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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

The Calera Eagles have been busy racking up wins and have now won four games in a row as they continue their incredible turnaround from a year ago.

Calera defeated the Brookwood Panthers 59-44 on Friday, Jan. 3 at Brookwood High School, beat the Bessemer City Purple Tigers 55-42 on Monday, Jan. 6 at Bessemer City High School and returned home to outlast the Pleasant Grove Spartans 63-57 in overtime on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

In their most recent win over Pleasant Grove, Calera overcame deficits at the end of the first three quarters to force overtime and then claim the victory.

The Eagles started strong from deep with Garrett Mahone, Carlos Wisenhunt and Jamarcus Adams each hitting a 3-pointer in the first quarter. The Spartans countered with long range shots of their own and took a slight 18-15 lead into the second quarter.

The teams continued to be tightly matched in the second period. Kegan Johnson led the way for the Eagles offense, scoring seven of his team’s 12 points in the quarter. Pleasant Grove continued hitting multiple shots from deep to remain in from 29-27 at the halftime break.

The Spartans took control in the third quarter, limiting Calera to just nine points on the defensive end of the floor. That allowed the visitors to extend their advantage to a two-possession lead with the score at 41-36 going into the fourth quarter.

The Eagles regained their momentum from the field in the fourth as six different players hit a field goal in the final eight minutes. Johnson also hit three free throws to lead the offense with five points as Calera sought to complete the comeback.

Pleasant Grove kept pace with a 7-for-8 mark from the free throw line, and that left the teams tied at 53-53 at the end of regulation.

The Eagles carried their momentum into overtime as Darian Hamilton scored five points and Johnson knocked down another 3-pointer. Calera’s defense held strong and helped the hosts outscore the Spartans 10-4 in overtime and take the six-point win.

Johnson led the Eagles with 18 points and Hamilton and Mahone joined him in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Adams and Wisenhunt each scored seven points while Goodman and Jeremiah Keller finished with four points apiece.

The night before on Monday, Jan. 6, Calera came back from a halftime deficit to pull away late against Bessemer City.

Johnson engaged in an early scoring battle with the Purple Tigers’ Jacoby Barlow as both players scored seven points in the first quarter. However, it was the supporting casts that made the difference in the quarter as Bessemer City got more of its offense involved and led 16-11 after the first.

The Purple Tigers continued to hold a slight edge in the second quarter even as Johnson and Keller scored multiple baskets in the remaining minutes before halftime. Aided by a 6-for-10 stretch from the free throw line, Bessemer City took a 29-23 lead into the break.

The Eagles defense locked in after the halftime break, allowing just four points in the third quarter. Johnson then took command on the other end of the floor with 11 points in the third to go with a pair of Keller baskets.

As a result, Calera grabbed a 40-33 lead at the end of the third quarter and kept rolling into the fourth quarter.

Seven different Eagles hit shots in the final eight minutes to help their team outscore the Purple Tigers 15-9 in the fourth and claim a 13-point victory.

Johnson led the team with 24 points and Keller scored 10 points. Hamilton and Wisenhunt each had five points and Mahone and Adams finished with four points each.

Before that, Calera started the new year with its second straight win over Brookwood after defeating the Panthers in the Gardendale Christmas Classic.

When the two sides met in a rematch at Brookwood High School, the Eagles used a balanced attack to take an early two-possession lead. Johnson and Goodman each started off the game with multiple baskets as six Calera players scored in the opening quarter.

That gave the Eagles a 17-11 lead that they would ride to an eventual victory.

The offensive scoring pace slowed down in the second quarter, but Goodman’s strong start continued as he reached eight points for the half and extended Calera’s halftime lead to 28-20.

The Eagles found their offensive rhythm again in the third quarter, mainly thanks to improved 3-point shooting. Mahone, Adams and Jonathan Sperber each hit a shot from deep in the third in another quarter where six Calera players scored, increasing the lead to 47-30 going into the fourth.

From there, the Eagles cruised to victory as they had a double-digit lead that Brookwood could not overcome despite outscoring Calera 14-12 in the fourth. Johnson capped off his day with eight points after scoring just four in the first three quarters combined to see out the 15-point win.

Those eight points gave Johnson a team-high 12 points. Goodman scored eight points, Wisenhunt posted seven points, Mahone and Cayden Specks each earned six points and Hamilton and Adams finished with five points apiece.

The Eagles will take a 15-9 record and four-game win streak into area play, which begins on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 4:30 p.m. on the road at the Benjamin Russell Wildcats.