Staff Reports
CENTRE – The Cherokee County Lady Warriors (17-2) and Sand Rock Wildcat boys (14-4) were selected by the county basketball coaches Wednesday as the top seeds of the 2026 Cherokee County Basketball Tournament, sponsored by Foothills Tractor and Equipment.
The tournament begins next Thursday, Jan. 15 at Richard Lindsey Arena on the Gadsden State-Centre campus. Admission is $8 per day.
The Lady Warriors, coached by Richard Barton, will be seeking their first county championship since 2017 and 17th overall. They open tournament play on Friday in the semifinals at 3:30 p.m. and will face the winner of the Thursday’s 4:30 p.m. game between Spring Garden and Gaylesville.
The other girls tournament semifinal will be Friday at 6:30 p.m. between Sand Rock and Cedar Bluff.
The Wildcat boys, coached by Nick Traffanstedt, will be seeking their first county title since 2021 and 15th known county title since 1935. They also open tournament play on Friday in the semifinals at 5 p.m. and will take on the winner of Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. game between Cherokee County and Gaylesville.
The other boys tournament semifinal game will be Friday at 8 p.m. between Cedar Bluff and Spring Garden.
This year’s varsity girls and boys championship games will be Saturday at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. respectively at Richard Lindsey Arena.
Spring Garden is the defending champion in both the varsity girls and boys tournaments. The Lady Panthers have won the last six county titles, with their latest coming last year over Sand Rock in the championship game by the final of 77-26.
Since the girls county tournament’s inception in 1977, Spring Garden owns the most county titles (22).
The Panther boys have won back-to-back county titles, including last year’s 51-50 nail biter over Sand Rock.
The junior varsity boys tournament also begins Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Richard Lindsey Arena. Sand Rock battles Spring Garden at 3:30 p.m., while Cedar Bluff and Cherokee County clash at 5:30 p.m.
Winners of those games play in the JV boys championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.
County Tournament Schedule
