SPORTS LEDGER January 2024 Read Free Online at www.TheSportsLedger.com Page 7 The County Champs
Top 2023 Sports Stories During 2023 several northeast Alabama athletic program's were successful and a few northeast Alabama teams picked up state championship honors during the year. At the top of list is the Plainview Bears with a trio of top trophies. Last year the Bear's Varsity Boys basketball team won its second straight AHSAA State Title. The Plainview girls volleyball team won the Class 3A State Championship. The Lady Bears softball team rolled to its 8th straight DeKalb County Championship and went on to cap off the season by winning the AHSAA Softball State Championship. The Fyffe Red Devils won their seventh High School State Football Championship in the past 10 seasons with a 43-24 victory over Reeltown in the Class 2A State Finals at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on December 8, 2023. Earlier in the year Fyffe Coach Paul Benefield was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally last year, the Cornerstone Christian Academy girls basketball program won its second straight ACAA Championship. The Fort Payne varsity boys won the AHSAA Class 6A State Soccer Championship. In baseball, the Etowah Blue Devils claimed the Class 4A State Baseball Championship. By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger One the biggest stories at the collegiate level this past year was Jacksonville State University's move to Conference USA. JSU accepted C-USA's invitation to join the league in November of 2021 and immediately got to work on its application for the league and specifically Football's Bowl Subdivision. The Gamecocks saw that work come to fruition on Saturday, July 1, 2023 when the University joined eight other programs to make up the new- look conference that has been a force in Division I athletics since 1995. The Gamecocks football program had a successful first year in the new conference. JSU finished the historic season with a 9-4 overall record and a 34-31 overtime victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. It was Jax State's first bowl win in school history. Be sure to read more about the bowl game victory inside this edition of The Sports Ledger . The Southeastern Conference also made headlines last year with a total of 62 SEC players selected in the NFL draft. This includes ten players from both Alabama and Georgia, six from both Florida and LSU, and five each from Tennessee, Auburn and South Carolina. Ole Miss had four players drafted, Kentucky and Texas A&M had three each, Arkansas and Mississippi State had two each, and Missouri had one player drafted. At the top of the draft was former University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who was the number one overall pick. The standout quarterback was selected by the Carolina Panthers. Young finished his college career at Alabama as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in program history. He ranked second for career passing yards (8,356) and passing touchdowns (80) and was also the only Alabama signal- caller to throw for 3,000-plus yards in two seasons. In his junior season in Tuscaloosa, Young amassed 3,328 yards passing on the way to second team All-America accolades from Pro Football Focus and USA Today. Two other Alabama players were selected in the 2023 first round, including Will Anderson and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anderson was selected as the third overall pick by the Houston Texans. The Detroit Lions selected Gibbs as the 12th overall first round selection. Coaching changes at every level, and in every sport, continued to make headlines last year. One new hire of note came last summer when Joe Guthrie was named the new head coach of the women's softball team that is being formed at Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) in Rainsville. Guthrie comes to Northeast with an impressive coaching resume with nearly 20 years of experience. Most recently, he coached as an Assistant at Texas A&M University. Before that, he served as the Head Coach at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He also was Head Coach at Marion Military Institute, which is a fellow member of the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in which Northeast will play. Northeast is building a state-of-the-art women's softball stadium on campus, and the college held groundbreaking ceremony this past fall. The stadium will be lit via LEDs, the grandstands will be covered by a roof, and artificial turf will cover the infield and outfield. Locker rooms and a training facility will also be included. During the ground breaking ceremony for the softball complex, NACC officials also hinted that the college might add a soccer program.
The Plainview Bears Basketball program finished the 2024 DeKalb County Basketball Tournament with a clean sweep in all four divisions. Plainview's Junior Varsity Boys defeated Fyffe 61-32 in the 2024 Championship. The Bears Junior Varsity program has reportedly been in the County Championship for nine out of the past 10 years and the program has won the county title seven times. The Plainview Varsity Boys also won the county title with a 56-53 victory over Geraldine. The Bears reached the championship game with an 83-26 victory over Ider The Varsity Girls beat Ider 72-31 for the 2024 County Title. To reach the championship game, the varsity girls defeated the Crossville Lady Lions 82-20 and Fyffe 74-26. Plainview's JV girls also defeated Ider to win the 2024 DeKalb County Junior Varsity Girls championship.
