Staff Reports
The Spring Garden Lady Panthers begin the 2023-24 basketball season where they ended the last: on top of Class 1A.
The defending state champions are ranked No. 1 in the first Alabama Sports Writers Association basketball rankings of the season. The Lady Panthers are off to a 9-0 start, dominating their opponents by an average margin of 41.7 points per game.
Spring Garden hosts ninth-ranked and area rival Cedar Bluff (6-4) on Friday.
In Class 2A, the Sand Rock Lady Wildcats (9-2) come in at No. 7. The Lady Wildcats travel to Coosa Christian on Thursday.
One other area girls team received a nomination in the first poll: Class 4A Cherokee County (5-1). The Lady Warriors take on Oneonta on Saturday in the Cherokee Classic at Sand Rock.
In the boys poll, Collinsville (5-3) comes in at No. 3 in Class 2A. The Panthers take on Class 4A, No. 7 Cherokee County (0-0) in the Cherokee Classic on Friday.
In Class 1A, Spring Garden (4-1) enters the poll at No. 6. The Panthers host area rival Cedar Bluff on Thursday.
One other area boys basketball team received a nomination: Class 3A Piedmont (5-2). The Bulldogs travel to Class 4A, No. 5 Anniston (5-3) on Friday.
The Alabama Sports Writers Association high school basketball rankings began with teams reporting results to their local sports writers, and those writers nominating them for consideration. You can see this week’s complete girls and boys polls listed below.
GIRLS
CLASS 7A
1. Bob Jones (9-3)
2. Sparkman (9-3)
3. Chelsea (14-0)
4. Vestavia Hills (13-1)
5. Hoover (6-3)
6. Davidson (11-4)
7. Hewitt-Trussville (11-3)
8. Daphne (12-0)
9. Auburn (8-1)
10. Foley (9-2)
Others nominated: Enterprise (11-0), Fairhope (7-5), Huntsville (8-3), Prattville (8-4), Tuscaloosa Co. (10-4).
CLASS 6A
1. Hazel Green (12-0)
2. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (10-4)
3. Mortimer Jordan (11-1)
4. Clay-Chalkville (12-1)
5. Park Crossing (12-0)
6. Huffman (8-4)
7. Hartselle (10-4)
8. Pike Road (11-2)
9. Muscle Shoals (6-2)
10. Mountain Brook (7-4)
Others nominated: Briarwood (5-4), Homewood (12-3), Lee-Huntsville (6-5), McGill-Toolen (7-5), Minor (10-4), Northridge (12-3), Parker (6-4), Pelham (8-7), Pell City (9-3), Theodore (8-5).
CLASS 5A
1. Pleasant Grove (8-3)
2. Jasper (8-3)
3. Arab (10-1)
4. Gulf Shores (11-1)
5. Southside-Gadsden (9-2)
6. East Limestone (8-1)
7. Sardis (10-2)
8. Moody (9-0)
9. Scottsboro (8-2)
10. Selma (9-0)
Others nominated: Carroll (6-4), Guntersville (7-3), St. Paul’s (6-4), Wenonah (13-4), West Point (7-3).
CLASS 4A
1. Prattville Christian (9-1)
2. Good Hope (10-1)
3. Anniston (12-0)
4. Deshler (8-2)
5. Priceville (7-4)
6. Jackson (9-1)
7. UMS-Wright (10-3)
8. Hale Co. (8-3)
9. T.R. Miller (8-2)
10. St. Michael (11-0)
Others nominated: Ashville (10-2), Cherokee Co. (5-1), Dora (8-3), Geneva (6-2), Handley (7-2), Madison Co. (6-3).
CLASS 3A
1. Lauderdale Co. (9-0)
2. Clements (6-4)
3. Plainview (10-3)
4. Susan Moore (11-0)
5. St. James (8-2)
6. Southside-Selma (6-1)
7. Midfield (6-4)
8. Trinity (7-4)
9. Ashford (6-3)
10. Childersburg (8-2)
Others nominated: Glencoe (4-4), New Brockton (6-2), Providence Christian (9-1), Straughn (7-3), Monroe Co. (6-1).
CLASS 2A
1. Mars Hill Bible (8-0)
2. Cold Springs (13-0)
3. Decatur Heritage (9-2)
4. Lanett (6-2)
5. Sulligent (4-0)
6. Ider (8-3)
7. Sand Rock (9-2)
8. Abbeville (7-0)
9. Francis Marion (7-3)
10. Locust Fork (8-2)
Others nominated: Cottonwood (6-1), Hatton (5-3), Horseshoe Bend (8-2), North Sand Mountain (9-3), Pisgah (5-4), Samson (9-1).
CLASS 1A
1. Spring Garden (9-0)
2. Skyline (9-1)
3. Elba (4-1)
4. A.L. Johnson (4-0)
5. Marion Co. (5-3)
6. Brilliant (9-3)
7. Shoals Christian (8-2)
8. Keith (3-3)
9. Cedar Bluff (6-4)
10. Belgreen (8-2)
Others nominated: Athens Bible (5-3), Georgiana (4-6), Kinston (9-4), Leroy (3-1).
