By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SPRING GARDEN – In any sport, a head coaching change can take some getting used to, but for the Spring Garden Panthers, things have pretty much stayed the same with Barrett Ragsdale moving from defensive coordinator to the top spot.

Ragsdale was named the Panthers’ new head coach back in mid-July. He takes over for 20-year head coaching veteran Jason Howard, who left the Panthers for a new position at Coosa High School in Georgia.

Even with a change at the top of the coaching hierarchy, the Panthers’ expectations remain the same. They’re coming off a 10-2 season and in search of the program’s sixth straight region title.

“It’s a change from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat,” Ragsdale said. “Some things have changed for me, but I feel like for our kids and our coaches, things have stayed pretty normal and consistent.

“We’ve changed a few things, but looking ahead, I’m sure Fridays are going to be a different day from start to finish. That’s the fun part of coaching, whether you’re a head coach or an assistant coach. You get that adrenaline because you want the kids to perform after all the time you put into it. It’s going to be different but it’s going to be fun. I’m excited and looking forward to it.”

So too are the Panther players.

Senior right guard/defensive tackle Jacob Dempsey said it was “a big relief” to the team when they found out Ragsdale was the new Panther head coach.

“Not knowing who could’ve gotten the position and who might’ve been coaching us was kind of scary,” he said. “He’s been coaching me ever since my ninth grade year and he’s coached me to be the best I can.”

“He’s always been with us in the weight room, working us out every day,” junior tight end Tanner Ruark added.

“We know him well,” junior running back John Welsh said. “He’s been with Coach Howard a while, so we’re not really doing anything different. He’s coached us since seventh grade. The only thing that’s changing is he’s the head guy.”

“He’s a really good coach, and I’m glad he’s our coach,” junior right tackle Jacob Welsh said.

Quarterback Chapel Pope, now a senior, is one of the Panthers’ key returning starters. He ran for 915 on 122 carries with 13 touchdowns while throwing for another 819 yards and 11 scores.

Ragsdale said the Panthers are expecting big things from Pope once again this season.

“Chapel has had a good off-season,” Ragsdale said. “Having a full season under his belt, leading the offense, just watching film from last year, Chapel got to where he was doing things so smooth at the end of the year. He’d just run you over. He got patient and let the holes open up, let the throws open up. I think the aspect of having him back as a senior with all the experience he has, I really look for him to be a leader.”

Ragsdale and the Panthers plan on utilizing Pope’s talent as much as possible.

“We’re moving him around a little bit,” Ragsdale said. “We’re looking forward to a great senior season from him.”

Pope isn’t the only key contributor returning in the backfield. Junior running back Connor Bates is back after posting over 1,100 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Also in the Panther backfield rotation is junior John Welsh, sophomore Clayton Sadler and junior Noah Barber. Barber was the Panthers’ backup quarterback last season.

“That’s a good problem to have when you have several people you can name in the backfield,” Ragsdale said.

Sadler, John Welsh and junior Jonathan Baker are the Panther receivers. Ruark will move from the edge of the line to tight end.

Blocking for the Panther playmakers are three returning starting linemen in Ruark, Jacob Welsh and Dempsey. Three new linemen in mix are freshman Zack Scogin, who is doing some snapping, along with juniors Hayes Garmon, Mason Woods and Eli Ledbetter.

Several of those guys will also pull double duty along the defensive front.

Junior Gray Simpson and sophomore Zane Edwards will play at linebacker and nose guard for the Panthers. Both earned varsity experience last season.

The secondary rotation includes a mix of Pope, Barber, Baker, Bates, junior Carson Bostick and eighth grader Lucas McGatha.

Ragsdale and the Panthers get a dress rehearsal this Friday in jamboree action against White Plains and Westbrook Christian at Ohatchee before the curtain is pulled back on the 2023 season at Sand Rock on Aug. 25.

The Panthers’ first home game of the season is Sept. 1 against Coosa Christian, a rematch from last year’s classic Class 1A second-round playoff battle in which the Panthers’ season ended with a heartbreaking 31-28 setback.

“It’s been mentioned a few times (the Coosa Christian playoff game),” Ragsdale said. “It gets brought up a few times in the weight room when we’re doing our final burn out of the day. There are two or three things from last year we pull from. Getting beat at home in the second round of the playoffs is not what we planned. It left a bad taste in our mouths, and I think it’s fueled us in the weight room and throughout the summer.”

2023 Spring Garden Football Schedule
Aug. 25              at Sand Rock
Sept. 1                Coosa Christian
Sept. 8               at Wadley
Sept. 15              Victory Christian
Sept. 22             at Winterboro
Sept. 29             Cedar Bluff
Oct. 6                 at Talladega County Central
Oct. 13               Pleasant Valley
Oct. 20               at Donoho
Oct. 27               Ragland