SEASON ENDS AT WALLACE - DUST DEVIL IN THE GYM

Elkmont lost to Carbon Hill, 50 -36, in the Regional Finals at Wallace State to end an outstanding season.  


The Red Devils played excellent defense, played hard and fought to the end, but the key to the loss was poor shooting.  Elkmont did not shoot well from inside, the free throw line or from three point range.   Early in the fourth quarter, Elkmont made a run and cut the lead to ten.  At this point, the Red Devils had three defensive stops in a row and 3 chances to cut the lead below ten.  They came up empty on all three and that was the ball game.


Hayden Huseth led Elkmont with nine points and Cole Glass had eight rebounds to go with his eight points.  Skyler Gant and Daniel Logan made the Northwest All Regional Tournament team.  


OBSERVATIONS:
Great year for the Red Devils.  Final record of 22-10, Area Champions, Sub-state Champions and got to the Elite Eight.


Bryant Wales, Andrew Labathe and Matthew Barnes were juniors who were major contributors to this year's success.  The Dust Devil believe Matthew Barnes was the most improved player this year.  


Seniors
Drew Weaver:

A senior who did not get a lot of playing time but always did everything he could to help and support the team.












Hayden Huseth:

Great year for Hayden; a fun player to watch.  Excellent defensive player, fast and quick and didn't mind to get physical.  Explosive scorer when he was hot; he could score in bunches.










Daniel Logan:  
He maximized his basketball talent.  Barely six feet tall, not a great jumper, not long and lean.  Daniel used strength, shooting ability, basketball savvy and a strong will to win to have an outstanding year.












Cole Glass:

He became an inside scorer with excellent post moves to go with being an outstanding defender and one of the best shot blockers in all of 3A in the state of Alabama.  Very tough and physical.








Skyler Gant:

No one wants to win more than Skyler.  He could score twenty or more in any game, but if he didn't score at all and Elkmont won, he was happy.  Became an excellent point guard this season.  Outstanding defender, excellent at driving to the basket and scoring or finding the open man for an assist.






PREDICTION:
The Dust Devil predicts that all five seniors will be successes in life and be an asset to any community they choose to live in.  They will also take with them many great memories of their Senior basketball season at Elkmont.


COMING SOON:
The Dust Devil at the Diamond; Reporting weekly updates on Elkmont Varsity Baseball.

WHAT WOULD ELKMONT DO WITHOUT THE CREW?

A line of teenagers in blue body paint block the entrance onto the court inside Wallace State’s gym. Just down the hall, another group of red-clad fans celebrate outside their team’s locker room.

This same scenario happened over and over again every day last week at the Northwest Regional Tournament. As one group of fans pours into the coliseum to watch their respective team play, another group is shuffled out the other side.

To a sports writer sitting courtside, it is quite the spectacle. Whether they are decked out in black, blue, green or red, each group of fans bring something unique and is equally fun to watch.

With each new group that enters the gym, a new wave of excitement can be seen on their faces and heard in their voices. Some bring clever signs that float around the student section while others hold oversized cutout faces of their favorite players.

Some of the larger schools bring crowds that stretch to the roof of the gym, but it’s the smaller schools that interest me. Schools like Elkmont, where fans made the trip to regionals for only the third time in school history.

These are the fans that truly savor the experience. Unlike the Lee’s and Butler’s of the world that consistently make the trip to Hanceville every year, schools like Elkmont bring their whole community.

Trailing by as many as 16 points during Thursday’s 
semifinal game against Holly Pond, Elkmont’s student section never lost faith in their team. With every point that brought Elkmont back into the game, the Red Devil’s fans grew louder.

When Elkmont finally took a commanding lead in overtime, senior forward Dan Logan walked toward the Elkmont student sections to fire up an already ecstatic crowd. Logan said it best after the game when asked when he knew the team had won.

“When we got up five and our crowd went crazy, the doubt was gone,” Logan said. “I knew we would win.”

Like so many other teams at the tournament, Elkmont experienced both ends of the spectrum in an emotional roller coaster ride. As euphoric as students were in Thursday’s win, they were despondent after Saturday’s loss to Carbon Hill.

