PREP UPDATE: Catholic football season ends at hands of Williamson; Evangel Christian basketball wins opener; PCA sweeps ACA
Catholic wide receiver Michael Sheffield is tackled by Williamson’s Jaylen Scott in Friday’s Class 5A Quarterfinal game at Knights Field. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Williamson coach Antonio Coleman is starting to rethink his halftime speeches.
“The last two weeks, we started off slow,” Coleman said. “I just go in (at halftime) and tell them to play Williamson football. We’re starting off slow, then I tell them to play Williamson football and we lock in and do what we have to do. So, obviously, I’m going to have to say that before we kick the ball off.”
Williamson (13-0) scored four times in the third quarter to erase a halftime deficit and crush two-time defending state champion Catholic (8-5) 41-10 in the quarterfinals of the 5A state playoffs at Catholic on Friday night.
Williamson linebacker Ellis McGaskin, a Notre Dame commitment, blocked a pair of punts to set up touchdowns, one on the game’s first possession and one in the decisive third quarter.
“We had been going over every single look they could give us,” McGaskin said. “We were prepared for everything they were running.”
McGaskin’s first blocked punt, on the seventh play from scrimmage, was scooped up by teammate Derek Godbolt and returned 7 yards to the Catholic 18 to set up Todrick Withers’ 12-yard touchdown run a minute later.
But the Lions would manage just 55 yards the remainder of the first half. Catholic used a 45-yard kickoff return by Ty Player and a pair of penalties to position JP Costa for a 33-yard field goal, then scored early in the second quarter when a pair of Williamson defenders ran together on what turned into a 46-yard touchdown reception by Elijah Nunnelly for a 10-7 halftime lead by the Knights.
Then came the halftime speech.
“He didn’t say much,” McGaskin said. “He was just telling us to come out here and play Williamson football and the guys, including myself, preached that. When we came out, you saw the results.”
There was an opening drive for a touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown by James Manuel, then a second blocked punt by McGaskin that led to a 14-yard touchdown pass from Alvin Dinkins to Reginald Ward for a 28-10 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Williamson recovered the loose ball to set up another touchdown pass, finishing the third quarter with 27 unanswered points.
“Special teams is important,” Coleman said. “That’s something I spearhead. I have great coordinators that give me the opportunity to focus on special teams and that’s something we pride ourselves on.”
Catholic, which has struggled with its running game for much of the season, managed just 145 total yards, with all but 39 of that coming in the second quarter.
“Those guys are a heck of a ballplayer,” McGaskin said. “It means a lot to come in here and end their season, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to get that blue map.”
BOYS BASKETBALL
Evangel Christian 66, Heritage Christian 23
Damon Petty scored 17 points to lead Evangel to its first win of the season on Friday night.
D’John Wright added 12 points while London Belcher and Donnell Harris both chipped in 11 points. Belcher also grabbed 11 rebounds and Harris had six steals.
The Lions (1-0) will travel to Crenshaw Christian on Dec 4.
Macon East Academy 100, The Rock 19
CECIL -- Jackson Todd had 27 points, 12 rebounds and a steal to lead the Knights to a 100-19 win over The Rock in the 2025-26 season opener in the Macon East gym on Friday night.
Bryant Grimes added 23 points, six rebounds, seven steals and two assists, followed by Jermaine Pena with 20 points, seven assists, seven steals and two rebounds.
Macon East Academy (1-0) will travel to Tuscaloosa to play in a tournament at North River Christian on Monday and Tuesday.
Prattville Christian 71, Alabama Christian 31
PRATTVILLE -- The Panthers jumped out to their best start of the season, scoring 23 points in the first quarter and 15 more in the second to overwhelm Alabama Christian 71-31 in the PCA gym on Friday night.
Carter Fiacco scored 18 points in the first half, finishing with 23 points, five rebounds and four steals. Justin Chapman added eight points in the first half and finished with 15 points, six steals and five rebounds.
Wade Mora added 11 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Cody Chapman with 10 points and seven rebounds. Ethan Girlie had six points, five rebounds and four steals, while CJ Robinson had five points and seven rebounds.
Christian Snipes led Alabama Christian (2-2) with 14 points and eight rebounds, scoring 12 points in the second half. Ethan Capps added five points and five rebounds.
PCA (3-2) will play Brew Tech on Monday at 4 p.m. in the opening round of the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Tournament at Montgomery Academy.
In the junior varsity game, Ethan Kinne led the Panthers with 23 points and nine rebounds in a 43-27 loss to the Eagles. Easton Carr scored three points and Austin Baxley grabbed four rebounds for PCA (0-5), which will play host to Greenville on Dec. 2.
Verbena 71, Billingsley 63
VERBENA -- Billingsley had four players in double figures but couldn’t catch Verbena in a 71-63 loss to the Red Devils in the Verbena gym on Thursday.
