FRANKLIN COUNTY
FOOTBALL 2021
Good Luck Golden Tigers! Working to improve our schools and the future of our children.
Russellville City Councilmen:
David Palmer, District 1; Darren Woodruff, District 2; Gary Cummings, District 3; Dexter Hamilton, District 4; Jamie Harris, District 5; Mayor David R. Grissom
A Great Place to Live, Work & Raise a family
Contact Russellville City Hall 256-332-6060 • 304 Jackson Ave. N, Russellville, AL
Ask Questions. Follow the Science. Get Vaccinated. Brooke Goar, M.D. 2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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STAFF EDITORIAL Alison James María Camp CONTRIBUTORS Bart Moss Brannon King SALES Shelley Ozbirn CUSTOMER SERVICE Sommer Morris
_______________ Franklin County Football is published annually by Franklin County Newspapers Inc., part of Tennessee Valley Media. Copyright 2021 by Franklin County Newspapers Inc. P.O. Box 1088 Russellville, AL 35653 256-332-1881 www.franklincountytimes.com
CONTENTS 5 RUSSELLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 12 RED BAY HIGH SCHOOL 18 VINA HIGH SCHOOL 21 THARPTOWN HIGH SCHOOL 24 CAN’T-MISS GAMES OF 2021 25 PHIL CAMPBELL HIGH SCHOOL 30 ALL TEAMS SCHEDULE
ON THE COVER: Seniors Nathan Brockway, tight end, and Boots McCulloch, running back, will key to the Golden Tigers’ football program this season. PHOTO BY MARÍA CAMP
Wishing All Franklin County Football Teams a Great Season!
Elected to Serve Dedicated to Excellence L to R: Chris Wallace, Jason Miller, Joseph Baldwin, David HesterSeated Barry Moore, Chairman and Probate Judge
Franklin County Commission
RUSSELLVILLE GOLDEN TIGERS
GOLDEN TIGERS LOOK TO BUILD ON REGION AND PLAY-OFF SUCCESS
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he Russellville Golden Tigers are entering the 2021 season as defending Class 5A, Region 8 champions. RHS defeated Fairfield and Leeds in the playoffs this past season for the school’s first post-season victories since 2016. John Ritter is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Golden Tigers, and he has an onfield record of 26-7 at RHS. Q: How has the summer preparation for the 2021 season gone? A: It’s been a great summer, and we’ve had outstanding attendance. Anytime you lose a big senior class, there’s always that transition period of establishing the new leaders, and guys who might have been part-time leaders last year are full-time leaders this year. That is really what summer is all about to me – establishing that leadership. Q: Going into your fourth year at RHS, are you pleased with the growth and identity of the football program? A: Yes, I think it speaks volumes that we had 92 on the team last year, and we have 85 on the team this year, and that was after graduating a class of almost 30. I think the numbers game speaks for itself. We are excited about the potential we have. We’re replacing a lot of guys defensively, but we’re replacing them with guys that have been in our system – some of them for four years, some of them for three years and some of them for two years – so they know what we expect, and they know how we do things. Now, it’s more about just fine-tuning, more than it is establishing that culture. Q: How big was it to win the region and a couple of play-off games this past season? Is that something to build on? A: I think it speaks to the foundation that we laid. Years one and two were about establishing the culture we want
to have and establishing our style of football, which is a little bit different than a lot of people. We want to play a rough, physical style on both sides of the ball, and I think it took three years to groom that into them. That’s really what you expect when you take a new job – in that third year, seeing that foundation of years one and two, and the fourth is a builder on year three. I think our guys know what we expect and how we expect to play, and it’s just about getting people into the right spot and continuing to play at a high level. Q: The defense lost a lot of experience to graduation. Which players will be trying to fill those roles? A: At linebacker, Gavin Slay has played over 300 snaps for us over the past two years. While he hasn’t been a starter, he has played in almost every game and started some games as a sophomore and as a junior. He leads that linebacker corps with some senior experience. Karson Hyde is another senior who has played a lot, just hasn’t been a starter. Then, you throw in some youth with Nick Pounders, Devin Green and Martin Tomas to round out that linebacker group. We moved Banks Langston to