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Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White

Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White

Serving The University of Alabama since 1894.

The Crimson White

James Ogletree | @jameslogletree, Sports Editor

All content by James Ogletree
CW/ Hannah Saad

Gymnasts reminisce before last home meet

James Ogletree, Sports Writer February 28, 2019
More than three years and 88 total home routines after making their debuts for Alabama gymnastics in early 2016, the team’s three seniors will compete in Coleman Coliseum for the final time on Friday night against Auburn.
CW/ Hannah Saad

Gymnastics upbeat despite loss to Florida in Power of Pink meet

James Ogletree, Staff Writer February 16, 2019
Alabama gymnastics lost its annual Power of Pink meet Friday night, scoring a 196.475 to fall short of the Gators’ 197.325 total. The score was the Crimson Tide’s lowest since its second meet of the season on Jan. 11, but the team and coach Dana Duckworth remained in good spirits afterward.
By Hannah Saad

Gymnastics’ Power of Pink meet honors those affected by breast cancer

James Ogletree, Staff Writer February 14, 2019
At the start of every gymnastics meet at Coleman Coliseum, each Alabama gymnast is introduced to the home crowd in recognition of her individual accomplishments, contributions to the team and perseverance through adversity. Well, every meet except one. On Friday night, as part of the team’s 15th annual Power of Pink meet, each gymnast will be flanked by one or two breast cancer survivors, who will be recognized for their courage in a fight of far greater magnitude.
Alabama gymnastics secures road win over Arkansas

Alabama gymnastics secures road win over Arkansas

James Ogletree, Staff Writer February 9, 2019
At least one gymnast scored a 9.9 or better in each event for Alabama: Graber on vault and again on the balance beam (9.9), junior Shea Mahoney on the floor exercise (9.9) and freshman Emily Gaskins on bars (9.925, her best score yet in any event). All four scores won their respective events.
Courtesy of UA Athletics

Women’s golf adjusting to life without two All-Americans

James Ogletree, Sports Writer February 4, 2019
Just four months ago, the Alabama women’s golf team had just set the NCAA scoring record, it included three of the top five amateur players in the world and it appeared to be on the fast track to avenging its narrow loss in last year’s national championship match.
Gymnasts set career highs in loss to LSU

Gymnasts set career highs in loss to LSU

James Ogletree, Staff Writer January 26, 2019
Alabama gymnastics set season highs on the uneven bars and balance beam Friday night in a 197.450-196.850 loss to No. 5 LSU, continuing a steady improvement from its season opener to its first home conference meet and fourth overall meet of the year.
By Hannah Saad

Battle-tested gymnastics hosts LSU in another premier SEC meet

James Ogletree, Staff Writer January 25, 2019
Emily Gaskins didn’t cry when she saw her team’s score go up on the board. But she was close. Alabama gymnastics, then ranked No. 17, had gone on the road last Friday and beaten longtime rival Georgia, ranked 10th, by the literal slimmest of margins. The 196.900-to-196.875 victory brought tears to the eyes of several Crimson Tide gymnasts, but not Gaskins, who avoided the eyes of roommates and fellow freshmen Jensie Givens and Griffin James.
By Hannah Saad

Late rally comes up short as gymnastics falls to Denver

James Ogletree, Staff Writer January 12, 2019
Alabama gymnastics narrowly lost a quad meet on Friday night, finishing with a score of 196.175 to defeat Michigan and Bowling Green State, but falling one-tenth of a point behind Denver. The Crimson Tide trailed by one tenth through three of four events. It scored the same on the floor exercise as Denver scored on the uneven bars (49.275) despite a 9.875 from senior Abby Armbrecht and 9.9s from sophomore Lexi Graber and freshman Shallon Olsen, which were the team’s highest individual scores so far this season.
Alabama’s defense outmatched in title game loss

