The 2009 Cherokee County Basketball Tournament is all said and done, and for the first time in a new venue it was a success.

Host school Spring Garden did an outstanding job making sure the tournament ran smoothly. Spring Garden principal Mike Welsh said it was an honor for the school to be the first to host the county tournament at the Gadsden State-Cherokee arena.

Welsh said the more the tournament progressed throughout the week, the bigger the crowds. He estimated an attendance of 800-900 people on Thursday, 1,000-1,100 people on Friday and 1,250-1,300 for championship Saturday. The arena seats approximately 2,500 people.

“I think we had a really good turnout,” Welsh said. “Obviously, we would have loved to have had someone in every seat in this new arena, but it ended on a great note (Saturday). We look forward to hosting it in this same spot five years from now.”

Welsh also wanted to thank everyone who pitched in and helped make the event successful.

“It did take a lot of effort and a lot of cooperation on a lot of different levels, from our school administration to our coaching staff,” he said. “We’ve all picked up trash, we’ve all cleaned restrooms, we’ve all swept, mopped and done everything. We’ve had a lot of parent help and tip-off club help. My wife (Lara) and others led the hospitality room. There were just a lot of different people who put in a lot of different jobs to get it done. Thank goodness we’ve got such a good, cooperative staff to get it wall worked out. We look forward to hosting it in this same spot five years from now.”

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The Sand Rock boys and Spring Garden girls lay claim to Cherokee County basketball champions for the remainder of the year following their championship game victories on Saturday.

For the Wildcats, it was their first county title since 2000. The team they defeated in the title game, the Cherokee County Warriors, were holders of the previous eight county championships.

Since 1959, Cherokee County has laid claim to 27 county titles. Spring Garden has the second most titles during that time frame with 12. Sand Rock’s latest win gives the school eight county championships since 1959.

The Spring Garden Lady Panthers’ victory over Sand Rock in the girls title game gave them their sixth straight county crown, eclipsing the school’s own streak of five county girls titles from 1984-1988. Since 1982, Spring Garden’s girls have earned 12 Cherokee County basketball titles.

The longest streak of consecutive girls county titles belongs to the Cherokee County Lady Warriors. They earned seven consecutive titles from 1991-97 and have won nine county championships since 1982. Sand Rock’s girls have won five county girls titles since 1982.

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Cherokee County High School junior golfer Jake Minnix posted his second hole-in-one Jan. 9 on the Par 3, Hole No. 8 at Cherokee County Country Club. The distance was 172 yards. It was witnessed by Trai West.

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The Cherokee County Youth Girls Softball League of Leesburg will be holding sign-ups for the 2009 season Jan. 24 and Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. until noon. Sign-ups will be for girls ages 4-12 at the softball field concession stand in Leesburg. A birth certificate is required.

There is a $40 sign-up fee for the first child and $35 for any others in the immediate family. For more information, please contact Greg Parker at 1-404-434-6080.