Class 4A Boys Championship
Butler 44, Anniston 39
Butler head basketball coach Jack Doss became just the second coach in AHSAA history to coach seven state championships Friday night as the Butler Rebels clawed out a 44-39 victory over Anniston in the Final 48 Class 4A state boys championship game.
The contest was a defensive struggle from the get-go.
Doss, who announced he had coached his last game at Butler which he said is expected to be closed next year, watched his Rebels (32-2) limit Anniston (21-10) to just 15-of-48 from the field (31.3 percent). The Bulldogs also had 16 turnovers.
Coach Schuessler Ware’s team also played well defensively. The triangle-and-two defense limited Butler star senior Trevor Lacey to 13 points, well below his 32 point average per game entering the Final 48 tournament.. Lacey was 5-of-15 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line and also had a team-high nine rebounds and two steals. Khwan Fore added nine points and six rebounds. The Rebels were out-rebounded 30-29 and also had 16 turnovers.
Anniston guard Lassheddrick Edmondson led the Bulldogs with 12 points while Denzel Roberts chipped in nine and also had a game-high 10 rebounds.
Doss won two Class 4A state championships at Birmingham’s Hayes High School in 1981 and 1982 when the AHSAA had just four classifications. He has now led Butler to Class 5A state titles in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2011. R.C. Hatch coach Eugene Mason was the first to claim seven AHSAA state crowns (1978, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1995, 2003 and 2004).
2011 Class 4A All-Tournament Team: Trevor Lacey, Butler (MVP); Khwan Fore, Butler; Justin Pride, Butler; WayNorous Snodgrass, Anniston; Lassheddrick Edmondson, Anniston; DeAundre Lyons, Hillcrest-Evergreen.
Class 4A Girls Championship
Brewbaker Tech 59, Midfield 39
Brewbaker Tech’s 6-foot sophomore center Marques Webb cleared a Final 48 girls state tournament record 30 rebounds Friday night as the Rams beat Midfield 59-39 in the finals of the Class 4A state tournament at the BJCC.
The Brewbaker victory over the much shorter Patriots ended Midfield’s streak of four straight state championships. Coach Reggie Ware’s girls won state titles in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and was runner-up to Pisgah in the Class 3A state finals in 2005.
Webb was 11-of-15 from the field to finish with 24 points. She had 10 offensive rebounds and 20 on the defensive end. Webb, the 4A tournament MVP, also had two blocked shots for Coach Kelvin Stokes’ Rams.
Her 30 rebounds is one shy of her season-high 31 against Sidney Lanier during the regular season. The state record (38), which came during the regular season, was set by Maida Harris of Childersburg versus B.B. Comer in the 1999-2000 season.
The state title was the first in school history for the Montgomery school making its first trip to the Final 48.
Junior guard Jasmine Steele led the Patriots with 26 points, including 11-of-14 at the foul line, and also had four steals and two assists. Lakiera Lowe, the only Midfield senior and a player on three previous Patriots state championships, had seven rebounds.
Tabitha Bradshaw and Ashley Asouzu had 10 points each. Asouzu also had 11 boards as the Rams out-rebounded Midfield 56-39.
2011 Class 4A All-Tournament Team: Marques Webb, Brewbaker Tech (MVP); Ashley Asouzu, Brewbaker Tech; Tabitha Bradshaw, Brewbaker Tech; LaKeira Lowe, Midfield; Jasmine Steele, Midfield; Caroline Bridges, Guntersville
Class 1A Girls Championship
R.A. Hubbard 61, McIntosh 58
R.A, Hubbard High School trailed by 10 at the half but came out smoking in the third quarter to take the lead and eventually claim the Class 1A girls state championship with a 62-58 win over McIntosh in the finals here Thursday.
Coach Nicholas Vinson’s Lady Chiefs (22-3) outscored the Demons (24-2) 24-6 in the third quarter to take the lead for good. Alexandria Gholson, the Class 1A state tournament MVP, scored 15 points to lead a balanced offensive attack that placed four girls in double figures. Zena Harris added 11 points, Alexis Acosta and Terese Echols 10 points each.
