By Erik Harris
JEFFERSON COUNTY — Boys and girls teams from Hewitt-Trussville, Clay-Chalkville and Pinson Valley are booked for area basketball tournaments next week.
Unlike other tournaments that have been played throughout the season, these have more than a trophy on the line. Winning the area tournament championship guarantees the victor a position in the most important bracket of the year – the Alabama High School Athletic Association state playoffs bracket. Area tournament winners are automatically rewarded with a sub-regional berth.
Here’s where local teams fell in their area tournaments:
Class 6A, Area 12 boys, hosted by Clay-Chalkville
Pinson Valley (1-3 in area play) must find a way to down Center Point (2-2) for the second time next Thursday night to keep its playoff chances alive. The rivalry will be played for the third time this season on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.
Clay-Chalkville senior guard Kenneth Cotton
file photo by Ron Burkett
With a win, the Indians would face tournament host Clay-Chalkville (3-1) on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the Area 12 crown. Coach Jeremy Monceaux and the Cougars are 2-0 against Pinson Valley, winning by an average margin of 20 points per game.
The Indians, coached by Clint Argo, beat Center Point on the road 53-51 in their last meeting Jan. 16. Pinson Valley has won two of its last three games, including a 61-53 win over Class 7A opponent Hewitt-Trussville.
Class 6A, Area 12 girls, hosted by Center Point
Sixth-ranked Clay-Chalkville will square off against Pinson Valley on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. for a shot at No. 3 Center Point in the tournament finals.
It will be this season’s third addition of the rivalry with the first two contests going to the Lady Cougars in convincing fashion. The winner will return to the floor Friday to challenge the hosts for an area championship at 6 p.m.
Clay-Chalkville and Center Point finished the regular season deadlocked atop the Area 12 standings. A coin flip, which chose in favor of the Lady Eagles, was used to break the tie and determine the tournament’s location.
Class 7A, Area 6 boys, hosted by Mountain Brook
A youthful Hewitt-Trussville team finished winless in Area 6 play, seeding them last in the tournament bracket. For that, the Huskies get the opportunity to visit No. 3 Mountain Brook on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
The Huskies haven’t fared well against coach Bucky McMillan’s squad. Mountain Brook won the first meeting 70-38 on Jan. 13 and the second meeting 71-34 on Jan. 23.
With a major upset, Hewitt Trussville would face the winner of No. 2 Spain Park-Vestavia Hills on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the finals.
Class 7A, Area 6 girls, hosted by Spain Park
As the bottom seed in the Area 6 tournament, Hewitt-Trussville will visit host team No. 10 Spain Park on Feb. 4 for the first-round matchup, which is scheduled for 5 p.m.
The Lady Huskies’ only league win of the season came at home against Vestavia Hills 59-54. For that matchup to happen again, two big upsets would have to be pulled.
Vestavia Hills would have to beat second-seeded Mountain Brook and Hewitt-Trussville would have to beat a Lady Jaguars team that’s already beaten them twice. The title game will be played on Friday night at 7.
