Local Sports
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Priceville eliminates Fairview in nailbiter
Hardman tosses in game-high 25 points
HUNTSVILLE — Fairview High’s boys basketball team made a habit of playing close games against area competition this season.
That didn’t change Friday.
Priceville’s Andrew Starkey hit two game-winning free throws with less than one minute remaining in regulation as the Bulldogs defeated Fairview 55-53 in the opening round of the Class 4A, Area 13 tournament at Columbia High.
Priceville (17-11) advances to Monday’s championship game against Columbia, while Fairview finishes its season at 16-13.
The nailbiting finish was nothing new this season for Fairview, which played four area games during the regular season that were decided by five points or fewer.
Brock Boyd led Priceville with 15 points, while Tyler Croft added 12. Trett Hardman scored a game-high 25 points to lead Fairview and Nathan Ring finished with 13.
Fairview led 11-10 after the first quarter and 26-21 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Aggies increased their lead to eight at 33-25 with 3:55 left. But Priceview stormed back with a 17-4 run to take the lead.
Michael Varner’s jumper to start the fourth quarter gave the Bulldogs their first lead since early in the opening quarter at 42-37.
The Bulldogs held onto the lead for most of the fourth quarter and were up 53-48 after a free throw by Croft with 1:23 left.
Hardman trimmed the Priceville lead to 53-50 with a layup before Croft was called for a charge, giving the Aggies new life.
On the next possession, Ring got the Aggies within a point with a basket with 34 seconds left. Priceville guard Andrew Starkey missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 30 seconds left and Ryan Parker was fouled on the rebound.
Parker split his two free throws, leaving the score tied at 53-all with 28.7 left.
Starkey was fouled again on the next Bulldogs’ possession, and this time he made good on his free throws to put Priceville on top with 25 seconds left. Fairview had one last shot to tie, but Hardman’s shot from just beyond the free-throw line rimmed out as the buzzer sounded.
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PREP BASEBALL: Fraley takes coach’s advice, shuts down Holly Pond
Karl Ammonite has been preaching a few things since taking over as West Point High’s baseball coach.
He got a resounding amen from his starting pitcher on two of them Monday afternoon.
Trevor Fraley struck out 11 batters in a three-hit complete-game performance as West Point defeated Holly Pond 11-1 in the opening round of the Cullman County baseball tournament at Hanceville High.The Warriors (6-2) advance to face Fairview today at 6 p.m. in the semifinals.
“One of the things I preach is focus — baseball is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical,” said Ammonite, who is in his first year as West Point’s coach. “(After the first inning) He regained his composure and fought back well in every inning thereafter." -
PREP SOFTBALL: Bats come to life in sixth, Broncos rally past Eagles
Steve Miller told his players it would eventually happen. A big offensive inning was going to come.
As it turns out, the Holly Pond High softball coach was right.
Holly Pond pounded out six runs in the bottom of the sixth, using that rally to beat Vinemont 9-4 Monday afternoon. - More Local Sports Headlines