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program traveled to Knoxville on Saturday, January 20, 2024, to face No. 6 Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena. The visiting Crimson Tide could not compete with the Vols, as Tennessee ran away with the game from start to finish and defeated Alabama 91-71. With the win, the Vols improved to 14-4 overall and 4-1 in the SEC. Dalton Knecht (#3) led the Vols with 25 points, four rebounds and two assists. No. 6 Tennessee Topples Alabama
Alabama's Nick Saban Retires University of Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban, who has won more college football national championships than any coach in the modern era, announced his retirement on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said. “We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.” Saban spent 28 years as a college head coach at Toledo (1990), Michigan State (1995-99), LSU (2000-04) and Alabama (2007-23). He won seven national titles in those 28 years, his first at LSU in 2003 before capturing six championships at Alabama (2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020). He also coached the Miami Dolphins for two seasons (2005-06). “Simply put, Nick Saban is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport, and The University of Alabama is fortunate to have had him leading our football program for the past 17 seasons,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. “Throughout his career as a head coach, his teams have won seven national championships, 11 conference championships and 312 games, and he’s developed an NCAA-record 49 NFL first-round draft picks and, most importantly, hundreds of college graduates. He is the consummate coach, mentor and leader, and his impact is felt far beyond the football field. “Coach Saban and Ms. Terry have touched countless lives in our community and the state of Alabama with the work they’ve done through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. While his time as our coach may have come to an end, his legacy will live on forever. What an honor it has been for us to have a front-row seat to one of the best to ever do it. A truly remarkable career for Coach Saban.” Saban’s teams won three national championships during the Bowl Championship Series era and three more after the start of the College Football Playoff. In 10 seasons of the CFP, Saban’s Crimson Tide teams qualified eight times. “Words cannot adequately express our appreciation to Coach Saban for his exemplary leadership and service to The University of Alabama over the past 17 years,” said Alabama President Stuart R. Bell. “His commitment to excellence has set the standard for our program, both on the field and in the classroom. We are grateful for the lasting impact he has made on the lives of our student-athletes and the incredible memories his teams have created for our students, alumni, fans and supporters. “Coach Saban and Ms. Terry are tremendous ambassadors for The University of Alabama and our community and we celebrate their many contributions and indelible legacy.” Saban compiled a 297-71-1 (.806) collegiate coaching record, including a 206-29 (.877) mark in Tuscaloosa. His teams won a combined 11 SEC titles, going 11-1 in SEC Championship Games, including nine at Alabama (9-1 record) and two at LSU (2-0 mark). He also won 15 games with the Dolphins in 2005-06.
UA Photo
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban in September 2022
In Saban’s six national championship seasons at Alabama, his teams went 21-2 against top-10 opponents, and, since 2008, the Crimson Tide was 37-15 overall against top-10 teams. Alabama was also ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Poll for at least one week for 15 straight years (2008-22), which broke the record of seven established by Miami (1986-92). Saban coached four Heisman Trophy winners, joining Notre Dame’s Frank Leahy for the most in college football history. He is the only coach to ever coach Heisman Trophy winners at three different positions (RB, WR, QB). The Alabama program had just six individual national award winners when Saban arrived on campus, but Crimson Tide players have secured 60 national awards since 2008. His players at Alabama have won 66 All-America honors by 58 different individuals over the past 16 seasons. Eight players have been named two-time All-Americans along with 46 consensus honors and 25 unanimous selections. Will Anderson Jr. became the first two-time unanimous All-American in Alabama history. Saban’s success has also translated to NFL success for his players with a record 49 players chosen in the first round of the draft (44 at Alabama). His Alabama players have been paid over $2 billion over the last 16 NFL seasons. Alabama’s success on the field over the past 17 seasons has coincided with the Tide’s success in the classroom. Since Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama football has seen a total of 656 degrees earned, including 103 master’s degrees. The Saban's Nick’s Kids Foundation is a vibrant example of the family’s continuing concern for disadvantaged children. Since Nick and Terry arrived in Tuscaloosa, over $12 million has been distributed to students, teachers and children’s causes at over 150 charities through the Nick’s Kids Foundation. A new era began on January 13, 2024, as Kalen DeBoer was officially named as Saban's replacement. He is the Crimson Tide’s 28th Head Football Coach. At his first Alabama press conference, he praised his predecessor, and made it clear that Saban’s guidance will be a continual part of the Crimson Tide’s future.
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger Artist rendering of the NACC Softball Complex
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