By By Lindsey Sherrill
Staff Writer
The Escambia Academy varsity teams improved their records last week as they topped both Jackson and Dixie Academy at home.
The Lady Cougars extended their winning streak to nine games Thursday as they defeated Jackson 71-31. Meagan Jackson led the team with 18 points, followed by Rayleen Miller with 12 points.
Kaylie Castleberry scored nine points, Jessica Gibbs and Lori Bonds each scored six points, Jaime Drew scored five points, Courtney Smith scored four points, and Mandi Norton, Alison Thomas, and Shelby Hester each scored three points. Gibbs led the team with 14 rebounds, followed by Smith with 11 rebounds, Kaylie Castleberry with nine, Bonds with six, Thomas with five, Norton and Drew with four rebounds each, Miller and Kerrianne Castleberry with three rebounds each, Jackson with two, and Hester, Ellen Corman, and Morgan Dorriety with one rebound each.
The varsity boys topped Jackson 85-56 on Thursday to improve their record to 19-4. Jace Beasley led the team with 23 points. He was followed by Cody White with 15 points, David Daniel with 11, Billy McCann with seven, Robert Hardy, Cole Norton, and Zack Thomas with six points each, Steven Shirley with five points, and Chris Moore and Zack Smith with three points each. Daniel led the team in rebounds with 12. Hardy had 11 rebounds for the night, Beasley and Norton each had six, White had four, Moore and McCann had three, Shirley had two, and Thomas had one rebound. Norton led the team in steals with five.
On Saturday afternoon the Lady Cougars defeated Dixie 53-26. Bonds led the scoring with 11 points, followed by Kaylie Castleberry and Jackson with 10 each, Gibbs with six, Miller with five, Drew with four, and Anna Parish and Norton with two points each.
The Cougar boys played a close match with Dixie to take the victory 70-69. Daniel led the team in scoring with a season high 25 points, including four 3-point shots and seven of seven free throw attempts. Hardy scored 17 points, Shirley scored eight, Norton and Moore each scored six points, Price and Smith scored three points each, and Beasley scored two points. Hardy and Beasley led the team in rebounds with ten for Hardy and eight for Beasley.
Escambia Academy will play again Thursday at home in the first round of the area tournament. The Lady Cougars will begin play at 6:30 against Calvary Christian.