Tornadoes News
04.03.2010 - Baseball
Photo by Daily Home
Photo by Daily Home
Talladega AL- Talladega hammers Tennessee Temple 12-2 in the first game and 15-5 in the second on Saturday afternoon.
Story courtesy of Heather Baggett-Daily Home
 
Sylacauga High alum Jesse Sharbutt hit two home runs to lead the Talladega College Tornadoes to back-to-back wins over Tennessee Temple on Saturday.

The Tornadoes hit early and often against Temple on Saturday, ending the first game in five innings and the second in six. TC won the first game 12-2 after leading 6-1 through three innings of play.

Sharbutt led off the fourth inning with a solo shot over the right field fence to give the Tornadoes a 7-1 advantage. Sharbutt's run would be the first of four in the frame. Jose Marin hit a double to right field to score Nicolas Figueroa. Sebastia Denton came in as a pinch runner for Marin and scored on a passed ball to give TC a 9-1 lead. Chase Benfield's ground ball to third base was mishandled, allowing Anthony Mavray to score and give the Tornadoes a 10-1 advantage at the end of four innings.

TC gave up one run in the fifth, but Cochran Richard's ground ball to left field scored Sharbutt and Figueroa in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

The Tornadoes continued their strong hitting in the second game of the doubleheader, defeating Temple 15-5 in six innings.

TC picked up six runs in the first two innings, but Temple didn't go away quietly. The visiting team put up four runs in the third before the Tornadoes went back to work at the plate.

TC scored five runs in the third. Sharbutt had a two-RBI double in the inning and later scored on a passed ball. Fellow Sylacauga alum Chase Benfield had an RBI-single in the inning to help the Tornadoes extend their lead.

TC left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, but came back strong in the sixth. Victor Vasquez hit a ball to deep center field for a double to start the inning. Sharbutt came to the plate with one out and sent another ball over the right field fence for his second home run of the day. With two outs, Richard knocked the ball over the left field fence to give the Tornadoes their 15th and final run of the game.

"We started swinging the bats pretty good," TC head coach Will Ramos said. "We've started playing pretty good overall. The last two weeks we've been playing pretty good. I've been proud of the kids."

Ramos said the team started playing better about the same time the spring-like temperatures arrived.

"As soon as it started getting above 60 (degrees) we started winning," he said. "We never could get rolling because we play one game and then cancel for one week because it's raining. I think we cancelled about 15 games this season. Now that we've been playing (regularly) the team is getting better and playing together as a team."

Ramos said Sharbutt's performance on Saturday is normal for the second baseman.

"That's what Jesse is going to give you," Ramos said. "He's a leader, a quiet leader. He's a very, very good hitter, one of the best I've seen in a long time."

He's one of a few local players who performed well on Saturday. Talladega native Rodrekius Wright and Lincoln grad Nathan Williams both pitched in the second game. Ramos said in addition to the local players performing well this season, having more neighborhood athletes has improved attendance at the games.

"Wright threw an excellent game," Ramos said. "They're all getting better. It's helped because you see so many people coming to see the games."

The Tornadoes return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Georgia to face Southern Polytechnic for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Ramos said Southern Polytechnic is ranked second in the nation, but he's optimistic about TC's chances on Tuesday.

03.23.2010 - Softball
Talladega, AL- Talladega College softball is rank 8 in the lastest USCAA coaches poll. This the first year Talladega College field a softball.  

SOFTBALL

Rank

Week 1

Total

1

Robt. Morris-Springfield (IL)

124

2

Southern Virginia

119

3

St. Mary of the Woods (IN)

117

4

Southern Maine CC

108

5(T)

Central Maine CC

100

5(T)

Judson (AL)

100

7

NHTI

97

8

Talladega (AL)

96

9

Spalding (KY)

88

10

Hesser (NH)

84

11

Walla Walla (WA)

83

12

Concordia-Selma (AL)

82

13

Hiwassee (TN)

75

03.13.2010 - Baseball
Talladega, AL- Talladega  College beat  USCAA foe Concordia College-Selma 11-7 on Saturday afternoon.
Story courtesy of LaVente Young- Daily Home
   
 The Talladega College Tornadoes won their home opener as they defeated Concordia-Selma 11-7 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.

"We are very happy that we got this game in because of the rain and all this weather," Talladega College head coach Wilberto Ramos said. "We have had bad weather here when we have tried to play for the longest. We are happy that we played."

