By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison’s girls basketball team shook off an early funk and came back for a 30-27 win over Holtville on Monday in a game that was a tune-up for the area tournament.

Host JHS could manage only two points in the first period and trailed, 4-2, going into the second period.

Things weren’t much better in the second and third periods as the Panthers trailed 11-8 and 20-14, respectively.

But in the fourth quarter on Senior Night—the last home game for the team’s seniors—the Panthers came alive.

Shelby Lopez tied the game at 20 on a long jump shot with 6:25 remaining on the clock, and she gave the hosts the lead with 4:45 left when she dribbled into the lane, was fouled in the act of shooting and made one of the ensuing free throws.

Lopez made seven free throws in 10 attempts in the fourth quarter alone, and the Panthers made 12 out of 18 as a team.

Lopez finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Shayna Robinson had seven points and four steals.

The boys game ended too late to be included in this edition.

The Jemison girls play host Southside-Selma at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Class 4A, Area 6 tournament. If they win, they would play again at 3 p.m. Saturday in the area championship game.

The Jemison boys play host Dallas County at 6 p.m. Friday in the Class 4A, Area 6 tournament. If they win, the Panthers would play again at 6 p.m. on Feb. 13 for the area championship.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison won at Chilton County on Friday in a game that might have been more hard fought than usual.

Bragging rights are always at stake between the two girls basketball teams, but Friday was the last home game for several CCHS seniors.

The visiting Panthers won, 43-36.

JHS led throughout the first half, but a Chynna Davis free throw with 4:23 remaining in the third period gave Chilton a 23-22 lead.

Jemison responded with a bucket inside by Shelby Griffin that sparked a 6-0 run and a 28-23 lead going into the fourth period.

But the hosts wouldn’t go quietly.

Keondra Looney drained a three-pointer with 6:58 left on the clock for a 31-30 CCHS edge.

The advantage was short-lived, though, as Jemison retook the lead, and two clutch free throws by Shelby Lopez with 52 seconds left sealed the win.

Lopez led Jemison with 13 points, eight of which came in the final quarter.

Teammate Shelby Griffin had 12 points.

Keona DeJarnett had a game-high 17 points for CCHS.

From Staff Reports

The University of West Alabama football team will have a Chilton County flavor this fall.

Three county players signed National Letters of Intent on Wednesday to take their talents to Livingston.

Jemison receiver Eddie Hubbard and running back Javae Swindle held a joint ceremony Wednesday morning, and then Chilton County High School defensive end Dyquan Floyd signed with the Tigers later in the afternoon on what is known as National Signing Day, the first day high school football players can sign letters to play at the college of their choice.

From Staff Reports

Chilton Christian Academy’s girls basketball team lost a big lead but held on to win in overtime, 41-39, thanks to free throws from Alissa Harris and Mary’l Smitherman.

The Patriots led 15-6 at halftime and 22-14 at the end of the third period, but Cahawba Christian tied it in the fourth.

Harris made a free throw to put CCA ahead in the fourth but then missed a second attempt. The miss was rebounded by Smitherman, who was fouled and then made one free throw of her own.

Rebekah Kirkland led the Patriots with 10 points, while Destiny Richards posted nine points and 17 rebounds.

Jemison’s boys team won its first Chilton County Basketball Tournament championship since 1994—and in the process broke rival Chilton County High School’s streak of nine consecutive titles.

The Panthers, who entered as the tournament’s top seed, won Saturday at host CCHS, 51-31.

JHS led by just three points at halftime, 18-15, in a game that included several hard fouls and the referees calling both teams to midcourt at one point for a warning.

Chilton’s physical play forced Jemison out of its usual fast-paced attack that can rack up points in a hurry, but the hosts also had trouble scoring because Jemison’s athleticism and length forced its opponents into deep shot attempts that are not their strength.

Seniors Trey Bryant and Jalen Hardnett led Jemison’s effort with 12 points each. Austin Lovette came off the bench to score 10 points, all in the second half.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Three teams on Thursday advanced to their respective championship games in the Chilton County Basketball Tournament.

Verbena’s girls, Jemison’s boys and Maplesville’s junior varsity won and now await the winners of Friday’s games to see who they will play Saturday.

Hands up: Jemison’s Shayna Robinson, left, is defended by Verbena’s Jameshia Green on Thursday.

