Cottondale Claims Third Straight District Championship

By: Shelia Mader

Sneads and Cottondale are on a collision course again, but not before a dominant opening round across the district set the tone.

Cottondale wasted no time establishing itself, rolling past Poplar Springs 16-0 in four innings. The Hornets piled up 10 hits and 10 RBIs, led by Lane Johnson’s perfect 4-for-4 day with three runs scored and two driven in. Conner Barton added two hits and two RBIs, while Trace Pelfrey and Jaedon Kay each drove in a pair.

On the mound, Tyler Jones set the tone with three innings of one-hit ball, striking out six, before Kay closed it out. Poplar Springs managed just one hit, coming from Howell, and struck out eight times as Cottondale’s pitching controlled the game from start to finish.

Malone ran into a similar wall against Sneads, falling 14-2 as the Pirates took advantage early and often. Malone was limited to just two hits, with Brody Burch and Kris Smith accounting for both, while the Tigers struck out 11 times. Burch also scored one of Malone’s two runs.

Sneads’ offense spread the production throughout the lineup, and the Pirates’ aggressive approach at the plate kept pressure on Malone pitching all game. Defensively, Malone committed three errors that helped extend innings.

The most competitive game in the district championship game when Cottondale edged Sneads 4-3 in a tight matchup that lived up to the billing.

Cottondale struck early with four runs in the first inning, then leaned on Lane Johnson, who tossed a complete game, allowing just five hits and three unearned runs while striking out eight.

Sneads answered with a three-run third inning behind RBIs from Creed Whitworth and Griffin Pickron, but couldn’t break through again despite multiple chances late.

One of the biggest moments that won’t show up fully in the box score came in the fifth inning. With Sneads still trailing by one, Lane Johnson reached on an error to open the inning, and Jaydon Gray followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Sneads coach Andy Shelton elected to intentionally walk Tyler Jones to load the bases.

What followed flipped the inning.

Alec Bellamy sent a deep fly ball to right field, but Travion Danzey delivered a perfect throw to the plate, cutting down Johnson as he tagged and tried to score. Moments later, Trace Pelfrey’s flyout ended the threat, and the Sneads escaped with just the one run deficit, Hornets’ 4-3 lead intact.

Sneads was led offensively by Whitworth, Pickron, and Kinsey Ragans, who each collected hits, while Whitworth went the distance on the mound, allowing seven hits and four runs, three earned.

That sequence proved to be the turning point, preserving Cottondale’s early lead and ultimately awarding the Hornets their third straight district championship matchup.

Now, the stage is set again.

Sneads and Cottondale will meet once more in the regional round, this time in Cottondale, adding another chapter to a matchup that has already delivered playoff-level intensity.