CULLMAN SPORTS PAGE

Holly Pond Broncos:
Coach: Mike Bates (7th year)
2018: 6-5, 3-3 in 3A, R 5
Career at Holly Pond: 20-43, 9-28 in regional games.
Quotes: "We are working hard. Our numbers are slightly down. We have a good core coming up and working out. We are thin in depth and having to work on that.
"A lot of our guys will have to come out of the blue to help us. Our goal is to play as hard as we can. We have got to make sure we stay healthy."
2019 schedule:
August 23 - @ New Hope, August 30 - Ider, September 6 - @ Midfield
September 13 - Hanceville, September 20 - Fultondale, September 27 - @ Danville
October 4 - @ Locust Fork, October 11 - J.B. Pennington, October 25 - @ Vinemont
November 1 - Fairview
Broncos news & notes:
Broncos play Ider for the first time at Holly Pond.
Broncos play at Midfield for the first time.
Holly Pond's 19-11 record the last 3 years is best regular season mark in the county.
Broncos are 3-3 in season openers under Bates, winning the last 3 years in Game 1.
Broncos play at New Hope for the first time since the 2012 season.
Three of the first five games for Broncos at home; Ider (Aug. 30), Hanceville (Sept. 13),
Fultrondale (Sept. 20).
Broncos vs. Vinemont will be 45th meeting between the two. Vinemont leads series 23-21.
Broncos' series with Fairview is the oldest for Holly Pond. Will be the 59th meeting when game takes place Nov. 1 at Thomas-Michelfelder Field.
Broncos are looking to make the AHSAA playoffs for 4th consecutive year. The last time the Broncos played in 4 straight years of postseason was 2202 through 2005.
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August 23 - Football at New Hope 7:00
August 30 - Football vs. Ider 7:00
September 6 - Football at Midfield 7:00
September 12 - Volleyball at Cullman 4:00
September 13 - Football vs. Hanceville 7:00
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AHSAA North Softball Regional
At Coffee-O'Neal Park in Florence:

GAME 1:
Holly Pond   0   0  0   0  0  0  -   0
Lexington    2   5   0   0  0  3  -  10

GAME 2:
Holly Pond         0   0  0  0  0  0  0  -  0
East Lawrence  2   0   2  2  0  3  x -  9

 FLASH NOTES: New coach Destry Stone got the Lady Broncos into the regional tournament by finishing runner up last week in Area 13 to New Hope.
   But playing for the first time in the event being held in Northwest Alabama, the Lady Broncos could never mount a threat and were shutout in both games.
   After falling behind 7-0 in the second in the opener with Lexington, freshman pitcher Emma Spitzer held Lexington scoreless in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
   Lexington then put the game away in the sixth on a 3-run walk off homer, ending the contest via the run rule.
  Against East Lawrence, the Lady Broncos fell behind after one inning and had difficulty all evening vs. the Lady Eagles' junior pitcher Briley Pitt. Pitt allowed Holly Pond four hits and showed a strong outing with 10 strikeouts. She started the game striking out the first four she faced.
 Pitt also provided her team some offense with a two-run homer in the sixth to break the game open.
 Holly Pond posted nine victories in 2019, the same total from the previous season.
 It was the final time for Maddie Heatherly, Emili Perry, Alexys Smith who will graduate in two weeks.
 Stone will field a young and mature team in 2020 with Spitzer and Mattie Earl in the circle as sophomore pitchers, Taylor Simmons at left field, Madyson Rickman playing third in her freshman season, with Lilian Perkins and Ciera James going into their senior season.
  The experience the Lady Broncos gained in a berth to the North Regional will serve a long way in their quest for postseason success in 2020.
​ 

