Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MONTGOMERY – Sometimes you’ve got to hug it out.

Escambia Academy defeated Abbeville Christian in a close 47-42 game to claim the 2025 AISA Class 1A state championship at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex on Friday.

Moments after the win, boys basketball coach Jerome Webster, assistant coach Larry Nichols and the entire team embraced, celebrating the culmination of the season.

This is the fourth championship for the boys in school history, and the first for Webster, a longtime and well-known coach from Atmore.

“I feel amazing,” Webster said. “With all that we’ve been through, it’s been amazing to get to this point right here.”

A close game throughout, especially late in the fourth period.

A lot took place in the final 58.8 seconds of the game.

But a couple seconds prior, EA’s Ronta Watson got the team ahead 42-40 on a deep drive down the middle of the paint. Senior center Bryce Stevens then added a free throw a short time later and the Cougars then took a timeout with 55.5 seconds left.

Escambia Academy found itself with a two possession lead a short time later after Ty McCants got a layup on a Traegan James takeaway down low.

The Generals took a timeout, and then couldn’t convert some free throws with 14.8 seconds left.

However, ACA added a layup off an inbound to cut it to three, but Watson countered with a layup of his own with 5.7 seconds to go.

“That’s a great team,” Webster said about ACA. “We played three of the hardest teams in the AISA, and we came out on top. We had our jobs cut out for ourselves.”

Webster said he stressed to the boys to keep their heads in the game during the final minute.

“I told them to ‘go ahead and play through, and just believe in what we’ve been doing,’” he said. “ ‘We’re built for this.’”

Earlier in the game, the Cougars built themselves a good lead in the first period as they led 12-9 going into the second. EA led 25-16 at halftime.

A combination of good shooting and fast breaks, Abbeville Christian bounced back in the third as Jayden Buckhannon hit a drive up the lane and a 3-pointer to cut the game to four. Riddge Crawford hit a baseline over under layup.

But, the Cougars stayed ahead after Stevens hit a cluch 3-pointer go ahead 28-23 with 3 minutes left in the third period.

Never backing down, the Generals answered with a Buckhannon pair of free throws and a 3-pointer.

Stevens then hit a 3-pointer, and Watson added a drive up the middle.

Abbeville’s Blake Cooper hit a layup off a steal and EA led 33-30 going into the fourth.

Watson would go on to his 11 of his 19 points in the fourth period.

Stevens led the team with 20 points.

Buckhannon led ACA with 21 points.

Webster said the boys handled the adversity well in the game.

“They grew up before we got on the court and we were ready,” he said. “That’s why they played pretty good in the first half. I told them that this is not the world championship, that it’s another game you’ve played.”

Stevens credited Webster and Nichols for running them hard because it helped during the game.

“I’m just so happy we did it,” Stevens said.

Stevens said he didn’t shoot a 3-pointer all season, adding that the defense was the big key to victory.

Watson said he felt great after the win.

“It took a lot of patience and handling the ball, finishing shots and making free throws,” Watson said about the title game.

Watson said Webster was encouraging the team to take care of the ball and not foul during the final minute of the game.

But, when it was said and done, Webster celebrated by raising his hands in victory, shortly before the hug.

 

All-tournament team: McCants, Stevens and Watson, EA; Buckhannon and Cooper, ACA; Zeke Adams, Cornerstone Christian; and Reid House, Trinity Christian.