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AHSAA soccer playoffs: Spain Park girls’ shutout one of 16 as defense shines

The top-ranked girls teams from Class 6A and 5A advanced to the second round of the AHSAA soccer state playoffs with big wins on Thursday.

Homewood, the No. 1 team in 6A, routed Huffman 11-0 and 5A No. 1 Springville whipped Carver-Birmingham 8-0.

Those were just two of 16 shutouts on the girls’ side in first-round games.

The Spain Park, Mountain Brook, Pell City, Southside-Gadsden, Athens, Spanish Fort, Pike Road and Northridge girls also blanked their opponents. In girls’ 5A action, Westbrook Christian, Guntersville, Priceville, Charles Henderson and Elmore County also had shutouts.

Boys top-ranked Class 5A Guntersville also recorded a shutout to open its playoff chase, beating Brewer 3-2 in overtime, and No. 1 6A Homewood beat Huffman 10-0.

Some top-notch defense was on display on the boys’ side with shutouts recorded in 5A by Douglas and in 6A by Mountain Brook, Gardendale, Buckhorn, Spanish Fort, Pike Road and Northridge.

Here are the first-round results and Thursday schedule:

AHSAA 2025 STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

THURSDAY RESULTS

GIRLS

CLASS 5A

Springville (15-3) 8, Carver-Birmingham (9-9-2) 0

John Carroll Catholic (10-6-5) 8, Leeds (4-7-4) 2

Westbrook Christian (13-6-2) 9, Douglas (6-12-1) 0

Arab (13-11) 3, West Point (14-7-3) 1

Guntersville (18-3-1) 10, Fairview (7-6) 0

Priceville (12-9-1) 1, East Limestone (7-9-2) 0

Carroll (19-2-2) advances with bye

Charles Henderson (9-3-2) 3, Eufaula (1-20) 0

Elmore County (16-0-1) 5, Demopolis (11-7) 0

Sylacauga (16-3) 1, Montevallo (10-5-1) 0

CLASS 6A

Mountain Brook (13-2-3) 12, Parker (3-7) 0

Homewood (19-2-4) 11, Huffman (17-6) 0

Shades Valley (13-5-3) 4, Gardendale (13-6-1) 1

Pell City (16-4-2) 10, Pinson Valley (8-6-1) 0

Southside-Gadsden (19-2-1) 6, Cullman (12-5-1) 0

Athens (15-4-2) 1, Buckhorn (6-11-4) 0

Spanish Fort (17-1-2) 2, Saraland (8-11-2) 0

Stanhope Elmore (11-10-1) 3, Russell County (5-7) 2 (2OT, Stanhope wins shootout 3-2)

Pike Road (11-2) 10, Wetumpka (5-9-2) 0

Northridge (17-5-1) 2, Benjamin Russell (11-7) 0

Spain Park (16-3-1) 10, McAdory (9-5-1) 0

BOYS

CLASS 5A

Douglas (10-11) 2, Lincoln (20-2-2) 0

Guntersville (21-4-1) 3, Brewer (17-5) 2 (OT)

Andalusia (5-5-2) 5, Eufaula (13-5-3) 4 (OT)

Charles Henderson (9-1-6) 3, Carroll-Ozark (8-9-5) 1

Brewbaker Tech (8-12) 4, Marbury (7-7) 3

Sylacauga (15-4) 2, Montevallo (11-4-2) 1

CLASS 6A

Mountain Brook (20-3-2) 10, Parker 0

Homewood (21-3) 10, Huffman 0

Gardendale (18-3-2) 3, Pell City (17-7) 0

Oxford (13-8-1) 6, Pinson Valley (5-9-1) 4

Gadsden City (9-10-1) 4, Cullman (16-4) 3

Buckhorn (15-9-2) 4, Columbia (9-9) 0

Randolph (11-12-1) 4, Muscle Shoals (12-3-2) 3

Spanish Fort (16-3-4) 10, Theodore (6-9-2) 0

Stanhope Elmore (14-5-3) 9, Russell County (5-10) 0

Pike Road (11-10-2) 4, Wetumpka (5-9-2) 0

Northridge (15-3-2) 1, Benjamin Russell (7-7-4) 0

General

Eagles select Jihaad Campbell in NFL Draft

Yet another former Alabama football player is headed to Philadelphia.

The Eagles took Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell with the 31st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Green Bay. Philadelphia traded up one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs to make the pick.

Campbell became the second Alabama player to be drafted in the first round Thursday. He joined Crimson Tide guard Tyler Booker, whom the Cowboys selected 12th overall.

Campbell joins Crimson Tide alumni such as DeVonta Smith, Jalen Hurts, Byron Young and more with the Eagles.