AISA
1. Sparta (11-0)
2. Glenwood (8-4)
3. Hooper (NA)
4. Edgewood (11-2)
5. Lee-Scott (5-3)
6. Springwood (10-1)
7. Lakeside (5-6)
8. Fort Dale Academy (NA)
9. Lowndes Academy (NA)
10. Bessemer Academy (4-3)
Others nominated: None.
BOYS
CLASS 7A
1. Huntsville (12-1)
2. Hoover (10-1)
3. Central-Phenix City (12-1)
4. Austin (9-3)
5. Mary Montgomery (11-0)
6. Thompson (9-2)
7. Albertville (11-1)
8. JAG (11-0)
9. Baker (10-3)
10. James Clemens (9-3)
Others nominated: Auburn (8-3), Dothan (8-3), Enterprise (6-1), Fairhope (10-1), Florence (8-3), Hewitt-Trussville (9-4), Julian (6-4), Oak Mountain (5-7), Vestavia Hills (7-3).
CLASS 6A
1. Buckhorn (10-3)
2. Mountain Brook (10-2)
3. Northridge (10-1)
4. Pinson Valley (9-3)
5. Paul Bryant (10-1)
6. Helena (10-1)
7. Fort Payne (10-0)
8. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (8-3)
9. Cullman (9-3)
10. Hazel Green (8-4)
Others nominated: Athens (7-3), Benjamin Russell (3-1), Briarwood (5-4), Central-Tuscaloosa (11-2), Clay-Chalkville (9-4), Decatur (8-3), Hartselle (7-5), Homewood (9-4), McGill-Toolen (8-3), Mortimer Jordan (13-0), Murphy (10-3), Parker (8-4), Pelham (14-3).
CLASS 5A
1. Fairfield (9-1)
2. Valley (7-0)
3. Williamson (8-3)
4. Jasper (8-2)
5. Scottsboro (5-2)
6. Madison Academy (12-2)
7. East Limestone (7-2)
8. Selma (8-1)
9. Sardis (9-1)
10. Ramsay (4-5)
Others nominated: Alexandria (6-2), Carroll-Ozark (7-2), Charles Henderson (5-4), Eufaula (3-4), Headland (6-2), John Carroll (8-3), Lawrence Co. (5-5), Vigor (7-5), Wenonah (7-6), West Point (9-4).
CLASS 4A
1. Hale Co. (8-1)
2. Escambia Co. (6-2)
3. White Plains (11-4)
4. Jacksonville (6-3)
5. Anniston (5-3)
6. Geneva (8-2)
7. Cherokee Co. (0-0)
8. Montevallo (8-3)
9. Fultondale (5-2)
10. Andalusia (4-1)
Others nominated: Brooks (6-1), East Lawrence (7-3), Good Hope (6-5), Hamilton (7-3), St. John Paul II (8-3), T.R. Miller (3-5), West Morgan (3-2).
CLASS 3A
1. Sumter Central (9-2)
2. Midfield (7-4)
3. Plainview (8-3)
4. Cottage Hill (9-2)
5. Montgomery Academy (9-2)
6. Houston Academy (7-2)
7. Hillcrest-Evergreen (7-2)
8. Providence Christian (9-1)
9. Lauderdale Co. (7-1)
10. Northside Methodist (10-2)
Others nominated: Carbon Hill (8-2), Danville (9-3), Excel (4-1), Geraldine (5-2), Glencoe (5-4), Indian Springs (6-3), Oakman (5-1), Piedmont (5-2), Southside-Selma (5-2).
CLASS 2A
1. LaFayette (4-2)
2. Decatur Heritage (4-3)
3. Collinsville (5-3)
4. G.W. Long (9-5)
5. Red Bay (6-3)
6. Zion Chapel (8-3)
7. Pisgah (2-2)
8. Mars Hill Bible (4-1)
9. Central-Coosa (3-2)
10. Tanner (4-2)
Others nominated: Hatton (5-3), North Sand Mountain (4-6).
CLASS 1A
1. Covenant Christian (7-4)
2. Florala (7-3)
3. Georgiana (7-0)
4. Pleasant Home (9-1)
5. Marion Co. (8-2)
6. Spring Garden (4-1)
7. Skyline (8-2)
8. Red Level (7-3)
9. McIntosh (7-1)
10. Woodville (9-2)
Others nominated: Belgreen (7-3), Brantley (3-3), Keith (3-5).
AISA
1. Lee-Scott (9-0)
2. Glenwood (7-2)
3. Bessemer Academy (9-0)
4. Escambia Academy (6-1)
5. Springwood (9-1)
6. Wilcox Academy (8-0)
7. Abbeville Christian (7-3)
8. Autauga Academy (2-1)
9. Evangel Christian (5-5)
10. Banks Academy (3-4)
Others nominated: Fort Dale Academy (4-4), Snook (5-7), Southern Academy (4-4), Lowndes Academy (2-1), Sparta (4-5).
NOMINATIONS RECEIVED FROM
AL.com
Alexander City Outlook
Anniston Star
Atmore Advance
Cullman Times
Daily Mountain Eagle
Decatur Daily
Dothan Eagle
EASportsToday.com
Evergreen Courant
Florence TimesDaily
Gadsden Times
Jackson Co. Sentinel
Montgomery Advertiser
Opp News
Selma Sun
Selma Times-Journal
Shelby Co. Reporter
Starnes Media
Tuscaloosa News
Valley Times-News
WEIS radio