The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Jan. 3, 2022

14 YEARS AGO
JAN. 3, 2008

Sparta Academy’s varsity boys basketball team captured first place in the South Choctaw Holiday Tournament Saturday night in Toxey. (Members of the team included Myles Wiggins, Justin Webb, Michael Cook, Nicholas Hardin, Matt Johnson, J.R. Williams, Brannon Jordan, Chris Cinereski, Mason Black, Drayton Rodgers, Michael Morris and D.J. Buckhault. Russ Brown was head coach, and John Cinereski was assistant coach.)

Sparta Academy’s varsity girls basketball team captured the first-place trophy in this year’s South Choctaw Holiday Tournament Saturday in Toxey. (Members of the team included BreAnna Pate, Erica Palmer, Susan Ann Cook, Mallory Kendrick, Madie Black, Morgan Harden, Christin Booker, Ashton Talbot, Emily Booker, Hayden Armuelles, Rebekah Coleman, Savannah Brown, Ashton Raines and Camarena Godwin. Russ Brown was head coach.)

Hillcrest downs Wilcox: Hillcrest High School’s varsity boys basketball team improved its record to 7-9 overall during the past week with wins over Wilcox Central High School and Alabama Christian Academy.
Hillcrest downed Wilcox, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, 51-47, on Dec. 22 in Evergreen. Hillcrest rolled ACA, 67-59, Saturday during the Capital City Conference Christmas Basketball Tournament at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery.
(Top players at Hillcrest that season included Lawrence Bennett, Destin Gross, Taft Lark, Xavier Likely, DeAndre Lyons and Prentice Salter.)

39 YEARS AGO
JAN. 6, 1983

Yellow Jacket cagers play two at home: The Lyeffion High School Yellow Jacket basketball teams will host home games twice this week, “B” games starting at 6 p.m. with the varsity games following. Admission is $1.50 per person at the Lyeffion Gymnasium.
Tonight, Lyeffion will play the W.J. Jones Mustangs and Friday night host the Excel Panthers.
The Jackets are defending Area 1 champions and although they lost four of five starters to graduation from the 1981-82 team, are considered strong contenders in 1982-83 for area and region championships.
The Jackets will build around their lone returning starter, Troy Stallworth, who is considered one of the top guards in the area.
(Other top players on the team included George Bradley, Kenneth Grace, Howard Johnson, Andra Maxwell, James Mims, Jimmy Mixon, Andy Pipkins, Robert Riley and Robert Woods.)

Sparta wins one, losses three in own meet: The Sparta Academy Warriors varsity boys won one game, but lost two in the local private school’s Tournament of Champions played Dec. 27-29 in the Sparta Gymnatorium. The Sparta girls lost their only contest.
The Warrior boys blasted Lowndes Academy, 91-75, in the opening round with four players, led by Chris Blatz with 21, in double figures.
(Other top players included Russ Brown, Wes Brown, Ed Carrier, Al Etheridge, Joey Johnson, Britt McNeil, Russ Raines, Conner Salter and Vince Watts.)
The Lowndes girls beat Sparta, 43-30. Cheri Johnson had 11 points; Tina Bybee, nine; Jan Coker, four; and Tammy Booker, Leah Carrier and Dudley Melton, two each, for Sparta.

64 YEARS AGO
JAN. 5, 1956

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Kelley spent the weekend in New Orleans and attended the Sugar Bowl game. They left Wednesday for their home in New York City, going by way of St. Louis, Mo.

Nearly 800 Hunters Bag Many Deer In Big One-Day Hunt On T.R. Miller Reservation: Probably the biggest deer hunt in Alabama history was staged near Brewton Mon., Dec. 26.
In a one-day drive, 792 hunters took an officially registered total of 129 bucks and shot 173 squirrels in addition. There were “so many dogs and hounds we didn’t even try to count them,” according to conservation officers.
The hunt was staged specially for members only of the Escambia-Conecuh Wildlife Association.
It was held on the Number One reservation of T.R. Miller Mill Co., a 40,000-acre tract of timber and woods that had not been open for hunting in 28 years.
As soon as the hunt officially ended at sundown Monday, the area was again closed by the wildlife association. The big tract will continue to serve as a game refuge.
Alvin Downing, association officer, said, “This was one of the finest days for sportsmen in this section for many years. The hunt was really pleasant, it was well-conducted and I know that it was a big success.”
There were only two persons arrested for violating conservation laws. They were arrested for shooting turkeys during the day.
In spite of the many guns in the woods, there were no accidents during the day.

114 YEARS AGO
JAN. 1, 1908

Deputy Sheriff Jernigan of Covington County killed a fine buck deer while on a hunt for other game. He divided the carcass among personal friends.