Hubbard had to overcome a strong defensive effort by McIntosh 6-foot-3 sophomore center Shelby Weaver. She had 12 blocked shots and six rebounds and effectively kept the Chiefs shooters out of the lane for much of the game. Diondra Robinson scored 20 points to lead the Demons, Tolondrea Bolden added 17 and Paige Barnes had nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
It was the first state championship for the Courtland school since combining with Hazlewood after the 2009 season when Hazlewood won the championship. Courtland High School last won the 1A championship in 1984.
McIntosh, coached by Renard Davis, played in its fourth state final in the last six years. The Demons won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 and lost in the finals in 2009.
Vinson also led R.A. Hubbard to the Super 6 Class 1A state football finals last December as the Chiefs' head coach.
2011 Class 1A All-Tournament Team: Alexandria Gholston, R.A. Hubbard (MVP); Alexis Acosta, R.A. Hubbard; Diondra Robinson, McIntosh; Tolondrea Bolden, McIntosh; Kailey Echols, Ragland; Kadijah Small, Akron.
Class 5A Boys Semifinals
Wenonah 67, Wilcox Central 60
Wenonah (29-7) moved into Saturday night’s 7 p.m. finals with a hard-fought 67-60 Class 5A boys state tournament semifinal win over Wilcox Central (23-8).
Jeremy Bogus scored 19 points, Derunnya Wilson added 13 and Isaiah Mastion had 10 to pace the Dragons of Coach Cedric Lane. Wilson also had eight rebounds, Demarco Dansby had nine points and nine boards and Keith Middleton handed out six assists.
The Jaguars of Coach Mark Dukes were led by senior Fredrick Turner’s 20 points. Turner, who set the state record for three-pointers in a game earlier this season with 17, was 4-of-10 from the 3-point arc. He also had four steals and three assists. Kyser Irby added 14 points and eight rebounds and Everette Bennett had 10 points, including two treys.
The 5A state championship game is set to tip off at 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Lee-Huntsville 65, Pleasant Grove 62 (OT)
Jacob Perry’s 22-foot, 3-point shot with four seconds remaining in overtime lifted defending Class 5A state champion Lee-Huntsville to a 65-62 come-from-behind victory over Pleasant Grove. The dramatic victory sends the Generals (25-8) into the Class 5A state finals for the second year in a row.
Perry, who canned a trey with 36 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 59-59, finished with 27 points and had five 3-point goals for the game. Devin Langford added 14 points and nine rebounds.
Ricky Tarrant led Pleasant Grove (28-6) with 24 points, including 12-of-14 at the foul line. Victor Barnes had 23 points and canned 7-of-8 3-pointers to help the Spartans build a 17-point lead at 50-33 in the third period before the Generals staged their comeback effort.
Lee faces Wenonah in the Class 5A boys state finals Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Class 5A Girls Semifinals
Erwin 29, LeFlore 27
Erwin’s Lady Eagles overcame the much slower pace controlled by LeFlore to post a 29-27 win over the Rattlers in the semifinals of the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament.
The 56 total points set a Final 48 record for fewest points in a girls state tournament game.
Porshia Blue had nine points, Dominique Patrick had eight points and Keonna Farmer 6 for Erwin (28-3).
LeFlore (30-2) got nine from Gabrielle Williams.
Erwin will play Fairfield in the 5A girls finals Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m.
Fairfield 65, Brewer 54
Defending state champion Fairfield jumped out to a 23-12 first quarter lead and staved off Brewer the rest of the way for a 65-54 win in the Class 5A girls state tournament.
Fairfield will take on Birmingham area rival Erwin in the state championship game Saturday at 5 p.m.
Ashley Rodgers scored 22 points, Kendara Watts added 18 and Krista Simmons 15 for the Tigers (25-8). Watts also had seven rebounds and four steals and Kathryn Goolsby handed out six assists.
Riley Northway scored 18 points to lead Brewer (23-11). Hannah Crawford had 13 and Caitlin Rush added 12. Northway also had a game-high nine rebounds