Class 1A
FINALS
Saint Jude 72, Sulligent 59
JaMychal Green scored 39 points, added 11 rebounds and six assists to lead Saint Jude (27-7) past Sulligent (29-4) in the Class 1A state boys basketball finals Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-9 senior was 16-of-20 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line – closing his spectacular high school career with a thunderous dunk just before the final buzzer. He earned MVP honors for the second time in three years for his effort.
Kyle Watkins also had 26 points for the Pirates.
Dominique Bonman had 22 points and Caleb Massey 21 for Sulligent.
Named to the 2008 Class 1A All-Tournament Team were: JaMychal Green, Saint Jude (MVP); Kyle Watkins, Saint Jude; Dominique Bonman, Sulligent; Caleb Massey, Sulligent; Ethan Pullman, Faith Christian; Joshua Nichols, McIntosh.
SEMI-FINALS
St. Jude 75, Faith Christian 48
The top-ranked Pirates and second-ranked Sulligent each won in 1A boys semifinal action Monday to advance to Wednesday’s finals here at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Complex.
St. Jude (26-7) got 26 points each from JaMychal Green and Kyle Watkins. The 6-foot-9 Green, a McDonald’s All-America selection and University of Alabama signee, also had 12 rebounds. Jerome Knight also had 10 points.
Ethan Pullman had 15 points for eighth-ranked Faith Christian (27-5).
Sulligent 87, McIntosh 54
Four players scored in double figures for the second-ranked Blue Devils (28-4). Dominique Bonman led with 26 points, Logan Humbers added 17, Tony Martin 12 and Caleb Massey had 11. Martin nailed four 3-pointers.
McIntosh (17-13) was led by Joshua Nichols’ 13 points.
Class 2A
FINALS
R.C., Hatch 81, Barbour County 69
Senior guard Frankie Sullivan ended his prep career with a record-setting performance Wednesday night, scoring 51 points to lead the top-ranked Hornets to a dramatic come-from-behind victory over second-ranked Barbour County in the Class 2A boys basketball finals.
Sullivan, who had 17 points at the half, scored 34 in the second half as Hatch clawed back from an 18-point (47-29) deficit. The tournament MVP was 9-of-22 from the field with 5-of-12 from the 3-point line and an incredible 28-of-31 shooting effort at the foul line. Hatch (28-1), which has now won a state-record 10 state titles, has captured three in a row and five of the last six 2A crowns. The Bobcats outscored Barbour County (30-4) in the final quarter 36-13.
Rodney Scott also had 10 points and Nicholas Johnson had eight points, six rebounds and eight blocked shots. Sullivan also had a game-high 13 rebounds. His 51 points broke the Class 2A state tournament record set in 1969 by Section’s Merle Pruitt and is third best all-time in the state tourney.
Devondrick Richardson led Barbour County with 20 points. Terrence Blakely added 15 and Courtavious Dorsey 14.
Named to the Class 2A All-Tournament Team were: Frankie Sullivan, R.C. Hatch (MVP); Nicholas Johnson, R.C. Hatch; Rodney Scott, R.C. Hatch; Devondrick Richardson, Barbour County; Courtavious Dorsey, Barbour County; Josh Mickler, White Plains; and Trey Cosby, Tanner.
SEMI-FINALS
Barbour County 83, Tanner 50
Devondrick Richardson’s 25 points and 13 rebounds sparked Barbour County (30-3) to its 33-point win and set up Wednesday night’s Class 2A state finals against top-ranked R.C. Hatch.
Courtavious Dorsey added 15 points, Terrence Blakely had 12 and Dexter Rumph, 11.
Trey Cosby scored 17 points and cleared 11 rebounds for the Rattlers (27-9). Latraius Mosely added 11 points.
R.C. Hatch 71, White Plains 54
Auburn signee Frankie Sullivan was 12-of-21 from the field including 10-of-12 from inside the 3-point arc, hit 7-of-9 free throws and finished with 33 points as the top-ranked Bobcats (27-1) won their 26th straight game.
