Combined Report
(Feb. 28, 2010)

BIRMINGHAM - It was not a good Championship Saturday for River Region teams.

Three teams took their respective shots at a state title on Saturday at the BJCC Arena. All three were unable to complete the task of earning the blue trophy with Brewbaker Tech and both the G.W. Carver boys and girls losing in the finals.

Brew Tech was unable to hold a six-point lead in the fourth quarter and loss to Ramsay, 65-54, in the Class 4A boys final.

“We feel like we could have done better," Brew Tech senior K.T. Harrell said. "It hurts right now, because we know how close we were to winning. Ramsay deserved to win.”

The Carver girls followed with a 45-42 loss to Fairfield. The Lady Wolverines were tied at 40-40 but made just one of six attempted field goals in the final two minutes.

“Our girls never quit and I am proud of every one of them,” Carver coach Michelle Simmons said. “But there was a point when we didn’t make the key shots, didn’t make the key passes… we didn’t finish well enough to win.”

The Carver boys closed out the day losing to Lee-Huntsville, 62-48.

“I would say they know what it takes to get here,” Carver coach James “J.J” Jackson said. “We have a young team and they think they can get back here next year. This was just a taste.”

The Hoover girls and Bob Jones boys won the Class 6A championships while Midfield won the girls’ 4A title.

Here is a recap of Saturday’s games.

Class 4A Boys Championship

Ramsay 58, Brewbaker Tech 50
           

Ramsay’s Rams outscored Brewbaker Tech 21-7 in the fourth quarter en route to a 58-50 win in the Class 4A championship game Saturday.
          
Point guard Ralph Floyd, the Class 4A tournament MVP, scored 21 points, including sinking 9-of-12 free throws and most of them in the final period. Floyd also had six steals. Teammate Lonnie Smith added 13 points and seven rebounds and Ranardd Kennedy cleared a team-high eight rebounds.
           
Harrell led Brewbaker Tech (24-6), making its first championship game appearance, with 17 points. Giovanni Smith added 13 points, Chris Bendolph and Kelton Cash 10 each. Harrell also had nine rebounds.
           

The Class 4A All-Tourney Team: Ralph Floyd, Ramsay (MVP); K.T. Harrell, Brewbaker Tech; Lonnie Smith, Ramsay; Derek Kelly, Columbia; Giovanni Smith, Brewbaker Tech; Michael Rush, Anniston.

Class 5A Boys Championship

Lee-Huntsville 62, Carver 48

Lee-Huntsville captured its first boys state basketball championship since 1968 Saturday afternoon with a 62-48 triumph over Carver-Montgomery in the Class 5A finals.

The Generals (25-10) had advanced to the Final 48 by beating two-time defending 5A state champ and Huntsville city rival Butler in the finals of the Northwest Regional last week.

Lee, coached by Greg Brown, was ready and steady against Carver (23-2) from the get-go, jumping out to a 37-24 lead by halftime. A slower pace kept the Generals in control in the second half as Josh Langford scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to earn MVP honors. Devin Langford chipped in 13 points and had five rebounds before fouling out in the final period.

Roquez Johnson paced the Wolverines with 17 points and 10 rebounds and teammate Cornelius Ferguson added 14 points.

The Class 5A All-Tourney Team: Josh Langford, Lee (MVP); Roquez Johnson, Carver; Lebron King, Lee; Devin Langford, Lee; Cornelius Ferguson, Carver; Antuan Riggs, Wenonah.

Class 5A Girls Championship

Fairfield 45, Carver 42

Fairfield’s Lady Tigers edged Carver-Montgomery, 45-42, Saturday afternoon to capture the school’s first state title ever in a defensive battle all the way.

Coach Tiffany Frederick’s Tigers (29-8) out-rebounded the Wolverines (23-8) 42-30 with Nichelle Fillmore sweeping 8, Maeghan Green 7, and Katheryn Goldsb, 6.

Point guard Jazmine Saxton, tournament MVP, scored 11 points and was 4-of-6 at the foul line. She sank three crucial free throws in the final minute to seal the win. Goldsby added 10 points.

Pacing Carver was Shatavia Farris with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Alondra Gray also had 12 points.

The Fairfield coach was a player in the 2000 Class 5A state finals with Fairfield finishing second to Buckhorn.

The Class 5A Girls All-Tourney Team included: Jazmine Saxton, Fairfield (MVP); Shatavia Farris, Carver; Alondra Gray, Carver; Katheryn Goldsby, Fairfield; TaKayla Wesley, LeFlore; Khristian Lee, Erwin.

