It seems just like over two months ago that the Southside Panthers were making their run through the Class 3A basketball playoffs en route to a berth in the championship game.

In fact it was, but the Panthers found themselves back on the basketball court Thursday afternoon, along with 12 other area and state basketball teams taking part in a summer play date with the main focus on ensuring the next time they make it to the state championship game, they bring home the title.

Thirteen teams, from as far away as Pickens County and Mobile, took part in the Selma High School Summer Basketball Explosion, giving them one of four potential opportunities to compete together as a team.

“We have been working for a few weeks now and this is a chance to put these guys back on the court,” Keith High School coach Tommy Tisdale said. “So far, I’ve been pleased with how we’ve played so far.”

Joining Southside, Keith and host Selma, in the play date was Dallas County, Escambia County, Brantley, Blount, Holt, Francis Marion, Smith-Station, Greene County, Central-Hayneville and Lafayette.

“Our goal was to work in some of our new guys into the system we run,” Dallas County High School coach Willie Moore, whose team entered their final game of Thursday undefeated. “We haven’t had too many practices this summer because many of the players live so far away from the school, but we’re lucky to have a lot of experience coming back.”

For most of the schools, the final weeks of the school year and June are spent focusing on basketball, before the focus turns to summer and fall football workouts.

“We have it worked out to where the month of June is spent on basketball and then after July 4, it’s all about football,” Moore said.

Moore said the Hornets will take part in two different events at the University of Alabama later in June.

Tisdale said the Panthers are scheduled to take part in a play date in Marion next week.

When organizing the event, Selma High School coach Woodie Jackson said his team’s focus was gaining experience for next year.

“During the summer, with all coaches but especially us — we are going to have a very young team next year,” Jackson told the Times-Journal in a previous interview. “Some of the young men are coming back from last year’s team, but this is going to be the first time that they will really have a complete year on varsity.”