The win sends the defending 2A state champions into the finals for the third straight year. Demarcus Porter was 7-of-7 at the foul line and had 11 points, Rodney Scott had 11 points and Nicholas Bennett had 10 points and nine blocked shots. Sullivan had a game-high 10 rebounds and four assists.
Josh Mickler had 24 points for fourth-ranked White Plains (26-6) with four 3-point goals. The loss ended an emotional week for the Wildcats, who lost a teammate last week when Bradey Munroe succumbed to cancer.
Carlton Caver also had 14 points.
Class 3A
FINALS
Madison Academy 48, Clarke County 42
Top-ranked Madison Academy (24-8) won its third straight Class 3A state basketball title Thursday night at the BJCC holding Clarke County to just 16 points in the second half.
Tournament MVP Kerron Johnson led with 15 points and five assists, and 7-footer Bawa Muniru added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Mike Taite had 19 points and Justin Burroughs, 11, for the fourth-ranked Bulldogs (27-6).
All-Tourney Team: Kerron Johnson, Madison Academy (MVP); Bawa Muniru, Madison Academy; Mike Taite, Clarke County; Justin Burroughs, Clarke County; Robert Barnes, Winfield; David Murray, Leeds.
SEMI-FINALS
Madison Academy 65, Leeds 54
The defending state champion Mustangs (23-8) advanced to the state finals for the third straight year with Kerron Johnson leading the way with 24 points. He was 13-of-15 at the foul line.
Seven-foot center Bawa Muniru also had 11 points and eight rebounds and Donte Bowman had 10 points for top-ranked Madison Academy, which plays Clarke County Thursday in the finals.
Third-ranked Leeds (30-5) was led by David Murray’s 18 points and 14 rebounds. Ladarrius Frazier and Willie Kimball also had 11 points each.
Clarke County 63, Winfield 50
The fourth-ranked Bulldogs (26-5) reached the championship game behind Mike LeForest Taite’s 22 points. He also had eight rebounds. Justin Burroughs chipped in 15 points.
Robert Barnes had 17 points and Justin Lenahan added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Winfield (24-4).
Class 4A
FINALS
Bullock County 45, Central-Coosa 40
Cedrick Peebles scored 15 points and Courtney Mack had 14 with eight rebounds to lead Bullock County of Union Springs to the school’s first-ever state championship.
The top-ranked Hornets (31-3) won the rebound battle 33-16, including 19 offensive boards to just seven.
Roderick Murray had 19 points and Joe Russell 18 for the Cougars (26-6). Peebles was named MVP.
All-Tourney Team: Cedric Peebles, Bullock County (MVP); Courtney Mack, Bullock County; Joe Russell, Central-Coosa; Roderick Murray, Central-Coosa; Darius Steger, Guntersville; Chris Holland, Deshler.
SEMI-FINALS
Bullock
County 60, Guntersville 58
Top-ranked Bullock County (30-3) of Union Springs nipped second-ranked Guntersville (29-6), thanks in part to Cedric Peebles’ 17 points. None was bigger than his free throw with five seconds left to give the Hornets their final two-point lead.
Darius Steger led Guntersville with 18 points with his 3-pointer just seconds earlier that brought the Wildcats to within one. His lay-up attempt at the buzzer that could have tied the game rolled just off the rim as Bullock County clinched the win.
Courtney Mack added 13 points for the Hornets, Tremayne Peterson and James Tarver 12 each. Tucker Bridges had 15 for Guntersville and Chuck Snyder had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Central-Coosa 54, Deshler 47 (OT)
Central-Coosa guard Roderick Murray nailed a 3-point shot at the buzzer in regulation to send the Class 4A boys semifinal at the BJCC into overtime at 42 all.
He then made three buckets in overtime to finish with 20 points as the Cougars (26-5) advanced to the 4A finals against top-ranked Bullock County Friday.
