BIRMINGHAM — With a shaky voice, an emotional but resolute Tammy West did her best to explain the impact this year’s senior class has made on a tradition-rich Cold Springs program.
And while Monday’s Class 2A state semifinal game against top-ranked Mars Hill Bible didn’t go the way the No. 4 Eagles and their longtime coach wanted — the Panthers recorded a 60-50 triumph at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena — that brief 32 minutes on the basketball court, in which Cold Springs gave everything it had, doesn’t even begin to tell the tale of the legacy left behind.
“They’re the best kids walking around the school,” West said of her senior group. “That’s what hurts me the most. It’s not the loss; it’s the relationship I have with these girls. We’re just so close. They’re like my own children. I can’t describe what they mean to me and our entire community. They’re a special group.”
The Eagles (27-5) got off to a quick start against Mars Hill Bible (22-5) for the second consecutive year, collecting a 10-2 lead midway through the opening period following back-to-back 3’s from Ella Bruer and Paizley Whitlow.
But much like last year’s clash, the defending champions settled into the action and eventually held a 30-28 halftime lead they stretched to 44-30 at the 2:09 mark of the third stanza.
Cold Springs, though, closed the quarter with a 9-0 surge that was punctuated by a Bruer 3-pointer just ahead of the buzzer.
“We cut it to five and I felt like we were about to start making some shots,” West said.
Unfortunately for West and her Eagles, though, it was the Panthers who provided the crucial buckets.
Eighth-grader Belle Hill, who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, began the fourth period with a hoop and harm before Madie Sain knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the lead to eight points.
Cold Springs never got closer than six the rest of the way.
“I told them in the locker room that sometimes things don’t go the way you want them to go, but they fought hard,” West said. “Two years ago, we never thought we’d be in this position. This game will not define them. They put a (Final Four) banner on the gym wall last year and they’re going to put another banner on the gym wall this year. I told them that one of these days you’ll walk into that gym with your grandkids and your daughters — and you can go point to those banners and tell them about what you did and how special it was.”
Bruer totaled a team-high 14 points for the Eagles, who were just 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. Fellow seniors Ciara Calvert and Malaya Taylor joined Bruer in double figures with 10 points apiece — as did Whitlow. Maci Brown, also a senior, had six points to round out the scoring.
Sain notched 18 points for Mars Hill Bible while Kadence Rolston added eight points and 11 rebounds.
Despite the disappointing outcome, Cold Springs put together an incredible two-season run.
The Eagles accumulated a 58-7 record, won two area titles and secured a pair of regional crowns on the way to reaching the seventh and eighth Final Fours, respectively, under West.
For Brown, the experience has been a “dream come true.”
“Even though we didn’t come out on top either year, it’s just been a blessing to get to play for a team that’s been a family and people who welcome you in like family. I just … I can’t believe it’s come to an end, but I’m so thankful that it happened.”
Added Bruer: “I’m so proud of the work we put into the past two years. Not just the starting five and the seniors, but the junior varsity girls as well. They worked so hard to get us prepared for this today. I’m just happy that we have the team we do.”
Although the Eagles will need to replace Bruer, Brown, Taylor, Calvert and Abby Livingston, they will return Ella Dickerson, Whitlow and Kenady Graves, among others. Dickerson tore her ACL back in January, disrupting an excellent sophomore season. Whitlow, also a sophomore, produced some of her best performances down the stretch. Graves, meanwhile, played important minutes all season as a junior and was one of the team’s top defenders.
Before turning the page to next season, however, West is going to enjoy the one just completed.
“We’re going to do a lot of reflecting and celebrating of what we accomplished,” she said. “They have absolutely no reason to hang their heads. They’re going to be successful in anything they do one day.”