By Erik Harris
CLAY – With an overall record of 16-8, Clay-Chalkville has fallen out of the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A boys’ basketball poll. The Lady Cougars (19-5) fell to No. 4 in this week’s rankings.
A strong outing by Austin at the MLK Classic Tournament jumped the Lady Black Bears two spots over previously third-ranked Clay-Chalkville and second-ranked Center Point.
No. 2 Austin (18-3) went 3-0 last week, including a 58-52 win over Class 7A No. 3 Hazel Green. The Lady Cougars have dropped three of their last four games, dating back to a crushing overtime loss to Area 12 rival No. 3 Center Point on Jan. 13.
Clay-Chalkville sophomore guard Raven Omar
photo by Ron Burkett
Head coach Justin Haynie hopes to reverse his bad fortune with a win over Pleasant Grove today in the third-place game of the Jefferson County Tournament at Hueytown. The Lady Cougars will then take a few days off before hosting Hewitt-Trussville on Monday at 6 p.m.
The boys, under the direction of first-year head coach Jeremy Monceaux, have come away on top in three of their last four contests, and look to make it four out of five with a win over host Minor in the semifinal round of the Jefferson County Tournament tonight at 7:30.
If Clay-Chalkville gets the win tonight, the Cougars will face the winner of Center Point-Shades Valley Friday night at 7:30 for the tournament crown.
Some hardware should help the previously eighth-ranked Cougars in the eyes of the association as they were replaced by Albertville, Opelika and Spanish Fort in this week’s poll. Blount and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa also slid out of the newest Class 6A rankings.
Class 6A boys
1. Lee-Huntsville
2. Austin
3. Bessemer City
4. Cullman
5. Pelham
6. Carver-Montgomery
7. Woodlawn
8. Spanish Fort
9. Opelika
10. Albertville
Class 6A girls
1. Homewood
2. Austin
3. Center Point
4. Clay-Chalkville
5. Fort Payne
6. Shades Valley
7. Lee-Huntsville
8. Arab
9. Selma
10. Athens
