HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Day one of the 2026 NW Regionals at Wallace State Community College concluded with a top 10 matchup in the varsity boys division between Decatur Heritage and Cold Springs. Four quarters wasn’t enough to decide a winner in this contest, so it would be decided in overtime. Some big shots by Ayden Black and some clutch free throws by Cash Dickerson in overtime helped Cold Springs knock off top-ranked Decatur Heritage, 65-58, to move on to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Breydon Hallmon hit a pair of early baskets down low to give Cold Springs an early 4-3 lead. Later in the quarter, Lindan Hill collected a rebound and putback and later added a driving layup off of a Decatur Heritage turnover to put the Eagles ahead, 8-5. Decatur Heritage responded with a trio of treys to grab a 14-8 lead. Cash Dickerson drilled a three from the top of the key to cut it to 14-11 with a little over two minutes to go in the first quarter. Hill collected the steal and took it coast-to-coast for the make and the foul. He ended up hitting the free throw to complete the three-point play, as that cut it to 15-14. A late basket by Decatur Heritage gave them a 17-14 lead going into the second.
Hill put the offensive rebound back up and in to make it a 17-16 game early in the second. Decatur Heritage responded with eight straight points to grab a 25-16 lead. Cold Springs answered right back with a run of their own. Ethan Day found Dickerson down low for two, then Dickerson connected with Hill for two, and Wyatt Barker added a basket down low to trim it to three at 25-22. A Decatur Heritage three gave them a 28-22 lead, but Barker split his free throws to cut it to 28-23, then Hallmon put in the final basket of the first half down low to make it a 28-25 game at the half.
Cold Springs got off to an electrifying start to the second half. Their opening possession saw Day connect with Hill for a two-handed thunderous slam, then Hill tipped the ball in and Ayden Black found Dickerson in the right wing for three to give the Eagles a 32-28 lead. Later in the third, Dickerson split his free throws and knocked down a floater after collecting the steal to put Cold Springs ahead, 35-30. Decatur Heritage drained a three to cut it to 35-34 late in the third. Dickerson knocked down a pair of free throws, Ayden Black found Hill down low for two, and Hill added a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a 41-38 lead. A pair of late free throws by Decatur Heritage made it a 41-40 game going into the final period.
Dickerson dropped in a floater, and Hallmon laid it in to put Cold Springs ahead, 45-40. Black drove to the lane and laid it in to widen the Eagle lead to 47-40 with a little over five minutes to go in the contest. Decatur Heritage went on a 7-1 run to cut it to 48-47 at the midway point of the fourth quarter. A rebound and putback by Hallmon and a short jumper by Day gave Cold Springs a 52-49 lead with less than two minutes to go in regulation. A trey by Decatur Heritage tied the game up at 52, and neither team was able to break the tie before the end of regulation, so the game would be decided in overtime.
Decatur Heritage took the lead in overtime on a short jumper. Hallmon collected a rebound and putback, then he found Ayden Black at the top of the key for three to give the Eagles a 57-54 lead. Later in overtime, Black banked in a trey from the left corner to make it a 60-56 game. A rebound and putback by Decatur Heritage cut it to 60-58, but Dickerson hit five out of six free throws to help seal Cold Springs’ 65-58 thrilling win in overtime over Decatur Heritage, as they move on to the Elite Eight for the first time in 30 years.
Dickerson finished with 21 points for the Eagles. Hill wasn’t too far behind with 19 points. Hallmon put in 12 points, and Black ended up with eight points.
Coach Drew Adams was proud of the way that his team fought against a really good Decatur Heritage squad. He loved getting that first win in the Sweet 16 under his belt, and he also loved how much the younger players have grown from this playoff experience so far.
“Decatur Heritage is really, really good. They have three really good players on that team. I didn’t know how this game was going to go. I knew our guys were tough, but to get up, then to see them tie the game up, and to just gut it out in overtime, that shows incredible toughness. I’m so proud of them,” Adams said. “This is a first time for me too. I’ve been fortunate to have been in Sweet 16s, but this is the first one I’ve ever gotten. It’s a testament to our seniors, Ayden and Tycen, and then our young dudes, we had 10th graders and an eighth grader out there, battling it out against a team that’s generally in the Final Four every year. I’m so proud of their toughness.”
