BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION –– On Thursday, Feb. 12, top-seeded Central-Phenix City began the 7A, Region 4 tournament by defeating No. 4-seed Smiths Station, 56-48.
The win sealed the Red Devils’ spot against No. 3-seed Opelika in the area championship two days later. It also guaranteed Central a spot in the regional playoffs, while it meant the Panthers’ season is over.
“This type of game forced our guys to grow up a little bit. That was a tough one,” said Central head coach Steve Rogers. “All year, I’ve been talking to our young guys about the level of intensity and concentration we have to play with to win games like this. I think we did what we needed to do in those areas tonight.”
Smiths Station kept it a one-point game all the way until the fourth quarter — they even led 19-13 early in the second quarter — but Central pulled away in the last four minutes of the game.
Central lead 47-46 with 4:01 remaining in the fourth quarter before going on a 6-0 scoring run over the following three minutes. At that point, the Panthers fouled into the bonus and sent the Red Devils to the free-throw line several times.
A bucket from Smiths Station junior Jayden Peabody was the only answer the Panthers had, as Central ran away with the victory. It was Central’s third win over Smiths Station this season, with the last two matchups both decided by single digits.
“[Head coach Armon Ingersoll] does a great job with that team, and the players — man, they play hard,” Rogers said. “I’m just blessed to be the winner of that game.”
Junior center JT Williams was the star for Central, as he led all scorers with 19 points. Central’s Solomon Williams added 12 points of his own, while sophomore Ladarrius Copeland helped Central overcome that 19-13 deficit by scoring all four of his buckets in the second quarter.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound body of Williams has been a mismatch for opponents all season, and Smiths Station has had trouble keeping him out of the lane and off the free-throw line this season. He also led Central with 13 points in his last game against the Panthers at the end of January.
“JT is a monster when he makes his mind up that he wants to play,” Rogers said. “It’s hard to guard him, and he’s unstoppable at times. We’ve just got to do a better job of getting him the ball when he’s open.”
For Smiths Station, junior center Jarquez Williams led the Panthers with 16 points followed by 15 from Peabody. The Smiths Station defense also forced 14 turnovers by Central, with six of them coming in its strong second quarter.
Smiths Station’s season comes to a close with a 14-11 record. Despite the early postseason exit, the Panthers notched their first winning season since the 2021-22 campaign.
Central, however, is coming off a Final Four appearance last season in which the Red Devils lost to the eventual state champion — Hoover.
CENTRAL BREEZES PAST SMITHS STATION IN GIRLS’ TOURNEY
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
AUBURN — Separated only by a county line, the Central High School and Smiths Station High School had more than just bragging rights at stake when they met in the girls’ 7A Area 4 tournament.
Those bragging rights and a spot in the state tournament went to the Lady Red Devils (16-10, 4-2), who used their star power and a tough defense to defeat the Lady Panthers (6-18, 1-5) 63-34 on Feb. 11.
On a night where her forwards more than stepped up to the plate, CHS girls’ head coach Rodgetta Williams expressed her pleasure with what ended up being a fairly comfortable result.
“When everybody can play and have fun, I’m not doing too much yelling, jumping and stomping, we’re making the right plays and we’re growing up and getting better, that’s a great night for me as a coach,” Williams said.
She also previewed the area championship game against Auburn High School, which defeated CHS in both regular season matchups, including a 42-41 heartbreaker in Phenix City on Jan. 23.
“This is a very difficult place to win, for sure, and [Auburn is] a great, well-coached team,” Williams said. “But I love my girls’ grit and their hustle. There’s no quit in this team. So Auburn better be prepared to play a good, hard, well-fought game, and we’re going to be prepared to do the same.”
After an initially competitive start, CHS separated itself from SSHS behind JaBria Lindsey’s and Kandria Mebuge’s 17 combined first quarter points, which led to a 20-7 Lady Red Devils lead. CHS then dominated the offensive glass in the second quarter, and a full court press in the final three minutes secured a 34-12 halftime lead.
While the Lady Panthers played much better in the third quarter, CHS still forced constant turnovers and took advantage of their fast-break opportunities to end the third up 52-25. The Lady Red Devils’ size advantage then took its toll in the fourth quarter, and game officials instituted a running clock for the final three minutes.
Mebuge led all scorers with 15 points for CHS, while Lindsey and Cassidy Simpson finished with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Erica Robinson finished as SSHS’ top scorer with eight points.