The varsity squads—both of which were top seeds in their divisions—won easily.

Jemison’s boys topped Thorsby, 84-47, behind 22 points from Jeremiah Gates and 20 points from Trey Bryant.

Aaron Thornton had 16 points for No. 5 seed Thorsby, and teammate Parker Bryan had 15 points.

The Panthers on Saturday will play the winner of Friday’s Maplesville-Chilton County game.

Verbena’s girls defeated Jemison, 46-30.

The Red Devils raced to a 12-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, thanks largely to Marqueska Deramus’ 29 points.

Shayna Robinson led No. 5 seed JHS with 13 points.

Verbena on Saturday plays the winner of Friday’s Thorsby-Maplesville game.

The first significant upset of the Chilton County Basketball Tournament was No. 4 seed Maplesville’s junior varsity 38-36 win over No. 1 seed Jemison on Thursday.

The Panthers were trying for their third consecutive county title.

Jemison held a slight lead throughout the first half, but Devonta Morrow drained two free throws with just over 1 minute left to play to break a late tie and produce the final score.

Jemison committed a couple of costly turnovers with chances to tie the game, but Maplesville had its chances, too, missing four free throws late that could have clinched the game and prevented Jemison’s last-second shot attempt from being for overtime.

Morrow led all scorers with 17 points. Jemison’s John Underwood had 11 points.

Maplesville will play the winner of Friday’s Chilton County-Verbena game at 4 p.m. Saturday for the county championship.

Editor’s note: Below is a compilation of the top North Chilton sports stories of 2011.

JANUARY

Thorsby girls win county tournament title

Thorsby’s girls basketball team has established a dynasty in the Chilton County Basketball Tournament.

The Rebels’ 40-27 win over Verbena gave them their second county title in the past four seasons, and THS made the championship game in both of the other seasons.

THS shows support for breast cancer awareness

Thorsby’s girls basketball team defeated Maplesville, 45-33, but the focus on Jan. 31 seemed to be an opponent common to not just players from both teams but to people across the world: the fight against breast cancer.

A portion of the proceeds from the game was to be donated to the Bruno Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s hospital in Birmingham.

Also, several Thorsby students walked the perimeter of the court with boxes for donations.

The idea for the school’s first Breast Cancer Awareness Night came from these girls, a group of fourth and third graders, calling themselves the “Sweet Girls,” who decided they wanted to do something to promote a cause that has touched them already in their young lives.

MARCH

McGehee leads Jemison basketball turnarounds

Turning around a basketball program in one season is remarkable.

Stacy McGehee turned around two basketball programs in two years.

The Clanton Advertiser’s basketball coach of the year led Jemison’s boys basketball team from a winless season in 2008-09 to seven wins in McGehee’s first year, in 2009-10, and a winning record, 14-13, in 2010-11.

McGehee said he has been told by people close to the program that it was Jemison’s boys first winning season since the mid-1980s.

McGehee took control of the girls team this season, leading that set of Panthers to an 11-13 record one year after posting only four wins.

APRIL

Rebels boys, girls win weightlifting titles

Thorsby’s boys weightlifting team won the Class 2A state championship for the second consecutive year on April 2, and their girls counterparts won the 1A-2A championship.

THS had four male athletes win individual state titles: Kalup Nunn, Jonathan Spivey, Kip Cleckley and Colton Castleberry.

The Rebels boys and girls combined to finish second as a team in the 1A-6A competition, behind only a 5A school.

Thorsby’s Carroll tosses perfect game

Thorsby’s Cody Carroll is one of the best pitchers in the state’s 2A classification, and he had extra motivation during an April 8 game against Isabella.

The result: Carroll pitched the first perfect game—no hits or walks allowed—of his varsity career as the fourth-ranked Rebels clinched their third consecutive area championship with a 16-0, five-inning win.

Carroll struck out nine of the 15 batters he faced. Only two Isabella hitters, Andrew Smith and Trey Calfee, got the ball out of the infield. Both lifted fly balls to right fielder Jace Maddox in the third inning.

JHS archery team makes Nationals

In only its first year of existence, the Jemison High School archery team will compete on the National Archery in the Schools Program’s biggest stage.

The JHS archers—ranked in the top 5 in the state—qualified in the high school division for NASP Nationals on May 13-14 in Louisville, Ky., by posting their best score of the season at a state competition.

