PREP ROUNDUP: South beats North in All-Star Football; Trinity wins in CCC Tourney
COMBINED REPORTS
MOBILE – The 62nd annual AHSAA North-South All-Star Game at Hancock Whitney Stadium Friday night was the tale of two halves – and one final big defensive play to seal the South’ 28-20 win.
The South used a precision passing attack to build a 21-7 lead by halftime, but the North turned to power football and a crushing running game featuring Tuscaloosa County running back Damien Taylor to take control in the second half to pull within one point at 21-20 with 2:20 left in the final quarter. However, a two-point try came u[ short when Carver-Montgomery linebacker Joshua Young led a host of South defenders in stopping Taylor short of the end zone.
The North defense got the ball back near midfield with 31 seconds remaining and on Lanett ‘s Kadarius Zackery picked off a pass from quarterback Zyquez Perryman of Pleasant Grove and raced 54 yards for the game-sealing final TD as the South pulled out its second win in a row in the series which was first played in 1948.
The South win extends its lead in the series to 32-27-2.
Robert E. Lee’s Reggie Smith finished with 59 yards rushing on nine carries including a run for 30 yards.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Trinity 66, LAMP 27
The Wildcats scored 17 points in the first quarter and 18 more in the second to run away with an easy win over the Golden Tigers in the opening round of the 26th Jack Schweers Capital City Tournament at Trinity on Friday.
Trinity will face ACA in the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m., while LAMP will play Montgomery Academy at 11:30 a.m.
Jon Cole Portis hit two of his four 3-pointers in the first quarter and scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half as the Wildcats cruised to a 35-14 lead. Beau O’Ferrell added 12 points, followed by Ben Easterling with 11.
LAMP struggled offensively, managing just a pair of field goals in the first quarter and just one in the fourth quarter. Jordan McKenzie scored all eight of his points in the first half to lead the Golden Tigers along with Smith Carter.
Alabama Christian 35, Montgomery Academy 33
Montgomery Academy overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead with three minutes remaining, but couldn’t hold on late as ACA grabbed a close win in the 26thJack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament in the Trinity gym on Friday.
It was the first game back from quarantine for Montgomery Academy (0-2), which had just four varsity players for Friday’s game. The Eagles get the remainder of their players back on Saturday for a second-round game against LAMP at 11:30 a.m.
James Snead led Montgomery Academy with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Judson Lindsey added four points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Chance Wilson chipped in four points and eight rebounds.
Alabama Christian will face Trinity in the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Montgomery Academy 44, St. James 29
Despite a horrible shooting performance, Montgomery Academy managed to find enough points early to grab a 15-point win over the Trojans in the 26th Jack Schweers Capital City Conference Tournament on Friday at Trinity.
Madi Caddell hit a 3-pointer early, then another with a little under five minutes remaining for the only made 3-pointers from Montgomery Academy in a game which saw guards Chloe Johnson and Gabby Ramirez go scoreless as the Eagles missed all but two of their 19 3-point attempts.
St. James struggled as well, ending the first quarter without a point and not scoring from the field until a Danielle Green basket with less than three minutes remaining in the first half cut the MA lead to 23-3.
Green finished with 12 points as the Trojans heated up somewhat in the second half but still had problems getting in synch offensively.
Leighton Robertson had six points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists for MA in the first half, but sat out the entire second half. Anaya Thomas led the Eagles (7-1) with 12 points and four rebounds, followed by Caddell with 11 and Virginia Meacham with nine.
Ramirez had four rebounds, two steals and two assists while Johnson had 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists.
The Eagles will play Prattville Christian Academy on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the semifinals, while St. James will face LAMP.
Booker T. Washington 37, Pike Road 30
TUSKEGEE – Freshman Jazzlyn Johnson led the Patriots with 15 points in the Booker T. Washington gym on Thursday night.
The Patriots (5-7) return home to take on Catholic on Friday night.