Last Tuesday was Championship Day at Spring Garden. Alabama High School Athletic Association executive director Steve Savarese made a special trip from Montgomery to present again the Class 1A state championship trophies in volleyball and girls basketball in the presence of every Spring Garden student.Just before 9 a.m. students packed one side of the Dale Welsh Gymnasium. Kindergarteners, many wearing their maroon and gold “36-0” t-shirts, spilled over onto the gym floor. Friends and family of the team members filled the opposite side of the gym.
Ricky Austin, who coached both championship teams, led his players and assistant coaches to their seats at the far end of the gym. After introducing his assistants – Rachel Carroll in volleyball and Dana Austin and Ben Carroll in basketball – Austin talked about the effort required to achieve each championship. He praised the dedication and determination shown by members of both teams. Austin also predicted their successes would be a source of inspiration for future Panther teams.
A video presentation featuring still photographs and game footage from the championship game wins over Athens Bible in volleyball and McIntosh in basketball followed. Each basketball player received a loud ovation as she was shown emerging from the team bus in Birmingham. More applause followed as the Panthers pulled farther and farther away from the Demons.
Cherokee County superintendent Brian Johnson presented Spring Garden principal Mike Welsh with a copy of a resolution of commendation passed by the Cherokee County Board of Education a few days earlier.
Before making the trophy presentations, Savarese had a little fun at the expense of Dana Austin. He said he and she had been side by side on treadmills at the team hotel when “Coach Dana” told him that Ricky Austin would get all the credit when Spring Garden defeated McIntosh but she had really done all the work. She said later that she and Savarese had shared adjoining treadmills but that was the only grain of truth in his tale.
Savarese’s remarks then took a serious turn. He reminded the players – all eight members of the volleyball team were also members of the basketball team – their teammates would remain an important part of their lives for years to come.
Then came the moment everyone had been anticipating. Savarese called first the volleyball team then the basketball team forward and presented again the state championship trophies with their distinctive blue map of Alabama.
Savarese closed with a promise.
“I’ll see you next year at this time,” he vowed.
Ricky Austin called on the basketball team’s four seniors – Paige Anderson, Carly Mitchell, Olivia Mobley and Bridget Parris – to unveil the 2008 basketball championship banner. That banner joins others symbolizing Spring Garden’s 1987, 2004 and 2005 state basketball championships.
As the younger students made their way off the gym floor, their older sisters and brothers – led by senior Tyler Cronan – began a series of “waves” to close the morning.
