GDW Analysis:
Five local teams take a Top 10 ranking into the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) basketball playoffs.
Steady as she goes is the theme with five teams from the Gameday Weekly coverage area in the final poll by the state sportswriters was released Thursday morning,
Remaining 4th in Class 5A girls is West Point with 25 wins against 1 loss.
In the 4A poll, the Good Hope Lady Raiders are 4th as they go into the postseason 23 & 6.
With 19 wins & 10 losses, the Vinemont Lady Eagles remain 5th in Class 3A.
Sitting 10th in the 2A girls' poll is Cold Springs. The Lady Eagles have earned 17 wins in 27 games for rookie coach Paige Adams.
Cold Springs is the lone varsity team locally that has a Top 10 position.
Drew Adams' Eagles have ended their first regular season with him at 26 & 4, 6th in the poll.
Unable to squeeze into the Top 10 are the following teams.
Cullman Bearcats in 6A at 21 & 5.
Cullman Lady Bearcats in 6A at 21 & 7
West Point Warriors in 5A at 22 & 7.
Teams from nearby that have been seen recently by GDW are ranked in the following position.
Priceville Lady Bulldogs 7th in 5A at 21 & 6.
West Morgan Lady Rebels 6th in 4A at 20 & 6.
West Morgan Rebels 5th in 4A at 21 & 6.
Priceville won the Morgan County girls championship last Saturday defeating West Morgan 55 to 46 at Falkville High School.
West Morgan edged Priceville in the title game from Tom Drake Gymnasium in Falkville 46 to 43 in OT. Both championships were seen by GDW.
A team GDW is planning to see for the first time this season is hosting the 6A Area 14 girls tournament.
No. 10 Decatur welcomes Athens to campus Saturday in a 3:00 p.m. semifinal.
Decatur is 24 & 5 overall, having its best time on the hardwood since 2016/17 when the Red Raiders had 18 wins & 12 losses. Decatur has gone through difficulty in posting a 16 & 109 mark from 2018 to 2022.
Tyler Wright is in his first season coaching the Decatur girls. The 6A school in the River City has had four coaching changes after Brad Boy retired in 2018.
Photo of West Point center Laklin Shadix (1) vs. Hanceville forward Alex Twitty (14) in a game at Jim Boyd Gymnasium during the 2024/25 season.
Photo courtesy of April Shadix.
