ACS falls to Lighthouse
By JOSH FRYE
News Sportswriter
Even though the Atmore Christian Rams fell 88-65 against Lighthouse Christian last Friday, January 7, they took away some major momentum and saw one of their players set a new school points scoring record.
Throughout his entire high school basketball career Caeden Battles, son of ACS head coach Tim Battles and older brother to fellow basketball teammate Emmett Battles, has been a driving force for the Rams and leading points scorer during every season he has started.
In 2016, former Ram Ethan Heller set the leading career points scorer school record for ACS with 1,402 points. Last Friday, after much anticipation, Battles shattered the record with 1,424 points during the first possession of the second period and there is still much more basketball remaining in his senior year at ACS.
“Everyone knew that I was going to break the record this season,” Battles said. “It was inevitable because of the points total going in. It was more of a question of when it was going to come, but that has not been the main focus for myself or my team. My main focus is on winning. I wish that I could have broken the record at home instead of on the road, but I wish more that we could have won the game. That was the focus to me.”
During Friday’s game, Battles led the team in scoring with 28 points. Gage Gades scored 14, Titus Dean contributed 13 points, Emmett Battles scored 7, Cameron Bryan gained 3 points, and Silas Albritton had 2 points. Despite earning the new school record, Battles was more concerned about his team and the win than his own personal records and achievements.
ACS head coach Tim Battles echoed his son’s words when he spoke about Caeden’s achievement. “I am extremely proud of him as a father and coach,” Tim said. “However, Caeden has often made it clear that he would much rather like for the team to win than to gain a record. To him, the team always comes first before himself and that has been his strongpoint. I am extremely proud of him for what he has accomplished and for what he stands for.”
Even though Caeden holds the new school record for the most points by any one player in school history, he made it perfectly clear that his goal is for his team to make it to a championship.
“I am honored and proud,” Caeden said. “In the end, I just wish we could have won the game. I felt the momentum change when I broke the record, but we could not come back. I just want my team to win.”
With the loss against Lighthouse, the Rams fall to a 4-6 season record. ACS will host Aletheia this Thursday, January 13, at 5 p.m., and then will travel to face S.L. Jones on the road this Friday, January 14, at 5 p.m.