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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

A few weeks before Jemison High School’s varsity girls basketball team clinched a spot in the sub-regionals for the first time in years, the program’s 1983-1984 team was recognized over 40 years later for its state runner-up finish.

The 1983-1984 varsity girls basketball team at Jemison was honored during the school’s home games against Montevallo High School on Jan. 23. The team advanced to the Class 2A state championship that season with a 22-4 record and lost to Winfield High School in the state final. Led by head coach Rhonda Jones, the program went from being formed in 1979 to the state championship game in only five years.

Jones started the girls basketball program at Jemison and there were growing pains along the way. The first three years served as a learning experience for the players to grow, gain experience and understand Jones’ expectations from them on the court. Jemison’s team practiced every day there was not a game scheduled, even practicing after church on Sundays for a few hours, as Jones pushed the players to their limits.

“Her goal was to keep her players in great condition for the style of basketball that she expected them to play,” Leighsa Robinson, member of the 1984-1985 team, said. “She often practiced her team against the B-Team boys team, and she expected them to run and keep up with them. If they didn’t, the girls ran extra. There were also times the girls would beat a team but not play up to coach’s standards and they would run and practice after games until they got it right, and the other team was watching as they did this.”

Jones ran a fast-paced offense and she trained her players to be quick and fast up the floor, and most wins for the Panthers came in high scoring affairs. With no three-point line then, the scoring all came in one- or two-point increments. Jones was a perfectionist and taught her players to be leaders. She was an eighth-grade science teacher at Jemison and entered law school at The Birmingham School of Law and graduated at the top of her class. Through all of her avenues, Jones still focused a large portion of her time on her basketball program and players leading to that magical season in 1984-1985. Jones stepped away from coaching after the state championship appearance to become a full-time lawyer.

The Panthers returned four of their five starts the next season, and coaches Bubba Hayes and Debbie Spann led the program back to another state tournament appearance. Jemison finished fourth in the state tournament, ending with a 17-2 final record.

In the two seasons from 1984-1986, Jemison finished second and fourth in the state tournament and compiled a 39-6 overall record. The Panthers won four of five Chilton County Basketball Tournaments championships while the players on the 1984-1985 team were in the program.

 

Jemison High School 1984-1985 Varsity Girls Basketball Roster

#10 Veronica Oliver

#12 Tshiluba Thomas Dancey

#14 Tami Oliver Timmons

#20 Ginger Cost Colburn

#30 Leighsa Robinson

#34 Stephanie Bolling

#40 Susan Smith

#42 Jada Ellison

#50 Vicky Lee Adebayo

Managers: Tracie Glass Pospisil & Vickey Guy

Head coach: Rhonda Jones Hardesty