South Alabama Sports

  ____________________ “Where is the evidence that my coaches or I initiated contact with these students to persuade them to choose MGM? Where are the messages? Where are the phone calls? Where are the promises of playing time? Where are the payments, jobs, housing arrangements, transportation, gifts, benefits or other inducements? Where is the evidence that we orchestrated a recruiting effort? If that evidence exists, show it.” Former MGM coach Zach Golson ____________________     SEMMES — An empty chair…

    By ARTHUR L. MACK MOBILE — The Mobile County School Board on Wednesday narrowly upheld a recommendation that former Mary G. Montgomery head football coach Zac Golson be transferred to another school. Mobile County Public School System Superintendent Chresal Threadgill made the recommendation and the board approved it 3-2. School Board President Sherry McDade and Commissioners Donald Stringfellow and Dr. Reginald Crenshaw voted in favor while Commissioners Lonnie Parsons and Johnny Hatcher voted against it. Golson was under…

      By JIMMY WIGFIELD JACKSONVILLE — Faith Academy coach Matt Seymour could have been alarmed when his No. 1-ranked Rams were shut out for only the second time all season in the opener of the Class 5A state championship series against defending champion American Christian on Thursday. But there was no urge to quash nausea or doubt because neither existed. “We weren’t panicked,” Seymour said. That’s because the Rams had lost back-to-back games only once this season and…

__________________ The indomitable Myleigh Dobbins, a free-swinging attitude and an astute move by coach Donna Sunnycalb to change the order led the Spartans to the top of Class 6A softball _________________   By JIMMY WIGFIELD OXFORD — Inches away from playoff death Tuesday evening, Saraland’s softball players resuscitated themselves with a line that had become their hosanna. After that, defending state champion Helena didn’t have a prayer. “The last thing we say after our prayer every day is ‘Keep swinging,’”…

        By JIMMY WIGFIELD SEMMES — After six depressing months in which it seemed the brakes had been pressed on the progress Mary G. Montgomery’s football team had made in the last four years, the Vikings mashed the accelerator once again on Thursday night. Unveiling perhaps the most inexperienced team MGM has had in those four years, the Vikings ran over Ocean Springs 43-20 in the spring game and demonstrated they were unfazed by the week’s tumultuous…

        AUBURN — On a day when Auburn’s starting quarterback looked like the backup and the backup looked like the starter, the 34,000 fans gathered for Saturday’s A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium needed something or someone inspiring to latch onto after years of disillusionment. Former Saraland star receiver Deshawn Spencer may have become future Auburn star receiver Deshawn Spencer, who was that something and someone. The true freshman caught nine passes on 10 targets for 93 yards…

            TUSCALOOSA — In its first formal appearance before the public since being emasculated by Indiana in the Rose Bowl, Alabama gave no clues that it could be a great football team based on what transpired in Saturday’s A-Day game. But, after all, it was A-Day, and a spring practice game can often be a mirage and does not determine who wins the national championship, not unless a star player gets hurt. The running game…

  By ARTHUR L. MACK IRVINGTON — No. 1-ranked Class 5A St. Paul’s used a six-run seventh inning to surge to a 10-1 win over Alma Bryant Tuesday night and make the Saints’ Andy Robbins the state’s all-time winningest baseball coach with his 1,218th career coaching victory. Tuesday’s win put Robbins ahead of late Hartselle legend William Booth, who had 1,217 wins, according to ahsfhs.com. Robbins — who has coached 46 years, 40 at St. Paul’s — was unaware of…