AHSAA Spring Spotlight: Susan Moore’s Perkins, Tanner’s Cortes Turn Hat Tricks

Montgomery, AL – Susan Moore High School junior soccer standout Claire Perkins and Tanner eighth-grade soccer phenom Randy Cortes have been scoring goals at an amazing rate so far this season. Both grabbed this week’s AHSAA Spring Sports Spotlight and etched their names in the AHSAA Soccer Record Book in the process to amazing hat-trick feats this season that have soccer fans north of Birmingham buzzing with excitement.

Perkins had a streak of 12 hat tricks in a row – 3 or more goals in a 12 straight contests — to set a new AHSAA girls’ high school soccer record.  Cortes had five in a row to start the season, which ranks third best overall in the AHSAA Boys’ Soccer Record Book.

Susan Moore High School soccer standout Claire Perkins.

Perkins’ streak began Feb. 5 with four goals in a 9-2 victory over Douglas and was finally snapped on March 9 in a 2-1 loss at Glencoe.  Her streak shattered the previously reported high of four straight matches set by Cullman’s Abby Branham in 2018.

Perkins followed the Douglas win with seven goals in a 10-0 win over Munford on Feb. 9, then had three goals versus Hokes Bluff and Scottsboro and five goals versus Lincoln in a tourney at Lincoln.  Moving to the Lakeshore Shootout in Birmingham, she scored eight goals in a 10-0 win over Pinson Valley, eight in an 8-2 victory over Calera, and three goals in a victory over Carver-Birmingham. She returned to regular-season play with six goals in a 10-0 win over J.B. Pennington, seven in an 11-1 victory over Collinsville, six in Susan Moore’s 7-0 win over Weaver and four in a 7-0 win over Sylvania. The streak ended with a 2-1 loss at Glencoe on March 9.

During that stretch, teammate Briley Dutton had six assists to Perkins in the Calera win, and Kristy Cervantes had five assists versus Munford, J.B. Pennington and Pinson Valley. Claribel Robels also had four assists in the 10-0 Pinson win.

Susan Moore soccer coach Nicholos Butts said Perkins has totaled 68 goals this season through the March 9 match at Glencoe with 63 coming during the streak. She also has 130 goals for her career – with the rest of the 2021 season and her senior year remaining –despite seeing last year’s 2020 season being cut short by the COVID 19 Pandemic.

Robles has had 47 career assists and Cervantes has 40 heading into Thursday night’s match with Brindlee Mountain. That match kicks off at 5:30 p.m.

As for Tanner’s Cortes, his consecutive hat-trick streak earlier this season ranks tied for third all time. The record (7) was set by Alabama Christian’s J.J. Williams in 2016. The Eagles’ standout also had a stretch of six straight matches with three or more goals that same year and finished the 2016 season with 65 goals.

Tanner High School soccer standout Randy Cortes.

Rattlers’ soccer coach Matt Smith reported Cortes started his streak with three goals in a 13-0 win over Clements on Feb. 22. He followed with three goals in an 8-1 win over Susan Moore, a 9-1 win over Ardmore, a 10-0 win over Athens Bible and a 14-0 win over Whitesburg Christian. The streak ended in a 3-2 loss to Mars Hill Bible on March 12.

Cortes shares third place in the AHSAA Record Book with John Carroll Catholic’s Reed Matte and Wetumpka’s Jason McLaughlin, who had five straight matches with hat tricks in 2007 and 2000, respectively. McLaughlin went on to set the AHSAA single-season mark for goals scored in a single season with 80 in that same year.

UMS-Wright senior pitcher Maddux Bruns and Chilton County senior hurler Pico Kohn share this week’s AHSAA Baseball Spotlight, Decatur standout Madison Murphy pitched and hit her way to the AHSAA Softball Spotlight, Brewbaker Tech sprinter Chanice Spicer and Etowah sprinter Martavious Davis both captured the AHSAA Outdoor Track Spotlight.

