Spring Garden girls basketball coach Ricky Austin gives instruction from the bench during the Lady Panthers’ state championship game against Marion County at Legacy Arena in Birmingham on March 2. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
The Spring Garden Lady Panthers won their eighth Class 1A state basketball title earlier this month with a 62-39 victory over defending champion Marion County. The win capped a 36-1 season, and it secured Ricky Austin’s seventh championship as head coach.
The Alabama Sports Writers Association took notice of Austin’s success with the Lady Panthers this season. They recently selected him as the Class 1A Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Austin’s daughter, sophomore point guard Ace Austin, earned a spot on the 1A Girls Basketball All-State First Team, while senior guard Kayley Kirk was chosen for a position on the third team.
The Austins and Kirk are three of 12 area players/coaches to receive all-state recognition. The teams were released on Sunday morning.
Ace Austin averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 4.9 steals. Kirk collected 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, two assists and 1.6 steals.
Staying in Class 1A and with Spring Garden, sophomore center John Welsh also earned a third-team spot on the boys’ side. Welsh averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and a block per game last season for the Panthers (19-8).
In Class 2A, Sand Rock (22-11) clinched its first Final Four berth since 2011 in John Blackwell’s final season as Wildcat coach. The two main catalysts of the Wildcats’ run were senior point guard Jacob StClair and senior guard Kaden Justice.
StClair earned a first-team spot on the Class 2A team, while Justice was selected on the second team.
StClair averaged 27 points, 6.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and a steal per game. Justice came away with 16.2 points, 6.8 boards and 1.5 assists per contest.
Collinsville senior guard Colton Wills was chosen on the Class 2A boys third team. Wills collected 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Panthers (13-13).
Staying in Class 2A, Sand Rock junior guard Katelyn StClair earned a spot of the third team. She averaged 20.7 points, 5.9 boards, 3.6 assists and 2.9 steals for the Lady Wildcats (18-14). Collinsville senior point guard Tyla Tatum was selected as an honorable mention. Tatum tallied 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals for the Lady Panthers (16-8).
In Class 3A, Piedmont senior point guard Alex Odam picked up a spot on the first team. The Jacksonville State signee averaged 25.6 points, 9.2 boards, 7.1 assists and 2.5 steals for the Bulldogs (25-6).
Switching over to the 3A girls’ side, Lady Bulldog senior forward LeLe Ridley earned a spot on the third team. Ridley averaged 14 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game for Piedmont (16-14).
In Class 4A girls, Cherokee County junior guard Mary Hayes Johnson was chosen as an honorable mention. Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 4.3 steals for the Lady Warriors (23-8) last season.
You can see the complete ASWA all-state basketball selections below.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.