Local Sports
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: Broncos top Lions for area crown
Holly Pond will host sub-regional game for first time since 2004-05 season
GUNTERSVILLE — After a one-and-done performance at the Cullman County tournament, Holly Pond High coach Mitch Morris asked his players to keep the faith.
That faith paid dividends Monday night as the Broncos won their first area title in five years with an 84-70 victory over homestanding Brindlee Mountain in the Class 3A, Area 13 championship game.
Holly Pond (13-15) has won three straight games since falling to Hanceville in the quarterfinals of the county tournament. The Broncos advance to host seventh-ranked Sylvania in the sub-regional round Friday at 7 p.m.
“We just never did give up on each other,” said Morris, whose team earned its first area title since the 2004-05 season — when Holly Pond also made its last regional. “None of the guys were satisfied with the way things were going after the county tournament. I think with the Hanceville game, we played so bad that it opened our eyes.”
Holly Pond trailed Brindlee Mountain 15-14 after one quarter before grabbing a 37-32 lead at halftime.
The Broncos pulled away after the break, thanks in part to a strong 3-point shooting performance by Jacob Walker. The junior guard hit three treys in the period as Holly Pond opened up a 59-41 lead.
Brindlee Mountain outscored Holly Pond 29-25 the rest of the way, but the damage was already done.
“(Walker) had been struggling the last few games, but he came in and nailed three big shots for us in the third quarter,” said Morris. “That opened it up for us.”
Drew Adams scored a game-high 23 points to pace Holly Pond, while Walker finished with 18 and Thomas Hays had 12.
Wesley Cook tossed in 11, Gunter Morris had 10 and Wesley Graham added eight.
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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