corner, and he’s a guy that played in 11 games for us last year. Conner Warhurst has played safety in play-off games and in a lot of big-time moments. We’ve flipped him over from offense to be a full-time starter on defense. Emitt Green is another guy, and then Goose Thorpe – all of those guys have played, they just haven’t started. Obviously, starting is different, but we have experience – we just don’t have starting experience. Defensive line is our inexperienced area because we’re going to start three guys who haven’t played a lot of snaps, but they’ve got a lot of ability. Jerrin Jackson is leading that group with Dallan Montgomery, who wasn’t with us last year but is this year, and they are going to
JOHN RITTER Head Coach
be expected to do a lot of things. Junior Baltazar and Eric Hernandez are rounding out that group, who we expect to play a lot of snaps. Q: Who are some of the leaders and players to watch for on the offensive side? A: We’ve got Boots McCulloch, our quarterback Gabe Amick, Nathan Brockway, Seth Franks and TJ King back, so we’ve got five starters who played in every ballgame and have played in a bunch of ballgames over two years. Taylor Crumpton is a guy at wideout who is going to play a lot more snaps than he has and has a ton of ability. We expect him to have a monster year because TJ is going to get a lot of attention on the other side. Warhurst will split some time at tailback too. So, you throw Amick into the mix, who started seven games for us last year to end the season, and we’ve got a lot of experience. Grayson Murray is back at tight tackle, and Tilmon Baker played in three or four games at tight end for us last year. Q&A by Brannon King / Photos contributed by Joseph Romans Photography. 2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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RUSSELLVILLE GOLDEN TIGERS 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 19 Aug. 27 Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29
Decatur Deshler Mae Jemison* Brewer* Lawrence County* Hartselle Ardmore* (Open) East Limestone Lee-Huntsville* Madison Academy
*Denotes Region game
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
Home Home Home Away Home Away Home Away Home Away
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No. 1 TJ King
No. 3 Micco Selosa
No. 4 Boots McCulloch
No. 5 Jeremy Winston
No. 6 Conner Warhurst
No. 8 Gavin Slay
No. 9 Grayson Thorpe
No. 10 Carson Mele
No. 11 Gabe Amick
No. 12 Brock Reatherford
No. 13 Nicholas McSpadden
No. 14 Emitt Green
No. 15 Zaye Egglestone
No. 16 Ashton Boyd
No. 17 Nathan Brockway
No. 18 Jai Smith
No. 19 Ty Willis
No. 20 Martin Tomas
No. 21 Bralynn Vincent
No. 22 Michael Scofield
No. 23 Nicklaus Pounders
No. 24 Elliott Green
No. 25 Jah Williams
No. 26 Demontae Thornton
No. 27 Paxton Wray
No. 28 Taylor Crumpton
No. 29 Manny Martinez
No. 30 Karson Hyde
No. 31 Malachi Duncan
No. 32 Brennon Thorpe
No. 33 Aiden Marsh
No. 34 Nate Medley
No. 35 Joshua Reed
No. 36 Reece Carson
No. 37 Brayden Hill
No. 38 Cahlese Phillips
No. 40 River Richardson
No. 42 Tilmon Baker
No. 43 Shiloh Willis
No. 46 Yahir Salagado
No. 49 Matthew James
No. 50 Devin Green
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
No. 51 Jerome Jackson
No. 52 Juan Hernandez
No. 53 Juan Baltazar Jr.
No. 55 JC Cummings
No. 56 Gabe Herrera
No. 58 Devin Jones
No. 59 Bryan Ruiz
No. 60 Dallan Montgomery
No. 61 Maddux Parker
No. 62 Talton Hamilton
No. 63 Jerrin Jackson
No. 64 Kenwon Belue
No. 65 Seth Franks
No. 67 Jeramiah West
No. 66 Andrew McReynolds
No. 68 Weston Jackson
No. 69 Reed Hamilton
No. 70 Joshua Lindsey
No. 71 Emilio Diego
No. 72 Neyland Baker
No. 73 Eric Hernandez
No. 74 Logan Lindsey
No. 75 Conner Byars
No. 76 Hank Cartee
No. 77 Grayson Murray
No. 78 Gabrian Adcox-Wilson
No. 79 Fernado Acosto
No. 81 Ayden Boyd
No. 84 Javan Poss
No. 85 Gavin Hyde NOT PICTURED: No. 7 Banks Langston No. 54 Tait Barnes No. 57 Eddie Velasquez No. 82 Cade Parker No. 83 Edwin Jimenez No. 86 Louis Aquirre
No. 88 Richard Scott
No. 89 Conner Franks
No. 99 Javonte Hill
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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RUSSELLVILLE GOLDEN TIGERS
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
RUSSELLVILLE GOLDEN TIGERS
Russellville Golden Tiger cheerleaders are captain Ella Burcham, co-captain Tori Tiffin, Madeline Cooper, Sophie Hill, Emily Gipson, Silvie Miller, Sarah Morgan, Keslie Allen, Hailey Mitchell as Champ, Caylin Pinkard, Stella Hill, Maggie Bishop, Danica Graham, Chloe Sheffield, Kinsley Palmer and Annie Willis.