Elkmont is just one of many communities across Alabama that experience the highs and lows at the regional tournaments every year. Just like fans from Athens, Tanner and West Limestone, Elkmont’s journey was bittersweet.

Whether they were clad in all white in support of Golden Eagles or painted blue to cheer for West, Limestone County was well represented last week. And even though Limestone teams were shut out of state, the Elkmont community will always remember when their team won its first game at Wallace State.


Nice article in New Courier by Jonathan Deal


click on link to read complete article LINK

RED DEVILS SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS TO CARBON HILL

Not much to say, too many factors stacked against the Red Devils. 

• Elkmont's goal in the  first half was at least 6 inches too low - corrected at halftime so Carbon Hill didn't have to deal with that disadvantage. 
• 
  
• Protective whistle for Carbon Hill's #25
• 
  
• Unfavorable whistle for Elkmont
• Didn't shoot well from the 3 point line
• Didn't shoot well from the free throw line
• 3 of 5 starters fouled out

Had a great season, 22 - 10 record, won the Area, won the Substate, and Elkmont's first ever trip to the Elite Eight.  Congrads to a wonderful class of Seniors who never quit.  We will miss you next year.


News Courier Article:  Link 
Game Video Link:  http://www.theahsaanetwork.com/events/27845

NORTHWEST REGIONAL ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM

Skyler Gant and Daniel Logan were selected to the Northwest Regional All Tournament Team.

DECATUR DAILY ARTICLE - CARBON HILL

Elkmont can’t keep up with Carbon Hill

By Justin Graves

Daily photo by Jeronimo Nisa Daniel Logan grabs a rebound against Carbon Hill in the Class 3A finals of the Northwest Regional tournament Saturday.

HANCEVILLE — The magic came to an end for Elkmont High.  A team that’s grown accustomed to winning close games with thrilling comebacks couldn’t muster one more on the big stage at Wallace State-Hanceville.
Carbon Hill raced out to a commanding lead and never let up, running past Elkmont 50-36 in the Class 3A boys Northwest Regional final Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs advance to play in the state semifinals in Birmingham.


“I appreciate the effort of our kids,” Elkmont coach Garth Garris said. “Today, we just didn’t shoot the ball well.”


Elkmont overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to beat Holly Pond in overtime during the regional semifinals Wednesday. The Red Devils found themselves in a similar hole in the regional final.  “I think the comeback Wednesday took a lot out of us today,” Garris said. “We didn’t have the legs to come back. And when we fell behind early, we had to change our defense (to a man-to-man).
“We didn’t want to play man against them. We wanted to play zone. But when you get down 12, we had to play man and trap. It took its toll.”


Carbon Hill carried a 16-12 lead into halftime, but the start of the second half was delayed for about 15 minutes because of an issue with one of the goals at Wallace State.  Before the start of the third period, Carbon Hill forward Gerald Smith told a game official that the goal the Bulldogs would be using in the second half was lower than the regulation 10 feet. After being inspected by Alabama High School Athletic Association officials, the goal was raised about eight inches to meet regulations.  The tip of the rim was also angled up slightly. That problem was not corrected by tournament officials.  AHSAA officials said the goal dropped during warm-ups before the second half. 


Smith said that’s not true.
“I noticed it when we were watching the game before ours,” he said. “Shots were going long because the goal wasn’t right. It’s been like that (all week) because we had people getting to the rim who usually can’t.”  Smith isn’t the only person who noticed a problem with the goal. Butler point guard Justin Pride said one of the rims at Wallace State “wasn’t right” after the Rebels’ Class 4A regional semifinal game Wednesday.  Garris also said he thinks the rim was lower than 10 feet for the entire tournament. Elkmont shot at that goal in the first half and was 23.8 percent from the field during that stretch.


“It was like that to start the game,” the Red Devils coach said. “We noticed it when we were down here Wednesday. It wasn’t 10 foot. It’s been leaning the whole time. I could tell from just watching the girls game, and we’ve had some kids get up above it who can’t do that.  “But let me be clear: That had nothing to do with the game. The goal not being right isn’t why we lost.”


