Cherokee County guard Joel Wester shoots over Piedmont defender CJ Savage during their Cherokee County Boys Basketball Invitational championship game in December. Wester was recently selected to the North All-Star Basketball Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Cherokee County guard Joel Wester shoots over Piedmont defender CJ Savage during their Cherokee County Boys Basketball Invitational championship game in December. Wester was recently selected to the North All-Star Basketball Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Spring Garden's Tykeah Rogers goes up for a basket in traffic against Sand Rock this season. Rogers was recently selected to the North All-Star basketball team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Piedmont's Bayley Blanchard splits through a pair of Excel defenders during their Class 3A state semifinal game in Birmingham. Blanchard was recently chosen to the ASWA Class 3A All-State Basketball Third Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Cherokee County's Quartez Henderson shoots a fadeaway jumper against Saks in Class 4A sub-regional action. Henderson was recently chosen as an honorable mention on the ASWA All-State Class 4A Basketball Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Spring Garden's Madison Sides connects on a 3-pointer against Piedmont during the Cherokee County Invitational Tournament last December. Sides was chosen as an honorable mention on the Class 1A All-State Girls Basketball Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Piedmont's Taylor Hayes goes up strong to the basket against Excel in the Class 3A state semifinals in Birmingham. Hayes was selected as an honorable mention on the Class 3A Boys All-State Basketball Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Piedmont's Bre Green drives to the basket against Spring Garden in the Cherokee County Invitational Tournament back in December. Green was recently chosen as an honorable mention on the Class 3A Girls All-State Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Sand Rock's Courtney Rowe spots up for a 3-pointer against Geraldine this season. Rowe was chosen an honorable mention on the ASWA Class 3A Girls Basketball All-State Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Cedar Bluff's Delilah Price concentrates on a free throw attempt against Spring Garden earlier this season. Price was recently selected an honorable mention on the ASWA Class 1A Girls All-State Team. Photo by Shannon Fagan.
Cherokee County High School boys basketball coach Neal Wester wasn’t exactly sure how successful a season the Warriors would have in 2014-15, but he thought they’d be competitive.
Spring Garden girls coach Ricky Austin said he had a good feeling about his Lady Panthers, too, but neither coach could have known just how far their respective teams would go by seasonÐÔÊӽ紫ý end.
WesterÐÔÊӽ紫ý Warriors posted a 28-3 mark, making their first Class 4A Northeast Regional appearance since 2010.
AustinÐÔÊӽ紫ý Lady Panthers added to Spring GardenÐÔÊӽ紫ý illustrious girls’ basketball history, finishing Class 1A state runner-up with a 33-3 record.
The catalysts for the two teams’ respective successes were Warrior junior guard Joel Wester and Spring Garden junior center Tykeah Rogers. The younger Wester averaged 16.8 points, four rebounds and three assists. Rogers posted 18.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals and an assist per game.
Both Wester and Rogers were selected to the Alabama Sportswriters Association All-State Basketball First Team in their respective classes. In all, nine area basketball players received All-State recognition. The ASWA All-State teams were released late Tuesday evening.
Both Wester and Rogers are joined by two of their teammates, who both garnered honorable mention status.
Representing Cherokee County as an honorable mention is sophomore guard Quartez Henderson. Henderson averaged 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.5 steals per game this season. Spring Garden junior guard Madison Sides, also an honorable mention, averaged 8.6 points, 3.7 boards, 2.1 steals and an assist.
Class 3A boys state runner-up Piedmont (23-12) had a third-team selection in junior guard Bayley Blanchard. Blanchard contributed 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the Bulldogs. Piedmont also had an honorable mention player in sophomore guard Taylor Hayes. Hayes averaged 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists this season.
The Piedmont Lady Bulldogs (20-11) also had an honorable mention in senior guard Bre Green. Green tallied 17 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.9 steals per contest.
Sand Rock senior guard Courtney Rowe also received honorable mention status on the Class 3A girls team. Rowe contributed 11 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.6 steals for the Lady Wildcats (25-6) this season.
Cedar Bluff junior guard Delilah Price was selected an honorable mention on the Class 1A girls team. Price posted 15.2 points, five rebounds, 1.6 assists and 4.1 steals per game for the Lady Tigers (15-13) this season.
A complete list of the entire ASWA All-State Basketball Teams can be found on The Herald’s website, .
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