AHSAA 3A, Area 12 Baseball
At Chunk Yeager Field - Holly Pond:
J.B. Pennington  4   0   0   0   8  -   12  (10-9, 4-2)
Holly Pond          0   0   0   0   0  -    0  (5-12, 2-4)
WP: Luke Cassity
LP: Jacob Ring
TIME OF GAME: 1:32
SPORTSPAGE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Luke Cassity - Pennington, 5 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 BB, 3 Ks.
 FLASH NOTES: After falling in Blountsville to the Tigers Wednesday night 7-1, Holly Pond was in a must win status to keep its playoff hopes alive.
 But the Tigers dashed them, breaking the game open with an 8-run 5th inning. Pennington produced four hits in the frame, with an RBI single from Jackson Millwood, a two-run single by Jon Vargas, Noah Allison with a sac fly RBI and three other runs scoring on a throwing error, a wild pitch and a passed ball.
 Six straight hits to open the game for Pennington, put them into the lead. Jacob Ring then retired nine of the next 11 batters as the Broncos were still in contention, just behind 4-0 before the flood gates open in the fifth.
 The loss knocked the Broncos out of postseason play. It sends Pennington into the 3A playoffs as the runner-up from Area 12. They will head to Mike Cupp Field next weekend for an opening round assignment against the Area 11 champion Vinemont Eagles.
 Up next for Holly Pond: Vs. New Hope Friday 4:30 p.m. 

Holly Pond's Jacob Ring swings in the 1st inning against J.B. Pennington Thursday.
Sportspage photo by Johnny Thornton

AHSAA 3A Northwest Sub-Regional
At Felton Easterwood Gym - Holly Pond:
Lamar Co     24  24  20  16  -  84  (9-15)
Holly Pond   18  22  22  25  -  87  (15-15)
Holly Pond: Kyler Chaney 28, Devyn Tankersley 22, Issac Ludwig 22, Cooper Jones 10, Parker Sellers 5
Lamar Co: Tony Mastin 26, Charles Wise Jr 16, Taye Buchanan 16, Bo Spencer 14
 FLASH NOTES: Adversity took a good look into the eye of Holly Pond all evening in this sub-regional.
 The Broncos trailed after each quarter, heading to the fourth down by 68-62. It got worse at the start of the fourth, when Lamar Co went up 72-62.
 But the Broncos had enough of the adversity and would deliver an astounding rally, finishing the game with a 25-12 spurt as Kyler Chaney took matters into his own hands.
  Spending a portion of time on the bench with foul trouble, Chaney shook off the cob webs and struck for a dozen points in the fourth, hitting six of eight from the line and knocking down three layups.
  With Chaney reduced from the foul issue, two other Broncos picked up the scoring slack. PG Devyn Tankersley came out hot with a 10-point first period and had 16 at halftime. He suffered through foul trouble and was down for several minutes of the second half.
 Issac Ludwig became a third option in finishing with 14 of his 20 points in the final half, shooting eight of eight from the line. He had two critical field goals and a pair of foul shots during crunch time when Lamar Co was concerned of containing Chaney.
 The Broncos did miss five free throws in the fourth and committed a lane violation when leading 87-84. It allowed Lamar Co to take possession and try to go for a game-tying three just inside midcourt.
  But the shot was well short of the basket with Holly Pond in celebration and Lamar County in disgust. 
  Lamar Co got four double digit scorers as Mastin, Spencer, Wise and Buchanan accounted for 68 points.
   Holly Pond matched the Bulldogs with four scorers of 10 or better. The foursome of Chaney, Tankersley, Ludwig and Cooper Jones netted 80 points.
   Up next for Holly Pond: Vs. Westminster Christian/Phil Campbell winner Saturday in NW Regional 7:30 p.m. (WKUL-FM).
​
​Sportspage photo by Johnny Thornton

