NASCAR: A look back on the Daytona 500. 3C
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CLASS 1A BOYS FINAL | PICKENS COUNTY 70, CEDAR BLUFF 59
QUARTERBACKS
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Moving on: UA loses no scholarship quarterbacks from the 2011 team. Moving forward: Starter AJ McCarron’s 2011 season established him as nothing less than one of the Southeastern Conference’s most productive returning passers. He averaged better than 200 yards per game last year (third in the league) with a completion percentage of 66.7 (best in the league) and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of better than 3-1. Spring drills represent a chance for McCarron to build chemistry with new receiving targets who will be looking to fill the roles vacated by 2011 seniors Marquis Maze, Darius Hanks and Brad Smelley. Moving up: Phillip Sims returns after spending the 2011 season as McCarron’s top backup. His game action was limited after some action early in the season. He finished the year with eight appearances but only 28 pass attempts. Freshman reserve Phillip Ely spent the season redshirting, learning the offense and working with the scout team. Moving day: None of UA’s eight early enrollers are quarterbacks. Position overview: With a national championship quarterback returning with two years of remaining eligibility, UA would appear to be in outstanding long-term condition at the position. McCarron was a confident player with limited experience a year ago, so with a full season of action under his belt, he should enter spring drills with even more assuredness this year. Sims gives UA a gifted backup whose competition with McCarron for the starting job lasted through fall camp last year.
AJ McCarron
STAFF PHOTOS | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
Pickens County’s De’Marko Hall scored 17 points in the Class 1A championship game against Cedar Bluff in Birmingham on Thursday. Pickens County won, 70-59, to claim its second straight Class 1A title and third straight championship. The Tornadoes won the Class 2A title in 2010.
UA SOFTBALL
Production, confidence up for Branham By Tommy Deas Executive Sports Editor
TUSCALOOSA | Jackey Branham had to stay to play. More specifically, the infielder for the top-ranked University of Alabama softball team had to spend last summer on campus — and in the weight room — to have a chance to crack the Crimson Tide’s lineup this season. UA coach Patrick Murphy challenged the junior from Troy, Mo., in a one-on-one meeting after last season. “I said we really need to work on your conditioning and your weights, because that’s holding you back,” Murphy said. Branham stayed, and is now batting .444. She has played in nine games, starting seven at second base. “That was my fi rst summer that I stayed,” she said. “It helps to be really close to the weight room. When I’m here, I’ve got Jordan (Patterson) SEE BRANHAM | 5C
Pickens County claims third straight state title INSIDE
By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer
AHSAA: Tournament results | 2C
3A BOYS: Greensboro goes for its second title today | 4C
3A GIRLS: Greensboro uses last year’s bitter loss as motivation for title quest | 4C
BIRMINGHAM | Pickens County and Cedar Bluff, fi nalists from a year ago, met Thursday in the AHSA A Class 1A fi nal, and the result was the same without overtime. Senior guards Warren Betts and De’Marko Hall each scored 10 points in the second half and Pickens County defeated the Tigers 70-59 to claim its third straight championship. “I’m very proud of the guys,” said Patrick Plott, who earned the fi rst state title of his coaching career. “We said in the locker room if we came out and played good defense we’d have a chance to win the game. I
For a photo gallery of Pickens County’s title game, visit www.tuscpreps.com think we forced 20-something turnovers, so defensively we played very well and got some easy baskets on the offensive end.” Pickens County fi nished with 15 steals. Cedar Bluff committed 25 turnovers. Plott, Pickens County’s head football coach in 2008, returned last fall as head coach for football and basketball. Russ Wallace, who left to coach at Buckhorn, directed the Tornadoes to championships in 2010 and 2011. SEE T ITLE | 4C
CLASS 1A GIRLS FINAL | McINTOSH 48, HOLY SPIRIT 39
Heartbreak for Titans Shots don’t fall for Holy Spirit in title game By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer
EASTON ALABAMA INVITE
■ Where: Rhoads Stadium ■ When: Today at 1:30 p.m. vs. Maryland; Saturday at 1:30 p.m. vs. UMass and 4 p.m. vs. Maryland; Sunday at 1:30 p.m. vs. UAB ■ Records: Alabama 13-0, UAB 7-6, UMass 5-5, Maryland 10-2 ■ TV: WVUA ■ Radio: 90.7 FM
Pickens County’s Warren Betts (13) goes up past Cedar Bluff’s Frederick Hackett in the Class 1A title game. Betts led the Tornadoes with 19 points. He was 6-for-6 on free throws and hit three 3-pointers, all in the first quarter.
STAFF PHOTO | MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
Holy Spirit’s Kaitlyn Taylor drives down the court alongside McIntosh’s Amber Roberts (21) in the Class 1A championship game Thursday in Birmingham.
BIRMINGHAM | Kaitlyn Taylor’s fi rst basket Thursday was a 3-pointer, and so was her last. In between, Holy Spirit missed too many shots to win a championship. Junior guard Kaela Adams scored nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter, and McIntosh defeated the Lady Titans 48-39 in the AHSA A Class 1A fi nal. Holy Spirit, with the 6-foot Taylor as the only senior, shot 90 times but made only 17 (18.9 percent). The Lady Titans made 4 of 37 3-point tries (10.8 percent). “Our shots have not fallen particularly well
throughout the tournament,” said Holy Spirit coach Roger Taylor, the father of Kaitlyn and Rachel Taylor. “Maybe it’s nerves, the enormity of the situation, whatever. I think if they had fallen better we could have played a little better today, but I’m very proud of the team. “We’re 32-2 on the year; tremendous effort; still very young. Kaitlyn will be the only player we’re losing. Everybody in the locker room otherwise has two full seasons left to play together, so we’re proud of that.” Adams had seven rebounds and four assists. Most valuable player Amber Roberts had 11 points for the Lady Demons. Tolondrea Boldon scored eight points. Shelby Weaver, a 6-foot-4 SEE T ITANS | 4C