  • Bruns hurled a six-inning perfect-game no-hitter to beat Murphy 14-0 at Mobile’s Hank Aaron Stadium earlier this week. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-hander and Mississippi State signee,  who was pitching in front of a large number of pro baseball scouts, faced just 18 batters, retiring them all including striking out 10. He threw a total of just 55 pitches. Now 2-0 on the season, he has a 1.17 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.
  • Kohn, a 6-foot-5, 198-pound senior left-hander, hurled a no-hitter and struck out 15 as the Tigers beat Thorsby in the Chilton County baseball tournament. He walked only two and faced 23 batters in the win. The Mississippi State signee was 3-0 after the win. Chilton County beat Maplesville in the finals to win the county tourney title.
  • Murphy struck out 18 in a 4-3 softball win over Hartselle and also slugged two home runs in the triumph.
  • Spicer followed her record-setting indoor track state meet performance by clocking the best times in the state in the young outdoor season in the 100 meters (11.80); 200 meters (24.02); and the 400 meters (54.45). She has signed with Alabama. Her efforts came at the Homewood Invitational last week and the Auburn Early Bird #2 meet on March 6.
  • Davis opened the outdoor season at a meet in Albertville clocking a state-best 20.47 seconds in the 200-meter dash to win that event.
  • COACHING MILESTONE – And Coach C.J. Hawkins of Spain Park recorded the 900th victory of her prep softball coaching career when the Jags beat Oxford 5-0 on February 19. The 900th win came in just her 14th season. Last year’s team was 21-0 when the season was cut short in March due to the COVID Pandemic.

Other top spring sports performances included:

BOYS’ SOCCER

RAY LAMBETH, CITRONELLE: Opened the 2021 season with 29 saves against powerful McGill-Toolen Catholic in a 7-0 loss. The saves rank third all-time for an individual AHSAA boys’ soccer match. The current AHSAA record for saves in a match is 40, set by Hunter Stinson of Brewer High School in 2003. Javoris Brown, goalkeeper for Thomasville, had 30 in a 6-1 loss to Demopolis in 2015 to rank second.

MIGUEL OBANDO, PELHAM: Scored a long-range goal from 45 yards out in the Panthers’ 3-0 win over McAdory.

ELI JENNINGS, VESTAVIA HILLS: Had three goals and an assist in a 6-1 win over Hewitt-Trussville and had a goal in the Rebels’ 5-1 win over Gadsden City.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

TAYLOR PILCHER, PELHAM: Scored seven goals for the Panthers, including three game-winners, as Pelham posted four shutout wins outscoring opponents 20-0 in that stretch.

ABIGAIL LAUE, ST. JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC: Posted two shutouts in goal last week and has four straight shutouts.

BASEBALL

JEREMY HAWKINS, SHADES VALLEY: Batted .688 last week with 11 hits, 10 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and one homer.

GRANT JAY, MOBILE CHRISTIAN: Slugged a grand-slam home run to highlight an eight-run fifth inning as the Leopards beat Class 7A Mary Montgomery 12-2. Teammate Charlie Keller also had five home runs in wins over Gulfport, Jackson and Sweet Water.

DAVID LOCKE, WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN: Hurled five-inning two-hitter with 12 strikeouts to pick up one win, and also batted .500 with a home run, triple and 10 RBIs last week.

SOFTBALL

ALEAH JOHNSON, FAIRHOPE: Pitched two no-hitters and a two-hit shutout and finished with 35 strikeouts over 16 innings pitched playing a big part in the Pirates’ seven wins last week.

AINSLEY LAMBERT, SPANISH FORT: Was 3-0 in the circle with only four hits allowed and 34 strikeouts to lead the Toros to the championship of the Prattville Christian Invitational Tourney title. She also slugged a two-run homer.

LANDYN McANNALLY, PRATTVILLE CHRISTIAN: Pitched a no-hitter and two-hitter with 27 strikeouts in three games and was 5-for-10 at the plate with three RBIs in four games.

SARAH BETH BRAKE, GARDENDALE: Slugged three home runs last week, upping her season total to nine, and was 10-of-19 overall in five games.

MALLIE HARRISON CHILTON COUNTY: Hurled a six-inning no-hitter herself in a 12-0 victory for CCHS over Horseshoe Bend. She walked two hitters in the game while striking out three.

BLAYNE GODFREY, DANVILLE: Struck out 23 in 11 innings, posting a 0.63 ERA and also hit .675.

AMAYA GREEN, EAAT LIMESTONE: Had 13 hits last week, including three home runs, while batting .481 with four stolen bases.

ANYCE HARVEY, HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE: Was 10-for-15 at the plate with two doubles, six RBIs and five runs last week.

MACEY OGLE, JOHN CARROLL CATHOLIC: Batted .625 with two doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and four runs.