PREP HOOPS: MA girls looking for right combo; JD boys, Brew Tech girls win Chapman tourney

By TIM GAYLE

Wednesday’s consolation finals in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic was a learning experience for both coaches and players.

Montgomery Academy, still trying to find the right combination in rebuilding from the loss of six seniors from a year ago, struggled to score in Wednesday’s 40-35 loss to Pike Road, a problem the Eagles likely will face all season.

“I’ve learned that some of the younger people can help us and how they can help us,” Montgomery Academy coach Reg Mantooth said. “The biggest thing is we’ve got to get better. We’ve got some game experience now. We can watch some film and look at some things we did and try to get better.”

Pike Road, which jumped out to an early five-point lead in a defensive struggle, has some of the same issues after graduating the bulk of its team after reaching the state tournament two years ago and often struggles to close out games.

“We use these games to help us in the long run,” Pike Road coach Barry Fencher said. “A couple of times, we were up by 10 and let them back in the game when we could have pushed it out, but that’s part of their growth and learning how to win. It was a good win for us.” 

With top scorer Chloe Johnson sidelined with an illness on Tuesday, Mantooth moved Virginia Meacham to point guard against Brew Tech on Tuesday and repeated the strategy on Wednesday as Johnson struggled to regain her rhythm. 

Meacham scored seven of her game-high 13 points in the first half, while Johnson scored eight of her 11 points in the fourth quarter in a desperate attempt to rally her team, getting as close as 37-35 on her final basket with 33.4 points remaining.

“We had a lot of people to step up and play their roles,” Fencher said. “I know they’re a little limited in what they do. I know who their key players are and we tried to take those two out of the game. Down the stretch, we missed a lot of free throws that really kept it close.”

In the final seconds, with Pike Road concentrating on Meacham and Johnson, the Eagles failed to find any offensive options.  

“We’ve got a lot of inexperience,” Mantooth said. “We didn’t play hard, consistently. Our effort wasn’t what it needed to be. You can blame that on sickness or whatever and I’m not really including Chloe in that, but our effort was not what it needed to be.

“I thought we played much harder (on Tuesday). We did not play with that same effort and intensity today.”

Emerson Spohr led Pike Road with nine points, followed by Jazz Johnson and K.J. Fencher with eight points each. All of Fencher’s points came at the free-throw line, where she was 8 of 10 to help the Patriots put the game out of reach.

Montgomery Academy (1-2) return to action on Tuesday at Alabama Christian Academy. Pike Road (3-1) returns home to play host to Marbury on Tuesday.

BOYS 

Jeff Davis 83, Loachapoka 58

Ketwan Reeves scored 23 points and Zidkijah Edmond added 20 as Jeff Davis cruised past Loachapoka 83-58 in the championship game of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

Jaxon Williams added 14 points and Terrance Sinclair had nine as the 7A Vols were tested early by the 1A Indians before a 29-point second quarter gave Jeff Davis a comfortable 14-point cushion at halftime.

Jay Moore led Loachapoka with 23 points, followed by Montavious Montgomery with nine and Quinton Cooks with eight.

Edmond was selected as the most valuable player of the tournament and was joined on the all-tournament team by Reeves, Moore and Jamari Payne of Loachapoka and Marbury’s Azeer Hicks. 

Brewbaker Tech’s Davis Baker was presented the Coach Larry Chapman Character Award.

Marbury 74, Autaugaville 61

Grayson Cannon scored 16 of his 35 points in the second quarter as the 5A Bulldogs took a 19-point lead at the half and held off the 1A Eagles in the consolation finals of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

Azeer Hicks and Matt Johnson each added 12 points as the Bulldogs handed Autaugaville (6-2) their second consecutive loss in as many days. 

Jaden Nixon had 30 points to lead Autaugaville, followed by Antonio Hardy with 12 and Cortez Parker with 10.

Brew Tech 64, Montgomery Academy 42

Cole Caddell scored 21 points to lead Montgomery Academy but the Eagles fell short in Wednesday’s game with Brewbaker Tech in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at Montgomery Academy.

Seth Edwards chipped in 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. 

Montgomery Academy (0-3) is scheduled to play at Alabama Christian on Tuesday.

Prattville Christian 73, Cedar Bluff 24

GUNTERSVILLE -- Carson Roberson scored 16 points to lead the Panthers to a win in the Supreme Courts Thanksgiving Tournament on Wednesday. 

Cade Segars added 15 points, followed by Conner Williams with 14 points and four rebounds, Coleman Hunter with nine points and nine rebounds and Brady Roberson with eight points. 

PJ Evans added six points and six rebounds, while Camron Coleman grabbed six rebounds. Brady Hughes grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. 

PCA (4-2) will play host to St. James on Tuesday.

GIRLS

Prattville Christian 61, Gadsden City 41

GUNTERSVILLE -- The defending 3A state champions completed their play in the Supreme Courts Thanksgiving Tournament with a 20-point rout of Class 7A Gadsden City on Wednesday as Ella Jane Connell had 21 points, five assists and four rebounds to lead undefeated PCA (9-0).

Hannah Jones added 18 points and eight rebounds, CoCo Thomas had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Avery Rogers scored nine points for PCA. Sarah Williams dished out four assists and Kayden Carr grabbed four rebounds. 

PCA will play host to St. James on Tuesday.

Brew Tech 38, Loachapoka 32

Jill Baine scored 16 points and Erin Martin added nine as the 5A Rams gradually extended their lead over the 1A Indians in a defensive struggle to win the championship game of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

The Rams won with defense, holding Loachapoka guards Taylah Murph and Jasmyn Thomas in check for much of the afternoon. Thomas scored 12 points in the second half to finish with 17, while Murph added nine.

Baine was selected as the most valuable player of the tournament and was joined on the all-tournament team by Martin, Murph, Thomas and Pike Road’s Jazz Johnson. Montgomery Academy’s Anne Francis Little was presented the Coach Larry Chapman Character Award.

Stanhope Elmore 60, Marbury 39

Jace Haynes scored 14 points to lead Stanhope Elmore to a 60-39 win over Marbury to take fifth place in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic at Montgomery Academy on Wednesday.

Jada Mcleod added 12 points for the Mustangs (3-1), followed by Ariel Gilchrist with 11 and Kelbi Johnson with 10.

Gabrielle Brown led Marbury with 11 points, followed by Justice Blackmon with nine.

Hooper Academy 47, South Choctaw Academy 39 (2OT)

HOPE HULL -- Victoria Hagemann had 18 points and Grace Seal added 13 to lead the Colts past South Choctaw Academy in overtime on Tuesday in the Hooper Thanksgiving Classic.

Sydney Dicks added eight points for Hooper (2-2), which returns to action on Tuesday at home against Meadowview Christian.

Emma Kate Williams led South Choctaw with 26 points.

Hooper Academy 52. Autauga Academy 36

HOPE HULL -- Sydney Dicks scored 17 points to lead the Colts to their first victory of the 2021-22 season in the Hooper Thanksgiving Classic on Monday.

Victoria Hagemann added 10 points and Grace Seale had nine for Hooper (1-2), which returns to action in the tournament on Tuesday against South Choctaw Academy.

Haley Gantt and Kacey Burnette led Autauga (0-1) with nine points each.