Lincoln native Nathan Williams was the winning pitcher for TC. Childersburg alum freshman Logan Holmes came in relief for the Tornadoes

"I am very happy that Nathan Williams from Lincoln got his first college win at home," Ramos said. Logan closed the game for him. Two local kids got the victory."

This season the Tornadoes (2-13) have been rained out of five games. Ramos believes that playing on consecutive days will help his team play improve.

"We are trying to improve," Ramos said. "We are trying to get some games in to see if we can get hot."

Junior Alcibiades Gonzalez led the Tornadoes offense, scoring three times. Nicolas Figueroa and Christopher Castillo scored two runs each for TC. Luis Rodriguez and Jean Ortiz scored a run for the Tornadoes.

"We can score pretty good," Ramos said. "On the offensive side we are pretty strong. Pitching wise we can't seem to put everything together right now. We are very inconsistent on the mound and in defense. I believe it is because we play one day and take five off due to the weather. Hopefully when we start playing every day we can get it going pretty good."


"Both teams hit the ball very well," Ramos said. "They didn't make mistakes; we made a few errors in the infield. We walked a few guys and we got the loss. It was a good effort from our kids. With the good weather coming in, hopefully we can get going."

Trailing 4-2 in the fourth inning, Richard Cochran stepped to the plate and smacked a two run home run over the left center field wall to tie the game at 4-4.

In the fifth inning, Stephens from Concordia hit a triple to score a runner to give them a 5-4 lead. An error allowed Stephens to come home to give Concordia a 6-4 lead.

In the bottom half of the frames, the Tornadoes made things interesting as they loaded the bases. Jose Marin hit a fielder's choice, ending the Tornadoes' chances of a rally.

TC hosts a doubleheader against Emmanuel College on Tuesday at noon.
03.07.2010 - Women's Basketball
Uniontown,PA-Talladega downs Rochester 48-36 to claim the 2010 USCAA National Championship.
                   The 2010 USCAA Women's National Championship game took place Saturday night in Uniontown, Pennsylvania between the #2 Talladega Lady Tornados and the #7 Rochester Lady Warriors. For most of the game, Rochester was able to hang tough, but in the end Talladega was able to walk away with the 2010 USCAA National Championship Trophy, posting a 48-36 victory.

Throughout the game, both Talladega and Rochester struggled shooting from the field recording field goal percentages of 26 and 28, respectively. Tamiko Rounds, the 2010 Tournament MVP, led the Tornados with 16 points and eight rebounds. Shaikila Cole was also named to the All-Tournament team.
03.07.2010 - Men's Basketball
Uniontown,PA- Talladega College down Southern Virginia 65-56 to win the 2010 USCAA National Championship for the second straight year.Kerry Harvis was name All-Tournament and Phil Wood also made the Tournament MVP
03.05.2010 - Women's Basketball
Uniontown, PA- Talladega advance to the USCAA National Championship with a victory over University of Indiana-Northwest on Friday afternoon.Talladega went play against Rochester College on  Saturday afternoon at 4:45 pm. The game will broadcast live via internet thru the USCAA (www.theuscaa.com)
03.05.2010 - Men's Basketball
Uniontown, PA -Talladega withstood a second half rally by Oakwood to advance to the USCAA National Championship.Talladega will play against Southern Virginia on Saturday at 9:00 pm est for the USCAA National Champioship.   The  will be broadcast live  on YouCastr. Click here for more information and interactive stats for today's games! Go to the www.theuscaa.com  for information.
01.29.2010 - Men's Basketball
Talladega, AL- Tornadoes could not overcome an late run 10-3 in the second half by Mountain State.
 
Article Courtesy of Daily Home LaVonte Young
 

Both teams weathered huge runs during the game, but Mountain State would go on the last run of the night, which came at a critical time. With 9:30 left in the game TC's Micah Hagens drained a three pointer to give TC a 68-67 lead. Mountain State replied with a 9-0 run to put them up 76-68 with 7:11 left in the game. Kerry Harvis and Phil Wood scored six points each, which helped TC cut the Mountain State lead down to 86-82 with 1:30 left in the game. That's as close as the Tornadoes would get as the Eagles closed the game out on a 10-3 run to seal their 22nd consecutive victory.

Hats off to Mountain State, they are solid team," Brown said. "I think tonight was more about us than Mountain State. I don't know if we understand how good we are. We can beat any Division I, any NAIA, any Division II, but I don't know where our faith is in each other and what we can do and what we are trying to do in this program.

"We are hanging around in every game; lead change after lead change, but like I said our faith. Faith is not something that you just say; it is something that you do, it is your action on the floor, how hard you work on the floor, how aggressive you are offensively or defensively. Like I said Mountain State is a decent team."

