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March 2022
CRIMSON TIDE A-DAY SET FOR APRIL 16 Wilbur Jackson and John Mitchell will be honored during the 2022 Golden Flake A-Day Game on Saturday, April 16, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. Jackson and Mitchell’s leadership was instrumental in changing the course of the Alabama football program forever, breaking down barriers, opening doors and providing opportunities for generations to come. In 1970, Jackson made history by becoming the first African American scholarship student-athlete on the Crimson Tide football team, and a year later, Mitchell cemented himself in the record books as the first African American to play in a varsity football game for Alabama. Jackson, a native of Ozark, went on to earn All-SEC honors and was captain of the 1973 national championship team. He was then drafted ninth overall by San Francisco in the 1974 NFL Draft, playing nine years professionally. Jackson closed out his career as part of Washington’s Super Bowl XVII championship team and was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. Mitchell transferred to Alabama after an All-American career at Eastern Arizona Junior College. That success continued in the crimson and white for the Mobile native with Mitchell becoming All-American, All-SEC and team captain. Mitchell then added another first to his name as the first African American to coach at Alabama, joining Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s staff in 1973. Later in his coaching career, he won Super Bowls XL and XLIII with Pittsburgh. He also is a member in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. 2022 AHSAA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Jacksonville State University and the City of Oxford will host the 2022 Alabama High School Athletic Association's State Baseball Championships from May 16-21 at Jim Case Stadium and Choccolocco Park. UNA SPRING FOOTBALL GAME The University of North Alabama (UNA) Spring football game will be held on March 24, 2022 at 6 p.m. on the Football Practice Field. Admission to the game is free. There will be a hospitality tent and wristbands for it are $25 each. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. BOAZ CHAMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT The second annual Boaz Chamber Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, June 3, 2022 at the Clear Creek Golf Club. In the event of Rain, the event will be on June 10. Lunch will be served at 10 a.m. and Tee Time is at 11 a.m. A 4-man team is $200 and a Hole Sponsor is $150. For more info contact the Boaz Chamber at 256-593-8154. SAND MOUNTAIN SHOWDOWN The Sand Mountain Park inAlbertville is set to host the 2022 Sand Mountain Showdown on March 30. The event will feature a softball game between the University of the Alabama and JSU. Gametime is set for 6 p.m. AUBURN A-DAY SET FOR APRIL 9 Auburn’s annual spring football game, A-Day, presented by Golden Flake, on Saturday, April 9, will kick off at 1 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Tickets are on- sale now through the Auburn Ticket Office for $10 to the general public and free for current AU students. All seats are general admission. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line onApril 9. A-Day tickets can be purchased here or in-person at the Auburn Ticket Office located at Auburn Arena from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Auburn baseball team will also be in action on A-Day, hosting Vanderbilt at Plainsman Park at 4 p.m. CT. LONDON SHOWCASE The University of Kentucky men's basketball game againstMichigan inLondon, England, dubbed theBasketball Hall of Fame London Showcase, has been reset for Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. Originally scheduled for Dec. 2020, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 event will be a doubleheader starting with Marist vs. Maine at 10:30 a.m. ET/3:30 p.m. London time (GMT). The Wildcats and Wolverines are scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m. ET/6 p.m. GMT. The game in England will mark Kentucky's third regular-season trip outside the U.S. but the program's first in Europe. UK has played internationally on a few occasions as part of foreign exhibition tours as well. Kentucky UK leads the all-time series with Michigan 5-2. TENNESSEE FOOTBALL COACHES CLINIC Tennessee Head Football Coach Josh Heupel and his coaching staff headline the 2022 Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic, which will be held March 31-April 2 at the Anderson Training Center on campus. The clinic is open to all high school and middle school head and assistant coaches. The cost of the clinic is $70 per attendee and will feature chalk talk sessions and dinner with the Volunteer staff on Thursday, access to spring practice and speakers on Friday, a Friday night steak dinner and an invitation to the Vols' spring scrimmage on Saturday. For information on registration, visit TennesseeFootballCamp.com. Heupel and the Volunteers begin spring practice on March 22. NASCAR RETURNS TO TALLADEGA The Geico 500 NASCAR Race will be held at the Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2022. The race will begin at 2 p.m. CT. Travel packages are tickets are available at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com. JSU SPRING FOOTBALL The Jacksonville State University Spring football game is set for Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. The Gamecocks will be guided by new head Coach Rich Rodriquez. JSU is set to officially open the Rodriquez Era on August 27, 2022 against Stephen F. Austin at the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. SWOOP SPRINT 5K The Cardinal Foundation, a support organization of Gadsden State Community College, is hosting the annual Swoop Sprint 5K at 9 a.m. April 9, 2022 at Beck Field House. Monies collected during Swoop Sprint 5k will be used for student scholarships. Race day registration is $30 and is available from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Sports Calendar