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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RED BAY TIGERS
TIGERS FACE 2021 UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
H
eath Childers enters his eighth year as a head coach and his first year as the Red Bay High School football coach. Red Bay competes in Class 2A, and the Tigers’ region opponents are Tharptown, Sheffield, Mars Hill, Lexington, Colbert County and Hatton. Q: What have you learned from your head coaching experience that you think has made you a better coach? A: One of the biggest things I’ve learned through years is things are never as bad as you think – and they are never as good, either. It is an important lesson to learn.If you think things are bad, you might over-coach and wear players and coaches out. If you think everything is great, you might grow complacent and lose your focus. The right balance keeps one from overreacting and under-reacting. Q: What makes a good high school football team? A: One, you need good players – not great athletes, necessarily, but good players. You need hard-working and selfless players. You also need good assistant coaches. Assistant coaches can make or break a head football coach. If you don’t have good help, it will put you behind the eight ball. You also need good team chemistry. Players and coaches need to all get along and understand we are all working toward one common goal. We all want to represent the football program in the right way. Q: On the individual level, what makes a good high school football player? A: A selfless individual that can be coached and is tough. You take a play-
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
er like that, and it equals a winner. Football is a tough sport for tough guys.If you can put 11 of those guys on the field, you have a chance to be successful. Q: Who has shown leadership for your team this summer and how? A: I don’t really want to single out anyone right now. We have some guys who have really stood out, but they need to keep working. I want us to focus on being a team right now. The leadership will emerge in time. Q: What are you looking for out of your offense this season? And who should fans keep an eye on? A: Fans need to be patient. I know that’s asking a lot; this is an athletically-driven town. I think people can expect improvement every week. That is what I expect. I pride myself on my offense’s improvement every week. My goal as a head coach is for us to improve each day. If we are improving, that means we are still fighting and making progress. Q: What are you looking for out of your defense this season? And who should fans keep an eye on? A: Again, the same thing. Improvement. Understanding the system and learning the system. Q: What is the one intangible you are looking for in this team as you approach the new season? A: Toughness. We want to be a tough and hard-nosed football team. We want a roll-up-sleeve and lunch pail mentality. We are a blue collar county and blue collar town. Everybody can rally around that. Q&A by Bart Moss / Photos contributed by Scotty Kennedy Photography.
HEATH CHILDERS Head Coach
Red Bay Tigers and To All Area Teams… Have A Great Season!
Good Luck Red Bay Tigers!! 2020
City of Red Bay 203 4th Ave. SE Red Bay, AL 256 356 4473 256-356-4473 www.cityofredbay.org
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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No. 3 Brady Bolton
No. 4 Elijah Luster
No. 5 Kyler Watson
No. 6 Nathon Elrod
No. 7 Holdin Inman
No. 9 Eli Ferris
No. 11 Aiden Quinn
No. 13 Noah Hester
No. 15 Gage Edgmon
No. 17 Cody Carns
No. 18 Conner McNeil
No. 19 Brady Hardin
No. 21 Owen Terry
No. 22 Colby Jackson
No. 24
No. 26 Blake Nix
No. 27 Braiden Holcombe
No. 50 Will Weeks
No. 54 Levi Blanton
No. 56 Will West
No. 60 Aiden Vincent
No. 61 Dalton Faulkner
No. 64 Jack West
No. 66
NOT PICTURED:
No. 68 Andrew Massey
No. 74 Jacob Dillingham
No. 77
Good Luck Red Bay Tigers & To All Area Teams!
No. 88 Kadin Blansett
No. 2 Keeton Lanphere No. 8 Adam Rooker No. 10 Conner Humphries No. 12 Jeremiah Robinson No. 14 Breylan Holland No. 51 Wesley Faulkner No. 65 Rilen Wilson
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office “Working Hard to Keep Your Home Safe”
Donna Weatherford R.Ph.