Slowing down Tylor Owens was a problem for Elkmont. The Carbon Hill star poured in 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, helping the Bulldogs build a comfortable 16-point lead by early in the third period.  Elkmont made a couple of runs late, cutting the lead to 10 twice. But problems at the free-throw line stalled the Red Devils’ hopes at another comeback.  The Red Devils finished 11 of 21 from the foul line.


“You’ve got to make free throws if you’re going to come back from a hole like we were in,” Garris said. “It just didn’t happen for us today.”  Hayden Huseth led Elkmont with nine points, while Cole Glass scored eight.


“This is very disappointing,” Elkmont center Dan Logan said. “We played hard, but that’s how it goes. We just got beat, but it still hurts.”


Photo gallery link: http://decaturdaily.com/stories/Elkmont-loses-to-Carbon-Hill,92090

Historic run ends for Elkmont

Game Video Link: http://www.theahsaanetwork.com/events/27845  

By Jonathan Deal

News Courier

HANCEVILLE — Elkmont had no answer for Brandon Smith in Saturday’s northwest regional final. Smith scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked eight shots as Holly Pond beat Elkmont 50-36 to advance to the final four.

“I appreciate the effort of our team all year,” Elkmont head coach Garth Garris said. “Today we just didn’t shoot the ball very well and Carbon Hill had a lot to do with that. They shot the ball well and got off to a good start and we just weren’t able to overcome it.”

Elkmont found itself down by double digits at halftime just as had in Thursday’s semifinal win, but there would be no comeback for the Red Devils this time around. Nothing seemed to work for Elkmont which shot 23 percent from the floor as a team and was 3-of-20 from 3-point range.

“I think the comeback (Thursday) took a lot out of us today,” Garris said. “We didn’t have the legs to comeback again. You could see it we went man against them. It took its toll.”

Leading 26-12 at halftime, Carbon Hill’s lead grew larger in the third quarter as the Bulldogs continued to dominate in the paint. Every shot Elkmont tried was contested and sometimes blocked all together.

“We didn’t get any early rebounds,” “They got everything that came off the board. When you get to this point, you’ve got to rebound and make free throws and we didn’t do those things today.”

Still, the Red Devils refused to quit until the final whistle, making a 9-3 run to close the third quarter that brought Elkmont to within 10 points. The third quarter rally was not enough to overcome another long first half scoring draught. After leading 4-3 in the opening minutes, Carbon Hill went on a 21-2 run lasting until mid way through the second quarter. When Dan Logan finally scored to break the run, it was too late as Elkmont found itself down 24-8.

Logan, Skyler Gant and Hayden Huseth all fouled out in their final games at Elkmont.  Huseth led Elkmont with nine points while senior Cole Glass added eight points and nine rebounds. Saturday’s regional final was the first in school history for Elkmont which finished its season with a 22-10 record.

“I’m very proud of these five seniors we’ve got,” Garris said. “It’s been a pleasure. This is something Elkmont has never done. We got over the hump to get here, but it ultimately took its toll on us.”

ELKMONT WINS AT NORTHWEST REGIONAL - DUST DEVIL IN THE GYM

On Thursday afternoon at Wallace State, the Red Devils advanced to the Elite Eight by beating the Holly Pond Broncos, 72-62 in overtime.  Elkmont came out in a tight zone to try to contain Holly Pond's big center, Thomas Hays.  The Broncos took advantage of this by making shot after shot from outside to take a commanding 31-15 lead in the second quarter.  At this point, it looked like the end of the season for the Red Devils, but as they have shown throughout the season, they continued to fight and never give up.  The most important part of their comeback win was the last few minutes of the second quarter where they cut the lead to nine at halftime.

In the second half, Elkmont turned up the defensive pressure with a mixture of man and zone trap defensives.  The Red Devils forced several turnovers and pulled ahead by four early in the fourth quarter.  Holly Pond was not finished and surged back ahead by six with only two minutes left in the game.  Once again, it looked as if it might be the end of the line for the Devils, but a clutch three pointer by Hayden Huseth and a put back by Cole Glass tied the game, 62-62 with eight seconds left.  The Broncos missed a contested shot at the buzzer and the game moved into overtime.


