Pisgah’s dominant girls basketball run is one step closer to a sixth state championships in nine years. The Eagles dominated Highland Home 64-31 in the Class 2A semifinals Monday at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena to advance to the championship game Friday at 9 a.m. against Decatur Heritage (28-7), a convincing 65-34 winner over Abbeville in the first semifinal game.

Pisgah won three straight Class 3A championships in 2018-2020, then won in Class 2A in 2021 and 2022. After a two-year drought, the Eagles are one win away climbing back on top.

“I’m really excited for this group because now they get to build their own legacy,” said Pisgah coach Carey Ellison.

Senior Madeline Flammia and juniors Paisley Patalas and Cambell Barron were all contributors when the Eagles won the 2022 championship. But this time is different.

“Last time we won it we were riding the coattails of some great older players,” Flammia said. “This time it’s a business trip.”

The seventh-ranked Eagles (21-8) were certainly methodical in pulling away from Highland Home (22-9), a team that was making its first final four appearance in 24 years.

The Flying Squadron led 5-4 2 minutes into the game on a JaNya Foster layup. But Barron hit a 3-pointer with 4:39 left in the first quarter to give the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish. The advantage grew to 16-7 after one quarter and 31-13 at the half.

The lead was never less than 16 points in the second half. When Flammia scored on a layup just before the end of the third quarter, the advantage reached 28 points at 47-19.

The Eagles led by 37 in the fourth quarter before settling for the 33-point win.

Star of the game: She was not the leading scorer, but Flammia was the catalyst for most of what went right for the Eagles, especially with her pressure defense. The point guard finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and even a blocked shot. Flammia has already signed a scholarship to play softball at UAB.

Stat sheet: Only three players reached double figures in scoring. Foster led Highland Home with 16 points. Patalas paced Pisgah with 17, while Campbell added 15.

By the numbers: Highland Home made only 3-of-26 shots from beyond the 3-point arc (11.5 percent), while Pisgah was 8-of-33 for 24.2 percent. Turnovers were a major factor. Pisgah’s pressive defense forced 28 turnovers, while the Eagles committed 13 turnovers.

Did you know? Pisgah sits atop Sand Mountain is in Jackson County, which borders both Tennessee and Georgia.

They said it: “These girls came such a long way. These girls reset the standard.” – Highland Home coach GeVonne Cooper