Jacksonville, AL – Barksdale shoots Jacksonville to lead early on Alexandria and shoots through Valley Cubs’ third-quarter rally with a 65-55 win. Improving Jacksonville girls dial up defense for victory.
Monday’s scoreboard
BOYS
Jacksonville 65, Alexandria 55
Pleasant Valley 47, Woodland 35
Shiloh (Ga.) 55, Oxford 49
Handley 68, Talladega 32
GIRLS
Jacksonville 40, Alexandria 21
Handley 60, Talladega 58
Central-Clay 66 Horseshoe Bend 64
Lincoln 25, Gaston 24
Southside 53, Douglas 20
By Joe Medley
The two-time champion and defending Class 4A champion Jacksonville has changed its dynamic for 2023-24. However, one thing of two state champion teams remains.
This week, Devin Barksdale showed he’s been the man after watching the many other players leave the area around him.
Barksdale scored a game-high 26 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers to thwart an Alexandria rally late in the third quarter, and Jacksonville beat its Alexandria-Jacksonville Road rival 65-55 on Riley Green Court.
The first of two games scheduled that will be played between Jacksonville (8-3) along with Alexandria (7-3). They’ll play on the game on Feb. 1 in Alexandria.
In the next few months, Barksdale will be deep into his second year as Jacksonville’s point guard of the year and will be attempting to guide Jacksonville’s Golden Eagles to a third consecutive state championship. The junior was an important player in the back of the bench for Jacksonville’s state championship team in 2022.
“He’s an amazing football player” the second year Jacksonville head coach Tres Buzan stated. “He has the ability to get his own shot anytime the player wants to. He’s a teammate who’s a excellent leader.
“When he’s clicking, we’re clicking.”
Click, click, click, click.
Then, Barksdale hit four 3-pointers during the period when Jacksonville established a 20-8 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Jacksonville had a lead of 33-16 at halftime. Barksdale was able to match Alexandria’s total of points with almost 50% of Jacksonville’s points.
Prior to the start of this year, Barksdale had thousand-plus-point scorers John Broom, Caden and Kam Johnson in his circle. Then, he’ll be joined by the center Cade Phillips in 2022.
In the current season Barksdale will be the best option for when they Golden Eagles need a big shot. That moment happened during the 3rd quarter. Drake Davis banked in a 3-pointer from the left side, and Quendavion McDowell scored three of his best 22 Alexandria points via a putback as well as a free throw to cut the lead of Alexandria to 48-42 in 1:03.
Who did Jacksonville’s following two shots.
“I felt a nudge,” he said. “I knew I would hit the two shots and I was full of confidence that I could hit the targets.”
He sank a three that made it 51-42 and Jacksonville took the ball back after 30 seconds of the quarter. Barksdale did a dribble to slow the clock to make a last-shot shot and then dribbled Monqrea Morris onto Sean Herbert’s high screen in the center Then he stopped and hit the step-back triple to make it 54-42 heading to the 4th quarter.
It was the major response to Alexandria’s 26-point 3rd quarter and Barksdale was aware of it. As did his teammates.
“My teammates said to me prior to the game that ‘you’re going to explode”” the player said. “They have given me confidence and I am grateful for that. I am confident in myself.”
Jacksonville’s Jaquan Ervin scored 13 points, including a 3-pointer.
In addition to McDowell’s huge game, Alexandria got 15 points from Jaylen Henderson, as well as seven points of Morris as well as Davis.
While Valley Cubs Valley Cubs made their third-quarter performance, they were unable to sustain it. the team that scored scores of 92 and 82 in recent games, struggled over a 16 point opening half.
“We simply weren’t prepared to play and that was my responsibility,” Alexandria coach Will Ginn stated. “For any reason whatsoever, I think we weren’t properly prepared or physically ready, for the kind of game we played..
“I knew that it would be a physical match, and just like that, we weren’t prepared for the game.”
A former Jacksonville State University guard offered praise to Barksdale as the most important reason for why that Valley Cubs’ rally hit the wall.
“He’s an incredible football player,”” Ginn said. “I was aware of that before coming into the game but the thing that makes him so formidable is the fact that he shoots the ball with such precision. It opens everything up to him.”
For the most up-to-date Jacksonville team that is centered around Barksdale It’s hard to discern. It’s hard to tell what the Golden Eagles football contingent came late in the season, and recent episodes of seasonal illness have hampered players such as Herbert.
“We’re extremely versatile,” Barksdale said. “Everybody is a different player. We’ve got six or five players who aren’t big but are quick and we’ve got the two bigs: Sean as well as Ben (Pridgen) as well as M.J. (Wood), and they’re all aggressive and working on the lower levels.
“It the first time playing back and we’re still working out role, however we’re getting into it quite well.”
Girls
Jacksonville 40. ALEXANDRIA 21:Halaina Lozano scored two 3-pointers in leading to a team-high of 10 points. Jacksonville responded to the coach’s request to focus on defense.
“We’ve performed pretty well on the defensive side, but I did challenge the team this evening,” Jacksonville coach Corey Mize stated. “Last contest in the game against White Plains, I didn’t think we put together our best defensive performance which is why I challenged the team tonight to ‘This has to be the best you’ve done for yourselves to come back to beat White Plains.
“I believed they were answering to the ring.”
Jacksonville also scored eight points from DeAsiaProthro and six points on two 3-pointers by Mya Swain. They improved to 4-8. They began the season with a 0-4 record in a game schedule that included 2 games in Springville and one game in Talladega as well as Plainview.
The Golden Eagles reached 1-7 before winning three of the following four.
“Those difficult games we played made us stronger,” Phillips said. “Those losses don’t define us. They just keep us going.
“It improves us since we’re now playing on teams where our skill level makes appear good.”
Allyssa Hunt was the leading scorer in Alexandria (5-5) by scoring six points for Alexandria (5-5). In the Valley Cubs’ last three games, Valley Cubs scored 39, 20 and 21 points over their last three games.
“We haven’t been scoring the ball in nearly three games and I’m afraid our confidence is slipping somewhat,” Alexandria coach Craig Kiker stated. “We simply need to get some practice time. …
“I think we did extremely effectively. We played as strong of a defense as we are able to play. We couldn’t get the ball.”