"That was a hard one," Mountain State head coach Bob Bolen said. "I say Talladega is as good as any team that we have played this year. They have size, they have great guard play, good atmosphere to play in front of and I thought it was a great game."

In the first half senior guard Hagens came out and got hot early as he scored 12 early points, which helped the Tornadoes jump out to a 36-30 lead with 4:14 left in the half. Mountain State responded as they went on a 16-2 run to give the Eagles a 46-36 going into the locker room.

"A lot people wouldn't expect that we played witin 10 (points) of the number one team in the NAIA," Brown said. "You've seen, the crowd has seen, the coaching staff has seen us play better basketball than that. The end of first half, the last 10 minutes they went on a 20-0 run. We had them down by 10 and they go up by 10.

"We get right back into the game in the second half, we make an 18-2 run and we end going up quick. That just shows you what we are capable of. We know what we have the potential to do. But potential doesn't mean nothing if it is just sitting there."

The Tornadoes used their strong guard play to get back into the game in the second half. TC opened the half on a 24-7 run. Kerry Harvis capped off the run with a three pointer to give TC a 60-57 lead with 14:38 left in the half.

Brown believes if his team begins to motivate themselves, play hard for 40 minutes each and every game they will be champions at the end of the season.

"Keep working them, keep encouraging them," Brown said when asked how to get the full potential from his team. "I am a different style coach; I believe in positive reinforcement. Sometimes I want to let them have it, but that is what they expect. I'm going to give them something else. I'm going to throw them a curve ball. They have to learn to motivate themselves and they have to learn to encourage themselves.

"Once we start doing that we will be the national champions again. We have eight or nine games to figure it out, how to motivate, how to encourage each other and play together for 40 minutes. If we can figure that out between now and whenever the tournament is you're looking at the national champions. But it is already said, it is already done, it is up to us to make this happen. It is up to us to have faith in each other, in what we are doing and what we are trying to build here."

The Tornadoes trio of guards led the way for them again. Hagens led the way with 26 points, Phil Wood scored 25 points and Harvis scored 22 points.

Marcus Hunter led the way with 28 points for Mountain State.
 
The Tornadoes take on Oakwood College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
 


 
01.17.2010 - Women's Basketball
Talladega, AL- Fourth straight win for the Talladega.
Morgan Bennett led Talladega in scoring with 21 points.   Ebony Richardson added 19 points, Tamiko Rounds 17 points and Whitney Love 13 points.
 
Talladega (9-9) will be at home Tuesday January 19 against Truett-McConnell at 5:30 pm.
   
01.17.2010 - Men's Basketball
Talladega, AL- It is the second time this season Talladega eclipse the 100 mark.
Micah Hagans led Talladega in scoring with 21 points. Ramondo Banks added 18 points, Kerry Harvis 15 points , Kerry Weaver and Donnell Pope had 10 points.
 
Talladega (10-9) returns to action Tuesday January 26 at home against Life University at 7:00 pm.
 
01.12.2010 - Women's Basketball
Morgan Bennett:
Morgan Bennett:

The USCAA announce today Morgan Bennett was Player of the week for the January 4-11.

Morgan Bennett senior from Canoga Park, CA average 22 points and twelve rebounds in the wins over Concordia College-Selma and Rust College.
01.09.2010 - Women's Basketball
Tamiko Rounds
Tamiko Rounds
Holley Springs, MS- Talladega College overcome sluggish first half to roll past Rust College 91-63.
Talladega in the first half committed 15 turnovers to only take a 43-37 halftime lead.  The second was a different story as Talladega went on a 24-6 run to take commanding 67-43 lead.  The closest Rust could get the final period was 18 points.
 
Tamiko Rounds and Morgan Bennett led the way for Talladega with doubles-doubles. Rounds 30 points with 12 rebounds and Bennett 22 points with 10 rebounds,
 
Talladega shot 58% from the field for the game, making 38-65 shots. While Rust shot 35 % making 23-65 shots.  Talladadega dominated the boards outrebounding Rust 47-24. 
   
Talladega (7-9) will return to action at Hiwasee College Wednesday Jan. 13 at 6:00 pm (est).
12.28.2009 - Men's Basketball
Baton Rouge, LA- Tornadoes overcame a halftime deficit to come away with 86-84 victory.
Kerry Harvis led the Tornadoes with 28 points, Micah Hagens had 20 points, Phil Wood added 14 points and 6 assist and Patrick Rodgers finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
 
The Tornadoes made 52 % of their shots on 31-of-59 attempts.Talladega shot an amazing 50% from the three 10 of 20 attempts.
 