Dequavion Ray had 18 points, 11 rebounds and three steals to lead the Bears, followed by Kyle Boice with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals, Kalvin Thomas with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Jake Rawlinson with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Billingsley (1-3) returns to action in a pair of home games against Isabella on Dec. 2 and Holtville on Dec. 4.
St. James 44, BTW Magnet 34
The Trojans opened the 2025-26 season with a balanced attack to defeat BTW Magnet 44-34 on Thursday night in the St. James gym.
Jordan Williams led the Trojans with 10 points, followed by Caleb Ellis with nine points. Wilson Aman and Henry Wright added eight points each.
St. James (1-0) returns to action on Monday in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery Academy, facing 6A Pike Road in the opening round at 1 p.m.
Alabama Christian 51, Holtville 41
Christian Snipes scored 13 of his 18 points in the third quarter as the Eagles wiped out a halftime deficit with a 20-point third quarter in a 51-41 win over the Bulldogs in the ACA gym on Thursday.
Snipes added five rebounds to go with his 18 points. Alex Heilman had eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots, while Mason Henry added eight points, including five in the third quarter.
ACA (2-1) trailed 13-8 at the end of the first quarter and 18-16 at halftime before rallying to take a two-point lead, 36-34, in the third quarter.
Kaden Owens led Holtville (1-2) with nine points.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Trinity 49, Lee-Scott Academy 35
AUBURN -- Lilly Smith had 18 points and five rebounds to lead the Wildcats to a 49-35 win over the Warriors in the Lee-Scott gym on Friday night.
Lizzie Causey added 11 points and eight rebounds, followed by Emma Rose Meldrum with 10 points, five rebounds and four steals and Emory Causey with eight points, five steals and four rebounds.
Trinity (4-2) will travel to Eclectic to play Elmore County on Monday.
Prattville Christian 44, Alabama Christian 39
PRATTVILLE -- Baylee Rogers and Leah Cate Wilson each scored six points in the second quarter to rally the Panthers, then got a huge assist from eighth grader Mitra Mora off the bench in the fourth quarter to help PCA to a 44-39 victory over Alabama Christian on Friday night in the PCA gym.
ACA (2-2) took a 12-9 lead into the second quarter, relying on five 3-pointers from Adalyn Newkirk and three 3-pointers from Sam Burgess to keep pace with the Panthers. That was before Mora entered the game and responded with 10 points and six rebounds, scoring four points in the third quarter and hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to hold off the Eagles.
Rogers finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four assists, while Wilson had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Avery Mann and Kayleigh Arthur each scored three points. Hannah Royal grabbed six rebounds, Reagan Houston grabbed five and Chelsea Cutler grabbed five.
Newkirk led ACA with 17 points, 10 rebounds and six steals, followed by Burgess with nine and Addison Smith with seven points, five rebounds and three steals.
PCA (2-3) will play Pike Road on Monday at 11:30 a.m. in the Coach Larry Chapman Foundation Tip-Off Classic at Montgomery Academy.
Macon East Academy 78, The Rock 8
CECIL -- Jamya Powell had 30 points, nine rebounds, seven steals, three assists and a pair of blocked shots to lead the Knights to a 78-8 win over The Rock in Macon’s home opener on Friday.
Addison Longcrier added 29 points, seven steals, four assists and two rebounds, while Kylie Taylor scored eight points, seven assists and three steals.
Macon East (1-1) travels to Tuscaloosa to play in a tournament at North River Christian on Monday and Tuesday.
St. James 76, Thompson 45
Kaitlin Mitchell led all scorers with 23 points and added five assists, eight rebounds and three steals as the Trojans defeated Class 7A Thompson 76-45 in the St. James gym on Thursday night.
Morgan Lilly added 15 points, five assists, five rebounds and three steals, while Natalie Barton also added 14 points along with seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. Lily Stanford chipped in eight points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.
Alabama Christian 49, Holtville 33
Adalyn Newkirk had 17 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Eagles handed Holtville its first loss of the season in a 49-33 win in the ACA gym on Thursday.
ACA jjumped out to a 13-1 lead and maintained that comfortable cushion the rest of the night, leading by eight points at the half and 12 points, 35-23, at the end of the third quarter.
Sam Burgess added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists for ACA, followed by Campbell Hammett with eight points and five steals.
Kali Ingram led Holtville (2-1) with 12 points, including nine in the second half. Hailey Phelps added eight.
WRESTLING
PCA opens season with a pair of wins on the road
FULTONDALE -- The Panthers opened the 2025-26 season on the road with a quad match that included St. John Paul II and Brookwood at Fultondale High.
In the first dual of the night the Panthers took on St. John Paul II and came away with a 51-22 dual meet win.
In the second dual of the night PCA took on Fultondale, winning 54-28.
In the last dual of the night PCA wrestled Brookwood High and suffered their first loss of the season 51-25.
Ryan Lueck, Jens Johnson, Cole Young, Bryson Bowman and Orion Garrett went undefeated in matches for the Panthers.
PCA will travel to Hiawassee, Ga., to Towns County High to take part in the two-day King Of The Mountain Tournament.