AHSAA 3A Northwest Sub-Regional
At Felton Easterwood Gym - Holly Pond:
Carbon Hill  11  12   4  16  -  43 
(18-13)
Holly Pond    5   22   9   8   -  44 
(15-13)
Holly Pond: Maddie Heatherly 10, Tess Duke 7, Kirsten Campbell 9, Maddie Ham 3, Kara Hollis 3, Sarah Finley 4, Liz Miller 3.
Carbon Hill: Abby Martin 18, Lacey Evans 8
 FLASH NOTES: Seniors for Holly Pond did not want this to be the last game they played. Down by a point inside the final half minute, the Lady Broncos regrouped and got a huge short range basket by Maddie Heatherly, off an assist from Kara Hollis to put them back on top.
  Then as Carbon Hill went for the game winner on a three from the left baseline, Ham got a piece of the ball, as it never got to the net and the Lady Broncos qualify for the Northwest Regional for the first time in at least five years.
 A slow start by Andrew Kelley's Lady Broncos got erased with a 22-12 second period surge, finishing the quarter on an 8-0 run and a 27-23 halftime lead.
 Playing good defense in the third, Holly Pond held Carbon Hill's offense in check, allowing just four points and moving the advantage to 36-27.
 But another sluggish segment enabled Carbon Hill to come back. The Lady Broncos trimmed the lead to 36-32 before Heatherly scored back to back field goals, raising the margin to 40-32 with 3:13 to play.
 Again, a Carbon Hill rally was in the making, with the Lady Bulldogs going on an 11-2 streak and took the lead on a steal and layup with 0:32 to make it 43-42.
  Holly Pond was able to attack the Lady Bulldog defense with a pass in the right corner to Hollis. Heatherly slashed inside the lane to find an open spot. Hollis fed her with a good pass and the senior knocked the shot off the glass. Holly Pond went back in front at 44-43.
  The defense made several huge plays in the fourth, with the most important coming as time ran out.
  Carbon Hill skipped a pass from the right wing to the left baseline. But there was Ham to recover and get her hands up. The ball was deflected with Holly Pond taking momentum into the Northwest Regional:
 Up next for Holly Pond: Vs. Lauderdale Co in NW Regional Saturday (TBA) (WKUL-FM)
​ 
Photo of hugs going around for Holly Pond Lady Broncos after S-R victory Monday.
Sportspage photo by Johnny Thornton

Cullman County JV Girls quarterfinal
At Tom Drake Coliseum - Hanceville:

# 5  Holly Pond  8  6  12  9  -  35
# 4  Good Hope 5  11   8  9  -  33
Holly Pond: Kaylee Stallings 19, Kennedy Twilley 4, Raeleigh Olinger 5, Quincey Marks 2, Abigail Kusz 3, Brooke Hill 2.
Good Hope: Kyndall Seal 10, Renee McLeod 5, Addie Stripling 4, Madison Speegle 2, Maddie McKenney 4, Aaliyah Smith 3.
SPORTSPAGE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kaylee Stallings - Holly Pond 19 points, 7-15 FGs, 2-6 treys, 3-6 FTs, 7 rebounds, 1 assist.
 Up next for Holly Pond: Vs. # 1 seed West Point Thursday 5:00 p.m. (semifinal)

Sportspage photo by Johnny Thornton
​ 

AHSAA Basketball
At Felton Easterwood Gymnasium - Holly Pond:

