2013 Madison Sports Year in Review; BJ volleyball state title tops

The top sports story of 2013: Bob Jones volleyball team wins the state 6A championship
(PHOTO CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON-  It has been a  long exciting year in local sports. The student athletes from James Clemens and Bob Jones have given their all and achieved success on the field of play. Several brought home state championships, many more did not but they are to be commended.

I would also like to commend the community, school leaders, parents, and fans. As the sports change from season to season, I have seen the support from the community the players receive. That support is something special. It makes lasting memories. Here is my top 10 moments from the sports year 2013.

10) First year success for JCHS track –  In April, James Clemens’ Leila Elliott became the schools first track medalist when she finished second in the 100m sprint at the 6A Track and Field sectional at Bob Jones. Elliott, a junior, made it to state the previous year running for Bob Jones but didn’t place in any events. In 2013 she qualified in four events: the 100m dash seeded 4th in state; the 200m dash seeded 2nd in state;  4X100m relay, and 4X400m relay.

James Clemens Leila Elliot leads the pack in a race at the Track and Field Sectional in April
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)

9) James Clemens gets new football coach- After going 0-10, Bill Stewart abruptly resigned as head football coach and left the school in January. In February the school hired Wade Waldrop who was the Chelsea head football coach. Waldrop led the team through spring drills and into their second season.

8) Langston hired as new baseball coach at Bob Jones- Less than a week after Jeff Bell stepped down as baseball coach at Bob Jones, David Langston was named new coach. Langston came from Muscle Shoals High School where he was head baseball coach. He coached college at NW Shoals Community College where he signed several former Bob Jones players.

7) James Clemens wins first football game- On the opening night of the football season, James Clemens scored a 14-6 victory over J.O. Johnson for the first win in the school’s history. It ended a 10-game losing streak and lifted the spirits of the entire community. Two weeks later the Jets scored their first win against a 6A opponent and their first region win with a 34-12 win over Sparkman.

6) Seven Bob Jones players selected for All-Star Sports Weeks- A record 7 Bob Jones athletes and one coach were selected and went to Montgomery in July to play for the North teams in the annual All-Star Sports Week. Juniors selected were Sydney Booker-softball, Chandler Austin- soccer, Chandler Elder-basketball, Matt Sanders- baseball, and Alexis Howell-volleyball. Coach Kevin Rose coached the North squad and selected two Bob Jones seniors to play, Jordan Shelton and Kevin Wright.

5) Bob Jones baseball team sets record- Bob Jones entered the 2013 season with only modest expectations. After all, two starting pitchers had graduated and signed with Auburn and UAH. Some players had moved to James Clemens. After a slow start, the wins began to pile up. The team won the Area title, swept Decatur and Sparkman in the playoffs before falling to Hoover. In the process the team won 35 games, a school record.

4) Bob Jones sets records in football- Bob Jones started the season with dominating wins over Northridge and James Clemens and entered the ASWA rankings at #7. By week 8 the Patriots reached #2 in 6A, the highest ranking ever for a Bob Jones football team, as they clinched their fifth straight Region championship with a 34-17 win at Buckhorn. The record stood at 8-0 before a close loss at Austin. The team set a school record with 11 wins including two playoff wins over Hewitt-Trussville and Oxford before falling to Vestavia Hills.

key to Bob Jones success were Brandon Davis (9) named MVP, Kenneth Turney (8) Defense Most Improved, Julien lewis (92) Defensive Line Award and Team Captain Nick Holman (48)

3) Ryan Stenger wins first state title for JCHS- For the second year in a row Ryan Stenger wrestled for a state championship at the Von Braun Center. Previously wrestling for Bob Jones he lost. This time, wrestling for James Clemens he defeated his opponent from Vestavia Hills to claim the state title at the 220 pound classification. He entered the match 47-0. Fans from Bob Jones and James Clemens were there to cheer him on. Two BJ wrestlers, Micah Hatley and Jesse Webster, also made it to Championship matches but lost.

2) Madison Academy wins state titles in football and basketball- The Mustangs set a new mark for excellence in 2013. After struggling early in the season, the basketball team got hot at playoff time and rolled over Southside-Selma 54-47 for their first state title since 2008. In football, the Mustangs had a target on their back but still prevailed in each game going 15-0 for a second consecutive state football title. Along the way the 3A school defeated 5A Cullman and posted road wins over Piedmont (11-1) and Saks (13-0) to advance to the championship game where they defeated Leeds.

1) Bob Jones volleyball team wins state championship- Down the stretch, nothing was going to stop or distract the Bob Jones volleyball team from their goal this season. With a team anchored by juniors and sophomores, the Patriots swept past Buckhorn and Sparkman in the area tournament.

At the North Super Regional they blasted James Clemens and Hoover. At the state tournament they evened the score against two old nemeses. McGill-Toolen went first as the top team from south Alabama put up only token resistance before falling 3-l. Then four-time defending state champion Huntsville went down in dominating fashion 3-0.

The state title ended a two year drought for Bob Jones winning a state title in any sport. The girl’s basketball team won state in the 11-12 school year.