “I felt like I could exploit my matchup. I just wanted the ball so we can go win the game.”
Stovall had 25 points, seven rebounds and four steals, while Gordon had 23 points, 10 rebounds and four steals to help Montgomery Academy (34-2) finish with a school-record 34 wins.
Eli Pounders had 23 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots to lead Mars Hill.
“We got looks,” Jeremy Pounders said. “That’s what we wanted from the start. That didn’t really happen. It was a great job by us, settling down. Most teams they’ve played this year, it would just go on to be a 40-point game. I challenged (the players), they responded and I’m very proud of them for that.”