Campbell spent the past three seasons playing for the Crimson Tide, including the past two as a starter. He became one of the most explosive and dominant defenders on the roster, tallying 117 tackles in 2024. That ranked eighth all time for an Alabama player in a single season.

His efforts in 2025 earned him second team All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

Campbell also tallied five sacks this past season. Originally recruited as an edge rusher, Campbell became a player the Crimson Tide could use off the ball in the middle of the defense and off the edge. His versatility made him a strategic piece for defensive coordinator Kane Wommack to deploy. Campbell was disruptive in general, tallying two passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one interception in 2024. Campbell bought into Wommack’s emphasis on getting takeaways.

“That changes the whole narrative of the game,” Campbell said in November. “That gets the offense on the field to score points. That’s football right there. That shows grit. That shows toughness.”

The 6-3, 244-pound linebacker is from Erial, New Jersey but played for IMG Academy in high school. Originally a Nick Saban recruit, Campbell was a five-star prospect and the No. 21 player overall in the 2022 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite.

“I feel as though I’m Mr. Can Do it All,” Campbell said at the NFL scouting combine. “I’m a Swiss Army Knife as they say. I can blitz through the A-gap, I can come off the edge. Play middle runner, Tampa 2. I can drop strong, hook, curl, mash, whatever you want me to do. I can play man-to-man on the receiver, tight end, running back, anything.”

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Huntsville to evaluate annexed land for Native American artifacts, native species, city official says

The Huntsville City Council approved zoning for almost 400 acres near the Interstate 65-565 interchange in Limestone County. April 24, 2025.City of Huntsville

Huntsville city officials are not aware of Native American artifacts or native species on almost 400 acres of land the city annexed in Limestone County earlier this year.

But Thomas Nunez, the city’s manager for planning and zoning services, said site assessments will be done on the property during development on that site. The Huntsville City Council approved the initial zoning of the land near the Interstate 65-565 interchange on Thursday that could pave the way for a Village of Providence-type development.

Nunez said there were state regulations in place and guidance from the city’s own sustainability committee that would protect sites of historical significance on the property, as well as species native to the area.

Nunez was responding to concerns raised by Arbor Drive resident Joy Johnson, who repeated concerns from local environmental advocates that the property was home to Chickasaw Indian plum trees and was a former village and orchard site.

Johnson also raised concerns about the proposed development’s impact on the neighboring Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, which covers an area on both sides of the Tennessee River.

Nunez said the refuge was a protected area “and will remain in its natural state.”

He said the city’s engineering department had water quality requirements that the developers must meet with water runoff into the refuge. Development near the refuge is not new. Huntsville’s Greenbrier Preserve also borders the refuge, as do subdivisions in Priceville and Decatur. It is also down river from several industrial plants in Decatur’s industrial park.

The City Council voted 4-0-1 to zone the property known as Westmoore Landing Residence 2B District and Highway Business C4 district. District 1 City Councilwoman Michelle Watkins abstained during the vote over concerns about the impact of the development on Huntsville City Schools, which is having to address enrollment issues in growing parts of the city.

She voted against the annexation earlier this year.

Nunez said developers planned to build between 2,200 and 3,000 homes on the more than 395 -acre site. Retail development is also planned.

Nunez said developers are planning a mixture of housing types including single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, and multifamily units. He said many of the single-family homes would be cottage-style and manor-style.

The development would be across the interstate from the Decatur city limits. Decatur once had plans for a similar development on the southwest corner of the interchange with a Bass Pro Shop and hotel included with housing called the Sweetwater Development, but that development fell through more than a decade ago.

Nunez told the Council the development will come before it and the Huntsville Planning Commission multiple times throughout the development process. That includes a possible zoning change to a planned urban development.

See story: Huntsville’s Limestone annexation a game-changer? 4,000 homes may be coming – al.com

General

Star of ‘Knots Landing’ and ‘Friday the 13th Part VII’ dead at 63

Lar Park Lincoln, who played dual characters on “Knot’s Landing” and starred in “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood,” died April 22. She was 63.

Her company Actors Audition Studios announced her death on Facebook.

For five years, Lincoln played Linda Fairgate, daughter-in-law to the character Karen Fairgate, who was played by Michele Lee. She also appeared as the character known as Sally’s friend — who was a dead body for eight episodes.

Her first screen role was as a young sex worker in TV movie “Children of the Night” opposite Kathleen Quinlan and Mario Van Peebles.

She went on to have roles in “Heart of the City,” “Hunter,” “Outlaws,” “The Princess Academy,” “House II,” and “Highway to Heaven.”

After appearing as Tina Shepard, the teenage protagonist with telekinetic abilities in “Friday the 13th Part VII,” Lincoln appeared in “Freddy’s Nightmares,” “Murder She Wrote,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and “City of Justice.” More recently, she had roles in “Autumn Road,” “Expulsion,” “From the Dark” and “Sky Sharks.”