David Campell and Bill Elder among Hall of Fame Inductees The University of Tennessee defeated Texas A&M 65-50 on Sunday, March 13, 2022 to win the SEC Mens' Basketball Tournament. Santiago Vescovi led the Volunteers with 17 points. Josiah- Jordan James had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kennedy Chandler scored 14 points. SEC MENS' CHAMPIONS Photo Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics
The Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame (JCSHOF) held its annual induction ceremony on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at Goosepond Colony in Scottsboro. This year, seventeen individuals were inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2021, including Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) President Dr. David Campbell and former NACC Basketball Coach Bill Elder. The other inductees were TomMcCrary, RoyAnderson, Dr. Clyde Butler, Claude “Butch” Cassidy, Tom Esslinger, Holland Floyd, Ben Hunt, Ricky Ragsdale, Dr. Morris Seymour, Bobby Talley, Ronnie Thompson, William “Bill” Commodore Wood Jr., Rupert Wright, Heath Zapf. The Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame was established in 2014 to honor individuals who have made significant achievements in his or her respective sport(s), and as a result of those achievements have brought special recognition to Jackson County. Dr. Campbell was recognized for his achievements on the football field and basketball court during his playing days at Scottsboro High School. He played varsity football for JCSHOF coach JohnMeadows during the 1961 and 1962 seasons. During those seasons he scored six touchdowns to help the team earn a combined record of 15-2-3. Campbell’s involvement on the football team was extensive. He ran back kickoffs and punts and quick-kicked for the Wildcats. He also played tailback; a running back/ quarterback combined position. On occasion, Campbell played slot receiver. His junior year was highlighted by a 90-yard kickoff return against Guntersville, and he was the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Player his senior year. Dr. Campbell also played basketball for JCSHOF coach Q.K. “Dusty” Cater during the seasons of 1961-1962 and 1962-1963. Campbell scored a career-high 27 points against Crossville. Additionally, he was on Scottsboro’s first track team in 1962, where he won Jackson County’s first 60-yard dash competition. "I am so honored to have been named to the Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame," stated Dr. Campbell. "It is a wonderful program and Mr. Greg Bell and the Board do a first-class job with it. I have said that sports provide great opportunity for leadership training and the lessons learned, I learned from them, can be used for a lifetime. I had wonderful coaches, John Meadows, Q. K. Carter, and Sam Hambrick. I learned so much from them. I had great teammates as well." "Sports were a true gift for me and I grew up playing them in my West Street neighborhood in Scottsboro. I continued to play sports on up through adulthood - 10k running, recreation softball, and church league and park/ street basketball in Austin," he said.
Dr. Bill Elder was the founder of NACC’s basketball program in November of 1966. After suffering a season- opening loss to Calhoun Junior College, the Mustangs then proceeded to win 15 of their next 20 games. The inaugural season included a trip to the Alabama Junior College Championship where the Mustangs defeated Calhoun and brought the title back to Rainsville. Despite the tall challenge of integrating the program during a time when racial tensions were high and local support for integration lacked, Elder coached the basketball team for seven seasons, never experiencing a losing season during his tenure. In 1969, the Mustangs went back to the championship game and finished as the Alabama Junior College State Runner-Up. Elder coached the Mustangs to the title of top defensive team in the state in 1968, 1970, 1971, and 1972. They were ranked the top defensive team in the country in 1986 and 1972. Elder’s final season at Northeast was in 1972-73, where the team finished with a record of 14-11 and was again recognized nationally for its defensive ability. The 1972 team won 21 games, made it to the final four of the Alabama Junior College State tournament, and qualified for the Alabama/Georgia regional tournament. Elder’s career at Northeast included 119 wins to only 61 losses. Elder continued his career as head basketball coach at the University of Montevallo and the University of Mobile after leaving Northeast. Supportive leadership at Northeast allowed Elder to further his coaching resume. “I want to thank Dr. E. R. Knox (then President of Northeast Alabama State Junior College) for allowing me the chance to coach at a college level,” said Elder. “Though I was only 23 years old, he gave me an opportunity to coach at the college level for the first time.” Additionally, Elder served as the Athletic Director at many institutions, including LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky, and finally at Auburn University at Montgomery.
Bo Hester (#8) slides safely under the tag of Albertville Senior Catcher Alexander Johnson (#5) during high school baseball action on Thursday, March 10, 2022. The visiting Boaz Pirates rallied in the first inning and never let up, rolling to a 12-0 win over the Aggies. Sliding In For The Score Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
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