BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – This season on the hardwood has been one for the history books at Cullman High School. The Bearcats (27-3) are headed to the Final 4 of the AHSAA State Basketball Tournament for the first time in 90 years and they’ve gotten there with a tenacious approach on the defensive end of the floor and a lot of production off the bench. More than 10 different ‘Cats regularly see the floor in most of Cullman’s games and that depth has been wearing down opponents all season. That depth has been a big factor in Cullman’s postseason success as well, allowing the Bearcats to pull away late in big games, most notably against Scottsboro in the Regional Finals. Cullman outscored the Wildcats 43-21 in the final two periods and got 32 points off the bench.
Head Coach Stu Stuedeman has only been on the sideline at Cullman for one year, but he’s already established his philosophy and his team has bought all the way in. He wasn’t thrilled with everything on the defensive end early in the season, but he remembers a win at a December tournament that gave him and the rest of his team an idea of how good they could become.
“The game against Saint Paul’s out of Louisiana at the Big Orange Classic in Hoover was a huge springboard for our season,” Stuedeman said. “Saint Paul’s is a top 5 team in Louisiana with several college players on their team and we were able to come from behind and gut out a win. That game showed a lot of people, including ourselves, that we belonged on the floor with great teams.”
Saint Paul’s is a veteran team with a lot of length and that’s the same kind of team the Bearcats will be looking to topple tomorrow. Park Crossing (27-4) comfortably defeated Valley and Hillcrest on its way to Birmingham and like Cullman, the Thunderbirds do a good job of playing to their strengths.
“Park Crossing is a tough matchup because of how athletic and big they are. Their style of play fits their personnel perfectly,” Stuedeman said. “They know exactly who they are and have immense belief in themselves.
Classrooms all over town paused for a couple hours last Tuesday to watch the ‘Cats knock off Scottsboro and schools will dismiss early Wednesday so everyone has a chance to cheer them on in person. Excitement for basketball is as high as it’s ever been in Cullman and Stuedeman is thrilled for his team and the community to be on this ride to the Final 4.
“This is everything I envisioned for Cullman Basketball when I decided to take this job. I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but I knew that this was the possibility because of how fantastic this community is. Everyone here loves the Bearcats, loves the school, loves the community and I’m filled with immense joy for our players and this team to be the team that ignites the fire for basketball within the community,” Stuedeman said. “The players, especially our seniors, have been through a lot in their basketball careers. They have put in hard work and been dedicated teammates to all of our players in our program and they deserve this type of recognition and attention from their community. I’m so happy for them.”
Cullman will battle Park Crossing for a spot in the 6A State Championship Game at Legacy Arena at The BJCC Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. Tickets to the game can be purchased on Ticketmaster or on-site at the BJCC Legacy Arena.
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