Sylacauga Edges Wenonah in Thrilling 69-68 Boys Class 5A Semifinal Victory 

Aggies Advance to Class 5A State Finals with Last-Second Heroics at Legacy Arena

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Sylacauga Aggies delivered a dramatic comeback on Wednesday night, overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit to secure a nail-biting 69-68 victory over the Wenonah Dragons in the Class 5A semifinal of the AHSAA State Basketball Championships at BJCC’s Legacy Arena. 

Head coach Joel Jones’ Aggies (30-3) sealed the win as junior guard C.J. Franklin calmly sank two free throws with six seconds left, reclaiming the lead after Wenonah momentarily pulled ahead. Franklin finished the game with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. 

“I knew I had to redeem myself,” Franklin said, referencing his quiet first half. “I didn’t score in the first half, so I knew I had something to prove.” 

Wenonah (26-9), coached by Cedric Lane, had one final opportunity to win it, but their last-second shot missed, and Sylacauga’s Corbyn Patterson secured the rebound to clinch the victory. 

Coach Jones credited his team’s preparation and resilience. “We’ve been in games like this all year, and these young men have persevered time and time again. Basketball doesn’t start in November. It starts in June with hard work, conditioning, and determination. We’re fortunate to be on the winning side of this one.” 

Aggies Rally in the Second Half 

Trailing 39-29 at the half, Sylacauga came out strong in the third quarter. Franklin’s two quick three-pointers helped spark an 11-2 run, bringing the Aggies within striking distance at 41-40 midway through the period. The Dragons extended their lead to 52-48 entering the final quarter, but Sylacauga’s persistency paid off. 

A scoring drought by Wenonah in the fourth quarter allowed Sylacauga to gain momentum. Patterson and Ayden Crowe each knocked down key three-pointers, helping the Aggies go on a 10-2 run to take a 58-56 lead with less than five minutes to play. 

Crowe, who finished with 14 points, reflected on the pivotal moments. “I realized this might be my last game as a senior and knew I had to step up and make some big plays,” he said. 

Jordan Roberson contributed 11 points, including three late in the game to extend Sylacauga’s lead to 67-63 with just 14 seconds remaining. 

Wenonah’s Demazzia Taylor (4) scored five points in eight seconds to erase a four-point Sylacauga lead. (AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)
Wenonah Falls Just Short 

The Dragons showed resilience, with Demazzia Taylor leading the way. Taylor scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds, and recorded five steals while hitting all five of his free throws. He singlehandedly brought Wenonah back into the game in the final seconds. 

Taylor’s layup with eight seconds remaining cut Sylacauga’s lead to two points, and he immediately forced a steal off the inbound pass, scoring again while drawing a foul. His made free throw gave Wenonah a slim 68-67 advantage with just six seconds on the clock. 

However, Sylacauga quickly responded, as Franklin was fouled on the following possession and delivered under pressure at the charity stripe to send the Aggies to the championship game. 

“Shoutout to Sylacauga,” Lane said. “They played hard. They’re a well-coached team and fought to the end. The little things early haunted us—rebounding and execution were key factors.” 

By the Numbers 

Sylacauga finished the game shooting an efficient 50% from the field and surged in the second half, hitting six three-pointers after going 0-for-7 from behind the arc in the first. The Aggies also held a 29-21 advantage on the boards and generated 16 points off turnovers. 

Wenonah shot 33.3% from three-point range and a solid 16-of-20 from the free-throw line but couldn’t maintain their early momentum. They jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first quarter and extended it to double digits by halftime, but their second-half scoring droughts ultimately cost them the game. 

Other standout performances included J’Sean Bailey with 13 points for Wenonah, while Brendon Davis added 11 points and three blocks. Sylacauga’s Joshua Speer contributed eight points and eight rebounds to the winning effort. 

 

Moving On 

Sylacauga now advances to the Class 5A state championship game, where they will face the Vigor Wolves on Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at Legacy Arena. This will mark Sylacauga’s fourth title game appearance in program history, with previous championships won in 1988 and 2018.

FEATURED IMAGE: C.J. Franklin (5), shown dribbling the ball, sank two free throws with six seconds remaining to give his Aggies the win.  (AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)

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