SUMMER BASKETBALL: Childers says Scottsboro not resting after winning 5A state title
Story By Jason Bowen
Shortly after the Scottsboro varsity girls basketball program made history last March with its first state championship, head coach Brandon Childers warned the players about avoiding complacency.
After the Wildcats wrapped up their summer playing schedule in late June, Childers doesn’t see that being an issue.
“It feel like we’re still hungry,” said Childers, who has led the Wildcats to back-to-back regional titles and Class 5A state finals appearances. “It would be easy to get lax or content, but we’re still eager, working to step up. They still have that drive to be better.”
Scottsboro defeated Ramsay 55-53 in the 2024-25 AHSAA Class 5A Girls Basketball state championship game, capping a two-year run in which the Wildcats posted a combined 55-12 record with two area championships, two regional titles, a state title and one state runner-up finish.
Three starters and nine players return from last season’s state-title winning team. Playing for the Wildcats this summer were returning starters Caroline Dawson, Izzy Nelson and Ella White, key reserves Grace White, Mia Martin, Abigail Shelton and Tatum Shelton along with late-season junior varsity promotees Terri Austin and Draiea Prater, players are primed to play bigger varsity roles this season, and rising senior Ava Grace Long.
The biggest question mark for the reigning Class 5A girls state champs entering the 2025-26 season is how will the Wildcats deal with losing two four-year varsity starters, Snead State signee and two-time all-state selection Bree Sexton and all-state tournament selection and NACC softball signee Morgan Perkins. They were part of more than 100 wins in their varsity careers and their play and leadership abilities are things Childers said the Wildcats are working to to try to replace.
“Bree and Morgan were really great players, and you always wonder how you’re going to do when you lose players like them,” Childers said. “I thought we did well (adjusting to new lineups). I thought the girls stepped up.”
Scottsboro played 19 games during the AHSAA alloted summer competition period. They hosted a play date, took a two-day trip to Oxford, Mississippi to play games at Oxford (Mississippi) High School and Ole Miss and competed in a play date at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville before capping its summer with its annual team camp at Fort Walton Beach (Florida) High School.
On the Florida trip, the Wildcats played reigning Tennessee Class 3A state champion Heritage twice, winning two low-scoring defensive battles. Winning those type of games for a team that likes to play fast was a welcome sight to Childers and Co.
“That was exactly what we needed, to win a slow-down game,” he said.
Scottsboro also had two close wins over a Fort Payne team it split with last season, and Scottsboro also posted wins at Wallace State over Class 7A Austin and Priceville, the team it defeated there in the Class 5A Northwest Regional semifinals last February.
“We wanted to go to Wallace and play as much as we could so if we’re fortunate enough to get to regionals, we’ll have had a lot of experience playing there.”
The objective for the Wildcats now with offseason workouts is a simple one to Childers.
“We’re not talking about how far we can go next season,” Childers said. “We’ve just got to try to improve everyday to be the best we can.”