West Point  12  18  16  14  -  60 
(4-7, 2-3)
Holly Pond 19  17  27  13  -  76 
(6-5, 3-3)
HOLLY POND: Kyler Chaney 34, Tyler Boatright 11, Cooper Jones 9, Garrett Rowell 9, Devyn Tankersley 5, Parker Sellers 3, Jordan Allbright 6.
WEST POINT: Kolton Sapp 18, Rylan Jones 11, Will Cochran 10, Aubry Cleghorn 5, Tyler Thompson 5, Tyler White 3, Kobe Bowers 2.
 FLASH NOTES: With Holly Pond coach Mitch Morris in the hospital for a stomach ailment, the Broncos played with great emotion in picking up their fifth consecutive victory.
 Morris was admitted to Cullman Regional Thursday morning, according to a report from his son, Griffin. Griffin, a member of the Wallace State Lions, was on the sideline, assisting acting coach Bob Kusz in the quest to remain undefeated so far in December.
 West Point fell behind by as many as eight points, twice in the second period, but was able to get a field goal from Will Cochran as time ran out, closing the deficit to 36-30.
 The Warriors got two field goals at the beginning of the third and were in business, down by the score of 36-34.
 Then the night belonged to Kyler Chaney. The talented 6'2" junior produced six made shots in the quarter to spark a 27-12 run as the Broncos went into the final stanza, up by a 63-46 margin when Chaney landed a deep three from the right wing as the buzzer sounded.
 Chaney got 14 points in the third, with help from Tyler Boatright with four and an important shot made late in the period by Cooper Jones.
  West Point gave it an effort early in the fourth, cutting the margin to 66-55 with 5:28 left on a shot by Tyler Thompson, off an assist from Kolton Sapp.
  Then the Broncos sent the lead back to a respectable distance on the Warriors, when Jones knocked down a trey at 1:58 to make it 73-58. Boatright landed from long distance 30 seconds later and the victory was well in hand, with Holly Pond ahead 76-57.
  The Broncos outscored the Warriors 40-30 in the final half, converting 15 shots in the remaining 16:00 of play, five from downtown.
  The Broncos are currently scoring 75 points a contest in this winning streak, getting 70 or better for the third game in a row.
 Holly Pond completes county regular season play at 3-3, having them in the middle of the seeding when it will be announced January 9.
 The Warriors have lost three in a row and will try to break that skid Friday at home vs. Lawrence County in a 5A, Area 14 assignment. The game will be carried live on WKUL-FM.
 Holly Pond will have to go without coach Morris, who is expected to be in the hopsital for the rest of the weekend, his son told Sportspage.
 Former assistant coach Mitch Jones is reported to handle the assignment Friday when the Broncos visit New Hope in 3A, Area 13. Holly Pond is 2-0 in the area standings going into this matchup.
THURSDAY SCOREBOARD:
Hanceville 61, Corner 48
St. Bernard 52, Winston Co 45

Photo 1: Holly Pond's Kyler Chaney (22) at center court against West Point's Rylan Jones (5)
Photo 2: Holly Pond's Devyn Tankersley tries to make a move against WP's Tyler White.
Sportspage photos by Johnny Thornton 

Boaz Girls Thanksgiving Classic
At Boaz Gymnasium:
Holly Pond  6   9   9  14  -  38  (0-1)
Boaz            16 19 10 23  -  68 (2-2)
 FLASH NOTES: Two categories were the difference on Monday afternoon in which Boaz got its early season record even and the Lady Broncos fell in their opener.
 Boaz shot 70 percent in the first quarter to grab a 16-6 advantage while the Lady Broncos managed just three made shots. Boaz put 19 on the board in the second with three coming from downtown and holding a comfortable 35-15 advantage at the break.
 For the game, Boaz would score eight times from three-point range and had eight baskets off attacking Holly Pond's full court press.
 The Lady Broncos slowed up the Lady Pirates scoring in the third, allowing them only 10 points. But Boaz regrouped with a solid final eight minutes in getting 23 points and turning the game into a 30-point victory.
 Coach Andrew Kelly did have some positive moments in inside scoring from Elizabeth Miller to start the contest and aggressive scoring in the fourth period by Maddie Heatherly.
 A few made outside shots by Kara Hollis and Lili Harris showed potential for the ball club. But unable to display consistency on offense and not keeping Boaz from scoring well in the perimeter and executing the press offense, the Lady Broncos ended the opening day of this tournament looking to get things corrected for Tuesday.
 The tournament played at a very good looking Boaz gymnasium had one side affairs for the three games on schedule.
 It started with Albertville pulling away from Gadsden City 55-36, by a strong second half.
 DAR romped over Jasper 65-31, putting on a solid second half by a 31-13 spurt as the fourth period was played under the running clock with the Lady Patriots ahead 55-25 at the end of the third.
 Tuesday's schedule has Albertville playing Jasper at 12:00, Holly Pond facing DAR at 1:30 and Boaz vs. Gadsden City at 3:00 p.m. to complete the two-day holiday event.

