Heating up the 280 corridor: Local teams hit the hardwood for 2025-26 season

With football winding down, local high school basketball teams are off and running in the 2025-26 season.

Chelsea’s girls have a new coach in Denton Johnson, who hopes to continue the success established by Jason Harlow.

Briarwood’s boys and girls are looking to repeat their postseason runs from a season ago. Oak Mountain and Spain Park’s boys and girls programs are clearly on the rise as well. Here’s a look across the area as the new season gets fully underway.

Lions leaning on potent scoring guards

Briarwood’s boys return a largely intact perimeter core and a reshaped frontcourt, giving head coach Jeremy Mears a mix of reliability and new opportunity.

Senior point guard Drew Mears returns as the Lions’ primary ballhandler and one of the area’s most experienced creators, joined again by junior Tory Smith, who gained meaningful varsity time as a sophomore. Senior Charlie Caldwell, one of the team’s top shooters, provides additional scoring and spacing as the Lions retool offensively.

Mears said the offseason clarified the team’s identity.

“We want to win our race, get to space and play with pace,” he said, noting that multiple lineups this season could feature five guards on the floor.

With most perimeter pieces returning and several newcomers filling post spots by committee, Briarwood’s season will hinge on improved rebounding and defensive toughness — two themes Mears emphasized repeatedly in the preseason.

The Lions compete in a Class 5A area with Shelby County, Sylacauga and Central-Clay County. Other notable regular season games include December contests against Helena, Hueytown and Chilton County. They wrap up the calendar year with a tournament in Orlando and the Metro Tournament in Homewood.

In January, the Lions take Hayden, Northridge, Hueytown, Homewood and Westminster-Oak Mountain in addition to their area games.

Lady Lions making most of senior-heavy lineup

Briarwood’s girls team returns a veteran group under head coach Lorie Kerley, giving the program one of its most experienced rosters in recent years.

Emma Kerley, Ann Tatum Baker and senior Clara Crawford headline a team that brings back significant varsity minutes from last season’s postseason run. Crawford, who posted a 22-point, 20-rebound game last winter, anchors the interior, while Sarah Travis, Julia Thompson, Claire Anderson, Sasha Munikar, Delaney Whitehead and Grace Garrett round out a deep rotation.

Whitehead and Garrett are the only two non-seniors on the varsity squad.

Kerley said the Lady Lions are embracing a familiar standard.

“We want to work hard every day, be great teammates and bring heart in everything we do,” she said.

Like the boys, the Lady Lions compete in a Class 5A area with Shelby County, Sylacauga and Central-Clay County. Other notable regular season games include December contests against Helena, Hueytown and Chilton County. They wrap up the calendar year with a tournament in Orlando and the Metro Tournament in Homewood.

In January, they take on Hayden, Northridge, Hueytown, Homewood and Westminster-Oak Mountain in addition to their area games.

Hornets reloading

Head coach Nick Baumbaugh leads a Chelsea boys team that returns only one major-minutes starter from last season but adds a mix of experience and young talent to reshape the rotation.

Junior Jordan Garcia headlines the group, while seniors Evan Moller and Brandon Griffith step into larger scoring and leadership roles. Chelsea has also added Sean Johnson, a 6-foot-7 forward expected to contribute immediately. Sophomore Truitt Jennings and freshman Ace Nelson are also significant pieces that will make their presence felt.

Baumbaugh said the Hornets’ offseason work has reshaped the offense.

“Collectively, this is one of the best shooting teams we’ve had,” he said.

Joseph Kindall, Jack Flowers and BJ Nathan give the Hornets a deep senior group. Jaiden Balint, Mason Richey and Bradley Faulkner provide depth in the junior class, while Jennings is the lone sophomore on the team.

Chelsea competes in Class 6A, Area 8, along with tough teams like Pelham, Helena and Spain Park. The Hornets believe they have the potential to make a return to the area tournament for the second straight year.

