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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Lady Hornets celebrate after defeating Sparkman 40-28 in a Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Olivia Pryor (12) reacts in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Lady Hornets celebrate after defeating Sparkman 40-28 in a Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Lady Hornets celebrate after defeating Sparkman 40-28 in a Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Lady Hornets celebrate after defeating Sparkman 40-28 in a Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Haley Trotter (23) shoots a layup in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Caroline Brown (10) shoots a layup in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Olivia Pryor (12) reacts in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Olivia Pryor dribbles the ball in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Haley Trotter (23) shoots a layup in the second half of the girls Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Lady Hornets defeated Sparkman 40-28 to advance to the Northeast Regional final against Hewitt-Trussville. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Aiden Owens (21) shoots a 2-pointer in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Christen Whetstone (3) shoots a 2-pointer guarded by Grissom’s Brendan Martin (11) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Gavin Collett (12) attempts a layup in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Avery Futch (0) shoots a 3-pointer in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Gavin Collett (12) dribbles the ball downcourt in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Grey Williams (4) dribbles the ball as he moves toward the goal in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Chase Lamey (10) shoots a jumper in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Emanuel Johnson (5) shoots the ball guarded Huntsville’s Caleb Harrison (23) in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Will O’Dell (25) shoots a jumper in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Emanuel Johnson (5) guards Huntsville’s Caleb Harrison (23) in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Emanuel Johnson (5) guards Huntsville’s Eli Stapler (4) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Will O’Dell (25) dribbles the ball as he moves toward the goal in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain head coach Joel Floyd calls the play in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Gray Plain (12) shoots a jumper in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Grey Williams (4) attempts a layup guarded by Huntsville’s Josh Bowman (30) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Chase Lamey (10) shoots a free throw in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Gray Plain (12) shoots a jumper in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Will O’Dell (25) shoots a 3-pointer in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Will O’Dell (25) shoots a 3-pointer in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Chase Lamey (10) dribbles the ball in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain head coach Joel Floyd talks with the Eagles during a timeout in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Kevin Jasinski (2) dribbles the ball guarded by Huntsville’s Eli Stapler (4) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Oak Mountain’s Chris Kunard (23) dribbles the ball guarded by Huntsville’s Nunu Baker (3) in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Gavin Collett (12) shoots a layup in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Chrsten Whetstone (3) dribbles the ball guarded by Grissom’s T.J. Cole (5) in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea head coach Nick Baumbaugh calls out a play in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Christen Whetstone (3) guards Grissom’s Javon Alexander (3) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Avery Futch (0) looks to pass the ball guarded by Grissom’s T.J. Cole (5) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Jaxon Shuttlesworth (23) shoots the ball guarded by Grissom’s Brendan Martin (11) in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Jaxon Shuttlesworth (23) dribbles the ball guarded by Grissom’s Landen Williams (0) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Will Lee (10) dribbles the ball downcourt guarded by Grissom’s Javon Alexander (3) in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Gavin Collett (12) dribbles the ball in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Avery Futch (0) takes the ball to the goal in the first half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Chelsea’s Christen Whetstone (3) dribbles the ball in the second half of the boys Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. The Hornets fell to Grissom 47-38. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
JACKSONVILLE -- The Class 7A Northeast Regional tournament began Tuesday morning at Jacksonville State University, with Hewitt-Trussville, Chelsea and Oak Mountain among the local schools playing.
Lady Huskies blast Grissom
The Hewitt-Trussville girls advanced to their fourth straight regional final after demolishing Grissom 64-22 on Tuesday morning to begin the proceedings.
The Lady Huskies erased any illusion of a Grissom upset quickly, as they jumped out to an 18-3 lead after a quarter of play and never looked back.
Six players scored in that opening quarter for Hewitt, and Jordan Hunter had 10 points by halftime, as the team opened up a 31-7 lead. All nine players scored in the contest for Hewitt-Trussville. Hunter led the way with 20 points in the game.
“I’ve been trying to find the balance of being where my feet are and embracing it and giving it all that I have,” said Jordan Hunter, a senior headed to play at Auburn University after this year.
Defense was the story for the Lady Huskies, as they forced 27 Grissom turnovers and earned 19 steals. Jordan Hunter, Olivia Burton and Sara Phillips each picked up four steals. Tonya Hunter said this team is one of the best defensive units she has ever coached.
Phillips also secured a game-high 11 rebounds, with her head coach lauding her effort following the game. Freshman Ryleigh Martin poured in 10 points in the game as well.
Hewitt-Trussville made it look easy Tuesday morning, but Tonya Hunter said it is anything but that.
Hewitt-Trussville will take on area Chelsea next Tuesday in the regional final, also at Jacksonville State.
“We enjoy this win,” Hunter said of what’s next. “We’re going to make sure we enjoy it. Sometimes you go straight to the next game as a coach, but sometimes you’ve got to be in the moment and enjoy.
“There’s a ticket on the line to the final four and these girls are going to go all out to try and get it.”
Hornets comeback falls short
The Chelsea boys made a run in the fourth quarter, but ultimately came up short against Grissom on Tuesday in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinals.
Grissom saw its lead diminished to four points, but found a way to earn the 47-38 win over Chelsea, making its first appearance at the regional tournament since 2016.
“Guys didn’t quit,” Chelsea head coach Nick Baumbaugh said. “They fought their tails off and had the ball down four, it just didn’t go our way. We put ourselves in position to win.”
Both teams started the game well, as a 3-pointer at the horn gave the Tigers a 13-10 lead after a quarter. Grissom was the stronger team in the second quarter, edging to a 26-16 advantage at the halftime break.