Bill Weatherford R.Ph
256-356-4044 14
Sheriff’s Office 256-332-8811
Sheriff Shannon Oliver
Fax: 256-356-4045
Dispatch-24hr 256-332-8820
925 Golden Rd. NW, Red Bay, AL 35582 Email: redbaypharmacy811@att.net
www.franklinsheriff.org
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
RED BAY TIGERS 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 20 Aug. 27 Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29
Hamilton (Open) Lexington* (Open) Tharptown* Belmont Sheffield* Hatton* Mars Hill* Colbert County* Fayette County
Home Away Home Home Away Home Away Home Away
*Denotes Region game
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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RED BAY TIGERS
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
RED BAY TIGERS
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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VINA RED DEVILS
VINA TARGETS GROWTH FOR FOOTBALL PROGRAM
L
uke Childers enters his fifth year as the Vina High School football coach. The Red Devils’ region includes Shoals Christian, Decatur Heritage, Waterloo, R.A. Hubbard, Cherokee, Hackleburg and Phillips. Q: What have you learned from your head coaching experience that you think has made you a better coach? A: Make sure each player knows how much you care about them and how excited you are that they are playing football. Q: What makes a good high school football team? A: All the kids wanting to win, believing in each other and putting the team before themselves. Q: On the individual level, what makes a good high school football player? A: Someone who will do whatever it takes to make the team better. A kid who shows up for summer workouts and makes sure other kids have a ride. A kids who is excited to play no matter the position he plays on the football field. Q: Who has shown leadership for your team this summer and how?
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
A: I have two players who have shown up all summer and never complained once about conditioning or the workout we were doing. Those two players are Donald Garrett and Nate Stidham. Q: What are you looking for out of your offense this season? A: I’m looking for the offensive line to be what anchors the offense. If the offensive line can block, then we will move the ball and score some points. Who should fans keep an eye on? The entire offensive line. Q: What are you looking for out of your defense this season? A: We struggled last year stopping the pass. So, I’m really hoping summer practice and the spring has helped us improve on pass coverage. I also want to see us be more physical and have 11 kids running toward the ball and not taking plays off. Fans should keep an eye on our linebackers, Nate Stidham, Hunter Griffith and Trevor Baker; if they can make tackles and be physical, we will be a much better football team. Q: What is the one intangible you are looking for in this team as you approach the new season? A: Stick together all season and have confidence in each other.
LUKE CHILDERS Head Coach
VINA RED DEVILS 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 27
Marion County
Home
Sept. 3
Shoals Christian*
Away
Sept. 9
Decatur Heritage*
Away
Sept. 17
Waterloo*
Home
Sept. 24
Lynn
Home
Oct. 1
R.A. Hubbard*
Away
Oct. 8
Cherokee*
Away
Oct. 15
Hackleburg*
Home
Oct. 22
Phillips*
Home
Oct. 29
Tharptown
Away
*Denotes Region game
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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No. 2 Conner Davidson
No. 10 Cai Lawler
No. 11 Hunter Griffith
No. 17 Christian Purser
No. 19 Wyatt Kennedy
No. 21 Nate Stidham
No. 24 Manny Alatriste
No. 30 Malachi Fletcher
No. 42 Kevin Corado
No. 54 Trenton Alack
No. 55 Jason Eddins
No. 57 Buford Watson
No. 62 Trevor Baker
No. 65 Tristen Martello
No. 74 Cayden Lawler
Good Luck To All Of Our Local Teams!
Rhett Bradford, Agent 201 Washington Avenue NW Russellville, AL 35653
Bus: 256-332-0540 • www.insuredbyrhett.com
Good Luck Vina Red Devils
No. 75 Chris Blevins
No. 79 Donald Garrett
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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THARPTOWN WILDCATS
THS TARGETS BUILDING ON FOUR-WIN SEASON
K
evin Lacey enters his sixth year as the Tharptown High School football coach. The Wildcats play in a region with Colbert County, Lexington, Red Bay, Sheffield, Hatton and Mars Hill.
