Back to Birmingham: Aggies cruise past Marbury to advance to Final Four

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Sylacauga Aggies are headed back to Birmingham for the second straight season.

Sylacauga closed the book on its stay in Montgomery with a dominant 70-40 win over the Marbury Bulldogs in the Class 5A Central Regional Final. CJ Franklin was named the Class 5A Central Regional Most Valuable Player after averaging 14.5 points and 7.0 assists per game during the regional tournament.

The Aggies once again came out firing from beyond the arc, with Corbyn Patterson knocking down three of his first four three-point attempts. Despite the hot start, Marbury stayed within striking distance early, and Sylacauga held a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Much like last season's regional final against Montevallo, when the game was tied after one quarter, the Aggies began to separate themselves in the second period. Sylacauga outscored Marbury 16-9 in the quarter to take a 33-22 lead into halftime, fueled by 11 points from Patterson and eight from Franklin.

Any hopes of a Marbury comeback were quickly erased after the break. A Sylacauga team that struggled at times earlier in the season to maintain large leads showed its growth in the postseason. The Aggies never allowed the Bulldogs to cut the deficit to single digits, and by the fourth quarter, the running clock was on, a rarity in a regional championship game.

Tristan Whetstone put the finishing touches on the afternoon, scoring seven fourth-quarter points, including a three-pointer that capped another complete performance from the Aggies.

As they did throughout the regional tournament, the numbers told the story. Sylacauga connected on 10 of 22 from three-point range, bringing its two-game regional total to 20 of 45, good for 44%. Despite being undersized, the Aggies dominated the glass with a 41-28 rebounding advantage and scored 17 second-chance points. They also attacked the heart of Marbury's zone defense, putting up 36 points in the paint compared to just 14 for the Bulldogs.

Franklin tallied 10 points and seven assists, delivering passes that would have impressed the likes of John Stockton and Magic Johnson. Patterson continued his hot shooting stretch with 16 points while going 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Whetstone added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Sylacauga will travel to Legacy Arena at the BJCC next Wednesday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. to face Guntersville for a spot in the Class 5A state championship. It marks the Aggies' second consecutive trip to the Final Four as they search for their first state title since 2018.

The Aggies handled what was in front of them in Montgomery. What remains is the business they set out to finish, and that pursuit continues next week in Birmingham.