NORTHEAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT (4A BOYS): No. 8 Hanceville closes season with 90-60 loss to No. 2 Jacksonville

Jake Winfrey, The Cullman Times, Ala.
Updated ·2 min read

Feb. 18—Hanceville saw its season come to an end Saturday following a 90-60 loss to Jacksonville in the Class 4A Northeast Regional Tournament at Jacksonville State.

The No. 8 Bulldogs (25-8) trailed the No. 2 Golden Eagles (26-6) just 22-16 after the first quarter, but the defending champions soon turned up the heat.

Jacksonville outpaced the Purple and Gold 23-11 in the second period to secure a comfortable halftime lead and continued to pad its cushion in the second half despite the shotmaking of Brayden Harris and Will Calvert.

The Golden Eagles were able to take advantage of their size and length throughout the matchup, outscoring Hanceville 42-24 in the paint and outrebounding the Bulldogs 44-30.

Jacksonville also attempted 26 free throws to the Purple and Gold's six and netted 21 points off 16 turnovers.

Despite the loss, Hanceville still put together a fine season under coach Stephen Chandler.

The Bulldogs earned the second-most wins in school history en route to claiming their first county title since 2016 and reaching the regional stage for the first time since the program's Final Four run in 2019.

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Top Scorers

Hanceville: Brayden Harris (22), Will Calvert (18), Zach Campbell (5), Carson Garrett (5)

Jacksonville: Caden Johnson (24), John Broom (24), Cam Johnson (19), Devin Barksdale (13)

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Coach Speak

"We just ran into a great team. We thought we could make them live on shooting 2s, but then No. 2 came out and knocked down those quick 3s to start. We kept trying to get back in it and never gave up." — Stephen Chandler

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"I'm proud of this team and these seniors. Zach (Campbell), Brayden (Harris), Will (Calvert) and Logan (Quick) made a big impact this year. This team came together and was so much fun to coach. I knew exactly how we were going to play each and every night. They worked hard and showed up no matter who we were matched up with." — Stephen Chandler

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Player Speak

"This season was the best season I have ever had in my high school career. I enjoyed this season greatly and playing for Hanceville meant the world to me because the coaches and my teammates made every morning and every afternoon the greatest. I am going to cherish this season for the rest of my life." — Brayden Harris