Jags defeat Southside to claim Mako Classic Title

What’s better than a week off for Thanksgiving? How about a trip to Orange Beach . . . AND . . . a win in the title game of the Mako Classic. That’s what the Northridge boys basketball team did on the front end of their Thanksgiving break. Following a 30-point drubbing of Chilton County on Saturday evening and a come-from-behind 9-point win over the hosting Orange Beach Makos on Monday, the Jags handled business again on Tuesday, claiming a 29-point victory over Southside, 70-49, and securing the title for the 2025 Mako Classic.

Northridge outscored Southside 18-11 in the opening quarter. The Panthers put up a somewhat better fight in the second quarter, but were still outscored by the Jags, 17-14, leaving Northridge with a 35-25 lead at the half.

The Panthers had another respectable performance in the third quarter. However, the Jags outscored them 15-11. That left Northridge with a 50-36 lead, going into the fourth quarter. Southside could only muster five points in the final stanza, and Northridge had its best single quarter performance with 20 points. When the final buzzer sounded, the Jags claimed the title with a 70-41 win.

Once again, Elias Fleming led the Jags in the scoring column, netting 12 points. Miller James and Ben Leitner added 10 points each. James Walker added nine points. Mize Parker finished with seven points and Andrew Matthews scored six. Garrett Ingram, Adam Hall and John Crew contributed four points each. Chase Murphy and Tavares Jones rounded out the Jags’ scoring column with two points apiece.

Jones and James led Northridge with six rebounds each. Fleming grabbed five rebounds.

Matthews totaled three assists for the game. Murphy, Parker and James recorded two steals each.