2024 State FinalsAHSAABasketballFairfield TigersVigor Wolves

Fairfield Holds Off Vigor 69-65 To Claim AHSAA Class 5A Boys’ State Title

March 2, 2024

Birmingham, AL – The Fairfield Tigers clinched the Class 5A boys’ state hoops title with a gripping 69-65 victory over the Vigor Wolves Saturday at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena. The Victory secured the Tigers’ second state championship in the past four seasons.

Despite a sterling record of 29-2, Coach Maurice Ford’s Tigers faced challenges at the end of the state title contest. Fairfield players missed 11 critical free throws in the last 2 minutes and 50 seconds of the game yet secured the win with Jamaria Hamilton’s clutch shooting at the charity stripe just before the buzzer. Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton shared, “I was nervous, but I knew I wasn’t going to miss both of them.”

Their victory was a study in perseverance as Fairfield only succeeded in sinking 15-of-32 free throws, a stark contrast to Vigor’s 13-of-16. Despite the shooting struggles, Coach Ford acknowledged the infrequent nature of such a narrow win, stating, “It’s rare to shoot free throws as poorly as we did and win.”

Hear from Coach Maurice Ford from @FHPS_ThePrep following his teams victory in the 5A Boys Championship Game pic.twitter.com/etj2Pru8Q7
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) March 2, 2024

The victory was a sentimental one for Coach Ford, who recently lost his best friend and former Parker Thundering Hurd coach Reginald McGary. A poignant dedication of the season honored the memory of McGary. “After my best friend passed, these guys said, ‘Coach, we’re going to dedicate the season to Coach McGary,’ and that’s what they did,” Ford reminisced.

Vigor’s performance was not without merit as they fought valiantly for their first state basketball championship, falling just shy of brining the Blue Map back to Mobile. Vigor coach Jarius Jackson expressed both disappointment and pride, saying, “We wanted to bring the championship back. We came up short, but I’m very, very proud of these guys.”

The game’s standouts included Fairfield’s Demarcus Williams with 17 points and Jeffrey Duncan who contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. Notably, Josiah Jones earned the title of Tournament MVP after accumulating 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals, alongside Milton Jones’s 10 points. From Vigor, standout efforts were seen in Terrel Johnson with 22 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots, as well as Aslan Jones who racked up 20 points before fouling out.

Click here to check out schedules and scores from the 2024 AHSAA State Finals.

The exciting basketball action at the 2024 State Finals is set to continue with Classes 6A and 7A’s boys’ and girls’ title games wrapping up the 104th AHSAA State Finals in the Magic City.

Celebrating exceptional talent and sportsmanship, the Class 5A boys’ all-tournament team hailed individuals including MVP Josiah Jones, Fairfield’s Jeffery Duncan, Vigor’s Terrel Johnson and Aslan Jones, with Valley’s Cam Dooley and Gunterville’s Jackson Porch joining the ranks of exceptional athletes.

Class 5A Boys All-Tournament Team