BIRMINGHAM — Behind a monster performance from freshman phenom Caleb Holt, the Buckhorn Bucks captured their first state championship since 1995 with a 65-56 victory over Mountain Brook in the Class 6A finals on Saturday.
The 6-foot-5 Holt scored 32 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and dished out 4 assists en route to tournament MVP honors. He scored Buckhorn’s first 9 points of the second half as the Bucks pulled away after leading just 29-28 at the break.
“He’s an unbelievable talent,” said Mountain Brook coach Tyler Davis.
Holt scored 33 points against McGill-Toolen in the semifinals, finishing with 65 points and 32 rebounds in two games in Birmingham.
“If they give a 6A Player of the Year and he doesn’t get it, they should retire it,” said Buckhorn coach Patrick Harding.
Terrence Robinson added 10 points for Buckhorn (28-7), which denied Mountain Brook (26-8) a seventh state championship since 2013.
Mountain Brook was led by Ty Davis with 18 points. Julius Clark recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Kyle Layton came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers and score 15.
But Buckhorn’s size and Holt’s dominance on the glass were too much. The Bucks outrebounded the Spartans 36-21.
“Our No. 1 [key] was that we had to rebound, and we didn’t get it done,” coach Davis said.
Holt, Davis, Clark and Buckhorn’s Robinson and Kyler Douglass were named to the 6A All-Tournament Team.