Going out on top: Lady Jags persevere, claim state title

BIRMINGHAM – The flood of emotions hit Sarah Ashlee Barker two minutes and three seconds earlier than expected.

In the Class 7A state championship game on Saturday afternoon, the Spain Park High School star senior was slapped with her fifth foul, meaning she would be relegated to a cheerleading role on the bench for the final 2:03.

“It being my last game, and being a senior in the state championship game, you don’t want to go out like that,” Barker said.

The Lady Jags were up six points when she exited, and Barker was forced to gather herself quickly after a brief group hug with her remaining teammates on the bench.

Spain Park struggled in those final two minutes but withstood a late Hoover charge to win 47-44, capturing the Lady Jags’ second state championship in three years.

In the postgame press conference, Spain Park head coach Mike Chase wasn’t sure where to begin.

“I’m usually not at a loss for words,” he said.

Barker’s fifth foul was against Hoover’s Reniya Kelly, who subsequently sank a pair of free throws to cut Spain Park’s lead to 40-36. Spain Park struggled to get the ball across half court against Hoover’s pressure defense without its leader.

“I didn’t think we were going to get the ball across half court. Actually, I didn’t think we were going to get the ball in bounds,” Chase said.

Kelly was the driving force behind a Lady Bucs’ comeback that began while Barker was still in the game. Hoover trailed 35-19 early in the fourth quarter before going on a 9-0 run to cut the gap to seven. Kelly converted a pair of and-1 baskets to make it 44-42. 

Clinging to that lead, Spain Park’s Haley Russell was sent to the free throw line with 24 seconds to play. She sank both charity shots.

“Sarah Ashlee had just come out of the game, so right after that I knew I had to step up,” Russell said. “When I got those two free throws, this was my chance and this was my opportunity.”

Hoover got one last opportunity in the final seconds, but a final shot attempt was too little, too late.

“We finally got a couple calls, walked down and made some free throws, and had just enough to get us over the finish line,” Chase said. “Another 30 seconds, and I don’t know if the result would’ve been the same.”

Hoover, the defending state champs, struggled offensively for much of the first three quarters. At one point, the Lady Bucs had made just 5-of-37 attempts from the field. They finished at 24% shooting.

“We don’t ever start a season and plan to not win a state championship,” Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson said. “The first half was probably the worst we’ve played all season.”

Barker would have much rather been on the court to help lead her team to the finish line, like she’s done countless times in her four-year career. But the Lady Jags were only outscored 8-7 in those final minutes without her, allowing them to grab a blue championship map.

“Throughout the whole year, I’ve been the one that’s had to step up,” Barker said. “It was their time to step up and have my back. You can only thank them and thank God that you have teammates and friends like them.”

Barker finished the night with a double-double, totaling 11 points and 15 rebounds, but she wasn’t the team’s leading scorer as is so often the case. That distinction went to junior guard Avery Masdon, who scored 12 points for Spain Park, including three free throws in the final stretch without Barker.

“Avery has played lights out, in the regional tournament and especially these two games in the final four,” Chase said.

‘It’s redemption’

Hoover City Schools has now won each of the last four 7A girls state championships, with Hoover and Spain Park alternating those titles. Hoover won it all in 2017 and 2019, and Spain Park claimed the top prize in 2018.

“It’s obviously a huge accomplishment for the city of Hoover,” Johnson said. “These two programs are becoming an example for the younger kids. I think it’s something that you’ll continue to see because of the success of these two programs.”

In 2017, Hoover and Spain Park squared off in the state championship game, just like Saturday. Hoover outlasted the Lady Jags in overtime after then-freshman Barker drained a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force the extra period.

The Lady Jags got their own title in 2018, but didn’t have to go through Hoover, which was knocked out in the regional tournament that season. Last season, Hoover steamrolled opponents all the way to a championship game win over Hewitt-Trussville.

“It’s redemption, basically,” Barker said. “We didn’t get to play Hoover in the state championship [in 2018]. Freshman year, we lost to them and this time we beat them. That makes it 10 times better.”

Hoover and Spain Park met twice in the regular season, with each team winning on its home floor. The Lady Bucs picked up a convincing 56-32 victory Dec. 6. In the final regular season game, Spain Park won 61-56 on Jan. 31, behind 35 points from Barker.

When Hoover fell short of the state title in 2018, the Lady Bucs came back in 2019 with a fire to return to the top of the mountain. Johnson hopes Saturday’s disappointment will serve to fuel a similar motivation.

“This is a lesson learned,” she said. “I hate it for the seniors, but I appreciate how hard Janae [Hubbard] and Madison [Adamson] played today. They left it all out on the floor.”

The prize in the toolbox

Chase kept it hidden from the public eye for the whole season, but he brought it into the open at the postgame press conference. A Stanley brand toolbox, black with a bright yellow lid, was handed to him as he walked into the room. He promptly sat it on the table and removed the items inside.

A miniature state championship trophy, a replica of the ones handed out to state champions, was wrapped inside an old Spain Park jersey donning the number 24. The trophy foreshadowed what was to come, with a “2020” label stuck on it. The jersey represents the 24th varsity team Chase has coached in his career.

The team called the trophy Stanley.

“He’s what pushes us through everything,” said Katie Flannery, who scored seven points in the title game.

It served as motivation during good times and bad throughout the season.

“Every time we were starting to slack and slip, I’d pull Stanley out and they’d look at him and say, ‘This is what we’re looking for.’ We set the vision and these guys followed through,” Chase said.

Altered preparation

Hoover and Spain Park coexist within the same city, both programs knowing the most minute of details about the other. But a significant injury within both teams altered how the game looked on Saturday.

In the regional final Feb. 18, Hoover’s leading scorer Aniya Hubbard suffered a knee injury. In the semifinal game on Thursday, Spain Park guard Camille Chase hurt her knee as well. Both players were critical to their respective team’s successes throughout the year.

“Us without Aniya, we’re lacking some energy,” Johnson said. “She just plays hard all the time. … We still had plenty of opportunities to win this game today. I know that’s a huge story, but that wasn’t the deciding factor in the game.”

Without Hubbard, Reniya Kelly led the way with 23 points, including several big baskets in the second half.

“I had to score and get the team back in it, so that’s what I did,” Kelly said.

Camille Chase’s injury left Spain Park without a top 3-point shooter and solid defender, but the Lady Jags had her in mind as they achieved their goal.

After the game, Lady Jags rushed to the center of the Legacy Arena court to claim their second state championship trophy. A few seconds later, Barker grabbed the trophy and handed it to Camille Chase, who was hoisted into the air by her teammates.

Mike Chase, known for his intense coaching style, experienced another special moment at the conclusion of a state championship game.

In 2018, an eighth-grade Camille hit a 3-pointer near the end of Spain Park’s championship win. On Saturday, she was recognized for her contributions throughout the season.

Much like two years ago, Mike Chase had no choice but to smile.