The Eagles will face off against Red Bay next Monday morning at 10:45 a.m., and coach Adams knows it will take a lot to get past the Tigers next Monday.
“Red Bay’s really good. They might have the best big in Class 2A. He’s an absolute stud. They’re extremely well-coached. Their coach does a great job with them, and their guard play is really good. We respect the crap out of them, but we didn’t get to enjoy the Sub-Region win because we only had two days to prep instead of six days. We’ll enjoy this win for 24 hours, and we’ll get to work.” Adams said.
Junior Breydon Hallmon was happy to see his team get a big win against a very good Decatur Heritage team, and he has enjoyed making history alongside some great teammates.
“We had a lot of outside influences in the game, the kids telling us we were going to lose, and all around the county. Everybody doubted us, but we gutted it out, because we got here. We clicked. We were working as a team, and you can do anything as a team. We got (Lindan) Hill and (Cash) Dickerson. They’re the greatest teammates I’ve ever had,” Hallmon said. “Our record doesn’t show it, but we’ve had many ups and downs and playing down to teams. When we played Jasper before the area tournament got underway, we got drilled, and we realized how bad we really were. It gave us something to work towards, for moments like this. It’s amazing making history like that. You don’t ever realize it, but each step that we take, we make history. It’s just been a blessing.”
Hallmon is so proud to see how far the younger players have come this season, and the team will look to use this as momentum going into their matchup against Red Bay next Monday.
“It’s been a blessing playing alongside Lindan and Cash. It’s been a blessing teaching them. I’m only a year or two ahead of them, and Cash is in eighth grade. Lindan’s in 10th. They’re like my little brothers. I get to help them and coach them up. Sometimes, we lose our heads, but we get right back in it. Lindan has improved so much. Wyatt Barker’s like my little brother as well. We play the same position, we’re the same size, we love battling day in and day out in practice. It’s fun having a guy that’s the same size as you, and Wyatt has busted my tail every day at practice. He plays his role, and he understands what he has to do when he goes in,” Hallmon said. “We just beat a really good Decatur Heritage team. Red Bay’s really, really good. If we keep this momentum that we have going right now, I think we have a chance to knock them off.”
Sophomore Lindan Hill soaked up so much from playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time. He has enjoyed playing with his teammates in his first full year up on varsity, and they will have to play that same way next week against the Tigers.
“We played our butts off. They had the lead at the beginning of the third, and I caught a lob coming out of the locker room. That kind of set us up on our run, and we ended up getting up by five or six. They’re an amazing team. They just kept battling back and battling back. I’m just so blessed to have my boys. This is a surreal experience that not many people get to enjoy, and I’m loving every second of it,” Hill said. “This team has a bunch of great guys. We hold each other accountable, and we love each other so much. We think so highly of each other, and I’m so blessed to be a part of it. I love my boys, and just being able to help out this team is the greatest accomplishment I’ll ever have. We were pretty good underdogs in this game, and we came in, and we beat Decatur Heritage. If we just play how we did tonight, we’ll have a chance to make it to the Final Four.”
Eighth grader Cash Dickerson took away so much from playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time. He’s had a blast playing with some great teammates, and they will get prepared for Red Bay next week.
“Coach Adams put us on this court multiple times this season, so we’re really used to it by now. I’ve played in big games for most of my life coming up through basketball. This one meant a little bit more, though, because this is my first time playing in the playoffs. This was great. We’ve got a bunch of guys out here that really believe in each other, and when you’ve got that, you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Dickerson said. “We just have to trust in each other. We got down late. We went up. They got down, and they sent it to overtime. We just trusted our guys to hit shots for us. Ayden hit the three in the corner. He hit back-to-back, and that’s just who he is. We trust that. It’s been great. We love each other. We’re here for each other, no matter what, and win or lose, we’re just here for each other.”
Cash added, “We’ve got a tough team next week, so we’re going to prepare, just like we always do, go hard with them, and just come out here and play ball on Monday.”