Class 4A Girls Championship

Midfield 46, Deshler 25

Midfield High School’s Lady Patriots basketball program joined an elite group Saturday morning with a 46-25 victory over Deshler in the Class 4A state tournament finals.

Coach Reggie Ware’s team captured its fourth consecutive state crown. Only Mars Hill Bible (1988-91), Fyffe (1994-97), Ramsay (2004-07) and Saturday opponent Deshler (2003-06) have won four consecutive state titles. The Patriots also won titles in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and also played in the 2005 3A finals.

This championship had little suspense. Midfield (18-13) led 24-11 at the half, 38-15 after three quarters and did not allow a single offensive rebound in the first half.

Tournament MVP Jasmine Steele, a 5-foot-1 sophomore point guard, had 10 points and three steals for the Patriots. Brittany Young added 12 points and nine rebounds and Lakiera Lowe finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. Both earned All-Tourney honors.

Deshler (27-6) was led by Ashley Southern’s nine points and 15 rebounds.

The 4A All-Tourney Team: Jasmine Steele, Midfield (MVP); Ashley Southern, Deshler; Monica Cooper, DAR; Brittany Young, Midfield; Lakiera Lowe, Midfield; Kyera Rowe, Thomasville.
    
        
Class 6A Girls Championship

Hoover 39, Bob Jones 19

Hoover High School’s Lady Bucs won the battle of defense – holding two-time defending Class 6A state champion Bob Jones to a state-tournament record 19 points en route to a 39-19 win to claim the Class 6A girls state championship.

The Bucs (32-1) jumped out to 13-2 first-quarter lead but managed only three points in the second quarter and led 16-9 at the half. Coach Donnie Quinn’s Hoover squad then turned its defensive effort up full blast and limited the Patriots (33-3) to only 10 second-half points.

The 19 points allowed broke a state tournament record shared by Class 1A Courtland in 1985 versus Red Level (51-24 win) and Ramsay in 2006 versus Arab (44-24). The 58 total points scored tied the record for lowest point total by both teams set in the 1983 Class 1A finals won by Akron over Edward Bell (32-26).

Meghan Dunn, Hoover’s senior point guard, earned MVP honors with 18 points. She made only two field goals in seven tries but made all 14 of her free throws and had seven rebounds.

Tyrese Tanner, also named to the 6A All-Tourney Team, had eight points and six rebounds.

Mekenda Randall had 13 rebounds and eight points to lead Bob Jones.

The 6A All-Tourney Team: Meghan Dunn, Hoover (MVP); Tyrese Tanner, Hoover; MeKena Randall, Bob Jones; Tiarra Pritchett, Bob Jones; Jatoria Carter, Jeff Davis; Devina Moulds, Davidson.

Class 6A Boys Championship

Bob Jones 61, Homewood 45

Bob Jones High School Coach Danny Petty became the first prep coach in AHSAA history to win boys state basketball championships at three different schools Saturday night as Bob Jones downed Homewood 61-45 to close out the 2010 Final 48 State Basketball Tournament.
Petty won his first state title as a coach in 1987 when he guided J.O. Johnson to the 6A state crown, then he directed Madison Academy to the Class 3A state championship in 2006. Also as a player, Petty was named MVP of the 1968 Class 4A state champion Lee-Huntsville Generals. Ironically, the Generals won their first state title since that championship earlier Saturday by winning the Class 5A crown.
            Saturday night saw the Patriots (20-14) cap an unlikely playoff run with the 16-point win over Homewood (31-5). Bob Jones went into sub-regional play at just 15-14.
            Levi Randolph earned MVP honors with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the finals. He was 11-of-15 at the foul line, had six assists and blocked three shots.
            Marquis Lindsey added 17 points and Jeffery Moss added 11.
            For Homewood, making their second state finals appearance in the last three seasons for Coach Tim Shepler, junior center Jeremy Watson had 15 points, 10 rebounds and hit 7-of-8 at the foul line. Winston Brooks chipped in 12 points.
            The Class 6A All-Tourney Team: Levi Randolph, Bob Jones (MVP); Marquis Lindsey, Bob Jones; Jeffery Moss, Bob Jones; Jeremy Watson, Homewood; Winston Brooks, Homewood; Lawyer Lily, Baker; Darren Daniel, Central-Phenix City.