OAKWOOD ADVENTIST ACADEMY BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM STILL CHAMPIONS

The 2022-2023 Oakwood Adventist Academy Boys’ Basketball Team may have come just short in the Alabama 1A Championship Game (50-46). But at the risk of using a cliché, they are champions in the game of life. Last year, they were denied the opportunity to compete for the 2022 championship because they refused to play on Sabbath—principles that attracted national attention. Their cou-

The OAA 2023 Roster:

Coach: Melvin Allen

Principal: Mrs. Judy Dent

Athletic Director: Calvin Morton

The Players:

TYSEAN ALLEN

MICAH ANDREWS

CAMDEN EDMONDS

ANDREW TSOI

WILL LEWIS

JAIDEN MORTON

DYLON POGNON

CAYDEN PYFROM

JAYDEN NESBITT

JORDAN REID

AERIC REID

DAVID STILL

JONATHAN WALDEN

ELEAZAR WILLIAMS

Thank you, Oakwood Academy Mustangs, for being great representatives. Indeed, you did “Keep the Faith.” rageous actions forced those running the tournament to change the way the competition was operated and earned the team a trip to the office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. While visiting her, they had an opportunity similar to Daniel and the three Hebrew Boys to share their faith. CNN picked up their story.

Led by Coach Melvin Allen, the Oakwood Mustangs returned to the 2023 tournament this year. They won the Alabama 1A Northeast Region Championship and made it all the way to the Alabama 1A Championship Game, at Legacy Arena, in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Mustangs were cheered on by a large, loud and enthusiastic crowd of proud and grateful parents, relatives and Adventist supporters from Huntsville, the Birmingham area, and from as far away as Nashville, Memphis, Cleveland, Ohio, and Maryland. The South Central Conference administration, led by President Benjamin Jones, Jr., and Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Sonja M. Crayton, interrupted their busy schedules and traveled to Birmingham to support the team.

General Conference Counsel, Attorney Todd McFarland, who represented the school in their action against the tournament organizers who denied Oakwood the opportunity to compete last year, also came to demonstrate his support.

Buoyed by the chant from the crowd, “Keep the Faith!,” the Mustangs stormed back from an early 15-point deficit to cut the lead to three points against the multi-time champion, Covenant Christian, with 10 seconds to go.

Oakwood guard Jonathan Walden appeared to hit the game-tying three-point shot, with seconds left. But, anticipating Walden’s shot, Covenant fouled him just before he shot—nullifying the basket. The game ended a few seconds later, with Oakwood on the short end of the basketball scoreboard, but winners on God’s scoreboard.

Two Oakwood Academy players, Jaden Nesbitt and Jonathan Walden, made the All-Tournament Team. All 12 of members of the Oakwood Academy Mustangs represented themselves, their families, their school, their church, and their God, very well. t

Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM), is also publisher of Regional Voice Magazine. He completed this assignment with great enthusiasm and support for this outstanding team.