Top ranked Sparkman ready for another run to state

Terri Smith (3) a senior guard for Sparkman drives in a recent game (Record Photo/Chris Lowe)

HARVEST- Sparkman girl’s basketball Head Coach Patrick Delay would like a shot at redemption.

Most of the players are gone from the Sparkman team that lost four years ago in the state championship game to Shades Valley. Delay likes this team’s chances to get back to Birmingham and win a state title.

“It’s two totally different teams in the way they are structured,” said Delay now in his fifth season as head coach. “That team was huge on the inside. The guards job was to feed the post. This team the guards have to push the tempo and score in transition. We can execute sets against zone and shoot from the outside when we need to.”

The Senators have been ranked #1 in Class 7A most of the season and are 23-3. Jeff Davis is the two-time reigning 7A state champion.

He has assembled a guard oriented team that lives on the fast break and pressing defense. They go nine deep in the rotation and spread around the scoring so opponents can’t beat them by shutting down one player.

“We had a lot of young kids that played last year and now they have a year in our system. As fast as we are we give people trouble guarding the ball baseline to baseline. It’s fun to coach, its fun to play in, and you get to play a lot of kids,” said Delay who played in a final four at Brooks High School.

Delay has been coaching at Sparkman 16 years. He was an assistant to June Seals when Sparkman last won a state championship in 2007.

The Senators closed out their area schedule with a 53-16 win over Bob Jones on Jan. 20 and will host the area tournament Feb. 7. They play James Clemens at 6 pm and Bob Jones will play Buckhorn afterward. Championship game will be Feb. 11 at 5:30 pm.

Sparkman is wary of the area tournament where the first game winner advances to the regional and the loser’s season is over.

“We don’t look past any opponent,” Delay said.

Sparkman relies on three seniors who start. Terri Smith, Jayla Walker, and Davia Leak have been on the team since freshmen.

Walker has signed with Jacksonville State.

“Our sophomores are playing tremendous right now. They are Deserea Walker, TJ Webster, Rachel Daneri, and Deyanna Dodd. Derienne (Black) is playing well coming off the bench,” Delay said.