Q: What have you learned from your head coaching experience that you think has made you a better coach? A: Each year every team is different. Assess and work to master that group’s strengths while working to build off of those. Earlier in my coaching career, it was easy to get caught up in the possibilities of what could be done offensively/defensively – versus now, I just look at what our guys do well and put 99 percent of our time into just that. Q: What makes a good high school football team? A: An unselfish group of guys who buy into a common goal and work every day to better themselves individually, which leads to collective development. Goals are achieved or hurdles are presented that the team knows they will tackle together. Q: On the individual level, what makes a good high school football player? A: A good high school football player is a selfless guy who will block harder than he’s ever blocked so a guy that gets more carries than him can score a touchdown or a guy who fights as hard as he can to get through a block so the guy behind him can make the tackle. Eleven guys on each side of the ball with this mentality screams success. Q: Who has shown leadership for your team this summer and how?
A: Senior Tyler Amos. Since seventh grade he has shown up every summer, every day, with a positive attitude, and this summer was no different. He does things the right way all the time and puts the team before himself. Subconsciously, the team feeds off of him and his quiet leadership style. Q: What are you looking for out of your offense this season, and who should fans keep an eye on? A: A hard-nose, hit-you-in-themouth style of offense. Sophomore Dawson Higgins will be our feature back, while senior Blake Daily and sophomore Dylan Dolley will carry the heavy load with their more “power” running styles.
KEVIN LACEY Head Coach
Q: What are you looking for out of your defense this season, and who should fans keep an eye on? A: With seven starters returning, we are excited about building on the physical style defense our guys displayed this past season. Senior linebacker Blake Daily, senior defensive end Tyler Amos and sophomore Dawson Higgins were all at the top of the stat sheet a year ago, and we look forward to seeing these guys’ progression a year later. Q: What is the one intangible you are looking for in this team as you approach the new season? A: Confidence. Coming off a fourwin season. we are having to replace some key positions on offense and defense, but we have some very capable guys who are showing promise. There is a lot of buzz within the program, and we are looking at this group of seniors to lead with the confidence it takes to build off of what the group did a year ago. Q&A and photos by Bart Moss. 2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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THARPTOWN WILDCATS 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 20
Shoals Christian
Away
Aug. 27
Phillips
Away
Sept. 3
Colbert County*
Home
Sept. 10
Lexington*
Away
Sept. 17
Red Bay*
Away
Sept. 24
Cherokee
Home
Oct. 1
(Open)
Oct. 8
Sheffield*
Home
Oct. 15
Hatton*
Away
Oct. 22
Mars Hill*
Home
Oct. 29
Vina
Home
*Denotes Region game
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
No. 1 Connor Crowe
No. 2 Xavier Hubbard
No. 6 Luis Valdez
No. 7 Nikolas Chaney
No. 8 Hunter Reynolds
No. 9 Jacob Herring
No. 10 Dawson Higgins
No. 14 Adrian Banderas
No. 20 Joel Perez
No. 21 Dylan Dolley
No. 25 Josh Riley
No. 26 Ethan Clark
No. 30 Dawson Brown
No. 38 Blake Dailey
No. 50 Jacob Pointer
No. 52 Noah Capelton
No. 53 Austin Sutton
No. 55 Gabe Compton
No. 62 Carron Sears
No. 65 Christian Vasquez
No. 68 Tyler Amos
No. 70 Dekaiden Clark
No. 72 Shawn Lane
No. 74 Landon McClellan
No. 78 Bryson Poss
8 am - 5:30 pm
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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CAN’T-MISS GAMES OF 2021 Aug. 20 – Red Bay hosts Hamilton The Heath Childers era doesn’t get a honeymoon start. Childers’ Red Bay Tigers open up versus the Hamilton Aggies, a team the Tigers have never beat; well, technically last year was a win for Red Bay, but it was a COVID forfeit game. The last time these two teams actually met on the gridiron was in 1983. Hamilton is 17-0 against the Tigers. Aug. 20 – Tharptown at Shoals Christian The Tharptown Wildcats need to get their season off to a good start. Tharptown has struggled to get wins in region play, making non-region contests more critical. The Wildcats open their season in Florence at Shoals Christian. Tharptown is 4-8 historically against the Flame, but the Wildcats have won the Past four meetings. Tharptown beat Shoals this past year 48-14. Aug. 27 – Russellville hosts Deshler Russellville and Deshler have met 94 times in this old rivalry, and the series is tied, 45-45-4. RHS won in 2018, needing double-overtime, and in 2019 by a 27-21 score in one overtime. The 2020 game went to Russellville because of a pandemic forfeit by Deshler. Sept. 3 Vina at Shoals Christian Shoals Christian is another early critical win for a county team. Vina meets the Flame in Week Two. The Red Devils are 4-15 historically against the Flame. This past year Vina lost to Shoals 20-8, but the year before the Red Devils beat the Flame 44-12.