Photo 1: Holly Pond's Lili Harris (22), Kirtsen Campbell (20) at center court for tip off.
Photo 2: Holly Pond's Lili Harris (22), Liz Miller (40), Kirsten Campbell try to defend Boaz guard Emily McDuffie in the 1st quarter of Monday's Thanksgiving Classic at Boaz.
Sportspage photos by Johnny Thornton

AHSAA Class 3A, Area 13 Volleyball Tournament
At Vinemont Gymnasium:

SEMIFINAL:
Holly Pond over East Lawrence 25-11, 25-11, 25-14  Time of match: 0:56
CHAMPIONSHIP:
Holly Pond over Vinemont 25-6, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22  Time of match: 1:37
 FLASH NOTES: Postseason play can be so different than during the regular season. That was what the Holly Pond Lady Broncos experienced Monday evening.
 Playing to a level coach Emily Brown felt they could, Holly Pond cruised past East Lawrence, then gave an all-out effort against top seed Vinemont on its floor.
  The Lady Broncos qualified to go to Huntsville for the AHSAA Super Regional in defeating East Lawrence. But they took a step further for winning Area 13 and will be recognized as an area champion, despite only 10 victories for the season.
 "The players decided it was all or nothing," Brown said afterwards. "We were ready to play. That's the team I knew that could show up."
 Steady play by the likes of Tess Duke and Makenna Folds in regards of attacking at the net and good serves by Sydney Dunkin, Kyndell Hays and Kara Hollis, the Lady Broncos needed less than an hour to eliminate East Lawrence.
  Brown's squad was efficient in serves, receiving serves, digs, kills and blocks. They created sizeable leads and never allowed East Lawrence to contend with them.
  Facing Vinemont, the confidence continued to soar for Holly Pond. Dominating the first set, the Lady Broncos turned a 5-2 advantage into a comfortable lead with Maddie Heatherly, Duke, Dunkin and Lili Harris stepping up and contributing all over their side of the court.
  Cassie Carter tallied three straight service points and a block from Duke, plus service winners by Hollis ended the first set in about 15 minutes.
  Holly Pond looked at a 14-10 deficit in the second set and got momentum by three straight kills from Folds, four service winners by Carter and the final four service points by Folds, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the match.
   Game three was a Holly Pond comeback from being down 7-3 to leading 24-22 and seeming to be in a position for a possible sweep.
   However, Vinemont responded by aggressive play up front from Liv Johnson and some important serves by Mikayla Golden. Golden got help from a kill by Rachel Hall that pushed them in front at 25-24. They ended the third set on a kill from Hall off of Golden's fourth straight service point.
    Vinemont was breathing some life into its group. But Holly Pond changed the course in the fourth set. Trailing 20-16, Vinemont got the score netted at 21-21 when Johnson landed a kill off a Gracie Kennedy serve.
   But a kill by Dunkin sent Holly Pond up 22-21. Service points from Dunkin moved the margin to 24-21 as a kill by Johnson broke service and had the Lady Eagles down 24-22.
    Then a serve by Hall was too far, landing out of bounds. Holly Pond claimed the area championship at 7:40 p.m.
  ALL-AREA: Kara Hollis, Sydney Dunkin, Tess Duke, Kyndell Hays - Holly Pond.
                       Rachel Hall, Maddie Oliver, Liv Johnson - Vinemont.
  UP NEXT FOR HOLLY POND: Vs. Area 15 R-U Thursday in Huntsville 9:00 a.m.
  UP NEXT FOR VINEMONT: Vs. Area 15 winner Thursday in Huntsville 10:15 a.m.

Photo 1: Holly Pond celebrates winning 3A, Area 13 Tournament with trophy.
Photo 2: Holly Pond Lady Broncos, 3A, Area 13 champions.
Photo 3: Vinemont Lady Eagles, 3A, Area 13 runner-up.
Photo 4: All-Area: Bottom row from Vinemont, Liv Johnson, Rachel Hall, Maddie Oliver.
Holly Pond (L-R), Kara Hollis, Kyndell Hays, Tess Duke, Sydney Dunkin.
Sportspage photos by Johnny Thornton.