ALL-CAPITAL CITY CONFERENCE: MA's Gordon earns top honors for boys team

Montgomery Academy’s Braden Goron was named Player of the Year in the Capital City Conference for 2026. (File Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

Braden Gordon loved the thrill of competition, whether it was playing some of the state’s largest high school basketball programs or playing in the state tournament while competing for a Class 3A state championship.

“For him, as the games get bigger, he gets better,” Montgomery Academy coach Jeremy Arant noted. “That’s just the kind of competitor he is. In the second half of the (regional) semifinals, the regional finals, the final four, the state championship game, he probably played the best that he’s played all year on both ends of the floor.

“It’s not something you can coach or teach. I’ve found it’s just something that’s in some people. As the competition gets higher and the stakes get higher, they’re just more tuned in and I’m going to raise my level of play. He just naturally has that.”

Area coaches saw it as well, making Gordon the unanimous choice as the Capital City Conference Player of the Year. He was joined on the all-CCC first team by teammates Jarrett Friendly and Mason Ellis, along with Catholic senior Matthias Gourdine and Trinity junior Wilson Cherry.

Gordon’s point production was roughly the same over the last two years -- scoring 552 points as an emerging sophomore in 2025 and 532 points this year after missing the first four games in the transition from football. The major difference came in leadership as Gordon was one of several contributors last year on a team that included eight seniors and was the undisputed leader this year on a team breaking in new players while facing the toughest schedule in school history as the defending 3A state champion.

“It was probably not as difficult as some people would think because they’re fully aware that last year we had eight seniors and we were a different team and this year was our chance to cement our legacy here at MA and prove what we can do,” said Jeremy Arant, who repeated as the Capital City Conference Coach of the Year. “This was a really young team. Jay Jay (Jackson) and Caleb (Myles) were JV players last year so them getting thrown into the fire and developing and becoming the players they became really enabled us to make the run we did at the end of the year.

“It took a little while to get it figured out. We won several (early season) games but Robert (McGaughey) got hurt at that time. Then it was we have to throw these other guys in the fire and really speed up the process of getting them developed and ready to play in these big games.”

BOYS ALL-CAPITAL CITY CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Braden Gordon, Montgomery Academy

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Jeremy Arant, Montgomery Academy

First Team

Braden Gordon 6-4 G Jr. Montgomery Academy

Jarrett Friendly 6-6 F Jr. Montgomery Academy

Mason Ellis 6-2 PG So. Montgomery Academy

Wilson Cherry 6-2 G Jr. Trinity

Matthias Gourdine 5-11 G Sr. Catholic

Second Team

Wilson Aman 6-1 G So. St. James

Christian Snipes 6-2 F Sr. Alabama Christian

MJ Belser 6-3 F Jr. Catholic

Will Renfroe 6-1 G Sr. Montgomery Academy

Jordan Williams 6-5 F Fr. St. James

Honorable mention -- Caleb Ellis, 5-10, G, 8th, St. James; Mylez Gourdine, 5-8, G, So., Catholic; Devin Hampton, 6-3, F, So., Catholic; Mason Henry, 5-11, G, Fr., Alabama Christian; Dylan Hines, 6-1, F, Sr., St. James; Kamari Hutson, 5-8, G, Fr., Trinity; Jay Jay Jackson, 5-8, G, So., Montgomery Academy; Caleb Myles, 6-1, G, So., Montgomery Academy; Levi Summers, 6-3, G, So., Alabama Christian.