By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Edgewood Academy seniors Lindsey Brown and Madison Martin made sure that their final time playing basketball together for the Wildcats would be a memorable one. Both seniors scored in double figures, with Brown controlling the flow of the game on offense with the ball in her hands, and Martin taking over the paint. Edgewood Academy defeated Sparta Academy 46-28 in the AISA AA Championship at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery.
Avery White started the scoring for Edgewood Academy, knocking down a corner 3 point shot for the first points of the game, and the Wildcats never looked back. Sparta kept the game close in the opening period, and only trailed by 3 points at the end of the 1st quarter.
Brown started the 2nd quarter with a 3-pointer and followed up with a layup later in the 1st half that pushed the Wildcats lead to double digits. Sparta managed to get a late basket to cut the lead to 22-14 at the halftime break.
The 2nd half was dominated by Edgewood. Halfway through the 3rd quarter Brown pulled down a defensive rebound and then hit another 3-point shot to move the lead to double digits. The Wildcats led 32-20 heading into the 4th quarter, and Brown hit another 3-pointer to push the lead to 15 points. From that point, the route was on, as the Wildcats won by 18 points to finish the season 28-3, and more importantly, winning the third straight AISA AA championship in girls basketball. As the final buzzer sounded on the season, Brown fell to the ground and was promptly mobbed by her teammates celebrating yet another championship.
For the game, Brown scored 22 points, and had 5 assists, 5 steals, and 4 rebounds. Martin finished the title game with a double-double, scoring 11 points and securing 11 rebounds, to go along with 3 steals.
Edgewood Academy Head Coach Brad Starks realizes the significance of leading the school to a championship this season, the team’s third consecutive title.
“Any time you win a state championship in any sport at any level, it’s special. It takes talent, hard work, and a little bit of luck. This team had to endure more adversity than any team I’ve ever been around – with injuries, multiple surgery recoveries, and sicknesses – but fortunately we were as healthy as we’d been all year, when it mattered the most. The standard set by our two seniors and those who came before them cannot be understated. Lindsey Brown and Madison Martin have paved the way for the future of Edgewood Basketball, and I’m blessed to be a part of it. For this team to have won their third straight title in basketball is a huge testament to the hard work of the girls and the bonds they share on and off the court.”
After graduation, Brown, one of the most decorated athletes in AISA history, will attend the University of Alabama on a volleyball scholarship.
“Lindsey Brown is the best overall athlete I’ve seen in this league,” said Head Coach Starks. “As a basketball player, she can do things that no one else can do. She averaged 24 points per game this year but can take over a game even when she isn’t scoring. Lindsey has been incredible for Edgewood in her career. She is not only a knowledgeable player, but she works harder than anyone else, and has constant energy. She truly leads by example and holds herself and her teammates to the highest standard.”
