Caught some AISA action tonight

By Drew Champlin

Published: January 18, 2008

I’ve long thought our best chance at a state title in the Wiregrass was the Barbour County boys in Class 2A. I might be wrong - Abbeville Christian could bring home a title in AISA Class 1A. At that level, there aren’t many players like Tommy Wojtala and Chase Smith.

Wojtala scored 33 points in ACA’s 75-63 win over Ashford Academy. He could have scored 50 had he shot more in the first quarter at the rate he was going. All but six of his points came in the second and third quarters to extend the lead.

The big shot of the night came at the end of the third quarter as Ashford Academy whittled a 20-point lead down to 9. He took an inbounds pass with 2 seconds left, threw it up from 3/4 of the court away, and drilled it. That was the backbreaker, as Smith heated up in the fourth quarter and iced the game. Smith scored 28.

Ashford Academy was a more physical team, but couldn’t match up late in the game stamina-wise. James Gardner is a ninth-grader with a good looking shot who could grow up to be one of the better players in AISA.

But I do know one thing, Moses Knight over at Abbeville sure could use a sharpshooter like Wojtala.

Here’s the game story from ACA’s big win.