2024 State FinalsAHSAAAmerican Christian PatriotsBasketballJackson Aggies

Jackson’s Micah Caster Leads Aggies to Historic Class 4A Hoops Title

March 2, 2024

Birmingham, AL – In a gripping conclusion to day five of the 104th AHSAA State Basketball Tournament, Jackson High School (29-2) senior guard, Micah Caster, emerged as the hero in the Class 4A title game showdown with American Christian. Birmingham’s Legacy Arena bore witness to his impressive performance on Friday that propelled the Jackson Aggies to a 56-43 victory and marked the school’s first boys state hoops title.

“It’s like the hoop is this big and everything was going in,” Caster told reporters as he held his hands wide during the Aggies’ postgame press conference.

Dominating the scoreboard, Caster amassed 30 points, in route to calming tournament MVP honors. Showcasing his sharpshooting prowess, he converted 7-of-8 from beyond the arc, completed 9-of-14 field goals, and coolly netted 5-of-6 at the charity stripe.

Hear from Coach Anthony Hayes from @JacksonHighBK1 following his teams victory in the 4A State Championship Game pic.twitter.com/kvIOZ2PH0B
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) March 2, 2024

The final seconds of the third quarter were pivotal, with Caster sinking two 3-pointers and capping it off with a steal and basket at the buzzer. This flurry of points overturned a 35-27 deficit into a sliver of a lead at 40-39 heading into the final period.

Empowered by Caster’s surge and the team’s agility, the Aggies outpaced the Patriots (28-8) with a decisive 16-4 run in the concluding quarter putting the game on ice. Coach Anthony Hayes lauded his players’ resilience and punishing second-half display, stating, “These kids deserved to win. Nobody has outworked them.”

Despite trailing 26-22 at the break, Jackson’s resolve didn’t waver. Caster’s third-quarter performance pushed his contribution to 26 points, breathing new life into their championship aspirations.

@JacksonHighBK1 wins the 4A Boys Stare Basketball Championship 43-56 over American Christian pic.twitter.com/B6Ec1OYwwg
— AHSAA (@AHSAAUpdates) March 2, 2024

The Patriots, under interim head coach Austin Grammer, grappled with Jackson’s far-reaching defense post the shift in lead. Expressing pride in his team’s effort despite the loss, Grammer commended, “They were giving it their all for all the right reasons.” Senior point guard Davis Dare, who scored 11 points and provided four assists, aimed to dedicate a victory to former coach Blake Thrasher, who stepped down for health reasons and was present at the game.

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

Additional contributions for Jackson came from Landon Duckworth with 10 points and William Taylor, who not only added five points but also served up six assists. Samuel Holt put up 10 points and eight boards for American Christian, with Justin Michael Allen adding nine, all from downtown.

The AHSAA State Basketball Championships, now spanning 31 years at the BJCC, is set to conclude with title games across classes 5A, 6A, and 7A.

CLASS 4A BOYS’ ALL-TOURNEY TEAM