LET THE GAMES BEGIN: 100th State basketball tourney opens with five River Region teams looking for title

Coach Darren Golson, Jamarcus Golson and the Autaugaville Eagles open defense of their 1A state title today in Birmingham. (Staff Photo)

By GRAHAM DUNN

The quest for a state championship in basketball started back in October.

For 56 teams, that dream comes to fruition this week.

The 100th AHSAA state championships (the 44th for the girls) opens Monday at the Birmingham Legacy Arena at the BJCC. A total of 42 games will decide 14 champions.

The current format dates back to 1994 when it moved from Tuscaloosa and Auburn to the BJCC. The tournament has featured great players, most recently, such as JaMychal Green (St. Jude), Ron Steele (John Carroll), Antoine Pettway (Wilcox Central), Doc Robinson (Selma). Girls include Starr Orr (Speake), Gwen Jackson (Eufaula) Nichole Carruth (Sulligent) and Heather Mayes (Fyffe).

Two teams from the River Region are back to defend their title – Autaugaville in Class 1A boys and Prattville Christian in 3A girls. Four others – St. James boys and girls and Park Crossing boys and girls  - are looking for their first state title. In the case of Park Crossing and the St. James boys, it is their first trip to the event.

The last boys’ team from Montgomery to win a title  was R.E. Lee three years ago. That was the Generals’ first-ever title in the sport.

Jeff Davis was the last girls’ team from the Capital City to win a title in 2017.

Statewide, six teams are back to defend a title. Along with Autaugaville and PCA are Skyline (girls 1A), Pisgah (girls 2A), Hazel Green (girls 6A), Hoover (girls 7A) and Lee -Huntsville (boys 5A).

A total of 30 teams are after their first-ever title. In boys’ 7A, all four teams have never won a championship in the sport.

Only one team – Hazel Green – enters the finals with a perfect record at 33-0. The  are looking for their fifth straight title under former Jeff Davis coach Tim Miller and their sixth-straight trip to the championship game.

One team – Mars Hill Bible –  has a losing record at 14-16. Seven teams have 30 or more wins.

The River Region has never had more than three teams win a title in the same year. It happened twice - 2006 (St. Jude boys, Jeff Davis boys and girls) and in 1999 (Montgomery Academy girls, Catholic boys and Trinity boys).

The last team from the River Region to win back-to back titles was the Jeff Davis girls 2015-16. The last boys’ team was St. Jude in 2013 and 2014.

Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com (click).

STATE FINALS SCHEDULE

Birmingham Legacy Arena

MONDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 1A
Girls’ Semifinals
Loachapoka (20-8) vs. Skyline (27-8), 9 a.m.
University Charter School (15-8) vs. Marion County (27-7), noon
Boys’ Semifinals
Brantley (21-6) vs. Decatur Heritage (20-7), 10:30 a.m.
Autaugaville (27-2) vs. Covenant Christian (28-6),1:30 p.m.

CLASS 2A
Girls’ Semifinals
Lanett (17-7) vs. Pisgah (31-3), 3 p.m.
St. Luke’s Episcopal (19-8) vs. Sulligent (21-2), 6 p.m.
Boys’ Semifinals
Lanett (18-3) vs. Section (26-9), 4:30 p.m.
Highland Home (28-7) vs. Mars Hill Bible (14-16), 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 3A
Girls’ Semifinals
Prattville Christian (34-1) vs. Plainview (26-8), 9 a.m.
Southside-Selma (21-7) vs. Susan Moore (29-4), noon
Boys’ Semifinals
Houston Academy (22-9) vs. Plainview (29-6), 10:30 a.m.
Southside-Selma (21-9) vs. Winfield (30-5), 1:30 p.m.

CLASS 4A
Girls’ Semifinals
St. James (22-6) vs. New Hope (26-5), 3 p.m.
Vigor (16-11) vs. Deshler (29-1), 6 p.m.
Boys’ Semifinals
St. James (15-6) vs. Jacksonville (26-5), 4:30 p.m.
Escambia County (26-4) vs. Haleyville (25-7), 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 6A
Girls’ Semifinals
Pelham (26-5) vs. Oxford (26-4), 9 a.m.
Park Crossing (30-4) vs. Hazel Green (33-0), noon
Boys’ Semifinals
McGill-Toolen Catholic (29-4) vs. Huffman (28-5), 10:30 a.m.
Park Crossing (27-4) vs. Cullman (27-3), 1:30 p.m.

CLASS 5A
Girls’ Semifinals
Charles Henderson (17-11) vs. Guntersville (28-5), 3 p.m.
St. Paul’s Episcopal (18-11) vs. Lee-Huntsville (25-6), 6 p.m.
Boys’ Semifinals
Carroll, Ozark (25-7) vs. Ramsay (26-9), 4:30 p.m.
UMS-Wright (18-9) vs.Lee-Huntsville (21-5), 6:30 p.m.

THURSDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 7A
Girls’ Semifinals
Auburn (20-6) vs. Vestavia Hills (32-2), 9 a.m.
Davidson (30-2) vs. Hoover (30-3), noon
Boys’ Semifinals
Enterprise (23-6) vs. Spain Park (26-7), 10:30 a.m.
Baker (31-3) vs. James Clemens (19-9), 1:30 p.m.

CLASS 1A CHAMPIONSHIPS
1A Girls’ Finals, 4 p.m.
1A Boys’ Finals, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIPS
2A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 4, 9 a.m.
2A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 4, 10:45 a.m.

CLASS 3A CHAMPIONSHIPS
3A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 4, 12:30 p.m.
3A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 4, 2:15 p.m.

CLASS 4A CHAMPIONSHIPS
4A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 4, 4 p.m.
4A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 4, 5:45 p.m.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE
CLASS 5A CHAMPIONSHIPS
5A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 5, 9 a.m.
5A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 5, 10:45 a.m.

CLASS 6A CHAMPIONSHIPS
6A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 5, 12:30 p.m.
6A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 5, 2:15 p.m.

CLASS 7A CHAMPIONSHIPS
7A Girls’ Finals, Mar. 5, 4 p.m.
7A Boys’ Finals, Mar. 5, 5:45 p.m.