PREP UPDATE: MA hoops sweep Chilton County; Hooper girls top Lee-Scott

COMBINED REPORTS

BOYS BASKETBALL

Montgomery Academy 68, Chilton County 36

Montgomery Academy won their home opener against Chilton County in convincing fashion on Friday as the Eagles jumped out to a 34-16 halftime lead and then outscored Chilton County 18-5 in the fourth quarter.

Montgomery Academy got points from nine different players, led by Skyler Stovall with 20 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists.

DJ Vinson and Brewer Welch each added eight points with Vinson also adding 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots while Welch also added seven steals, seven assists and five rebounds. Seth Edwards had seven points and seven rebounds, Jarrett Friendly had seven points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks and John Alford had seven points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench. 

Montgomery Academy (2-0) will play Lanett in the first round of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic on Monday at 1 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Montgomery Academy 42, Chilton County 35 

Olivia Smith had 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the Eagles to a 42-35 win over the 6A Tigers in the 2023-24 home opener at Joe Mooty Court on Friday night.

Caroline Waller added 10 points for the Eagles, followed by Sophia Cho with nine points. Kaci Armistead added seven assists.  

Montgomery Academy (1-1) will play J.A.G. in the first round of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip Off Classic on Monday at 2:30 p.m.

Hooper Academy 44, Lee-Scott Academy 42

HOPE HULL -- Kaylee Midkiff had 15 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Colts to a 44-42 win over the Warriors in Darrell Self Memorial Gym on Friday. 

Ashbee Norman added 10 points, four rebounds, a steal and a pair of assists, Victoria Hagemann had six points and seven rebounds, Grace Seale had six points, six rebounds, a steal and an assist, KG Taylor had four points and three rebounds and Raylee Midkiff had two points and two rebounds.

Hooper will take a break for Thanksgiving and return to action on Nov. 27 at home against Fort Dale Academy.

Lakeside School 54, Macon East Academy 19

CECIL -- Chloe Helms scored 19 points, all in the first half, to lead the Chiefs to an easy 35-point win over the Knights in the Macon East gym on Friday night. 

The Lady Chiefs led Macon East 25-3 at the end of the first quarter and 48-9 at the half.

Sophie Seaborn added 13 points and Dylin White and Addy Helms both chipped in seven points each.

The Lady Chiefs are back in action next week at the Terrell Academy Tournament, while Macon East takes a break for Thanksgiving and returns to action on Dec. 1 against Lowndes Academy in Lowndesboro. 

Hooper Academy 52, Morgan Academy 26

HOPE HULL -- Victoria Hagemann had 12 points, six rebounds and a steal to lead the Colts to a comfortable victory in their 2023-24 home opener on Monday.

Grace Seale added seven points, four rebounds, three steals and an assist, Kaylee Midkiff had six points and three rebounds, Henlee Garvin had six points and six rebounds, Ashbee Norman had four points, six steals and six assists, KG Taylor had four points, three rebounds and four steals, Emma Griggs had four points, three rebounds and a steal and Annie Bressler had four points, two rebounds, three steals and an assist.

FOOTBALL

8-MAN AISA CHAMPIONSHIP

Cornerstone Christian quarterback Zeke Adams was running in his end zone when a Springwood defender was blocked into him. 

Adams bounced off the defender, kept his balance and sprinted 97 yards for a touchdown to help the Chargers rally from a 12-point deficit and defeat the Wildcats 66-18 in the Alabama Independent School Association Eight-Man finals at Cramton Bowl on Thursday. 

It marks the first-ever football championship for Cornerstone (11-1), which defeated Springwood for the second time this season. 

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” Cornerstone coach James Lee said. “These guys have worked so hard to get to this point and we’re just so thankful.”

Springwood ends the season at 9-3 after losing in the finals for the second consecutive season. 

Adams finished the game with 335 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries, but no run was bigger than his first touchdown scramble to help the Chargers rally from a 12-0 deficit.

“It was a call to the left, stack right, and I realized I could cut in or go out,” Adams said. “I chose out. It paid off in the end, I just had to keep my balance.”

A pair of touchdown runs by Adams, the second one covering 90 yards, helped Cornerstone finally gain the lead at 22-18 late in the first half but the game took a turn against the Wildcats moments later when Springwood quarterback Luke Hudson dropped to pass and crumbled to the ground. Cash Causey scooped up the fumble and went 55 yards to make it 30-18.

“I went downfield to block (earlier in the game) and I was blocking the guy and felt my knee shift out of place and pop,” Hudson said. “I got carried off the field, but I didn’t want to go out. There’s no way I was taking myself out of the game. I continued to try and play but it just collapsed on me when I tried to throw a pass later on in the game. I was trying to give it all I’ve got. It just didn’t turn out good.”

With an injury to Dylan Reeves the previous week, the Wildcats had no one left to turn to. Tailback CJ Johnson, who had 161 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries, ran out of steam quickly as the only runner. 

“In eight-man, you’re thin anyway and that was quarterback one, two and three,” Springwood coach Joey Burch said. “We kind of got where we couldn’t throw the ball, we couldn’t run our offense. We ran poor C.J. Johnson to death. We were very predictable.

“We’ve all been there, when you turn around to get someone to sub and there’s nobody there. I got a couple of delay calls because I tied to come up with some plays that would get us positive yards and maybe rest some people.”