Photo by Erin Nelson
Spain Park’s Joshua Fonbah (0) shoots a 3-pointer in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinal against Sparkman at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
DJ Black could not ask for a better situation to inherit as the new head coach of the Spain Park High School boys basketball program.
The Jags are the furthest thing from a program needing a rebuild or change of direction.
Chris Laatsch took Spain Park to three consecutive state final four appearances from 2021 to 2023, and Black was hired after Laatsch took a job at Orange Beach High. Black was previously the head coach at Thompson.
“It’s been a blessing being here,” Black said. “You don’t have to teach effort, knowing how to play or the culture. You can just kind of hit the ground running. The program was very healthy when I took it over, so I’m excited to grow on that.”
Black has big goals for the Spain Park program, but he primarily operates with the short-term vision of getting better each day.
“This program is ready to go right now. That’s my job, is to get these guys ready for tonight, get these guys ready for next week and the week after. We’re trying to win championships here,” he said. “We’re trying to win games. There is a winning culture here at Spain Park.”
As far as the on-court product, senior guard Josh Fonbah is the returning player with the most experience. His season was cut short last year due to injury, so he is back and eager to prove his caliber.
Black realizes saying he wants his teams to “play fast” is very cliché, but he describes his offense as “taking the first best shot.” He aims to build his teams to the point where there is a mix of set play calls and individual freedom to make plays.
Garrett Gorman — who transferred to Spain Park from Oak Mountain — Walker Coxhead, Crawford Blevins, Lee Guthrie, Zach Erickson and Noah Hendrix are the team’s seniors.
Harrison Stewart and Sam Fox are two juniors Black expects to take on big roles, with Cooper Gann, Quinn Davis, Jackson Fixler and Riley Kent are other juniors ready to make their mark.
“Everybody is going to know who Riley Kent is. He’s going to make a name for himself,” Black said.
Black mentioned Tommy Morrison, Jonathan Fonbah and Andy McQueeney as sophomores that have bright futures in the program.
“Tommy is going to have a monster season,” Black said.
A busy November for the Jags — playing Vestavia Hills, Pinson Valley and Oak Mountain, among others, and hosting a competitive tournament the week of Thanksgiving — leads into an eventful December as well.
In December, the Jags take on Clay-Chalkville, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Homewood and McAdory before playing in tournaments at UMS-Wright and Homewood.
Spain Park plays in a competitive Class 6A, Area 8 with Chelsea, Helena and Pelham. Those important games in January — two against each team — will be critical in determining postseason matchups.
The Jags also face Prattville, Bibb County, McAdory and Hoover to wrap up the regular season.
“We’ve got to [get] better each day, each week, month, and then by January and February, you want to be that nobody wants to play,” Black said.
