Staff Reports

SPRING GARDEN – Coosa Christian connected on a pair of first-quarter field goals, then scored two rushing touchdowns in the second to earn a 21-6 football victory at Class 1A, No. 6 Spring Garden on Friday.

Spring Garden (1-1) didn’t get on the scoreboard until the 6:51 mark of the third quarter. Noah Barber connected with John Welsh on a 63-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was no good.

Barber was 3-for-10 with 79 yards passing. Welsh had two of those catches for 76 yards. He also led the Panther defense with nine tackles.

Chapel Pope ran for 42 yards on 10 carries. He also made seven stops on defense.

Connor Bates recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. He also had six tackles. Zane Edwards also made six stops.

Spring Garden opens Region 6 play at Wadley on Friday. Coosa Christian (1-1) opens Region 7 play at Gaylesville.

NOTE: Spring Garden’s 2022-23 girls basketball team received their state championship rings at halftime of Friday night’s game. The Lady Panthers won the program’s eighth Class 1A state title with a 62-39 victory over Marion County back on March 2 in Birmingham, capping a 36-1 season.

Spring Garden coach Ricky Austin, who has coached the Lady Panthers in seven of their eight state championship seasons, said the school got the rings in Thursday from Balfour. A couple of the players helped Austin pick out designs, but only Austin knew what they looked like until they were given out at Friday night’s game.

“To see them open that thing and see them put it on their finger, it makes everything worth it,” Austin said. “We’ve got several members on this team, some members on this coaching staff who have never gotten a state championship ring. That’s what’s fun to me, to see them and their excitement. It’s very satisfying, but it’s time to put an end to it. This is the ultimate ending.

“If it’s the last one, I can’t complain. We’re sure going to be working hard for another one, but we’re working hard for one in volleyball right now.”