PREP UPDATE: Evangel, Hooper advance in AISA Tourney; Williams repeats as 'Mr. Football'

COMBINED REPORTS

BOYS BASKETBALL

Evangel Christian 55, Heritage Christian 36

Tylon Shine scored 19 points, pulled down five rebounds, handed out three assists, came up with two steals and had a blocked shot to lead the Lions to a 55-36 win over the three-time defending state champion in the first round of the AISA Class A state tournament in the Evangel gym on Tuesday. 

Andre Stoddard Jr., added 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal while Jordan Duncan had nine points, three assists and four steals. Quendarius Rudolph and Will McCord both chipped in seven points. Rudolph grabbed nine rebounds with two assists and three steals, while McCord had four rebounds and three steals.

Either Heritage or Evangel has been in the Class A finals in each of the last seven years, with Heritage beating Evangel in 2021 and 2022.

The Lions (13-10) will travel to Lowndesboro on Friday to play Lowndes Academy in the quarterfinals. The winner will advance to the semifinals on Feb. 7 at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

Hooper Academy 70, Chambers Academy 34

LAFAYETTE -- Nine players scored at least six points as the Colts jumped out to a 21-point halftime lead on the way to a 70-34 win over Chambers Academy in the first round of the AISA Class AA state basketball tournament.

Hooper (15-7) advances to the quarterfinals of the AISA state tournament and will travel to Restoration Academy on Saturday. The winner will advance to the semifinals at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.

Nolan Cole led the Colts with 11 points, followed by Lucas Spellman with 10, Slade Russell with nine and Christ McCoy with eight as Hooper jumped out to a 24-10 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 41-20 at the half.

Montgomery Academy 61, Wetumpka 57

Montgomery Academy outscored Wetumpka 21-14 to break a halftime tie, then held off the Indians down the stretch for a 61-57 win at Joe Mooty Court on Tuesday. 

Skyler Stovall led the Eagles with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, followed by DJ Vinson with 16 points, 14 rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists. Brewer Welch also scored in double figures with 14 points, five rebounds, seven assists and six steals, while Seth Edwards added four points, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists and two blocked shots. 

Montgomery Academy (21-7) closed out the regular season winning nine of its final 10 games and will play host to St. James in the opening round of the 3A Area 6 tournament on Monday at 5:30 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Montgomery Academy 57, Wetumpka 53

Kaci Armistead scored 27 points and handed out five assists to lead Montgomery Academy to a 57-53 win over the Class 6A Indians on Tuesday at Joe Mooty Court.

Sophia Cho added 12 points for Montgomery Academy, followed by Olivia Smith with eight points and seven rebounds. 

Montgomery Academy (6-17) will play Trinity in the first round of the 3A Area 6 tournament on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the St. James gym. 

Pike Road 48, Charles Henderson 36

TROY -- Audrey Blaine had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the Patriots to their fifth straight win in a 48-36 victory in the Charles Henderson gym on Tuesday. 

Jazz Johnson added 10 points and six rebounds.

Pike Road (22-4) will travel to St. James on Wednesday to close out the regular season. 

BOYS TENNIS

LAMP 6, Trinity 3

Samuel and James Treadwell won a pair of singles matches and teamed up for a doubles victory but the rest of the matches belonged to LAMP as the defending state champions defeated Trinity 6-3 in the season opener. 

Samuel Treadwell defeated Ian Kim at No. 1 singles, James Treadwell defeated Ian Shin at No. 2 singles and the brothers teamed up to beat Shin and Sun Ho Kim in a fiercely contested doubles match for the Wildcats’ three points. 

In singles, LAMP’s Sun Ho Kim defeated Trevor Wilson at No. 3; Minsoo Park beat Grant Speagle at No. 4; Richard Chen edged Charlie Franklin at No. 5; and Wonjun Lee beat Sawyer Speagle at No. 6.

In doubles, LAMP’s Ian Kim and Lee defeated Wilson and Grant Speagle at No. 2 and Park-Chen beat Franklin and Sawyer Speagle at No. 3.

GIRLS TENNIS

LAMP 6, Trinity 3

The Golden Tigers won five of the six singles matches to defeat Trinity in the season opener on Tuesday.

In singles, Reena Chen defeated Kingsley Johns at No. 1; Grace Liu beat Sally Warren at No. 3; McKenzie Kim beat Henlee Gunter at No. 4; Dabeen Choi defeated Nora Grayson at No. 5; and Jamie Lo defeated Maggie Seymore at No. 6.

Trinity’s lone win in singles came at No. 2, where Aniston Skipworth defeated LAMP’s Hannah Lee. 

The Wildcats won two of the three doubles matches, with Johns-Skipworth beating Lee-Liu at No. 1 and Warren-Gunter winning at No. 2 against Chen-Lo. At No. 3, LAMP’s Choi and Hannah Baik beat Seymore and Emma McDaniel. 

Saraland’s Williams earns second-straight Mr. Football award

Saraland High School wide receiver Ryan Wiliams was announced Tuesday as the Alabama Sportswriters Association’s Mr. Football for the 2023 season at the Mr. Football Luncheon held at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

The Alabama High School Athletic Directors and Coaches Association sponsored the luncheon.
Williams, a junior last fall who has since re-classified as a senior, became the first player in the award’s 42-year history to be a repeat winner. Had he not re-classified in December, he would have the chance to earn a three-peat.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Williams, who committed to the University of Alabama, was also named Class 6A Back of the Year for the second straight year. He beat out Saraland quarterback and teammate K.J. Lacey and Clay-Chalkville quarterback/defensive back Jaylen Mbakwe, who earned MVP honors in the Class 6A finals in December.

Williams finished the 2023 season with 71 receptions for 1,329 yards and 19 touchdowns, rushed for 269 yards, threw for one TD, and returned a punt and kickoff for TDs in 2023 as Saraland. The Spartans were 14-1 in each of the last two seasons. Williams also earned MVP honors as Alabama beat Mississippi last December in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic.
Williams closed his prep career with 187 receptions in 39 games for 3,254 receiving yards and 47 TDs. He also had 94 rush attempts for 1,078 yards and 24 TDs. He had 4,440 career total yards with 71 TDs. As a kick returner, he had three punt  returns and one kickoff return for TDs. He also has been an outstanding sprinter for Saraland’s track  team.

Players from the River Region to earn top honors included St. James quarterback KJ Jackson (3A Back of the Year) and Lowndes Academy’s Clayton Hussey (AISA Back of the Year).

2023 ASWA Players of the Year
BACKS OF THE YEAR
Class 7A – Cam Coleman, Central-Phenix City 
Class 6A – Ryan Williams, Saraland High School 
Class 5A – Ronnie Royal, Gulf Shores High School
Class 4A – Jacob Cornejo, Cherokee County High School
Class 3A – K.J. Jackson, St. James
Class 2A – Preston Lancaster, Tuscaloosa Academy
Class 1A – Alvin Henderson, Elba HS
AISA – Clayton Hussey, Lowndes Academy

LINEMEN OF THE YEAR
Class 7A – Bradley Shaw, Hoover High School
Class 6A – D.J. Barber, Clay-Chalkville High School
Class 5A – Q.B. Reese, Ramsay High School
Class 4A – Joseph Phillips, B.T. Washington HS, Tuskegee
Class 3A – Kentonio Kelly Jr., Mobile Christian
Class 2A – Tucker Wilks, Fyffe High School
Class 1A – Tim Parnell, Leroy High School
AISA – Jay Lindsey, Patrician Academy