Hoopmania steps up from the Cullman Basketball Complex:
GDW Analysis:
Cullman Basketball Complex welcomed the Southern Youth Basketball League (SYBL) with a new season of its fall basketball league.
Numbers are on the rise according to SYBL director Branch Whitlock in speaking with Gameday Weekly Sunday prior to opening day for high school girls, middle school boys, 6th grade girls and elementary boys.
In its 4th year of operation, the fall league presents 13 high school girls teams. The high school girls will play on Sundays along with the middle school, 6th grade girls and elementary division.
Varsity teams consist of 23 with plenty of time for this division every Tuesday and Thursday all the way through October.
Local high school girls teams include Arab, Fairview, Good Hope, Holly Pond and Vinemont.
Players from Cold Springs and Cullman are paired with others in it being an all star type squad.
Outstanding players well known to GDW are involved as they use this time of the year to keep their skills in tune, prior to the start of the 2024/25 AHSAA season that begins with fall practice in Mid October.
Without any question, Ava McSwain of Good Hope stands out for what she did in her contribution to the Lady Raiders winning the 4A state championship last season.
What to be considered a highlight game for opening day, Good Hope tangled with Mortimer Jordan.
The teams can not be coached by any member of its coaching staff. Those leading these teams are volunteers. Head coaches can attend the games and have to sit in the stands when their team is playing.
Two strong teams played a hard game as both had inconsistency in scoring on this day. Mortimer Jordan led Good Hope 20 to 16 at the half. Good Hope utilized McSwain as she carried the team on a 2nd half run to grab a 31 to 30 lead late in the battle.
Mortimer Jordan divided the performance of three experienced players, Kaylani Scotland, Kendra Davis and Mattie Machem that was the difference in claiming a 44 to 37 triumph. MJ ended the game on a 14 to 6 run.
Arab was a sound unit by romping over Cordova 71 to 46.
The Lady Knights have two teams playing in this league. Arab Blue is its younger unit as they took on a group from Section. Section won this encounter by the final of 26 to 22.
It was the best game of the day as seen by GDW. Fairview took on a club called MBuckets. Three Cullman Lady Bearcats play for MBuckets.
Fairview found its shooting eye from long distance with Peyton DeFoor, Darby Nichols, Lexi Golden and Davi Stidham getting into a flow of long range accuracy.
Fairview overcame a slow start and closed the margin to 29 to 23 at the half by ending the standing on a 13 to 7 run.
In the 2nd half, the two teams combined for 71 points with MBuckets coming out on top 65 to 58. Molly Wilson, Sydney Bagwell and Kentley White are the trio from Cullman as each provided a spark in a well play ball game.
Hills' Warriors that featured Cold Springs shooting guard Paizley Whitlow and Decatur Heritage PG Emma Eastman, took down CDS 42 to 30.
The finale for opening day saw MBuckets get back on the floor and knock off Holly Pond 39 to 31.
Good news for Holly Pond was having PG Madison Butts on the floor as she is in good physical condition.
The league is a positive for developing personnel as the case for Good Hope. A different Lady Raider team will be on display in the upcoming season with McSwain a key figure and people like Ella Gossett, Lexi Collins, Lucie Adams and Lexi Marshall with experience to fill the vacancies by graduation from Ivey Maddox, Heather Tetro, Bailey Tetro and Charley Johnson.
GDW learned about this during the weekend:
Cullman's talented point guard Ally Sharpe is no longer with the team.
Sharpe has left Cullman and is now at a school in Tennessee.
GDW learned of this over the weekend through several reliable sources.
The move by Sharpe comes from her mother, Susan Sharpe, able to move back into the Nashville area to be close to her family.
Ally Sharpe is the daughter of former Wallace State and now women's coach at University of Alabama Huntsville Allen Sharpe.
Sharpe will be a junior this season, coming off having a good sophomore year for Cullman as she was selected the top point guard on the GDW all performance team.
Cullman will now be in the process of looking for a new floor leader in the 2nd season the Lady Bearcats will be this upcoming season with coach Jessica McBrayer.
Photo of 1st half play between Mortimer Jordan and Good Hope in the SYBL Fall League Sunday at the Cullman Basketball Complex. GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