In overtime, Elkmont took control early with a basket by Matthew Barnes and a three pointer by Daniel Logan.   The Red Devils outscored Holly Pond, 10 - 0.  The Broncos tried to get back into the game by fouling.  Elkmont made their free throws to finish off the 72 - 62 win.


OBSERVATIONS:

Great comeback win for Elkmont; very entertaining game to watch.  Good officiating, but definitely "no blood, no foul" under the basket for both teams.  Clutch plays were made by all four senior starters.  

Skyler Gant had a great game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.  

Daniel Logan also had a big game with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.  

Cole Glass had 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Hayden Huseth had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

Matthew Barnes added 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

Bryant Wales chipped in with 4 points and 2 rebounds.

This was one of the best wins in Elkmont history.

PREDICTION:

Next is Carbon Hill on Saturday.  The Dust Devil watched them beat Sheffield in overtime in another great game.  They are an excellent team; play great defense; and are long and tall.  However, if Elkmont plays well and make a good percentage of 3 point shots, they can win.  The Dust Devil predicts a one point victory by Elkmont and a trip to Birmingham.

HOLLY POND VS ELKMONT VIDEO

Video is on youtube and enjoy a great game.   Here is the link: ELKMONT VS HOLLY POND


Radio Broadcast Archive:  Holly Pond vs Elkmont


Photographs: DOWN HOME PORTRAITS

RED OUT THE BULLDOGS - WALLACE NEWS

In honor of the finals of the Northwest Regional game featuring the Elkmont Red Devils and the Carbon Hill Bulldogs, the cheerleaders have selected a game theme of "RED OUT" the Bulldogs.  They have requested that all Elkmont fans wear red and bring red shakers if possible.  There will be radio coverage again for tomorrow provided by WSLV 1110 am.  You can listen to it on the radio or the net.  There are apps for iphones, blackberries and smart phones.


RADIO COVERAGE: link for online listening below
*pregame coverage starts about 1:30 pm; game @ 2 pm
WSLV 1110 AM ARDMORE
Announcer:  
Johnny Mansell


MEET THE CARBON HILL BULLDOGS
Carbon Hill: The Bulldogs, who have Tyler Owens, Gerald Smith and Blain Eads returning from last year's Northwest Regional championship squad, head to Hanceville riding a 12-game win streak. The No. 5 team grabbed the Walker County Tournament title earlier in the season and pulled off a 53-49 squeaker against Vinemont at the sub-regional level.

Carbon Hill one win away from state

by W. Brian Hale

10 hrs ago | 471 views | 0  | 2  |  | 

 
view slideshow (2 images)

HANCEVILLE — The Carbon Hill Bulldogs have been one of the hottest teams in Class 3A basketball — winning their last 14 games and going undefeated in postseason play.

None of their victories may have been as big as Thursday’s 46-41 overtime triumph over the Sheffield Bulldogs at the Northwest Regional Tournament at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.

Carbon Hill — playing in its second consecutive regional tournament — advanced to the finals and faces Elkmont (22-7) in the championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The winner moves on to the Final 4 in Birmingham.

Elkmont made its way to the championship game with a 72-62 overtime victory over Holly Pond on Thursday.

Carbon Hill coach Robert Epps said he was proud of his team’s perseverance and ability to come together in the final moments of the game to ensure their advance to the regional championship game.

“We were up against a very talented team in Sheffield — that is more athletic than we are. I thought that in the first half that we did a good job defensively, but lost that in the second half,” Epps said.

“But our kids stepped up and knocked down some shots — Gerald (Smith) is one of our best athletes and he goes out every night and puts us in a position where himself, our team and Tylor (Owens) can make good things happen for us. Our concept was very simple — get the ball into the hands of our best playmakers in a one-on-one matchup, and that’s what helped us get the win.”

Carbon Hill (25-7) dominated the first period with a relentless pressure defense and mounted an 8-0 run before Sheffield scored its first points of the contest as Carbon Hill took control at 14-2 after a quarter of play.

Sheffield picked up the tempo in the second period, forcing several Carbon Hill turnovers and going on a 7-2 run before Carbon Hill answered with a 7-0 run of its own — extending its lead to 14 with a 23-9 edge at halftime.

The third period saw Sheffield go on an 11-4 tear, outscoring Carbon Hill 15-6 to cut the lead to 29-24.