Her last role was in 2022’s “Ghost Party.”

Based in Dallas, she founded Actors Audition Studios and wrote the book “Get Started, Not Scammed.” The entrepreneurial actress served as QVC’s celebrity on-air guest for 19 years and had her own clothing line, the Piper Alexander collection.

She is survived by her daughter Piper, son Trevor, sister Karen, brother Michael and four grandchildren.

Donations may be made to The SAG-AFTRA Foundation or The Entertainment Community Fund. For information about the celebration of life, contact the family at [email protected].

General

Alabama lands in-state tight end from transfer portal

Brody Dalton has decided on the next stop in his football tour around the state of Alabama.

First in Birmingham, then Troy and now Tuscaloosa. Dalton, a tight end, has decided to transfer to play for Alabama football, his manager Corey Williams told AL.com on Thursday night

Alabama also landed West Virginia tight end Jack Sammarco this week.

Dalton, a Fyffe native, began his collegiate career at UAB. He spent his freshman and redshirt freshman seasons with the Blazers. Then the 6-5, 250-pound tight end transferred to Troy, where he spent the past two seasons.

In 2024, Dalton started eight games, catching 15 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns, by far his most productive season as a pass catcher in college.

Dalton supplements a tight end room that sustained a handful of injuries in the spring. So much so that Jay Lindsey became the only healthy scholarship tight end by the time A-Day arrived. Josh Cuevas and Danny Lewis Jr. figure to lead the group in 2025 with the departure of CJ Dippre and Robbie Ouzts off to the NFL.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

ESPN personality accused of rape to ‘step away’ after $50 million lawsuit

Shannon Sharpe has offered his last words on ESPN’s “First Take” for the foreseeable future in the wake of accusations and a $50 million lawsuit from a Nevada woman who alleges the former NFL player raped and threatened her in the course of a two-year relationship.

In a statement posted on X, Sharpe said he was “electing to step aside temporarily” from his duties at Walt Disney’s ESPN, where he is featured prominently on “First Take,” the hot-talk sports roundtable led by Stephen A. Smith.

He said he “plans to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”

ESPN said in a statement Thursday that “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

His absence is likely to give the network and is parent company the time required to determine whether Sharpe should continue on its talent roster.

“The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe said in the statement, adding that “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”

Sharpe typically appears on “First Take” on Mondays and Tuesdays, and also hosts a podcast called “Club Shay Shay.”

Recognized as one of the greatest NFL tight ends in history, Sharpe, who played predominantly with the Denver Broncos, gained traction as a sportscaster by holding forth with Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed.”

He joined ESPN as a “First Take” contributor in 2023 and ESPN unveiled a new pact in 2024 under which Sharpe was to expand his presence on the popular program.

General

Alabama football continues ridiculous NFL Draft streak

Another year, another NFL Draft where an Alabama football player heard his name called in the first round.

Tyler Booker kept the Crimson Tide’s first-round streak alive Thursday in Green Bay, extending it to a record 17 years. The Dallas Cowboys selected the guard with the 12th overall pick in 2025.

No other program is close to Alabama’s 17 consecutive drafts with a first-round pick. The next closest is Ohio State with nine consecutive years.

The streak started in 2009 when the Cincinnati Bengals selected offensive lineman Andre Smith.

Booker spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide, first seeing game action as a freshman in 2022. Then he became a starter at guard in 2023 and that continued in 2024 when he became a team captain.

Booker also marks the first Alabama first-round pick for coach Kalen DeBoer; all of the previous years in the streak happened under Nick Saban. Booker played for both coaches during his time with the Cris

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Nick Saban on first-round NFL draft pick Tyler Booker: ‘This guy’s got it all’

Tyler Booker played for Nick Saban at Alabama for only two years, but their relationship goes back at least a decade.

Booker began attending Saban’s football camps in 2015, as noted during ABC’s NFL draft broadcast on Thursday. After the former Crimson Tide guard was selected No. 12 overall by the Dallas Cowboys, ABC showed a photo montage of Saban and Booker together through the years.

“It feels good to be bigger than him,” Saban quipped after a photo of the coach and an 11-year-old Booker popped up on the screen.

The 6-foot-5, 321-pound Booker is expected to be an immediate impact player in the NFL, and Saban lauded him for his leadership along with his ability as an offensive lineman.

“This guy is a fantastic young man,” Saban said. “I mean, smart, and you talk about a good leader. Very physical, very tough. Gets movement in the run, that’s why people like him so much. This guy’s got tremendous muscle mass, which I think is very important to be a power player in the NFL. … This guy’s got it all.”

Booker was the first Alabama player off the board on Thursday, with this year’s draft marking the 17th straight at least one representative of the Crimson Tide was selected in the first round.

