For one of the state’s smaller counties, the five local high schools created some big headlines over the past nine months.

First and foremost among Cherokee County’s prep accomplishments was the Spring Garden girls basketball squad’s drive to the Class 1A state title.

The Lady Panthers’ first-place trophy ended the county’s four-year state championship drought that went back to the Cedar Bluff girls Class 1A track and field crown in 2000. It was also the school’s first title since the 1987 girls 1A state basketball championship.

Spring Garden also captured its first county title in four years, as well as the county invitational, area and regional championships.

The key ingredient in the Garden girls’ award-winning recipe was an intense full-court pressure defense that quickly threw an opponent off its game plan and (more times than not) decided the game’s outcome well before the halftime buzzer. The team’s 34-1 record only hinted at Spring Garden’s dominance. Their December loss to Haralson County notwithstanding, the Lady Panthers typically absorbed its rival’s best shot early on before converting numerous turnovers into a double-digit lead. If an opponent attempted to shut down the paint area, the Spring Garden sharpshooters exacted a heavy price. If said opponent elected to deny the perimeter, Latrisha Abernathy and Mikie Garner subsequently won the battle of the post. The Lady Panthers’ preseason resolution of setting high goals without looking past the next game reflected the squad’s business-like approach, and senior Abernathy’s leadership-by-example role personified the Garden girls’ team-first attitude. With four starters returning, the Panther faithful certainly can expect more special moments this winter.

The CCHS and Spring Garden volleyball squads both reached the state semifinals. It was the Lady Warriors’ fourth trip to the Elite Eight Final Four in five years. The Lady Panthers made their third Pelham appearance in four years and reached the Final Four for the first time in school history. Both schools won their respective area tournaments, with the Lady Warriors notching their sixth straight area crown.

Contrary to many local and out-of-county expectations, the Cedar Bluff football team reached the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs for the third straight year.

The Tigers lost several starters off their 2002 state quarterfinal team, but Cedar Bluff rebounded from a 1-2 start to notch a six-game winning streak. The Tigers, who finished with an 8-4 record and 5-1 region mark, defeated Brilliant in the first round before bowing to No. 1 Courtland.

With only eight members, the Cedar Bluff boys track and field team took fourth place at the Class 1A state track and field meet. The Tigers won four individual medals, including gold medalists T.J. Henderson (shot put) and Josh Hampton (javelin).

One of the more pleasant surprises of the year was the Gaylesville softball team. The Lady Trojans suffered through a spring of peaks and valleys before it all came together in the Class 1A, Area 10 tournament at Ft. Payne. Behind the stellar pitching of Jennifer Aldridge and highlighted by a bottom-of-the-seventh rally against Spring Garden in the championship tilt, Gaylesville won four straight games to claim the first place trophy. The Lady Trojans then made school history by winning their first-ever substate series with a victory over Faith Christian. If not for a few untimely errors against Parrish in the substate second round, Gaylesville would have represented the county at the state tournament in Montgomery.

The Gaylesville baseball team extended its postseason streak to three years after the Trojans went a perfect 6-0 in Class 1A, Area 10. Ranked as high as No.8 in the state during the season, the 2004 county champions suffered a tough first-round loss to Westminister Chris-tian.

The CCHS boys basketball team also won its area, defeating a tough Jacksonville squad in the Class 4A, Area 12 tournament.

The Warriors, who went 25-7 and finished as the No. 5 team in 4A, fell to Guntersville in five overtimes in the subregional round. Senior Maurice Dupree, who was voted the county MVP for the second straight year, led the Centre squad to its fourth straight county and county invitational championships.

The first of Gaylesville’s three area titles (the most of any county school) came courtesy of the Lady Trojan volleyball squad, who won a school-record 43 matches en route to sweeping Cedar Bluff and Collinsville for the Class 1A, Area 10 championship.

The Sand Rock softball team posted a 34-10 record, won its second straight county tournament and took the runner-up spot at the Class 2A, Area 13 tournament. Sophomore pitcher Taylor Burt, who was responsible for 26 of those victories, posted an earned run average of 0.31 while striking out 395 in 221 innings.

On the volleyball court, the Lady Wildcats went undefeated at home en route to a 30-12 record and the area runner-up spot, while the Lady Rocker cheerleader squad took the county meet’s first place trophy.

As the Class 2A, Area 13 runner-up, the Wildcat baseball team qualified for the state playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Two teams kept pace with one another on terms of county championships, as both the CCHS volleyball team and the Sand Rocks boys track and field program won respective sixth straight titles. The Sand Rock girls track and field team captured its second straight county title.

Although a loss in its next-to-last game kept the CCHS football team out of the state playoffs, the Warriors’ 6-4 record was the Centre squad’s best mark since 1998.

On an individual level, Sand Rock’s Taylor Burt and Cedar Bluff’s Audrie each broke their school’s basketball single-game scoring record.

Abernathy reached the 2,000th point milestone during the area tournament title game, while Sand Rock’s Jennifer Givens set a school record with eight three-point baskets against Geraldine in the Class 2A, Area 13 tournament.

Also, Cedar Bluff’s Maddrick Long scored his 1,000th career point during the Tigers’ basketball season.

Spring Garden girls head basketball coach Ricky Austin was selected as Class 1A girls Coach of the Year, while Abernathy and Garner were selected as Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 1A Player of the Year finalists.

CCHS was tops in all-state selections with 10, followed by Gaylesville and Spring Garden (seven each), Cedar Bluff (five) and Sand Rock (four).

Check back in approximately 273 days for next year’s review - the 2004 Pigskin Preview is already simmering on the back burner