Southern made 41% of their shots 31 of 74 attempts.
 
Talladega won the rebound battle 41-40 and had more steals than the home team  12-11.
 
Talladega  (8-8) will play at Loyola University (New Orleans) on Wensday December 30 at 7:00 pm.
11.27.2009 - Men's Basketball
Frankfort, KY- Talladega rally from a 11 point halftime deficit to take a lead with a one minute left in regulation.
Talladega had an three point lead with 30 second left in regulation to NAIA Number 5 rank  Georgetown College.    The tigers hit an three with 13 seconds left to send into ovetime.
 
In overtime the Tornadoes were never able to regroup to take the lead as Micah Hagans miss an three at the buzzer to try to send it into an second overtime.
 
For the game Tornadoes had four players in double figures. Kerry Harvis 22 points, Patrick Rodgers with 15, Jimmy Sutton with 13 and Micah Hagens with 12.   Also the Tornadoes dominated the boards by outrebounding Georgetown College 44-28.
   
Talladega 5-4 with play Lindsey Wilson, KY on Saturday evening November 27 at 5:45 pm
11.19.2009 - Men's Basketball
Lebanon, TN -Talladega rally from early 21-9 deficit to take  69-68 victory over Cumberland University on Wednesday evening.
Tornadoes had 7 point lead with 3:00 miutes remaining in the contest. Cumberland rally to cut the lead to one with 10 seconds left.  The final ten seconds Cumberland miss two shot attempts to take the lead.
   
Phil Wood lead Tallaega in scoring with 18 points. Kerry Harvis had 17 points going 5-of-10 from the three.   Ramondo Banks had his first career double-double with 13 point and 12 rebounds.  Kiwan Smith had 12 points with 6 rebounds.
   
Talladega 4-0 will be on the road this Friday and Saturday to play Spring Hill in Mobile, AL and Dillard. in New Orleans, LA.  Game time for the Spring Hill is 7:00 and Dillard 4:00 pm 
11.17.2009 - Women's Basketball
Talladega, AL- Talladega had poor shooting night in the lost to Tennesse Temple.
Talladega College rally from an 12 point deficit to tie the game 71-71 with 30 seconds left. Tennesse made an layup with 15 second left to seal the game.
 
Talladega shot 32 % from the field including 3-of -25 from the three. Tennesse Temple shot an sizzling 63 % from the field.   Talladega dominated the boards outrebounding Tennesse Temple 47 to 27.
 
Morgan Bennet and Danielle Padgett both had an double/double for Talladega. Bennet 32 points and 20 rebounds and Padgett 13 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Taladega (3-4) next game will be Saturday November 21 at West Alabama @ 2:00pm
11.14.2009 - Women's Basketball
Nashville, TN- Talladega committed 24 turnovers in the lost to 13th rank NAIA opponent Trevecca Nazarene 76-40.
Talladega had an 12-9 led early in the first half, but watch Trevecca go on 20-0 to take 29-12  for good. Trevecca largest led in the game was 39 point late in the second half.
 
Morgan Bennett and Natasha Pruitt each had 8 point to lead Talladega in scoring. Bennett also chip in had 12 rebounds for the team high in rebounds.
 
Talladega (3-3) will be at home to host Tennessee on Tuesday November 17 at 5:30 pm.
11.13.2009 - Women's Basketball
Nashville, TN-Talladega College withstood a late run by Cumberland University to take 52-49 victory in Trevecca Nazarene Classic.
Lady Tornadoes was lead in scoring by senior Morgan Bennett 18 points and 9 rebounds. Whitney Love and Ebony Richardson each had 11 points.  Talladega College was near perfect at the free throw line converting 15-of-16.
 
Talladega (3-2) will next play  the host team Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday November 14 at 4:00 pm.
11.07.2009 - Volleyball
Louisville, KY- Talladega Lady Tornadoes was never able to get its offensive engines and itself beaten by Spalding University in a volleyball USCAA National Tournament quarterfinals match.Talladega finish the season the with a 14-11 including 1-4 record in the National Tournament.
11.06.2009 - Volleyball

Louisville, KY- Talladega College Volleyball player Apiffany Richards receive All-Academic Team Honors from the USCAA on Thursday night.

Apiffany senior from Baytown, TX  carry a 3.8 GPA.  Also help led the Lady Tornadoes Volleyball team to the first ever USCAA National Tournament appearance.