Sept. 17 – Tharptown at Red Bay Tharptown and Red Bay has been one of the biggest mismatches in region play in recent years. The Tigers have outscored the Wildcats 402-35, and this past year they won 53-0. Tharptown is 0-7 against Red Bay. In 2020 the senior-laden Tigers got off to a rough start against the Wildcats, but Red Bay lost 19 seniors. Does this give the Wildcats a chance to get their first region win in Class 2A? Time will tell. Sept. 24 – Red Bay hosts Belmont Red Bay and Belmont is a classic mid-season rivalry game that brings big crowds for both schools. Red Bay has the edge in the state-line series, 33-21-1. Lately Red Bay has dominated this rivalry, winning eight of the past nine games. The Tigers won the past two meetings against the Cardinals 22-13 and 43-16. Sept. 24 – Phil Campbell hosts Haleyville Phil Campbell and Haleyville is a rivalry that rekindled this past year. The Bobcats and the Lions played each other consecutively from 1984-2007, with Phil Campbell winning seven of those games. Three of those wins came in the Bobcats’ last run of dominant teams in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The Bobcats lost to the Lions this past year 38-21. Oct. 28 – Phil Campbell hosts Hackleburg Phil Campbell versus Hackleburg is one of the longest-running rivalries in the area. In 2020 COVID ended a 73-year run of consecutive games that dated back to 1946. The Bobcats are 35-49-1 against the Panthers. Oct. 29 – Vina at Tharptown This intercounty rivalry has closed out the season for the Past few years. It has been a good game for both teams to end the season after grueling region opponents. Both teams want to go out on top. It has been a balanced rivalry, with Vina winning six of eight games; Tharptown, however, has had the edge recently, winning the past three in a row 47-0, 13-0 and 10-0. Oct. 29 – Russellville at Madison Academy These two schools with rich athletic histories have never met on the football field. This past season’s game was canceled because of COVID-19. Russellville fans are familiar with MA head coach Bob Godsey from his many years in the same role at Hartselle High School.
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
PHIL CAMPBELL BOBCATS
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BOBCATS WORK TOWARD COHESIVE PROGRAM
evin Barnwell enters his fourth year as the Phil Campbell High School football coach. The Bobcats compete in Class 3A in a region with Elkmont, Lauderdale County, Clements, Colbert Heights, East Lawrence and Danville.
Q: What have you learned from your head coaching experience that you think has made you a better coach? A: From a talent situation and schematically, a tight end is better for what we do rather than spread. We have learned to be more multiple defensively and take what the offense gives you. I’ve learned there are certain kids you can push hard, and some are different. Kids are different, and you have to treat them differently. Q: What makes a good high school football team? A: First thing is grit. We have to instill grit and toughness in our guys. To quote my dad, “You got to get in the gravel with them.” Toughness and grit help you deal with the adversity of the game. Cohesiveness is something we are really trying to work on now. Everyone needs to be on the same page and pulling in the same direction. Q: On the individual level, what makes a good high school football player? A: Grit, toughness and commitment – how committed a guy is to a team and the team’s goals. Q: Who has shown leadership for your team this summer and how?
A: We need to have some guys step up. We have some really good players talentwise, but they need to step up and be leaders. We lost a lot of experienced guys, and it is time for these younger players to fill those gaps and step up. Q: What are you looking for out of your offense this season, and who should fans keep an eye on? A: Bryant Hyde has done some good things. He is dynamic, quick, and we need the ball in his hands. Isaac Hill has been a surprise. He’s a fast kid. John Randle Herring, Andrew Green, Jacob Barnwell and Grant Rollins have all shown promise. We have to make positive plays and keep the chains moving. We need to shorten the game and keep our defense off the field.
KEVIN BARNWELL Head Coach
Q: What are you looking for out of your defense this season, and who should fans keep an eye on? A: Gunner Hargett is a good linebacker. He’s smart and reads the offense really well. Boone Swinney has shown toughness. Jeff Traywick is another good player on the defensive side of the ball. Gage Baker can help on both sides of the ball. Defensively, we just have to play with more passion. We have got to do a better job of running to the football. Q: What is the one intangible you are looking for in this team as you approach the new season? A: I’m hoping to acquire some cohesiveness and togetherness. They need to come together. Q&A and photos by Bart Moss.