In December, the Hornets will take on Calera, Mountain Brook, Winterboro, Oak Mountain and Sylacauga before finishing the calendar year with events at Fort Payne and Athens.

Aside from area games in January, Chelsea will also face Northridge, Sylacauga and Calera to wrap up the regular season.

Lady Hornets leaning into new leadership

New head coach Denton Johnson steps into a program with returning production and strong continuity.

Caroline Brown, Juliann Bass and Olivia Pryor flanked Johnson at the inaugural Under the Lights Basketball Media Day. They carry the bulk of varsity experience for a team that already blends scoring, length and defensive mobility.

Johnson said the first priority has been building connections.

“Relationships take time,” he said. “They’ve accepted me and our staff well, and they’ve led our program from day one.”

With a seasoned group of guards and a steadily developing young core, Chelsea will rely on defense, rebounding and tempo to maintain its recent standard while adapting to Johnson’s system. The returners are coming off a season in which the Lady Hornets finished as the Class 6A state runner-up. The coach of that team, Jason Harlow, is now at Homewood, but the Lady Hornets are attempting to repeat the same success.

The Lady Hornets will look to emerge out of an area that includes Pelham, Helena and Spain Park. In December, they take on the likes of Hoover, Calera, Mountain Brook, Winterboro, Oak Mountain and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa before concluding the calendar year with events at Spain Park and Gulf Shores.

Aside from area matchups in January, Chelsea will also play Northridge, Calera, Moody and Benjamin Russell to wrap up the regular season.

Eagles remaining steady

Oak Mountain’s boys return a four-man senior class under head coach Joel Floyd, led by Patton Knight, Javon Stone, Kasen Lemons and Xander Hughes.

Though the Eagles graduated a sizable portion of last year’s scoring, the roster includes several juniors expected to step into expanded roles, including Christian Jones, Gray Carrington and Clay Mills. With much of the team’s football talent still transitioning into basketball shape, Floyd expects depth to develop across December.

Floyd said the Eagles’ DNA remains unchanged.

“We want to be tough and connected,” he said at the inaugural Under the Lights Basketball Media Day before the season. “Every possession matters in our area.”

Despite being undersized at several positions, Oak Mountain expects to lean on its ball movement, defensive commitment and senior leadership to stay competitive in every contest.

Khang Ly, Kody Bargainer, Kale Bargainer, Paxton Haley and Eli Myers will also contribute to the varsity squad this season.

Oak Mountain plays in Class 7A, Area 6, along with three-time defending state champion Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville.

In December, the Eagles will take on Spain Park, John Carroll, Homewood, Gardendale, Chelsea and Helena before wrapping the calendar year with trips to Orange Beach and Gardendale for tournaments.

Aside from area games in January, the Eagles will wrap up the regular season against John Carroll, Calera and Tuscaloosa County.

Lady Eagles continue to grow

Head coach Aimee Harris begins her second season with the Oak Mountain girls with a strong senior trio: Caroline Kester, Sophie Hammett and Zyairé Walker.

Each brings a different strength — Kester’s scoring, Hammett’s defensive presence and Walker’s inside-out versatility — and forms the foundation of a team returning multiple contributors.

Marley Brown, Joy Damron, Nylah Cook and Jillian Lind are among the returning players who also played significant minutes last season. Carson Lunsford, Vivian Harris, Jules Walker, Alyssa McCaslin, Gracie Lunsford and Hallie Kelly round out the varsity roster for the Lady Eagles.

Harris said unity has already defined this group.

“If we're unified and playing together, success will come,” she said at the Under the Lights Basketball Media Day before the season.

With improved conditioning, quickness and depth, Oak Mountain aims to create advantages through defensive pressure and pace, while senior leadership stabilizes a roster that mixes experience with emerging young talent.

Like the boys, Oak Mountain’s girls plays in Class 7A, Area 6, along with five-time defending state champion Hoover, Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville.

