Hold on to your hats, because the spring sports season is about to kick into fifth gear.
The Cullman County Baseball Tournament and Cullman County Track & Field Championship — both contested at Fairview High School — highlight a crazy week that also features the start of playoff baseball, numerous softball and soccer bouts, and statewide section tennis tournaments.
See below for a complete county baseball tournament schedule. West Point is seeking a sixth consecutive title.
G1: Vinemont vs. Cold Springs, Monday at 2 p.m.
G2: Hanceville vs. Good Hope, Monday at 4:30 p.m.
G3: Fairview vs. Holly Pond, Monday at 7 p.m.
G4: G2 Winner vs. G3 Winner, Tuesday at 2 p.m.
G5: G1 Winner vs. West Point, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
G6: G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner, Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The county track and field meet, meanwhile, will get going Monday at 9 a.m. with field events. Running events will follow. Good Hope (girls) and Cold Springs (boys) will look to defend their respective titles.
GIVE IT A SHOT
The AHSAA Central Board approved on Wednesday allowing schools the option to use a shot clock for regular-season — non-area — games in 2024-25, though only if both schools agree upon it. The Central Board also approved allowing the AHSAA to use a shot clock in all its summer classics and the North-South All-Star games as means to gather data and help train the personnel needed to operate the shot clock.
ASWA RANKINGS
The Alabama Sports Writers Association released its latest batch of high school baseball and softball polls on Thursday — and a pair of local teams landed spots in their respective rankings. All records as of Thursday night.
Prep Baseball
Fairview (19-7-1) is No. 10 in Class 5A
West Point (11-12) is nominated in Class 5A
Hanceville (13-6) is nominated in Class 4A
Vinemont (17-5) is No. 9 in Class 3A
Prep Softball
Cullman (16-10) is nominated in Class 6A
West Point (11-9-1) is nominated in Class 5A
ON TARGET
Good Hope’s Mason McCurry finished first in the high school division at last weekend’s Alabama State Championship following a score of 296.
Cullman, meanwhile, secured a state title as well in the middle school division with a total of 3,324 — downing Vinemont (3,308) by 16 points.
Vinemont’s Bailey Howard (268 — fourth in elementary girls), Vinemont’s Kamryn Huff (275 — fourth in elementary boys), Vinemont’s Nora Burks (286 — second in middle school girls) and Cullman’s Thatcher Lucas (292 — third in middle school boys) also finished in the Top 5 of their respective divisions.
East Elementary and Vinemont High, meanwhile, placed runner-up in their respective divisions, while Vinemont Elementary was third.
For complete results for all local programs, visit nasptournaments.org.
COAST-ING ALONG
Cold Springs’ Ethan Edgeworth placed sixth in the 3,200-meter run at this past weekend’s Arcadia Invitational in California. The senior and Tennessee signee’s 8:38.49 effort in the distance event is the fastest ever clocked by an Alabama runner and ninth quickest time in national high school track history.
WHAT A CATCH
Good Hope anglers Zac Arnold & Ross Clark claimed top honors at last Saturday’s Alabama High School B.A.S.S. Nation Tournament. The Raider duo hauled in 14.77 pounds at Logan Martin Lake to best all boats and add more hardware to their impressive trophy case.
PREP ROUNDUP
MONDAY — APRIL 8
Prep Baseball
Addison 3, Phil Campbell 0
Elijah Roberts: 3-for-4
Kiah Lake: 7 IP, 2 H, K
Cold Springs 10, Meek 7
Lindan Hill: 2-for-5, 3 RBIs
Mason Gable: 2 RBIs
Locust Fork 15, Holly Pond 5
Bradley Butts: 2 RBIs
Russellville 19, West Point 3
Prep Softball
Cold Springs 6, Falkville 5
Cullman 13, Arab 3
Abby Maples: 3-for-4, 5 RBIs
Reese Hopper: 3-for-5, RBI
Brooklyn Morton: 2-for-4, 3 RBIs
Brie Voss: 2-for-3 (HR), 2 RBIs
Brie Voss: 6.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K
Good Hope 9, East Lawrence 6
Addyson Burgess: 2 HR, 4 RBIs
West Morgan 15, Hanceville 0
West Point 5, Fairview 4
Kara Jones: 2 RBIs
Brinlee Phillips: HR
Ava Pruett: 2-for-2, 3 RBIs