MAY

JHS athletes help tornado victims

The Jemison softball team planned a trip to watch the sixth-ranked University of Alabama softball squad host Kentucky, but the April tornadoes forced the cancellation of the game and thus the trip.

Instead, the Panthers decided to help tornado victims by collecting needed supplies and then dropping them off in Tuscaloosa.

Jemison boys tennis team finishes third in state

Jemison’s boys tennis team finished third in the Class 4A state tournament, matching the program’s best performance in Coach Benton Morton’s 10 years. JHS also finished third in the 2007 state tournament.

Jake Long was the state runner up in the No. 6 singles position, and teammate Andrew Morton made it to the semifinals. Long and Morton also reached the semifinals as the No. 2 doubles team. Thompson and Nick Long reached the semifinals in the No. 3 doubles position.

Archie wins fifth state track championship

Thorsby’s Sade’ Archie won her fifth state track and field championship, on May 7.

Archie won in the 100-meter dash, which she ran in 12.96 seconds.

Archie has won the 100 three consecutive years; she also has won two titles in the 200-meter dash.

Archie finished fourth in the 200-meter dash in 2011

Thorsby’s historic season comes to end

Thorsby baseball’s historic season ended May 14 with a 14-3, five-inning loss against Leroy in the Class 2A state semifinals.

The Rebels lost both games of the best-of-three series but were unashamed of the effort they gave in their first-ever semifinal appearance.

Host Thorsby fought back from a 12-run deficit in Game 1 on May 13 to force an extra inning before Leroy won, 19-14. And THS trailed just 6-3 in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 before it was suspended because of weather and impending darkness.

JUNE

Thorsby pair receives top baseball honors

Jason Price enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, the result of a year of experience and an offseason spent in his personal batting cage.

And Price’s emergence was perhaps the most significant reason behind the Thorsby baseball team advancing to the semifinal round of the state playoffs for the first time in school history.

Price is The Clanton Advertiser’s Baseball Player of the Year, and his coach, Ab Argent, is the Coach of the Year.

Argent was also named the Class 2A Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, while Price and senior pitcher Cody Carroll were both named to the All-State Baseball Team.

Bowden named new Jemison football coach

Merritt Bowden has made many coaching stops. But his next one is to lead the school he graduated from.

Bowden will be Jemison’s next football coach, replacing Brad Abbott, who gave up the position after seven seasons.

Bowden, a 1987 JHS graduate, comes to Jemison from Oak Mountain, where he has coached the past two years, most recently serving as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.

Bowden led the Panthers to a 6-4 record, including a season opening win over rival Chilton County, in his first year as coach.

JULY

North Chilton youth baseball team wins state title

The North Chilton Orioles 11-and-under youth baseball team did what no other team in its league has done: win the Dizzy Dean Baseball State Championship.

The Orioles—made up of teams from Jemison, Thorsby and West End—entered the state tournament in Cullman on July 6 as a No. 1 seed after defeating Chelsea 7-6 in the District 12 regional tournament. They went through the state tournament undefeated, besting Walker County, 18-0; Huffman, 9-6; East Walker, 12-10; and Albertville, 13-10, on their way to a rematch in the finals with Chelsea.

AUGUST

Panthers win rivalry game

Every time Chilton County thought it had a chance, Jemison’s Javae Swindle showed the capacity crowd at Panther Stadium otherwise.

Swindle ran for 268 yards and two touchdowns—and set up two other scores—as JHS topped rival CCHS, 29-13, in both teams’ season openers on Aug. 25.

SEPTEMBER

CCA Patriots pick up first-ever win

Chilton Christian Academy’s 6-man football team christened its field with a win against Faith Christian in the Patriots’ first-ever home game on Sept. 2.

The Patriots, a first-year program, lost their season opener to Trinity in Oxford on Aug. 19, but they bounced back to defeat the Faith Christian Lions 58-12 in their second game of the season.

NOVEMBER

Patriots win first-ever six-man state championship

On Nov. 4, the Chilton Christian Academy Patriots walked off R. Jerry Morris Memorial Ball Field in Hueytown as state champions.

Chilton Christian beat Marion Academy, 58-50, in the inaugural Christian Football Association championship game—in a thrilling contest that set the bar high for future title games.

