A look back at the action in the 2024 Huntsville City Classic
HUNTSVILLE – The 2024 Huntsville City Classic basketball tournament was supposed to be just another showcase of superior talent by the host team Huntsville Crimson Panthers, the No. 2 ranked team in Class 7A and No. 16 team nationally as the squad was defending champion heading into the 42nd annual event held on the Huntsville school campus.
What turned out was a surprise victory by the Bob Jones Patriots who knocked off undefeated Huntsville in the semi-finals and waltzed over the Class 6A Buckhorn Bucks to win their first Classic title since 2011. Meanwhile, two additional teams from the immediate Madison area also took part in the annual 16-team, three-day extravaganza. Here’s a rundown of how the three teams fared.
Bob Jones
The 10-7 Patriots headed into the tournament with uncertainty since the team had not sported an exceptional won-loss record up to the Classic tipoff. In their opening game, the Patriots led by senior Kaden Rickard’s 9-points defeated Mae-Jemison 59-56 in the tournament’s second game. With the advancement in the bracket, Bob Jones faced Enterprise (9-3) in round two and in a low-scoring contest and defeated the Wildcats 40-32 outscoring the Cats 14-7 in the fourth quarter. Rickard led the Patriots with 11 points while Jaylen Rice added 7. The game also featured Rickard topping the 1,000 points mark of his high school career.
Advancement to the semi-finals was next for the Patriots, led by head coach Bryant Starkey, where Bob Jones faced the 17-0 Panthers. A tough, close game that saw 10 lead changes, senior Bob Jones left-handed shooting Eric Marrow hit his only three-pointer of the game with three seconds remaining in overtime to give the Patriots a 59-58 victory over what many felt was an impossible team to beat. Rickard again led the team in scoring hitting for 16 while Rice added 14 and both Jacob Parks and Marrow adding 9 each. The Patriots shot 45-percent from the field while the Panthers were off their usual mark hitting just 20-percent of their three-point shots.
In the tournament championship matchup against cross-county rival Buckhorn (13-4), the seventh ranked Class 6A team in Alabama, a close game most of the way saw the Patriots outscore the Bucks 25-9 in the fourth quarter and post a 68-52 victory and their first Classic championship since 2011. Jacobs led all scorers with 28 points, Rickard added 15 and Rice 7. Bob Jones shot 57-percent from the field including 65-percent from the three-point area. Rickard was named the tournament Most Valuable Player and both Parks and Rice were named to the All-Tournament Team.
James Clemens
The James Clemens Jets drew the Fairfield Tigers in the opening round of the three-day tournament. The two teams were tied at halftime and Fairfield outscored the Jets 32-27 in the second half to secure the victory by a final score of 55-50. The Jets were led in scoring by senior Noah Gorman who posted 15 while Seito Yokota added 9 and Alexander Blue 8 in the loss. In the losers bracket, the Jets faced rival Florence in what was a physical game. James Clemens opened the game with a six-point lead after the first quarter and three-point lead at halftime. But head coach Frankie Sullivan saw his squad score just eight points in each of the third and fourth quarters and fall to the Falcons 48-43. Gorman led the way with 12 points while Yokota and Isaiah Cleaves scoring 9 points each and Corban Johnson who added 8. Gorman was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Sparkman
The Sparkman Senators with first-year head coach Obadiah Threadgill came into the tournament with a 5-13 record, but showed lots of promise as they defeated Lee-Huntsville in the tournament’s opening game 63-52. Orlandis Beale topped Sparkman with 14 while Tylan Pace added 10.
In game two, the Senators faced always tough Grissom and lost a close one to the Tigers 50-46. The Senators could only muster 35-percent shooting from the field including hitting just three of 15 three-point shots. Zachary Johnson scored 16 points to easily lead the Sparkman charge.
On the third day of the tournament, the Senators were placed in the consolation bracket and faced Enterprise and fell to the Wildcats 54-50. The contest was tied after three quarters and featured 10 lead changes, but Sparkman was outscored by four in the final quarter. Beale was tops for the Senators scoring 15 while Pace had 8 and Caleb Lightford adding 7. The senior 6-foot-3 Beale was chosen among the All-Tournament Team.