Chelsea hung in through the third quarter and began to make a push in the fourth quarter. The Hornets used a layup from Will Lee and back-to-back buckets from Jaxon Shuttlesworth to narrow the game to 37-33. But Grissom scored six of the next eight points to put the game away.
The postgame stat sheet showed plenty of similarities and no obvious edge in many categories. Baumbaugh said the game came down to a couple big plays.
“You look at the stat sheet and don’t feel like we lost,” Baumbaugh said. “But the only stat matters is the scoreboard and we lost.”
It was a special ending to the season for Chelsea, which entered the Area 6 tournament as the No. 4 seed before beating top seed Spain Park and Oak Mountain to claim the area title.
“It’s been a long seven years since we sat in this stadium,” Baumbaugh said. “We’ve battled some really hard teams to get here. A lot of people have talked about this being an upset and we were the 4 seed, but I don’t think it was an upset, we just hadn’t quite got over the hump.”
Avery Futch led the Hornets with 12 points in the contest. He said it was a “dream come true” to be on the team that made it back to Jacksonville.
Shuttlesworth posted 10 points and five rebounds in the game and started for just the second time all season. Baumbaugh credited his selflessness to accept his role and contribute in a meaningful way.
“We just didn’t give up,” Shuttlesworth said. “It’s all about hustling. We hustled, never gave up, and every time we came to the bench there was energy.”
The Hornets concluded the season with a 13-19 record. Grissom now moves on to play Huntsville in the regional final next Tuesday, also at Jacksonville State.
“We had eight seniors and six of them have grown up together since kindergarten,” Baumbaugh said. “Those parents are really good friends. Special group of seniors and senior parents.”
Late run boosts Lady Hornets
A dominant final few minutes pushed the Chelsea girls over the top Tuesday, as the Lady Hornets took down Sparkman 40-28 in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinals.
Sparkman took its only lead of the game with a 3-pointer at the 5:40 mark of the final quarter. Unfortunately for the Senators, it was their final basket of the game. Chelsea’s Caroline Brown stepped in front of a pass and took it the other way, converting a basket while being fouled to spark a 13-0 game-finishing run.
“We responded,” Chelsea head coach Jason Harlow said. “Caroline got the and-one and we got the momentum there.”
Brown seized her opportunity for the big moment.
“We were losing our momentum a little bit and we needed a little boost,” said Brown, who scored 12 points in the contest. “I thought they had just called a charge, and I was freaking out when I heard the whistle, but that brought a lot of momentum.”
Chelsea got off to a hot start, jumping out to an 11-3 lead after a quarter of play. But Sparkman did not wilt, chipping away until taking the lead early in the fourth quarter. The Lady Hornets were faced with a similar situation last week in the Area 6 championship game against Hewitt-Trussville, as they watched a lead slip from their grasp in a loss.
That didn’t happen this time.
“You either learn or you lose,” Harlow said. “We got in that scenario the other night where things snowballed on us. It’s the focus on the little things. Making sure we’re meeting passes, finishing cuts hard. The little things add up in a big time way.”
Haley Trotter had a monster game for the Lady Hornets, leading the way with 19 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks.
“Haley Trotter is one of the best players in the state and I know she’s one of the best kept secrets in the state and to see her go out and show it was great,” Harlow said.
Madeline Epperson’s impact on the Lady Hornets is difficult to quantify, but it is certainly significant. Despite not attempting a shot, she played all 32 minutes and was brought into the postgame media room as one of the top players in the game.
“We have a lot of unselfishness on this team. There’s one stat that this team cares about and that’s the win column,” Harlow said.
Now, Chelsea will get another shot at Hewitt-Trussville, the team responsible for the only three Lady Hornets losses in the calendar year (Chelsea has five losses total).
The Lady Hornets and Lady Huskies will square off next Tuesday at Jacksonville State with a trip to the state final four on the line.
“They’re a great team with one of the best players in the state and a fantastic coach,” Harlow said. “With that being said, just got to come in and guard at a high level and play our very best and we’ll see how that game goes.”
Huntsville too much for Eagles
The Oak Mountain boys ran into one of the top teams in the state Tuesday afternoon, as the Eagles fell 56-38 in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinals.
Huntsville got off to a 13-0 start before Oak Mountain settled in and made the game competitive over the middle two quarters. Oak Mountain cut it down to 18-10 by the end of the first quarter and outplayed the Panthers throughout the second quarter.
The Eagles outscored Huntsville 9-5 over that second period to cut the deficit to 23-19 at the half.
But a 16-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters put the game away, as Huntsville opened up a 20-point lead and pulled away down the stretch.
“Extremely proud of our guys,” Oak Mountain head coach Joel Floyd said. “What an effort they put out there. We put together a game plan to try and find a way to take down Huntsville, the best team in the state.”
That game plan largely worked outside of the two big runs from the Panthers. Even after the slow start, none of the Oak Mountain players flinched. Emanuel Johnson called it the “will to win.” Grey Williams and Kevin Jasinski said, “why not keep fighting?”
“It wasn’t the start we wanted, but we had plenty of time,” Floyd said.
This season marks the fifth straight Oak Mountain has advanced to at least the regional tournament. Floyd just completed his second season and said the regional semifinals is the baseline expectation for this program year in and year out.
“We take a lot of pride in it, because a lot of people doubted that we’d make it here,” Kevin Jasinksi said.
Will O’Dell led Oak Mountain with 12 points and five rebounds in the contest. Williams added nine points for the Eagles as well. Simon Walker led Huntsville with 17 points.
Oak Mountain finishes the season with a 14-16 record.