General

Huntsville Council: Rezoning to block apartments won’t just protect wealthy neighborhoods

Map with the proposed zoning change from Residence 2A to Residence 2 in the city of Huntsville. The affected neighborhoods are in yellow.City of Huntsville

The Huntsville City Council voted Thursday to rezone parts of the city to keep apartments out of established neighborhoods.

The approval to rezone neighborhoods from Residence 2-A to Residence 2 came despite concerns by a couple of residents during a public hearing that the measure seemed to protect wealthier neighborhoods while the city needed more affordable workforce options.

“It would be a mistake, one that favors the privileged over the public,” Slaughter Road resident Levon Montgomery said. “You were saying this is protecting neighborhoods. I ask protecting them from what? From nurses, teachers and young families who need somewhere to live?”

But District 4 City Councilman Bill Kling and District 3 City Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said many of the neighborhoods being rezoned were not affluent neighborhoods, but aging neighborhoods where people with moderate incomes lived.

Robinson said many of the neighborhoods were home to nurses, teachers and young families. Kling said the rezoning had the support of several neighborhood associations and hoped other neighborhoods would be added to the list. Manager of Planning Services Thomas Nunez said 52 neighborhoods are being rezoned.

Mayor Tommy Battle said that all the neighborhoods involved were already platted only as single-family homes.

He cited a neighborhood where homes were demolished, and apartments were built in their place. Battle said the apartments were not in character of the neighborhood.

Nunez also said the zoning change would not keep developers from adding affordable housing options such as townhomes and duplexes. He also said other neighborhoods would be evaluated and could be rezoned later.

The previous zoning would have allowed for the development of multifamily units (apartments and build-to-rent products).

None of the neighborhoods involved contains undeveloped land in which apartments can be built, which was a concern of Planning Commission member Kyle Collins, who called the rezoning a good thing during a meeting in February.

Nunez said the city did not want to rezone “to strip somebody’s property rights.” He said during the February Planning Commission meeting the rezoning would protect the investment of current property owners.

The change does not include restrictions that are not already included in R2A.

City officials said the previous zoning designations were established decades ago. A comprehensive policy review by the city includes a policy to conduct zoning designation reviews every 10 years, ensuring that future development aligns with existing zoning standards.

For more information on the rezoning change, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/r2rezoning.

See story: Is Huntsville about to ban apartments in your neighborhood? – al.com

General

Thursday Baseball Roundup: Reeltown sweeps past No. 2 G.W. Long

Sophomore Ja’markius Smith threw five no-hit innings and homered in Game 1 and Reeltown upset Class 2A No. 2 G.W. Long in the second round of the playoffs.

The Rebels (18-11) won the opener 2-0 behind Smith and swept G.W. with a 4-1 victory in Game 2.

Smith struck out eight and walked four in five shutout innings. Hutson Lewis pitched the final two innings to get the save. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 3.

Reeltown hit a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the third. Reed Wood’s shot made it 1-0. Smith’s homer bumped the lead to 2-0. Wood finished 2-for-3.

G.W. Long put runners on first and second in the top of the seventh but couldn’t score. G.W. Long’s Blayne Wood allowed five hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out 7 and walked 3.

In the nightcap, Reeltown scored single runs in the first and fifth inning and added two more in the top of the seventh. Hagan Lewis went 7 innings in Game 2, scattering 5 hits and allowing just the one run. He struck out 2 and walked 1.

Smith was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Slade Carleton drove in 2 runs. Eben Pritchett went 2-for-3 with an RBI for G.W. Long. Lawson German went the distance in taking the loss, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs. He struck out 6.

Reeltown will play Cottonwood or Ranburne in the quarterfinals.

CLASS 2A

Ariton 11-3, Tuscaloosa Academy 1-5

Russell Cole homered and Ellis Hamiter pitched a complete game as Tuscaloosa Academy forced Game 3 with a win in the nightcap.

The deciding game in the best-of-3 series is set for 4 p.m. Friday.

In the opener, the homestanding and third-ranked Purple Cats scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control. They finished with 8 hits.

Brodie Lowery was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. Bryce Odom was 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored and Pierce Gill was 2-for-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.

Easton Kilpatrick was the winning pitcher, allowing just three hits in five innings. He struck out 5 and walked 2. TA starter Harwood Beeker took the loss, allowing 7 runs on 5 hits in just one inning.

Cody Faulkner homered for the Knights.

Tuscaloosa Academy turned the tables in the nightcap. Hamiter scattered 6 hits and allowed just 1 earned run. He struck out 3. Austin Evans gave up 5 runs on 9 hits in the loss.

Faulkner and Cole each had 2 hits for the Knights (14-19). Aven Cook and Conner Davidson had 2 hits each for two-time reigning state champ Ariton (25-10).

This post will be updated