TUESDAY PREPS: Catholic flag football earns berth in Super 7; PCA hoops sweeps Autaugaville

The Catholic Knights celebrate their victory over Satsuma to advance to the Super 7 Championships. They are the first team to qualify for the championship games, scheduled for Dec. 6 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama. (Tim Gayle)

COMBINED REPORTS

The Catholic Knights are the first team to reach the Super 7 Championships!

Not the football version (which still has three rounds to navigate), but rather the flag football version, which defeated Satsuma 31-6 on Tuesday night at Catholic to advance to the Class 1A-5A flag football state championship game at the University of Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m.

“It feels great,” Catholic’s Haley Ishman said, “because last year we lost two rounds back (in the qualifying tournament). Just to be able to play for a state championship feels great. And to be there before the boys.”

Catholic will face the winner of Wednesday’s game between Wenonah and Westminster Christian.

“It feels good,” Catholic coach Whitney Toole said. “I don’t think it’s sunk in all the way yet, but they’ve worked hard. We prepared. We used wet footballs, we used wet flags, we did everything we could to prepare for what might come tonight and they bought in.”

There are three other flag football finalists, including Wednesday’s 1A-5A game and a pair of 6A-7A games on Thursday, but one ticket is already punched to the Super 7. Catholic (17-3) won its eighth consecutive game in convincing fashion, improving to 11-0 against 1A-5A competition with a defense that allowed just six touchdowns in 20 games.

“Their top receiver (Madison Medley) was out but we just had to play good defense,” Ishman said. “And that’s what we’re known for.”

Satsuma’s Kaeden Enzor caught two passes for 72 yards, including a 60-yard reception for the Gators’ only points, but Catholic defenders broke up 10 passes and intercepted two of Presley Willis’ 27 attempts. Enzor’s 60-yard pass reception made up the bulk of the Gators’ 109 total yards. 

“The defense stepped up,” Toole said, “but we also talked about working on the next play. We gave up the big one at the very beginning and I couldn’t be prouder. We didn’t quit, we were next play, just like we’ve been talking about.”

Jehle Dickson completed 18 of 33 passes for 178 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Knights’ flag football team to its first finals. The senior also added 38 rushing yards on three scrambles.

“She has really stepped up,” Toole said. “We’ve worked on throwing (and) running the ball and she did it all tonight. I could not be prouder of her.”

Flag football, as recognized by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, is in its third year as a sport but its first with two classifications. Catholic competed in flag football last year but was defeated by 7A Central-Phenix City in the qualifying tournament.

Kate Robertson caught six passes for 57 yards and a touchdown, Anna Russo caught four passes for 14 yards and two touchdowns, Ann Cobb caught three passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, Haley Ishman caught two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown and Hayden Fitts caught three passes for 15 yards.

“I was really proud of us and really happy with how it was,” Dickson said. “I think we kept our composure, even when things didn’t go our way, and the next snap was a whole new game.”

Anna Russo intercepted a Satsuma pass on the third play from scrimmage and Frances Rogers had an interception on the third play of Satsuma’s second possession. Her return to the Satsuma 1-yard line set up Dickson’s first touchdown pass to Russo, followed by a conversion pass to Robertson for a 7-0 lead.

Catholic was leading 13-6 and started its final possession of the first half at the Satsuma 37-yard line with 11.2 seconds remaining. A quick pass over the middle found Ishman for 15 yards, followed by a quick timeout with 6.3 seconds remaining. On the next play, Dickson hit Robertson for 13 yards on the sideline and she stepped out of bounds at the Satsuma 9-yard line with 1.4 seconds left.

On the third play, Dickson hit Ishman at the goal line for a touchdown and a 19-6 halftime lead.

“That was big,” Dickson said. “Obviously, it was the confidence, the wanting to do it, but there were some big throws to Ann (Cobb for the second touchdown) and Haley Ishman that helped us get there.”

“It was huge,” Toole said, “and it gave us the confidence that we needed. (Ishman) really stepped up tonight, both on offense and defense.”

On the touchdown play, Ishman and Enzor grabbed the ball at the same time and Ishman ripped it away from the bigger Enzor for the touchdown.

“It was crazy,” Dickson said. “She just snatched it right out of her hands. It was crazy.”

The fight was gone out of the Gators. Catholic took the first possession of the third quarter and methodically drove the field for a touchdown, consuming nearly eight minutes. 

“The strategy coming in was to play our normal game,” Cobb said. “Defense, we usually hold it down, so if can work on ‘D,’ we can work on ‘O,’ too. Honestly it was talking, working together to adjust to their offense.” 

Russo had three tackles and an interception, Rogers had two tackles, a pass breakup and an interception and Jamie McGuire had two tackles for loss. Ishman, Robertson and Cobb each had three pass breakups.

“We just went out there and played our normal game,” Cobb said. “To be going (to the finals) with my girls my senior year is good. I’m excited. It’s going to be fun. Just being in Bryant-Denny is crazy. I watched my brother (Jeremiah) do it (in the 2020 finals). It’ll be exciting.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Pike Road 57, Chilton County 41

PIKE ROAD -- Jazz Johnson scored 17 points to lead the Patriots to a 16-point win over the Tigers in the Pike Road gym.

KJ Fencher added 10 points, followed by Tomeria Blythe with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. 

Pike Road (2-0) remains home to face Percy Julian on Wednesday.

Prattville Christian 63, Autaugaville 16

AUTAUGAVILLE -- Avery Rogers had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists in limited playing time to lead the Panthers to a 63-16 rout of the Eagles in the Autaugaville gym on Tuesday. 

Jenna McClendon added 16 points and four rebounds, LB NeSmith had 12 points and four steals and Kayden Carr had seven points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Baylee Rogers added six points, Leah Cate Wilson had four points and a team-high eight rebounds and Ally Blankinchip had seven steals and five rebounds. 

PCA (1-0) will travel to play Pelham on Friday.

Calvary Christian 56, Lakeside School 41

COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Calvary Christian defeated the Chiefs 56-41 but it didn’t stop Chloe Helms from reaching a milestone.

The Lakeside senior entered the game needing one point to reach the 1,000-point plateau in her career and she finished with 21 to lead the Chiefs in the loss. Addysen Erickson added eight and Sophie Seaborn scored seven for Lakeside.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Prattville Christian 68, Autaugaville 40

AUTAUGAVILLE -- Collier Connell led the Panthers with a career high 38 points and 10 rebounds in a 28-point rout of the Eagles in the Autaugaville gym on Tuesday night.

Connell made 11 3-pointers which is second all time in PCA history behind Adam Roberson’s 12.

Cade Segars added 20 points and six rebounds, followed by PJ Evans with five points, six rebounds and seven assists, Cody Chapman’s five points, Brady Roberson’s five assists and Lathan Rybarczyk’s four rebounds. 

PCA (1-0) will travel to play Pelham on Friday.

In junior varsity action, Justin Chapman had 11 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a 45-17 win over Autaugaville. Easton Miller added eight points and nine rebounds, Ethan Girlie had eight points and four assists, Wade Mora had six points and nine rebounds, Sam Wheeler had six points and five rebounds and Carter Fiacco scored five points.