By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
COMING TUESDAY: All-Cherokee County Offensive Player of the Year
SPRING GARDEN – Spring Garden second-year head football coach Barrett Ragsdale envisions a time in the future when this year’s Panther squad will look back and remember the feats they accomplished on the field in 2024.
On a team that featured 12 seniors, the Panthers went 11-1, including the first outright undefeated regular season in school history. Those wins included an unblemished 6-0 Class 1A Region 8 record, which gave the Panthers their sixth region title in seven seasons. Their lone loss was a 6-0 setback to Berry of Fayette in the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs.
Spring Garden’s defense gave up a total of 126 points all season, an average of 10.5 points per game. The Panthers had six games in which they gave up seven points or less, including a pair of shutouts.
On offense, three players posted over 1,200-yard seasons in senior quarterback Noah Barber, senior running back Connor Bates, and senior all-purpose player John Welsh.
Barber threw for 1,330 yards and 22 touchdowns. Bates ran for 1,430 yards and 20 scores. Welsh ran for 600 yards and 10 scores, and also caught 31 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Yes, the 2024 Panthers certainly have plenty in which to be proud.
“It’s something when they’re 70 years old sitting at Jack’s eating a sausage biscuit they’re going to talk about ‘You remember that 2024 team?’ That’s something they don’t realize now, but I think as they move further down the road, that’s going to be something special – a special season, a special memory,” Ragsdale said.
It will be a special memory for Ragsdale as well. He was recently chosen as the All-Cherokee County Football Coach of the Year.
“All of that credit goes to this group of kids,” Ragsdale said. “I think going back to the offseason going into this year, this is probably one of the most focused group of guys I’ve ever been around. It wasn’t just the seniors. Having 12 seniors is a huge part of that, kind of setting the tone, but it was kind of contagious through the weight room. They were just focus-driven, hungry. Those are two words you can use to describe this group of guys.”
As Ragsdale referred to, the Panthers’ hunger in 2024 actually began at the end of 2023. After going 8-2 and finishing runner-up to Wadley in Region 6, Spring Garden was blanked by Coosa Christian 28-0 at home in the first round of the state playoffs.
Following the 2023 season, Ragsdale challenged the 2024 Panthers, making the statement at media day back in July “if you want a different outcome, you’ve got to put in a different amount of work.”
And they did.
“Of course there were a couple of goals we came up short on, but this team accomplished a majority of the goals they set forth,” Ragsdale said. “Winning the region, going undefeated and winning 10 games, I think the further they get away from the season the more these guys will appreciate it. That’s a hard thing to do, not have a slip up in 10 games. I felt like there were a couple of games we didn’t play well offensively, but that goes back to our defense. They kept us in some games, gave us more time (offensively) and gave us the ball back. To have 10 games where you come out on top is a big accomplishment and a big credit to these guys.”
Talking about the season-ending Berry game is still a sensitive spot for Ragsdale and the Panthers, but if it’s any indication of what transpired from 2023 to 2024, Spring Garden might just have the motivation to have an even bigger 2025.
“That’s a game that will eat at you for a long time,” Ragsdale said. “It’s not where we wanted to stop, but hat’s off to Berry. They were a good football team. Whatever the reason, we didn’t play our best game. Our defense held them to six points. I think they had been averaging 54 points per game, but we just couldn’t get things to fall our way that night.
“These younger guys going into next year, we got back in the weight room after the Berry game. We haven’t taken any time off. In January, we’ll kick it up. That’s going to be a motivating factor. You lose 12 seniors, and five of those guys were all-state performers, I told these guys I’m looking at it as a chance to for them to make a name for themselves. Who are people going to be talking about next year? Who is making this team click? Let’s push it to the next level. I think I’ve got some younger ones who come off that Berry loss and see their chance to grab a hold of their part of the team and make a name for the 2025 team. That’s definitely going to be a motivating factor moving forward for these younger guys.”
Joining Ragsdale from Spring Garden on the 2024 All-Cherokee County Team is Barber, Bates, John Welsh, Jacob Welsh, Grey Simpson, Tanner Ruark, Hayes Garmon, Colton Driskell, Clayton Sadler, Carson Bostick, Johnny Baker, Mason Woods, Zack Scogin and Zane Edwards.
Class 4A state runner-up Cherokee County (13-2) is represented by Tae Diamond, Tristan Brown, Cooper Allen, Carson Chesnut, Ben Moseley, Jaquan Diamond, Keshawn Thomas, Keyshawn Woods, Tyson Wood, Ben Frampton, Luke Young, Tripp Davis, Caleb Harbour, Dylan Duncan, Landon Ransum, Asa Holbert and James Hunter.
Warrior honorable mention players are Adam Griffith, Javierre Henderson, Ethan Glass, Case Hill, Gavin Brown, Jackson Doeg and Dawson Bartlett.
Representing Sand Rock (5-6) is Kane Robison, Gatlin Cox, Gavynn Cunningham, Seth Holland, Caiden Bullard, Morgan Tucker, Brenden Lindsey, Grayson Lane, Ty Traffanstedt and Alec Ashley.
Wildcat honorable mention players are Ryker Woodall and Alex Stone.
Chosen from Gaylesville (4-5) is Alex Baty, Karrson Ray, Collin Hendon, Jack Sentell, Hunter Allmond, Daylen Dobbins, Caden Angle and Tanner Hughes.
Trojan honorable mention players are Aydn Heinrich and Timmy Dawson.
Representing Cedar Bluff (3-7) is Hunter Jenkins, Caleb Edmondson, Kadien Tracy, Hunter Stallings, Isaac Roberts, Bryson Teague, Jacob Chambers, Jayden Flynt and Dylan McDaniel.
Tiger honorable mention players are Sam Payne, Hayden Tucker, Saw Jordan, Cayden Garrett, Hudson Smith and Michael Johnson.
