AHSAA Final 4: Class 1A Standouts

The Class 1A Final Four saw two competitive semifinal games and a highly contested finals match-up. Covenant Christian battled hard to capture the blue map, so we would like to congratulate Covenant Christian on being the Class 1A State Champions.   Some exciting players displayed their talents during the Final Four, the biggest stage of the year; here are a few…   [player_tooltip player_id="1178568" first="Reed" last="Trapp"] (6’5/Guard/2022)   School: Covenant Christian Instagram: N/A Twitter: @Reed_Trapp   Reed has good size at the guard spot, and it was a factor in several aspects of the game in both the semis and the championship game. Defensively and on the boards is where his length created the most problems. His length and his quick hands caused several deflections that led to turnovers. <blockquote> He showed his ability to score at all levels and was highly crafty in putting up points. </blockquote> He rebounded well from the guard spot and often got his team in transition by starting the break off the boards. At times when attacking off the bounce, he made himself small at the rim, which resulted in missed lay-ups. He is a hardcover when he is playing, utilizing his entire 6’5 frame. He averaged a double-double with 22pts and 10-rebounds during both games, including his 29pt performance in the semis against Autaugaville. His stat line was as follows:   Semifinals: 29pts (8-17; 47% from the field); (2-6; 33% from the three); 10-rebounds; 4-steals.   Finals: 15pts (5-11; 45% from the field); (1-6; 17% from the three); 10-rebounds.   Jaden Nixon (6’4/Guard/2023)   School: Autaugaville HS Instagram: N/A Twitter: N/A   Jaden was one of the best scorers in the Class 1A Final Four. He is very creative in his scoring opportunities. He shot the ball well from behind the arc and actually got it done at all levels at a very good percentage. He is a Junior that will be back next year, and we will be following him through the spring and summer, watching his growth before his senior campaign. He had a very good semifinals game, yet his team came up short in their match-up against Covenant Christian. His stat line was as follows:   25pts (9-15; 60% from the field); (4-8; 50% from the three); 5-rebounds; 6-assist   Morel Edwards, Jr. (5’10/Guards/2022)   School: Brantley HS Instagram: N/A Twitter: N/A   Morel was one of the top PGs in the Class 1A Final Four. He balanced facilitating and scoring and was key to his team keeping in step with Heritage throughout the first half. He shot the ball well in the first half, but his production tapered off in the second half. He is an instinctive PG that played well on both ends of the floor. He was a crucial factor in keeping the game close, but they came up short. His semifinals stats were as follows:   10pts (4-14; 29% from the field); (2-5; 40% from the three); 9-rebounds; 4-assist   Brayden Kyle (6’2/Forward/2022)   School: Decatur Heritage Instagram: N/A Twitter: @kyle_brayden   Brayden is an undersized stout forward that was a monster on the glass in the semifinal contest against Brantley. He could easily be considered a point-forward as he operated in the lead guard spot facilitating the offense throughout the semis and the finals. <blockquote> He showed his versatility as he created off the bounce in both the open court and in the half-court. </blockquote> He also displayed his ability to post smaller guards and showed good footwork with his post moves. He had an impressive outing in the semis but could not get it going in the finals as his team fell to Covenant Christian. His stat line for both games is as follows:   Semifinals: 9pts (4-11; 36% from the field); 15-rebounds; 6-assit   Finals: 2pts (1-4; 25% from the field); 3-rebounds   [player_tooltip player_id="1044908" first="Haston" last="Alexander"] (6’10/Forward/2022)   School: Covenant Christian Instagram: N/A Twitter: @Alexanderhaston   At 6’10, Haston was a significant presence on the court throughout the Final Four. As expected, he used his physical 6’10 frame and length to contest, alter, and block shots. Offensively, he was patient on the low block and showed a nice hook shot that he converted several times. <blockquote> He averaged a double-double in both games at the Final Four. </blockquote> He shot a high percentage as he did most of his damage in the paint or at the rim. He was a monster on the boards, as his rebounding production was key to capturing the blue map. I got a lot of questions regarding his recruitment, and I will be updating answers regarding that in my next College Coaches Report. Haston’s stat line for both games was as follows:   Semifinals: 18pts (7-9; 78% from the field); 15-rebounds   Finals: 20pts (9-14; 64% from the field); 10-rebounds   More news is coming from the AHSAA Final Four.