AHSAA AREA TOURNEY: Catholic tops Prattville Christian in 3A, Area 6 semis
Action from Montgomery Catholic’s win over Prattville Christian in the Class 3A, Area 6 semifinal game on Wednesday. (Staff Photos)
By GRAHAM DUNN
After an eight-day layoff, Montgomery Catholic coach Mike Curry had a notion that his team might show a little rust in their Class 3A, Area 6 semifinal game against Prattville Christian on Wednesday.
But by the third quarter, the rust was gone and the Knights were back to their identity of fast-paced action in a 67-40 win over the Panthers at the Catholic gymnasium.
The Knights turned a 25-18 lead at halftime into a 22-point advantage by the end of the third period on the way to an easy win and a berth in the area finals on Saturday.
“(I) thought it took us a while to get going,” Curry said. “We made our run and stayed after it. Early, we may have been pressing. It took us a while but once we did, we got ourselves right.”
Daniel Jamerson scored 14 first-half points to help the Knights build their lead. Isaiah Kindle got hot with a couple of 3-pointers in the third period as Catholic built an insurmountable lead. At one point, the lead reached 31 points in the final quarter.
“Isaiah gave us a boost off the bench,” Curry said. “He made a couple of shots. That seemed to get everybody going.
“There was no Knute Rockne speech (at halftime). We had to adjust to the way the game was being called. We are playing up and down and we bump and grind a little bit and I told them they had to adjust.”
PCA had other problems prior to the game. Coach Jason Roberson was not in attendance due to a bout with COVID-19. Also three key players were missing in Carson Roberson (the team’s second-leading scorer), Cam Coleman and Cole Houston.
Jacob Comer did his best to take up the slack, scoring all but seven of the Panthers’ points in the game. He finished with 33.
“(Jason) is the brains behind everything so it was as difficult as it could be,” stated acting coach Jim Graham. “Jacob did it all. But we didn’t rebound well enough in the first half. We missed too many free throws and didn’t block out. It got out of hand in the third quarter.”
“I hate it for (Roberson) and for them,” Curry said of his opponent. “I didn’t tell our guys (before the game). I hope he gets well and can get back quickly.”
Kindle finished with 13 points and Johntarius Green added 10 points, 10 assists and four steals for Catholic (16-5). Jamerson had nine rebounds and four blocked shots.
Comer finished his career with 1,518 points, the third-most in PCA history. Coleman Hunter added 10 rebounds for the Panthers.
The win moves Catholic into the area final against Trinity Presbyterian. The two will meet Saturday at 6 p.m. at Catholic. PCA finishes the season at 9-9.