A seesaw battle developed in the fourth period, with Sheffield tying the game at 29-29 with 6:26 left in regulation. Although Carbon Hill momentarily regained control, Sheffield grabbed its first lead of the game at 33-32 with 3:07 remaining on the clock. Three more lead changes took place before regulation would end with the teams tied at 38-38 heading into overtime.

The overtime period belonged to Carbon Hill. Tylor Owens and Jacob Davis connected on four free throws in the final 52 seconds to preserve the Bulldogs’ 46-41 win.

Owens and Davis stated that the team’s mentality going into the overtime period was one of focus.

“We knew we were going to have to work hard, but there would not be any quit in us,” Owens said. “It was up to all of us to take control of the game and be in command of our own destiny.”

“It just felt like practice,” Davis said. “It’s a situation where you concentrate on what brought you to this level.”

Epps said the contribution of Davis was significant considering his recent absence due to illness.

“This year we have battled through injuries more than we did last year — with Jacob being a recent part of those absences that we’ve had to deal with. We’re just happy he is back with us as we’re a better team with him than without him,” Epps said.

Owens lead Carbon Hill with 18 points, also grabbing eight rebounds and three steals. Smith had a great game, scoring nine points, recording eight rebounds and blocking five shots. Davis and Daniel Woodard had six points each.

Team Roster

Jersey Num Name Position Grade Height Weight 3 Garrett Kirkland G 11 5'11" 135 5 Jonathan Bray G 11 5'11" 135 10 Kevin Pate F 12 6'1" 165 11 Tylor Owens G 12 5'10" 170 12 Blaine Eads G 12 5'7" 142 20 Isaac Slaton G/F 11 5'10" 173 21 Ryan Simerly G/F 11 5'10" 175 22 Jacob Davis F 12 6'4" 175 23 Daniel Woodard G/F 11 5'11" 160 25 Brandon Smith G/F 10 6'4" 180 32 Andrew Manasco F 11 6'3" 175 School Name Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 OT1 Final Carbon Hill 14 9 6 9 8 46 Sheffield 2 7 15 14 5 43 Go to pregame pageQuick Nav Carbon Hill Stats Game Stats Carbon Hill Carbon Hill Scoring/Shooting # Athlete Name PPG Pts FGM FGA 2FGM 2FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA Team Totals 45 16 51 15 40 1 11 12 22 10 Kevin Pate 4 2 5 2 4 0 1 0 1 11 Tylor Owens 18 5 13 4 9 1 4 7 12 12 Blaine Eads 2 1 6 1 2 0 4 22 Jacob Davis 6 2 4 2 4 2 3 23 Daniel Woodard 6 2 8 2 8 2 2 25 Brandon Smith 9 4 12 4 11 0 1 1 2 3 Garrett Kirkland 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 32 Andrew Manasco 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 Carbon Hill Misc Scoring/Shooting # Athlete Name FG% 2FG% 3FG% FT% Team Totals 31 38 9 55 10 Kevin Pate 40 50 0 0 11 Tylor Owens 38 44 25 58 12 Blaine Eads 17 50 0 22 Jacob Davis 50 50 67 23 Daniel Woodard 25 25 100 25 Brandon Smith 33 36 0 50 Carbon Hill Assists, Blocks, Rebounds and Steals # Athlete Name Asst APG Blk Shts BPG Off Reb Def Reb Tot Reb RPG Stls SPG Defl Team Totals 5 7 15 16 31 7 10 Kevin Pate 1 1 1 2 11 Tylor Owens 3 4 4 8 3 12 Blaine Eads 1 3 1 4 22 Jacob Davis 1 1 2 3 23 Daniel Woodard 1 2 2 25 Brandon Smith 5 4 4 8 3 32 Andrew Manasco 4 4 1 Carbon Hill Other # Athlete Name TO PF TF Chr Team Totals 16 14 10 Kevin Pate 2 11 Tylor Owens 4 3 12 Blaine Eads 1 2 22 Jacob Davis 3 2 23 Daniel Woodard 1 1 25 Brandon Smith 4 2 3 Garrett Kirkland 1 32 Andrew Manasco 2 2