Joe Russell, who made three key free throws and a bucket in OT, also had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Central-Coosa.
Deshler’s Chris Holland had 13 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tigers (23-7).
Class 5A
FINALS
Butler 66, Russellville 59
Fourth-ranked Butler (28-5) got 19 points each from Ryan Ervin and tournament MVP Ralph Eason and 12 from freshman Trevor Lacey Friday en route to the Rebels’ third Class 5A state title in the last five years.
Eason also had 12 rebounds and was also 9-of-10 at the foul line to help fend off second-ranked Russellville’s late comeback effort.
The Tigers (31-1) were led by Terence Smith and Jermaine Bates with 20 and 16 points, respectively. Smith also had 11 rebounds. Nate Dunstan, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, also had nine rebounds for Russellville.
All-Tourney Team: Ralph Eason, Butler (MVP); Ryan Ervin, Butler; Trevor Lacey, Butler; Siran Winston, Russellville; Jermaine Bates, Russellville; Herbert Brooks, Eufaula.
SEMI-FINALS
Butler 73, Parker 50
Fourth-ranked Butler (27-5) jumped to a 39-16 lead by halftime and cruised into the 5A finals with the 23-point win over Parker (23-9).
Ralph Eason had 20 points, ninth grader guard Trevor Lacey added 17 and Jermaireous Chandler chipped in 14 for the Rebels. Ralph Ervin and Eason also had seven rebounds each.
Joe Marcus Fitts led the Thundering Herd with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Russellville 79, Eufaula 69
Russellville (31-0) was 22-of-33 at the foul line with Jermaine Bates sinking 8-of-9 and finishing with 24 points as the Golden Tigers moved into the 5A finals to face Butler Friday.
Siran Winston added 19 points and eight rebounds and Cory Trapp added 13 points.
Eufaula (25-8) was led by Herbert Brooks’ 21 points. Lazabian Jackson added 14 and Calvin Thomas 10.
Class 6A
FINALS
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 66, Homewood 55
Class 6A state tourney MVP Wayne Dedrick hasd 30 points, including 15 on five 3-pointers, as Hillcrest (33-3) won the Class 6A state boys basketball title at the BJCC Friday night.
Ricardo Hall added 10 points and Whit Wright had eight and five assists.
Ronald Nored had 15 for Homewood (31-5) and Ben Forsyth added 10. Christian Files also came off the bench to score nine points and clear six rebounds.
All-Tournament Team: Wayne Dedrick, Hillcrest (MVP); Ricardo Hall, Hillcrest; Whit Wright, Hillcrest; Alan Brandt, Homewood, Homewood; Ronald Nored, Homewood; Nick Williams, LeFlore.
SEMI-FINALS
Homewood 48, Sidney Lanier 44
Fifth-ranked Homewood lost star point guard Ronald Nored to five fouls with just over six minutes left while trailing sixth-ranked Sidney Lanier (30-4) by 11, 40-29.
The Patriots (31-4) stepped up their game, however, and outscored the Poets 18-4 the rest of the way to move into the Class 6A finals Friday night.
Nored finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Alan Brandt led all scorers with 16 points, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point line. Jo Moore’s layup sealed the win with three seconds left, erasing a 45-44 Lanier lead. Ben Forsythe added nine points and Moore finished with five.
Marquis Glaze scored 11 points and Michael Harvey had 12 for Lanier.
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 63, LeFlore 59
Second-ranked Hillcrest (32-3) pulled the shocker of the day Thursday with its four-point win over top-ranked LeFlore (30-3).
Wayne Dedrick scored 25 points and was 9-of-11 at the foul line to pace the Patriots. Whit Wright added 13 points.
For the Rattlers, Nick Williams had 25 points and Demarcus Cousins scored 16 with a game-high eight rebounds.
Hillcrest will play fifth-ranked Homewood in the finals Friday night at 7 p.m.