Alabama’s defense outmatched in title game loss

James Ogletree, Staff Writer January 8, 2019
On Monday night, it all came crashing down in the blink of an eye and the flash of some flowing golden hair. For the second time in three years a transcendent Clemson quarterback torched the Crimson Tide in the national title game, as true freshman Trevor Lawrence dazzled with brilliant throw after brilliant throw en route to a 44-16 victory, Alabama’s largest loss under Saban.
By Hannah Saad

Alabama blown out in College Football Playoff National Championship

Cody Estremera and James Ogletree January 7, 2019
Alabama’s once-transcendent offense and once-reliable defense both failed to show up to Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Five drives inside Clemson’s 22-yard line netted one touchdown and a field goal, and the defense’s penalties and coverage errors doomed a chance at coach Nick Saban’s seventh national championship.
By Hannah Saad

Deionte Thompson waits his turn, becomes leader in secondary

James Ogletree, Staff Writer December 29, 2018
After sitting for three years behind future NFL safeties like Eddie Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison, redshirt junior Deionte Thompson got his chance in 2018. Undaunted by the prospect of waiting several years to see significant playing time, Thompson’s patience has paid off, as he has become one of the premier players for the top-ranked Crimson Tide.
By Hannah Saad

Williams takes mathematical approach to left tackle

James Ogletree, Staff Writer December 28, 2018
They say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but a faceful of a Georgia linebacker’s fingers helped Alabama’s Jonah Williams tap into a rarely-seen side of the All-American left tackle. Two plays after the linebacker’s 15-yard penalty for illegal hands to the face, Williams, still fuming, escorted a different Bulldogs linebacker 15 yards downfield, landed on him, and wildly pumped his fists as running back Josh Jacobs nearly scored.
By Grant Nicholls

Jalen Hurts leads fourth quarter comeback, claiming 27th SEC Championship

James Ogletree, Staff Writer December 1, 2018
Alabama’s dream of a second straight national championship-winning season remains alive. The dream of becoming the first college football team in 121 years to play 15 games and win them all is still as possible as ever. Every record, every distinction – all one step closer after a 35-28 Alabama win over Georgia in the SEC Championship.
By Grant Nicholls

Keaton Anderson may have expanded role against Georgia

James Ogletree, Staff Writer November 30, 2018
Senior Jared Mayden, who is typically one of Alabama’s two safeties when it shifts into its dime defense (six defensive backs), was ejected from last Saturday’s Iron Bowl for targeting. Since the foul occurred in the second half, Mayden also must sit out the first half against Georgia. Enter Anderson, who despite limited publicity has received four Player of the Week awards from Alabama’s coaches over the last two seasons (three on special teams and one on defense). That’s tied with Isaiah Buggs’ total and more than Raekwon Davis’. He was also a three-time Special Teams Player of the Week in 2016.
By Hannah Saad

Tagovailoa sets school record in Iron Bowl win

James Ogletree, Staff Writer November 24, 2018
One day after his chief competitor for the Heisman Trophy accumulated nearly 500 yards of offense and four total touchdowns, Tua Tagovailoa did him one better. In three quarters plus three plays of action in the 83rd Iron Bowl, the sophomore signal-caller threw for 324 yards and six total touchdowns – a new school record – en route to a 52-21 victory over Auburn.
CW/ Hannah Saad

Damien Harris checks off senior season goals

James Ogletree, Sports Writer November 19, 2018
As the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd watched the athletic trainers surround a player on Saturday against The Citadel and realized who was still down on the sideline, it fell the most silent it had been all season.
By Hannah Saad

Offense rebounds after shaky first half

James Ogletree, Staff Writer November 17, 2018
Years from now, Alabama’s 50-17 home win over The Citadel may be remembered as a second coming of the infamous “Tin Horn” game in which Alabama again struggled to defend the triple option. The offense, however, had first-half travails of its own that will likely be overshadowed by The Citadel’s running-game prowess.
CW/ Grant Nicholls