DECEMBER

Swindle named football player of year

Jemison senior running back Javae Swindle was named The Clanton Advertiser’s Football Player of the Year after a season in which he rushed for 1,443 yards and 19 touchdowns in nine games, bringing his three-year total to 4,503 yards and 57 touchdowns.

The Panthers finished with a 6-4 record in coach Merritt Bowden’s first season but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison’s boys basketball team pulled away from Maplesville in the second quarter Monday for a 62-35 win.

The home victory was a nice way for JHS to end the first half of the season. Jemison won its first six games but then lost two in a row.

Now, they head into the holiday break with some confidence and momentum.

The Panthers (7-2) led 14-7 after one quarter, but visiting MHS was within striking distance until Jemison’s Austin Lovette scored five consecutive points—including a three-pointer—to close the second half

The Red Devils (3-4) never threatened in the second half of the game at Jemison’s Alton Cobb Gymnasium.

Jemison’s Tre Bryant and Eddie Hubbard shared honors of leading scorer with 13 points each.

Bryant also had three assists.

Jeremiah Gates chipped in 12 points and five rebounds.

Anthony Johnson led Maplesville with 12 points.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Thorsby’s and Isabella’s basketball teams split two heart-stoppers on Thursday.

Isabella’s boys won their first game of the season, 36-33, while Thorsby’s girls pulled out a 32-31 win.

Thorsby’s boys (1-8) held a slight lead for much of their game, including as late as 48.6 seconds remaining to play, when Nathan Oldroyd sank two free throws.

But on Isabella’s ensuing possession, the Mustangs (1-7) crashed the offensive boards hard, earning several second-chance opportunities before D.J. Talley finally got one to go down to tie the game at 33 with 20 seconds left.

After an offensive foul call on Thorsby, Isabella’s Deonte Campbell connected on a runner in the lane and was fouled in the process.

Campbell made the free throw for a three-point lead, and Thorsby then missed an attempt from beyond the three-point line.

Campbell led all scorers with 13 points. He also recorded 12 rebounds.

Tyler Edwards had nine points and six rebounds for host Isabella.

Oldroyd and Parker Bryan each had nine points for Thorsby.

Thorsby’s girls were down 31-29 with just under 1 minute to play in the first varsity game of the evening when Megan Sanchez found an open Haley Barnett in the post to tie the game.

The Rebels got the ball back, and Sharonda Cooper was fouled with 4 seconds remaining. She made the second of two free throws for the win.

Cooper led all scorers with 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds.

Sanchez and Keela Lucas had six rebounds each.

Khadijah Craig scored 10 points for Isabella (2-7).

The Rebels (2-6) fell to Francis Marion, 68-36, on Tuesday.

Cooper had 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in that one.

Barnett grabbed six rebounds.

By Stephen Dawkins | Assistant Managing Editor

Jemison’s girls basketball team picked up its first win of the season, 42-31, at home Monday against Isabella.

The JHS boys also won, 86-34.

Panthers girls coach Leighsa Robinson said her team was more patient against Isabella’s pressure defense. Then, when in their halfcourt offense, the Panthers made good decisions and passed the ball well.

“And I think we played a much better defensive game,” Robinson said.

Isabella led 20-17 at halftime, but JHS tied the game at 24 on a three-pointer by Shelby Lopez with 3:22 remaining in the third period and took the lead on a pair of free throws by Shelby Griffin on the next possession.

The Panthers (1-3) outscored their visitors 16-7 in the third period.

Griffin, Lopez and Shayna Robinson each scored 10 points for Jemison.

Lopez had eight rebounds, and Laura Vinzant had seven.

Lopez and Vinzant each had five assists.

Isabella’s Savannah Kissel led all scorers with 12 points.

Tre Bryant scored 15 points in the first quarter and finished with 21 points to lead the Jemison boys (4-0).

Eddie Hubbard had 17 points, and Jeremiah Gates chipped in 11 points.

Tyler Edwards scored 13 points for Isabella.

Jemison’s boys also won on Dec. 2, 71-58 over rival Chilton County.

Bryant again got off to a hot start, outscoring the visitors 11-8 by himself in the first period.

Chilton’s Dyquan Floyd, though, wound up leading all scorers with 23 points.

Bryant had 20, Hubbard had 17, Gates had 14 and Randy Satterfield had 12 points for Jemison.