By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SPRING GARDEN – Prior to their 2022-23 basketball season-opening game against Ranburne in the Champions Thanksgiving Classic in Alexandria on Saturday, Spring Garden girls coach Ricky Austin opened up his gym bag. He pulled out the Class 2A Northeast Regional Runner-Up plaque, a reminder of the Lady Panthers’ season-ending loss to Pisgah in the regional final.

“It hadn’t been touched,” Austin said. “I just laid it on the floor in front of them before we went out of the locker room. I said ‘I still have a chip on my shoulder for two years (Pisgah ended the Lady Panthers’ 2020-21 season as well). There’s still an unpleasant (feeling) in my gut. Those of you who can absorb what I’m talking about, that’s what this is for. Those of you who are new, that’s our standard right here. We’ve got to get to that point.’ I said ‘Y’all won’t see this again. I’m going to take it and put it in my bag and put it in my trophy case.’”

Not many coaches who lost five seniors from the previous season would make a presentation like that before the season, but that’s just the expectation the Lady Panthers have.

Spring Garden, which moved back down to Class 1A this season, proceeded to drill Ranburne 80-21. They also took down Class 4A Hokes Bluff in the tournament on Monday 61-19. Spring Garden will battle Cherokee County for the tournament title on Tuesday evening.

“We got off to a good start. I like what I saw,” Austin said. “We run the floor really well. We defended pretty good.

“I think we’ve got some good tools to work with. We’ve got to keep everybody healthy. We’ve got a challenging schedule. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do with this team. I really like this team.”

In Monday’s win over Hokes Bluff, sophomore point guard Ace Austin posted a triple double with 22 points, 11 steals and 11 assists. A starter since she was in seventh grade, Ace Austin is once again a focal point of the Lady Panther attack.

“Last year she was a little beat up coming into the season, but I think she was approaching 100 percent at the end of the season last year,” her father and head coach said. “She’s looked real sharp in our practice sessions.”

One of the key weapons surrounding the younger Austin on the court is sharpshooting senior guard Kayley Kirk. Still recovering from an ACL surgery she suffered two years ago now, Kirk went 10-of-10 from the floor against Ranburne.

“She’s moving much better,” Coach Austin said. “She’s worked really hard in the offseason to get back. Usually it takes two years to get back. I feel like she might be ahead of where she was two years ago. We feel like her dynamics are better and will bring something else to us.”

Joining Kirk and Ace Austin at the guard spots is juniors Libby Brown and Maggie Reedy, and sophomores Avery Steward, Kristen Lewis and Olivia Law. Forwards are newcomer Chloe Rule, sophomore Maggie Jarrett and freshman Montana Highfield.

“That’s the ingredients of our team,” Coach Austin said. “We’ve kind of been working on that, mixing things up. I told them at practice after our first game we’ve been working on the ingredients, now the cake is in the oven. Let’s let it cook for a while. We’re going to see how we can cook it all season, and whether I need to leave it in longer or take it out.”

Coach Austin has more time now to focus on the girls’ program. He stepped away from the double duty of also coaching the boys following last season. The Lady Panthers also added former player Madison Sides to their coaching staff, which also consists of Dana Austin, Damon McDonald and Darian Gaines.

The Lady Panthers compete in Class 1A, Area 12 along with Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville, Coosa Christian and Jacksonville Christian.

“I’ve had people calling me and asking me a scouting report on some of the 1A teams they’re about to play, and I’m like ‘I haven’t seen them in two years,’” Coach Austin said. “That’s the adjustment I’ve got to make, even in our area. I couldn’t tell you a single girl’s name from Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville, Jacksonville Christian, Coosa Christian. I’m that far out.

“I’m more worried about us right now coming back down and doing what we need to do. The top end of 2A and the top end of 1A, there’s not a lot of difference. It’s the same level. You’ve still got to do the same thing. You’ve still got to practice the same. You’ve got to get the players to be all in. You’ve still got to have a little luck. People want to think you’re just going to steamroll everybody, but there’s five or six really solid 1A teams at the top. Time will tell, but we’ve got to know who we are first. That’s what we’re doing right now, just making sure we know who we are.”