Jeudy learns from former Heisman winner

James Ogletree, Sports Writer November 15, 2018
The connection between Tua Tagovailoa and Jerry Jeudy has elicited countless oohs and ahhs this season, as the former has added to his Heisman Trophy campaign and the latter has remained near the top of the national rankings in yards per catch.
By Grant Nicholls

Alabama’s defense harasses Fitzgerald in shutout win

James Ogletree, Staff Writer November 10, 2018
Alabama’s defense continued to look more like a typical Alabama defense on Saturday, shutting out No. 16 Mississippi State 24-0 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide shut out SEC opponents in back-to-back weeks for the first time in 38 years and shut out back-to-back AP-ranked teams for the first time in school history.
Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Ben Fuller aims to break into starting lineup

James Ogletree, Staff Writer November 1, 2018
As Ben Fuller’s golf ball rolled over the edge of the hole and fell in, the buildup from a year of frustrations, disappointments and lonely weekends melted away into relief.  The Alabama sophomore had birdied the third hole of a playoff to clinch a spot in the Crimson Tide’s starting lineup for the first time. While his good friends and fellow sophomores Wilson Furr and Davis Shore started eight and 11 of the team’s 12 tournaments last year, Fuller remained in Tuscaloosa for all 12. 
Women's golf nets sixth-place finish

Women’s golf nets sixth-place finish

James Ogletree, Staff Writer October 22, 2018
With First-Team All-Americans Lauren Stephenson and Kristen Gillman out of the lineup, it was the first time the Crimson Tide finished a tournament outside the top five since October 2016.
CW/ Grant Nicholls

Surtain II provides consistency in secondary

James Ogletree, Sports Editor September 27, 2018
Patrick Surtain II made his first collegiate start against Texas A&M, and came away with his first interception. The former five-star defensive back chose early on National Signing Day after the Crimson Tide made a late push to sign him.
Frankie Capan shows maturity in first year

Frankie Capan shows maturity in first year

James Ogletree, Sports Editor September 13, 2018
On the first hole of Frankie Capan’s career last Friday, Alabama men’s golf coach, Jay Seawell, asked Capan if he preferred a lot of conversation during the round or a more quiet approach. Capan, never much of a thinker on the course, said he wasn’t sure. Then he pured a 3-iron right down the middle.
Ole Miss's 2018 offense mirrors past threat

Ole Miss’s 2018 offense mirrors past threat

James Ogletree, Sports Editor September 13, 2018
The Rebels have changed quarterbacks twice since that sweltering day in Oxford when Alabama faced its largest deficit in a decade: Chad Kelly has since moved on to the NFL and his apparent-heir Shea Patterson transferred to the University of Michigan this spring, but this iteration of the offense might be as prolific as the Kelly-led version that hung 43 points on the Crimson Tide in 2015 and 2016.
Tagovailoa shines in first career start

Tagovailoa shines in first career start

James Ogletree, Staff Writer September 2, 2018
After eight months of speculation that included both transfer rumors and Heisman hype, the title game hero dazzled in his first career start, racking up 253 yards of total offense and three total touchdowns en route to a 51-14 Alabama victory.
CW File

Alabama’s offensive line blends experience with youth

James Ogletree, Sports Writer August 30, 2018
If Jonah Williams, Ross Pierschbacher, Lane Kiffin, Terry Saban and Harvey Updyke trot out to protect the Crimson Tide’s quarterback on the team’s opening play from scrimmage Saturday night, it would still qualify as Alabama’s most experienced season-opening offensive line since 2012, with 71 combined starts among them.
CW File

Trio of sophomore wide receivers fill starting roles

James Ogletree, Sports Writer August 27, 2018
The week of Alabama football’s season opener has arrived, and though there still hasn’t been an announcement regarding a starting quarterback, the Crimson Tide’s starting wide receiver spots have been locked down since the spring by three true sophomores: DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III.