Photo courtesy of Oak Mountain Track and Field
Oak Mountain High School's Omar Crooks won the long jump compeition at the Holiday Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex on Dec. 11, 2021.
Over the course of the year, 280 Living will keep you up to date on the various local high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
BASKETBALL
Last Monday, the Chelsea boys basketball team began the week with a narrow 50-45 loss to a tough Thompson team. The Hornets were led by Paul Lanzi, who poured in 21 points.
Chelsea and Oak Mountain were both in action Tuesday evening, with Chelsea hosting Helena and Oak Mountain playing host to Pelham. The Lady Hornets got the best of a defensive struggle, earning a 30-29 win. The Lady Eagles were less fortunate, suffering a 56-49 overtime loss.
On the boys side, Oak Mountain earned a 76-53 win, as four Eagles posted double-digit scoring totals. Wilder Evers had a strong game, with 18 points and 5 assists. Matthew Heiberger had 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Gavin Nelson finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Brady Dunn also contributed 13 points.
Chelsea’s boys fell 75-63, despite a few solid individual performances. Lanzi had 25 points on the night, while Avery Futch posted 19 points and EJ Hudnall scored 10.
Briarwood fell to Leeds on Thursday evening. The Lady Lions gave up a lead they held for most of the game and suffered a 44-41 loss. The boys fell 45-22, getting 8 points from Miles Gilbert and 6 points from William Lloyd.
The local teams were back in action Friday evening. Oak Mountain traveled to Vestavia Hills, with the Lady Eagles falling 70-28 but the boys team handing Vestavia Hills its first loss of the season in a 53-50 win. Evers put forth 15 points and 5 assists to lead the charge, while Ryan Giegel finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Heiberger had 8 points and 8 rebounds as well. Clayton Marek led the Rebels with 11 points.
Chelsea picked up a couple of tight wins over Clay-Chalkville. The Lady Hornets posted a 35-31 victory, as Lexi Redd scored 10 points and Mary Cartee added 8 to lead the team. The Chelsea boys earned a 61-54 win. Futch scored 23 points to top the team, while Lanzi notched 17 and Aiden Owens scored 11 points.
Briarwood got back on track with wins over Woodlawn. The Lady Lions posted a 54-27 win. Emma Kerley was the key cog for Briarwood, as she posted 20 points and 6 rebounds. Kate Saunders and Sigourney Bell each scored 8 points and combined for 13 rebounds in the game. The Briarwood boys earned a 49-34 win. Lamey notched 13 points, while Gilbert and Luke Schultz each registered 8.
WRESTLING
Last Tuesday, the Chelsea wrestling team swept a tri-match, beating Pike Road 43-27 and knocking off Shelby County 53-25. On Thursday, the Hornets took down Benjamin Russell 54-12. Over the weekend, Chelsea placed seventh in the Spartan Invitational at Mountain Brook. Tyler Rayford finished second in the 138-pound division to lead Chelsea.
Oak Mountain fell to Hoover 50-26 on Tuesday. Over the weekend, the Eagles also competed in the Spartan Invitational.
INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD
The Chelsea and Oak Mountain track and field teams competed in the Holiday Invitational at the Birmingham CrossPlex last Saturday. Cady McPhail from Chelsea was fifth in the 400-meter dash to lead the Hornets.
Oak Mountain’s Omar Crooks won the long jump competition with a leap of 22 feet, 7.5 inches. The boys 4x400-meter relay team was second and Ethan Hammett finished third in the high jump.
Crooks and Mitchell Allen surpassed the school record with their long jumps.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.
