By Joshua Huff, sports editor
BIRMINGHAM — Behind yet another dominant performance from senior Kameron Woods, the Pinson Valley boys’ basketball team continued its torrid run through the first part of the 2019 season with a 83-55 victory over the 2014 state champions, Parker, on Thursday night.
The victory propels the Indians to 6-1 on the season. This follows 2018-19 tournament run in which the Indians claimed the Class 6A championship during a span that saw Pinson Valley win six straight to claim the title. That success has carried over into this season as the Indians have now won 11 of their past 12 games.
Their lone loss came at the hands of a Huffman team that prides itself on its relentless defense and is recently coming off a victory over Hewitt-Trussville, 66-53.
After witnessing the girls’ basketball team blow past the Herd, 57-42, for its first win since the regular season opener, the boys took to the court in front of a packed arena and jumped on Parker from the onset. Woods, who is coming off a 51-point game in the win again Gadsden City earlier this week, poured in 4o points. This follows a Heritage Thanksgiving Tournament in which Woods averaged 37 points per game.
Six-foot-five senior Camron Scott was his usual force in the paint. He recorded eight points and added 20 rebounds with two blocks and two steals. Five-star football recruit, Ga’Quincy McKinstry, notched 12 points with seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Jojo James added 14 points and three steals.
McKinstry, who has offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Clemson, is coming off an impressive 2019 football season that fell just short of a third straight championship berth. The junior hauled in 47 receptions for 700 yards with 12 touchdowns for the Indians.
His return to the court complements a Pinson Valley team built around off-the-charts athleticism and talent all throughout the roster. For those who can remember, McKinstry hit the game-winning shot in the Northwest Regional final to send Pinson Valley to the 2018-19 state tournament.
Woods, the 2018 Class 6A Player of the Year, has been nearly unstoppable this season. This follows a 2018-19 season in which he helped guide the Indians to the Class 6A championship. Woods was named the championship game MVP after he scored 25 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter.
Should Pinson Valley continue on the pace that it currently has set throughout the first quarter of this season, there’s little doubt that the Indians will have a legitimate shot of laying claim to yet another championship.
From @KamGlizzzy3 to @GaQMcK1 all second half was showtime. Great game @PinsonHoops @coachbarber 🏀🏀🏀 pic.twitter.com/QPHn7MJtho
— James Williams (@biggamejames21) December 6, 2019