Basketball Game Preview: Central of Coosa County Cougars vs. Tuscaloosa Academy Knights

The Central of Coosa County Cougars will challenge the Tuscaloosa Academy Knights on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Central of Coosa County comes in on four and Tuscaloosa Academy on 12.

Central of Coosa County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They came out on top against Lanett by a score of 66-54.

Waylon Allen

Points

02/08/25 vs Lanett	24
12/05/24 @ Winterboro	19
01/21/25 vs Horseshoe Bend	17
12/19/24 @ Vincent	16
02/03/25 vs Horseshoe Bend	14

Central of Coosa County found their leader in sophomore Waylon Allen, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 24 points and seven steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Allen has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Javon Thomas, who posted 11 points and five steals.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Tuscaloosa Academy). They breezed past Central to the tune of 100-61 on Saturday. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 25 points or more this season.

Central of Coosa County better keep an eye on Danilo Stojakovic. He was instrumental in Tuscaloosa Academy's win, dropping a double-double with 42 points and 12 rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which Stojakovic has scored at least a third of Tuscaloosa Academy's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellis Hamiter, who dropped a double-double with 20 points and 14 boards.

Tuscaloosa Academy's win bumped their record up to 18-1. As for Central of Coosa County, their victory bumped their record up to 15-7.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Central of Coosa County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Tuscaloosa Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Central of Coosa County strolled past Tuscaloosa Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a score of 65-50. Will Central of Coosa County repeat their success, or does Tuscaloosa Academy have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.