In December, the Eagles will take on Spain Park, John Carroll, Homewood, Gardendale, Chelsea and Helena, before wrapping the calendar year with Orange Beach’s tournament and a game against Chilton County.

Aside from area games in January, the Eagles will wrap up the regular season against John Carroll, Briarwood, Cullman, Calera and Tuscaloosa County.

Jags chipping away

Spain Park’s boys took meaningful steps forward last winter in DJ Black’s first season as head coach. Now, with an experienced senior core and a deeper roster, the Jaguars believe they’re positioned to take another leap.

Black brought four seniors to the inaugural Under the Lights Basketball Media Day — Owen Leonard, Sam Fox, Quinn Davis and Jackson Fixler — each playing a different role but sharing the responsibility of leading a program amid rising expectations.

Black said progression is the biggest difference this year.

“The confidence level is a lot higher,” he said. “There’s depth that we got kind of built now, meaning that there's not much of a drop off from our first wave to our second wave to our third wave.”

That competitiveness extends beyond practice court reps.

“There's high competition. It's healthy competition every single day,” Black said. “Not just in practices, but in workouts, in the weight room, in academics.”

The seniors pointed to several teammates who have stood out. Davis praised Tommy Morrison, saying he has “rounded his game up” beyond scoring. Davis also mentioned Harrison Stewart, noting his growth. Fixler highlighted Cooper Gann, noting his impact defensively and as a communicator.

This year’s roster features eight seniors, with Leonard, Fox, Davis, Fixler, Gann, Stewart, Josh Wilkerson and Reed Oatridge providing plenty of maturity. Morrison headlines the junior group along with Andy McQueeney, Bastain Carroll and Maddox Phillips. Barrett Price and Nash Davis are sophomores, with Ayden Henderson the lone freshman.

Spain Park will look to advance past the Class 6A, Area 8 field this season, stacked with competitive teams like Helena, Chelsea and Pelham. The Jags have not made the postseason the last two years but are not far removed from the brilliant success the program experienced under Chris Laatsch.

In December, the Jags will face Oak Mountain, Hoover, Hueytown, Pell City and a few out-of-state opponents. Outside of playing area foes twice in January, they will wrap up the regular season against Hillcrest, Pell City, Leeds and crosstown rival Hoover.

Lady Jags pushing for progress

Spain Park High School’s girls basketball team enters the 2025-26 season in a much different place than a year ago. The Jaguars graduated seven seniors from last year’s roster and turned almost entirely toward the future.

What remains is one of the youngest groups head coach John Hadder has led in his career.

“We lost nine kids off the group we had last year,” Hadder said. “Seven of them were seniors … this is a completely different group.”

Of the 14 players who worked through the summer, 10 were eighth- or ninth-graders. That number alone shows where Spain Park is starting — and why the voices of senior Teagan Huey and junior Kamia Dawsey matter so much.

“These two are the most senior-type kids that we have from a leadership standpoint,” Hadder said. “They both really exemplify what our kids are about.”

There’s plenty of talent on the roster, even if it’s young and unproven. Eighth-grader Elle Smith has stood out for her work ethic. Chenelle Hunter “is definitely going to be a big impact,” according to Huey.

Dawsey praised eighth-grader Sia Roberts for her basketball intelligence and mentioned the growth of Lynlee Franks, an excellent shooter. Ninth-grader Nylah Calhoun has experience despite her age and continues to improve.

Spain Park knows December may come with bumps. But they also believe January and February may look different as the group settles in.

Abby Whatley and Bentley Watts are sophomores, with Libby Gray, Beatrice Parker and Morgan Bryant expected to contribute as freshmen as well. Aria Knight and Averi Norwood are eighth-graders who round out the varsity lineup.

The Lady Jags’ December slate includes matchups with Oak Mountain, Hueytown, Huffman, Cornerstone and Pell City, along with a few showcase events. In January, Spain Park will play area foes Chelsea, Pelham and Helena twice.