The Evergreen Courant's Sports Flashback for Nov. 8, 2021

15 YEARS AGO
NOV. 9, 2006

Hillcrest High School’s first season under head coach Maurice Belser came to an end last Friday night in Evergreen when Georgiana High School upended the Jaguars 34-19.
Derrick Paige closed out his senior season with a big game on offense. He rushed eight times for 89 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Jaguars. He also had five pass receptions for 43 yards. Paige also completed one of two passes for 16 yards.
(Other standout Hillcrest players in that game include Blake Bryant, Dexter Chapman, Malcolm Jackson, Justin Nared, William Robbins and Roderick Rudolph.)

Sparta Academy senior halfback Chase Brown has been named to compete on the Alabama Independent School Association’s (AISA’s) West all-star.
Brown rushed for 1,034 yards during the 2006 season to help the Warriors post a 5-5 record.

Hillcrest High School’s varsity boys will begin defense of the 2005-06 Class 4A state basketball championship Tuesday.
(Hillcrest’s varsity boys roster that year included senior Curtis Richardson, senior P.K. Riley, junior Cleveland Knight, senior Blake Bryant, senior Brandon King, senior Justin Holder, sophomore Prentice Salter, sophomore Dereck Smith, junior Tony Watson, senior Leroy Herbest, junior Aaron Dees, junior Jeremy Thomas, junior Clarence Jackson and senior Quinton Lee. Tommy Dukes was head coach.)

24 YEARS AGO
NOV. 13, 1997

Excitement was in the air Friday night at Stuart-McGehee Field as the Sparta Academy Warriors defeated the Dixie Academy Rebels, 34-6, in the first round of the AISA Class A state playoffs.
Lee Goodwin was the leading rusher for the Warriors with 185 yards on 38 carries and four touchdowns. Next was Cliff Herbest with 104 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown; Charlie Ward with 15 yards on one carry; Chris Mitchell, 11 yards on six carries; and Seth McIntyre, -6 yards on two carries.

These young men were selected as Players of the Week by the coaches at Hillcrest High School for the Georgiana game. They were defensive player Ashley Coleman, who had six tackles and two tackles that gained loss yardage. Offensive player was Henry James. He graded 2.20 on the 16 championship plays. He rushed for 75 yards and had one reception for 12 yards. He also had 10 knock downs.

These young men were selected as Players of the Week by the coaches at Hillcrest High School for the game against Dothan. They were Defensive Player of the Week, Jason Watkins, who had five tackles, six assists and one tackle for loss of yardage. Offensive player Malcolm Andrews had 17 knock downs and graded 1.80.

36 YEARS AGO
NOV. 14, 1985

Junior quarterback Jeff Walker of Sparta Academy is third in the state in passing with 51 completions in 104 attempts for 735 yards. He is sixth in total offense with 749 yards. Senior Danny Reed is second in the state in pass receptions with 23. He is third in receiving yardage with 407 yards.

The Sparta Academy Warriors closed out regular season play with a 40-6 win over Fort Deposit Academy in Fort Deposit Friday night.
Chad Grace rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries to pace Sparta. Lee Adams had 53 yards on nine attempts and a touchdown. Grace scored on runs of 1, 16 and 21 yards and ran for two points. Adams scored on a five-yard run. Jim Reed scored on a five-yard run and Mark Rigsby on a 48-yard pass from Jeff Walker and Walker passed to Tommy Conway for two extra points.
Tim Wilson had 13 yards on six carries, Rigsby seven yards on one try, Jim Reed six yards on two, Jeff Carrier five on four, Danny Reed one on one, Walker lost three on three, Brad Watts lost five on two, and Mike Osban netted four on one try.
Walker completed seven of 11 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Danny Reed had three receptions for 35 yards, Rigsby one for 48 and a TD, Conway two for 26 and Scott Salter one for 22.
Rigsby had 10 solo tackles and three assists and an interception.

43 YEARS AGO
NOV. 9, 1978

Linament Bowl at Lyeffion Friday night: The Evergreen Old Timers will meet the Lyeffion Old Timers in an Old Timers Football Game (tackle, not touch) this Friday night at Lyeffion. The kickoff for The Linament Bowl is set for 7:30 at Mabry Covin Field. All proceeds from the game will go to help air condition Lyeffion High School.
Playing Coach Arlton Hudson of the Evergreen Old Timers lists the following players: Rayvon Henry, Jerome Thomas, Stanley Blair, Frank Lee Jr., Tommy Freeman, William Ryals, Ronald Johnson, James Henry, Robert Lark, Herbert Floyd, Rodney Pleasant, Allen Padgett, Willie Merrills, David Stonestreet, Mike Niven, Terry Plummar, Ronnie Robinson, Lindsey Grace, Eddie Bozeman and Ricky Gasken.
Murray Griffin, playing coach of the Lyeffion Old Timers, lists these players: Eddie Salter, David Primm, Terry Frierson, Terry Chapman, Johnny Blackmon, Scott Davis, Greg Davis, Johnny House, Johnny Booker, Gary Smith, Kent Cook, Jesse Joyner, Wendell Joyner, Paul Grimes, Doug Williams, Randy Robinson, Pete Hicks, Bruce Salter, Jimmy Booker, Wayne Brown, Eddie Brown, Leroy Salter and Jerry Pate.

64 YEARS AGO
NOV. 14, 1957

Tommy Tatum, student at the University, attended the Alabama-Tulane game in Mobile on Saturday and spent the weekend with his parents.

The Evergreen Aggies played host to T.R. Miller Friday night. Miller started off things early in the first quarter as they scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point. Miller scored again in the second quarter, but the Aggies failed to score in the first half.
Miller kicked off to the Aggies to get the second half underway. On the first play from scrimmage however, the Aggies fumbled and Miller recovered for the touchdown. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Miller scored two more touchdowns. The Aggies also scored on a pass from Grace to Daniels set up by a key block on the part of Captain Buddy Zukowski. Evergreen failed to convert and the final score was Miller 41, Evergreen 6.

Eagles Down Thomasville 20-7: Evergreen’s CCTS Eagles wrote ‘finis’ to the annual homecoming festivities by crushing Thomasville, 20-7. Playing an inspired brand of football, the Eagles appeared to make up for all their mistakes in previous outings. The cool crisp Saturday night air echoed the crowds’ approval as the Eagles ripped gaping holes in the Thomasville forward wall for swivel-hipped halfbacks and bulldozing fullbacks.
(Outstanding CCTS players in that game included Jimmie Armstrong, Bobby Booker, Hood Johnson, John Malden and Leroy Thomas.)