Vigor Tops Sylacauga To Claim Historic 5A Boys Basketball Title

March 1, 2025

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Vigor Wolves made history Saturday, claiming their first-ever AHSAA Class 5A state basketball championship with a stifling fourth quarter defensive performance. The Wolves (20-9) topped the Sylacauga Aggies 59-49 in the title game matchup, fueled by an impressive ability to force turnovers and capitalize on free throws.

Wolves Turn Up the Pressure

Trailing by onet early in the fourth quarter, Sylacauga’s Erick O’Neal drained a 3-pointer to make it 40-39. At this critical moment, Vigor cranked up their defensive intensity and went on an 11-0 run, holding the boys from the Marble City scoreless for over five minutes. By the time Sylacauga’s Corbyn Patterson hit a 3-pointer with 1:47 left to cut the lead to 52-41, time had all but run out.

First-year head coach Lee Riley credited his team’s ability to shift into another gear. “I told the guys, ‘Don’t worry about fouls. You can’t take them home with you. Just go fly around.’ They believed in each other and left it all out there,” Riley said.

Dominant Defense Defines the Game

Vigor’s press defense was the game’s deciding factor. The Wolves forced 19 turnovers, including 16 steals, while committing just five turnovers of their own. Riley, known for his defensive approach, remarked, “I’m a defensive-minded coach. Can you play defense the right way under pressure? Today, my team answered that challenge.”

Sylacauga (30-4), seeking its first state title since 2018, struggled to find offensive rhythm. They shot only 36% from the field (16-of-44) and converted just over half of their free throws (10-of-19). “We just didn’t handle their 1-2-2 press all night,” said Aggies coach Joel Jones.

Vigor’s Offensive Standouts

Offensively, several Vigor players shined.

Devan Whisett: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
Jermaine Tate: 13 points, 5 steals
Tournament MVP Aslan Jones: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals
Ke’Viasz Malone: 10 points

Jones had a key message that resonated with the Wolves. “We told ourselves, ‘We are the better team. It’s time to finish,’ and we did just that,” the MVP said postgame.

Sylacauga’s Standouts

Despite their tough loss, Sylacauga had a few impressive showings:

Erick O’Neal: 14 points, including four 3-pointers
C.J. Franklin: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Joshua Speer: 9 points, 8 rebounds

Coach Jones reflected on the game, stating, “Vigor didn’t change their defense much; it came down to us not executing and getting in a rhythm.”

A Historic Milestone

After finishing as the Class 5A runner-up in 2024, Vigor finally brought a Blue Map home to Mobile. Their victory also capped off a significant day for the AHSAA, as the Scottsboro girls’ achieved their first state championship earlier Saturday morning.