Hall of Fame quarterback Archie Manning will headline the 15th annual University of Mobile Scholarship Banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center. The event, which raises money for student scholarships at the private university, will open with a VIP reception at 5:15 p.m. followed by the banquet program at 6:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $150 per person, while sponsorships start at $1,500 and include an invitation to meet Manning during the VIP reception before dinner.
Manning, an All-America quarterback at Ole Miss, was the first overall pick of the New Orleans Saints in the 1971 NFL Draft and went on to play 14 seasons in the league. He has since been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame along with the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He is also known as the patriarch of one of football’s most recognizable families, as the father of Cooper, Peyton and Eli Manning. Peyton starred at Tennessee before a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, while Eli played collegiately at Ole Miss and spent his entire NFL career with the New York Giants. Both brothers are now retired from playing but remain active in broadcasting and business ventures, frequently appearing alongside their father in national commercials. Tickets and sponsorship packages for the banquet can be purchased online at umobile.edu/banquet or by calling the university’s Office of Advancement at 251-442-2587.
On the court, the University of South Alabama volleyball team kept its home success rolling with a four-set win over Georgia Southern (25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-21) in Sun Belt Conference East Division play at Jaguar Gym. The victory extended the Jaguars’ home winning streak to 10 matches and marked their seventh consecutive win over the Eagles. South Alabama improved to 14-6 overall and 7-1 in conference play, while Georgia Southern fell to 12-6 and 5-3. Junior Carissa Bradford paced the Jaguar attack with a career-high 19 kills on a .304 hitting percentage, adding three digs and a solo block. Niki Capizzi chipped in 13 kills on a .300 hitting percentage along with a service ace and two block assists, while setter Kailey Keeble ran the offense with a match-high 54 assists.
In prep sports news, the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Central Board approved Tuscaloosa Academy’s application for full AHSAA membership beginning with the 2022-23 school year, the board announced following its recent meeting in Montgomery. Tuscaloosa Academy has competed in the Alabama Independent School Association for the past 16 years, including a decade-long run of AISA playoff appearances between 2010 and 2019, though the Knights enter this week’s game at Monroe Academy with a 4-4 record. The school’s enrollment-based classification for AHSAA competition has not yet been determined, as the association is set to release new classifications in 2022; private schools such as Tuscaloosa Academy have a 1.85 multiplier applied to their enrollment figures for classification purposes.
On the golf course, Trip Duke of Fairhope and Frances Brown of Mobile claimed the Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls titles, respectively, at the annual Mobile Junior Metro golf tournament, played over the weekend at Azalea City Golf Course. Duke shot rounds of 72 and 71 for a 1-under 143 total, edging Mobile’s Buddy Fleming by a single stroke after Fleming carded an even-par 144. Fairhope’s Eli Kinsey won a scorecard playoff over fellow Fairhope golfer Stephen Baker to take third place, with both golfers finishing at 146. “I hit a lot of fairways. I didn’t putt too well but my chipping was all right. But just consistency helped me,” Duke said of his win. “Winning really boosts my confidence a lot and helps me with my motivation.”
Brown, who attends UMS-Wright, cruised to the girls’ title with rounds of 78 and 75 for a 153 total, finishing eight strokes ahead of runner-up Ashlynd Madden of Spanish Fort. Katelyn Foster of Mobile took third at 165. “It was good competition this week; I think I just played well,” Brown said. “I think I hit most of my fairways and about 70 percent of my greens. It means a lot just to get a win. During this part of the season you can’t play as much and it’s good to get the win.” In the Junior Varsity divisions for golfers ages 12 and 13, Mobile’s Henry Brown won the boys’ title with a 156, while Mobile’s Daisy Howard easily won the girls’ championship with a 188.
On the volleyball court, the AHSAA state playoffs are set to shift into their regional round this week following a full slate of area tournaments held on school campuses across the coverage area. Sixteen teams from Mobile and Baldwin counties advanced out of their respective areas and into regional competition, which will be played at the Cramton Bowl Multiplex in Montgomery. Regional champions and runners-up across all seven classifications will punch their tickets to the state tournament, scheduled for Oct. 26-28 at CrossPlex and Harris Arena in Birmingham.
Local teams that advanced out of area play include Bayshore Christian, Orange Beach, St. Luke’s, Mobile Christian, St. Michael, Bayside Academy, UMS-Wright, Satsuma, St. Paul’s, Spanish Fort, Gulf Shores, Saraland, Baker, Fairhope and McGill-Toolen. Notable area championship results included St. Paul’s outlasting Saraland in four sets, Spanish Fort surviving a five-set battle with Gulf Shores, and McGill-Toolen sweeping Fairhope in straight sets. Baker also advanced with a four-set win over Mary G. Montgomery, and Bayside Academy, Orange Beach, St. Michael, St. Luke’s, Bayshore Christian and UMS-Wright each claimed their own area titles to punch their regional tickets.