But if you think Spring Garden is getting tired of playing at Pete Mathews Coliseum, think again.
Entering Monday morning’s game against Ragland, Spring Garden had an impeccable 14-0 record in regional play at JSU in seven previous appearances.
"Advancing is fun," Lady Panther head coach Ricky Austin said. "We’re as excited now as the first time to go. It’s like a whole new feeling."
That "new feeling" Austin speaks about is very true for this pride of Panthers. What they’ve been able to accomplish this season is nothing short of remarkable.
Gone are the likes of Paige Anderson, Olivia Mobley and Bridget Parris. In fact, this year’s Garden crop has only one senior in point guard Hannah Hutcheson and one junior in Shelby Malone. The rest of the team consists of four sophomores, four freshmen and an eighth-grader.
This team hasn’t used their overall youth as an excuse, Austin said. They take it as a challenge.
"There was a lot of pressure on this bunch when the season started," he said. "With what we lost last year, we’re one win away from winning 30 games, another trip back to regionals, another county championship, another area championship.
"There’s a lot of things here that make a good season, but this team has everything to make a great season. They’re not focused on what they’ve already done. They’re looking at things they’ve still got to do. They’re not satisfied. They know there’s bigger things expected, even though where they came from early this season.
So what does Austin think the chances are of this team making it to Birmingham? He’s cautiously optimistic, saying "I like their mindset right now."
"They’re not too high or too low. They’re right on that line. That’s the teams that can survive and advance."
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Speaking of basketball, congratulations go out to 70-year-old Centre resident Jack Waters.
Waters was recently selected as one of 10 members to the Ole Miss All-Century Basketball Team. The school held voting for the honor on its website over the past two months.
Waters, originally from Gilbertown, Ala., played forward/guard for the Rebels from 1959-61.
In his three years at Ole Miss, Waters averaged 19.5 points per game, which is fifth-best in school history. He is also second in scoring average by a sophomore (18.6), ninth by a junior (20.0), and eighth as a senior (20.4). Waters’ 1,384 points rank him 11th on Mississippi’s all-time scoring list.
Waters was named as one of the top 20 college basketball players in the nation in 1960 and was also a three-time all-Southeastern Conference selection.
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File this one under better late than never.
Two of Cedar Bluff’s basketball players, Jess Brannon and Tyric Scales, eclipsed the 1,000-point barriers earlier this basketball season, Tiger coach Joe Carpenter announced following the season.
Brannon, a junior guard, captured her milestone on Dec. 13 against Jacksonville Christian. She now has 1,358 points for her career. Scales, a sophomore guard, earned his milestone on Jan. 10 at Asbury. He now has 1,242 points for his career.
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The Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association has announced the football staffs for July’s All-Star Sports Week North-South football all-star game. Cherokee County head football coach Tripp Curry is one of the assistants on the North team.
Huntsville High School football coach Kevin Wieseman will be the head coach of the North and Davidson football coach Fred Riley will serve as head coach for the South.
Assistant coaches joining Curry on the North squad are Cordova’s Pete Bush, Hewitt-Trussville’s Hal Riddle, Gaston’s Swane Morris, Hamilton’s Rodney Stidham, Hatton’s Royal Carpenter, and Clements’ Jason Black. Assistant coaches for the South squad are Leroy’s Danny Powell, Slocumb’s Jeff Mitchell, Daleville’s Mike Dean, Carver-Montgomery’s Alphonso Pogue, Demopolis’ Tom Causey and Auburn’s Tim Carter and Ross Reed.
The game will be played July 17 at Louis Crews Stadium on the campus of Alabama A&M in Huntsville.
The all-star game, which kicks off at 7 p.m., closes out the 2009 All-Star Week competition. All-Star games are also scheduled for baseball, softball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball and volleyball.
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Now that basketball season is winding down, the spring sports are getting geared up for action.
Coaches, please send The Herald your schedules and rosters for the upcoming spring sports seasons. You can fax those to 927-4853 or e-mail them to sfagan@cherokeeherald.com.
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