By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SPRING GARDEN – It took a couple of games worth of patience from Spring Garden head coach Barrett Ragsdale to begin the 2026 football season. The Panthers were replacing 13 seniors from last year, and this year’s squad got off to an 0-2 start.

But this team is starting to look like Panther teams of old, and that look is of smash-mouth football.

Ben Baker bowled his way for 252 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, and Brady Ruark ran for 187 and four scores to lead Spring Garden to a 42-20 homecoming victory over Gaylesville on Friday.

The win evens the Panthers’ record at 2-2 and 2-0 in Class 1A, Region 8 play. They’re tied atop the region with next week’s opponent, the Ragland Purple Devils.

“Patience is a virtue,” Ragsdale said. “The kids, after those first two games, we kept working. We didn’t change anything that we were doing. We just kept grinding every day, doing what we do, and it’s paid off. It’s a credit to our kids for believing in the coaches and what we’ve preached.”

One of those players is Baker.

Ragsdale said Baker told him he “felt like he was a little out of shape” at the beginning of the season, but he took it upon himself to get better.

“He kind of exemplifies what our kids have done,” Ragsdale said. “He’s been the first at our sprints since the Section jamboree. I let kids pop their pads off when they run, but he’s like ‘Coach, I’m keeping mine on.’ Things like that stick out. We’ve had kids who keep grinding.”

“The first two games, we just weren’t locked in,” Baker said. “We just all had to lock in and decide who we are. We’re Spring Garden.”

Ruark echoed Baker’s sentiments.

“We don’t have the same team from last year obviously. Those first two games were learning games for us, but we’re really locked in now,” Ruark said. “I think we’ll be good the rest of the season.”

Spring Garden jumped out to a 20-0 advantage in the second quarter. A Ruark 7-yard run on the Panthers’ first drive and his ensuing 2-point conversion gave Spring Garden an 8-0 lead. Gaylesville (2-1, 1-1) followed the Panther opening-drive touchdown with 13-play, 71-yard drive, but the drive stalled on a Ruark pass break up at the Panther 12-yard line.

One play after Ruark’s drive killer, Baker dashed 88 yards for a 14-0 Panther lead. Following a Trojan punt, Ruark ran it in from 21 yards.

But the Trojans (2-1, 1-1) didn’t back down.

A four-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion by Sean Poss made it a 20-8 game. Gaylesville got the football back on a Baker fumble, then used some double-pass trickery from Jack Sentell to Eythen Ward to a leaping Aydn Heinrich in the end zone just before halftime to cut Spring Garden’s lead to 20-14.

“At halftime, there was no rah-rah speech. I just said ‘Look guys, whatever we did in the first quarter, I’ve got to get that out of you again. If you want to win, you’re going to have to decide to execute. Stop being selfish,’” Ragsdale said.

“We did some selfish things, gave up 45 yards in unsportsmanlike penalties. That shouldn’t happen. We also had a couple of untimely pass interferences. I think we had 150 yards in penalties tonight, but credit our kids. After halftime, we cleaned up our play and played Spring Garden football.”

Following a Gaylesville punt to open the third quarter, Baker and Ruark guided the Panthers 89 yards in seven plays, capped by Ruark’s third touchdown of the game. Ruark then connected with Lucas McGatha on the 2-point conversion for a 28-14 Panther lead.

A Poss fumble on the Trojans’ ensuing drive was recovered by Cayden Thompson, and the Panthers cashed it in on Baker’s second score of the game – a 6-yard run. Baker added a 2-point conversion run to push the Panthers out to a 36-14 advantage at the end of the third quarter.

McGatha intercepted Gaylesville’s Ward early in the fourth quarter, which led to Spring Garden’s final touchdown – a 60-yard scamper by Ruark.

Ward scored on a 1-yard run for the final.

Poss led Gaylesville with 176 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Sentell added 80 yards on 11 totes.

“Last year’s team would’ve probably just folded, but we kept fighting,” Gaylesville coach Brian Knapp said. “I think Sean Poss gave us a spark. We showed a lot of fight and resilience. If we could’ve taken the first kickoff in the second half and scored, it might’ve been interesting.”

The Trojans host Woodville on Friday.