One state championship, one state runner-up, two state semifinalists, one state quarterfinalist, a state track & field bronze medal, three section titles, four region championships, nine area crowns, 10 college scholarships and 34 All-State selections.

A rather respectable nine-month output from the county’s varsity sports programs.

The county’s sublime moment, of course, occurred on March 4 when the Spring Garden girls basketball team earned their second straight Class 1A state championship.

Bookended by an 89-17 victory over White Plains on Nov. 12 and an 82-58 win over Hazlewood in the state title game, the Lady Panthers racked up a 32-2 record, went wire to wire as the state’s No. 1 ranked team and won the Northeast Regional title for the third straight year.

Their only two losses were to Sylvania (a defeat which Spring Garden avenged later in the season) and Haralson Co. (GA), and Hazelwood’s thug-based strategy in the state final turned out to be a poor match against the Lady Pan-thers’ superior talent and poise.

Approximately four months earlier, the Spring Garden volleyball team capped off a school-record 54-7 season and the state’s No. 2 ranking with the Class 1A runner-up trophy.

The Sand Rock volleyball team and the Spring Garden boys basketball squad both reached the state semifinals.

The Lady Wildcats won their first-ever Elite Eight elimination game before falling to No. 1 ranked and eventual state champion Bayside Academy. Sand Rock finished with a 35-16 record and the state’s No. 6 ranking.

Under first year coach Jason Howard, the Panthers increased their win total from 10 to 23 games.

After making its first county title game appearance in six years, Spring Garden went on to win the area and Northeast Regional titles before falling to Autaugaville in the state Final Four.

The Cedar Bluff football program recorded another standout year.

The Tigers’ 11-2 season featured a second straight win over county rival Sand Rock, a nine-game winning streak, a 6-0 region mark, the state’s No. 9 ranking and the Class 1A, Region 6 title. Cedar Bluff posted playoff wins over Hackleburg and Winterboro before falling to No. 1 ranked R.A. Hubbard in the third round.

On the opposite side of the causeway, Cherokee County’s season-opening 31-27 victory over 2003 Class 4A state semifinalist Alexandria signaled the start to a special season for the Warriors.

CCHS went on to win its next nine games while capturing the Class 3A, Region 6 title, gaining the state’s No. 8 ranking and making the state playoffs for the first time in several years. The Centre squad defeated Madison Academy in the postseason before falling to Hokes Bluff in the second round.

A big reason for the Warriors’ success was 2,231 ru-shing yards courtesy of halfback Jeffrey Wood and off-ensive linemen Will Miller, Ryan Law, Brad Weaver Matt Morgan and Andrew Jones.

Despite winning only one gold medal, the Sand Rock boys track & field team took home the bronze at the Class 2A state meet. The week before, the Wildcats won the Class 2A, Section 2 meet.

The Cedar Bluff girls track & field team won the Class 1A, Section 2 meet before notching a fourth place finish at the state meet.

The CCHS boys golf team took first place at the Class 3A, Section 4 Tournament.

The Cedar Bluff baseball team rebounded from a 6-13 record in 2004 to a 13-9 mark this year.

The Tigers won the Area 10 championship and made it to the second round of state playoffs.

The Sand Rock baseball squad also won a first-round playoff game after winning a school record 18 games.

After an extended playoff drought, the CCHS baseball team qualified for the postseason as the Class 3A, Area 5 runner-up.

Winning area titles were Spring Garden (volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball), CCHS (volleyball, boys basketball), Cedar Bluff (baseball), Sand Rock (volleyball) and Gaylesville (volleyball).

Capturing county championships were Spring Garden (volleyball, girls basketball), Cedar Bluff (boys and girls track & field), Sand Rock (softball, cheerleading) and CCHS (boys basketball).

Individual accomplishments included Jerry Stancil’s 470 rushing yards on 23 carries in Gaylesville’s 48-28 victory over Spring Garden on Oct. 4. Stancil’s yardage total was 61 yards shy of the single-game AHSAA record.

Spring Garden’s Mikie Garner and Ricky Austin were named ASWA Class 1A Girls Basketball Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.

Garner also scored her 2,000th career point on Jan. 4 against Collinsville, while Austin gained his 200th career coaching victory in the same game.

Spring Garden’s Paige Anderson was an ASWA Class 1A Girls Basketball Player of the Year finalist.

Anderson also set a school record with 41 points against Sand Rock on Feb. 1. Her 11 3-point baskets in the same game were good enough for second place in AHSAA history, while her 3-point attempt total of 18 was two shy of the state mark. For her efforts, Anderson was named ASWA Player of the Week.

Cedar Bluff guard Josh Hampton and CCHS tackle Will Miller were ASWA Class 1A and Class 3A Lineman of the Year award finalists, respectively, while Cedar Bluff halfback Jeremy Bryant was an ASWA Class 1A Back of the Year award finalist.

Miller was also chosen to play in the 2005 Alaba-ma/Mississippi High School All-Star Football Classic.

Sand Rock’s Taylor Burt and Spring Garden’s Whitney Mobley were selected to play in the 2005 AHSAA North/South All-Star basketball game.

Spring Garden’s Charles Doss, Sand Rock’s Jordy Fleming and Cherokee County’s Jeremy Rieger each were Bryant/Jordan Scholarship Award recipients.

Signing college scholarships were Garner (Jacksonville State - basketball), Sand Rock’s Anna Norris (Southern Union - volleyball); Spring Garden’s Dusty Gill (Gadsden State - cross-country); Miller (Georgia Tech - football); Spring Garden’s Britney Parris (Gadsden State - basketball); Cherokee County’s Anna Kisor (Gadsden State - volleyball); Hampton (University of the South - football letter of intent); Spring Garden’s Twyla Haggermaker (softball - Snead State); Cherokee County’s Reggie Dupree (basketball - Gadsden State); and Gaylesville’s Jeremy Long (Waldorf - football)