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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PHIL CAMPBELL BOBCATS 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Aug. 20
Phillips
Home
Aug. 27
Lamar County
Home
Sept. 3
Elkmont*
Away
Sept. 10
Clements*
Home
Sept. 17
(Open)
Sept. 24
Haleyville
Home
Oct. 1
Colbert Heights*
Away
Oct. 8
Lauderdale County*
Home
Oct. 15
East Lawrence*
Away
Oct. 22
Danville*
Home
Oct. 29
Hackleburg
Home
*Denotes Region game
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
No. 1 Bryant Hyde
No. 3 Kyle Pace
No. 5 Sage Raper
No. 6 Boone Swinney
No. 7 Jacob Barnwell
No. 8 John Randle Herring
No. 9 Cole Pace
No. 11 Andrew Pace
No. 12 Jeitt Traywick
No. 17 Clayton DeMartin
No. 18 Blain Goodson
No. 19 Brenen Misner
No. 20 Noah Raper
No. 24 Isac Hill
No. 26 Braxten Goodson
No. 27 Mason Weeks
No. 29 Gage Baker
No. 30 Austin Douthit
No. 35 Zy Traywick
No. 42 Colton Devaney
No. 50 Jackson Clark
No. 51 Grant Rollins
No. 52 Seth Varney
No. 54 Brayden Wilson
No. 55 Johan Vasquez
No. 60 Mason Mims
No. 63 Zeth Smith
No. 66 Nick William
No. 68 Seth Hutcheson
No. 70 Kanen Seale
No. 73 Tyler Osborn
No. 77 Cooper Riddle
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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PHIL CAMPBELL BOBCATS
Check out your School Spirit Tee's at
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
PHIL CAMPBELL BOBCATS
Phil Campbell cheerleaders are (front row) Rachel McCleese, Maddie Raper, Harley Cummings, Grace-lyn Habada, MaryKathryn Swinney, Emma Hutcheson, (back row) Aaliyah Prince, Macey Welborn, Raegen Misner, Abigail Bell and Tori Mather.
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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ALL-TEAMS SCHEDULE Aug. 20
Phil Campbell vs. Phillips Red Bay vs. Hamilton Tharptown at Shoals Christian Vina (OPEN) Russellville vs. Decatur (Aug. 19)
Aug. 27
Phil Campbell vs. Lamar County Red Bay (OPEN) Tharptown at Phillips Vina vs. Marion County Russellville vs. Deshler
Sept. 3
Phil Campbell at Elkmont* Red Bay at Lexington* Tharptown vs. Colbert County* Vina at Shoals Christian* Russellville vs. Mae Jemison*
Sept. 10
Phil Campbell vs. Clements* Red Bay (OPEN) Tharptown at Lexington* Vina at Decatur Heritage* (Sept. 9) Russellville at Brewer*
Sept. 17
Phil Campbell (OPEN) Red Bay vs. Tharptown* Tharptown at Red Bay* Vina vs. Waterloo* Russellville vs. Lawrence County*
Oct. 1
Phil Campbell at Colbert Heights* Red Bay at Sheffield* Tharptown (OPEN) Vina at R.A. Hubbard* Russellville vs. Ardmore*
Oct. 8
Phil Campbell vs. Lauderdale County* Red Bay vs. Hatton* Tharptown vs. Sheffield* Vina at Cherokee* Russellville (OPEN)
Oct. 15
Phil Campbell at East Lawrence* Red Bay at Mars Hill* Tharptown at Hatton* Vina vs. Hackleburg* Russellville at East Limestone
Oct. 22
Phil Campbell vs. Danville* Red Bay vs. Colbert County* Tharptown vs. Mars Hill* Vina vs. Phillips* Russellville vs. Lee-Huntsville*
Oct. 29
Phil Campbell vs. Hackleburg Red Bay at Fayette County Tharptown vs. Vina Vina at Tharptown Russellville at Madison Academy
Sept. 24
Phil Campbell vs. Haleyville Red Bay vs. Belmont Tharptown vs. Cherokee Vina vs. Lynn Russellville at Hartselle
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
*Denotes Region game
Everything Franklin County all year long CALL 256-332-1881
For information on how you can promote YOUR business in Franklin Living.
2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
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2045 Hwy 244 Russellville, AL 35654 256-768-3707
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2021 FRANKLIN COUNTY FOOTBALL
