PREP BRIEFS: Autauga Academy's Dolby signs with Erskine; MA tennis doubles duo reaches milestone

Autauga Academy lineman Luke Dolby will play football for Erskine College next fall. (Tim Gayle)

COMBINED REPORTS

PRATTVILLE -- With his 6-foot-2, 275-pound frame, Luke Dolby was dominating at the Class 1A level the past couple of years for the Autauga Academy Generals.

But he knew it would take more to develop his skills into a collegiate player, so he did the extra work in the weight room to get himself noticed.

“He has definitely stepped up his game and gotten in the weight room,” Autauga Academy coach Jeremy Carter said. “He’s been training daily. He has really put in the effort and the work to deserve this opportunity to go to the next level. He’s just a hard worker. He’s great in the classroom, great in the community, one of the hardest workers that we have.” 

Dolby was rewarded with an invitation to play for Erskine College, a small Division II private school in South Carolina. On Friday morning, he held a signing ceremony in the school gym to celebrate the achievement.

“I worked really hard for this,” he said. “I’ve been thanking God a lot. That’s one reason why I’m here. I’d just like to give thanks to God for all of this.”

He earned an invitation to play for Erskine after responding to a social media post from Erskine strength and conditioning coach Collyn Richardson.

 “They posted something on Twitter,” Dolby said, “and I responded back to it. Coach Richardson, the D-line coach and the strength and conditioning coach, we had a pretty good talk over texts. Then I went on a visit and got an offer. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to play.”

Dolby transferred to Autauga from Marbury, then went back to Marbury briefly, forcing him to sit out a year for transferring. His work ethic on and off the field helped overcome any obstacles presented by sitting out of football for a year, Carter said. It also sends a message to the younger players on the team that were present for Friday’s ceremony.

“For us, anybody that signs to play at the next level helps our school tremendously,” Carter said. “It lets people know that we can produce athletes to go to the next level just like anybody else can. With hard work, anybody can go.”

BOYS TENNIS

Montgomery Academy 7, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 2

OPELIKA -- In the final match of the regular season, John Alford and Jackson Brown reached 100 doubles wins as a doubles team in Montgomery Academy’s 7-2 win over Hillcrest on Friday.

Alford, a senior, and Brown, a junior, have both posted 100 career wins in doubles but now have eclipsed that mark as a tandem.

Brown, Ford Morano, Edwin Wu, Liam Baker and Duncan McInnes won singles matches, while Alford-Brown and Anton Yang and Bo Johnston won doubles matches.

Montgomery Academy (18-1) will play in the Class 7A Section 2 match on Monday at Lagoon Park Tennis Center and on Tuesday at O’Connor Tennis Center.

GIRLS SOCCER

Catholic 4, Trinity 0

Anna Russo scored a pair of goals and assisted on the other two as the Knights defeated Trinity 4-0 in a 4A Area 3 soccer game on Thursday.

Kate Johnson scored the game’s first goal with an assist from Russo. Russo scored the second goal with an assist from Eryn Owens before the roles were reversed, with Owens scoring on an assist from Russo. Russo scored the game’s final goal as well.

Senior goalkeeper Heather Walski picked up her fourth shutout of the season but had no saves as there were no shots on goal. The defense of Claire Aaron, Kendall Johnson, Olivia Celka and Joanna Marlow prevented Trinity from getting any shots on goal.

Catholic (15-3) improved to 9-0 in 4A Area 3 play and has outscored its area opponents 67-0. The Knights will close out area play on Monday at once-beaten St. James at 5:30 p.m.

Prattville Christian 2, Charles Henderson 2

PRATTVILLE -- Addison Sutton led the Panthers with a pair of goals as Prattville Christian salvaged a 2-2 tie with Charles Henderson on Friday at Panther Stadium.

Mimi Szeker had one assist.  

PCA (4-8-2) will travel to play Autauga Academy on Monday.

BASEBALL

Alabama Christian 14-12, Montgomery Academy 1-11

Montgomery Academy rallied from a 7-0 deficit in the second game of a doubleheader, cutting the Alabama Christian lead to a run in the bottom of the seventh before falling 12-11 on Friday at Bowman Field.

ACA won the first game of the series, then took the first game of Friday’s doubleheader 14-1.

Montgomery Academy’s Paxton Haigler, Oscar Fiore and Andrew Hosein each picked up a hit, with Hoseim having the lone RBI.

Reid McBride got the start on the mound for the Eagles. Vincent Desautels pitched in relief. Hays Marks pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out one.

In the second game, Montgomery Academy scored two runs in the bottom of the second, five in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh to rally from an early 7-0 deficit.

Montgomery Academy was led at the plate by Graham Martin and William Marks who each finished with three hits and two RBIs. Hosein and McBride each had two hits each with McBride finishing with two RBIs. Fiore, Nathan Applegate, and Chapman Baker each had a hit for MA, with Fiore finishing with two RBIs and Applegate and Baker each driving in a run.

Hosein got the start for the Eagles. Finley Haigler and William Marks pitched in relief. Hays Marks pitched the final 2.1 innings of no-hit relief, striking out two.

Montgomery Academy (12-10)  wraps up the season on Monday at home against Highland Home at 4:30 p.m. Friday’s doubleheader wrapped up the season for ACA.