Seth Edgil
Here 's to a Winning Season!
Buddy Choat, Mayor
Perr y Cook, Councilmember
Jaime Anderson, Councilmember
Lisa Bright, Councilmember
Ben Short, Councilmember
Alan Taylor, Councilmember Mayor
REUNION YEAR30
Hewitt-Trussville High School
Classes of 1993 and 1994
September 21st, 2024
7pm-10pm
Ferus Artisan Ales
Private Event Space
Trussville, AL
Tickets �40 per person (includes heavy hor d'oeuvres) cash bar
Venmo
@BeckyHill Rogers
Ad provided by Trussville City Councilor Jaime Melton Anderson, Class of 1994. Go Huskies!
KEEPING ATHLETES STRONG
Walk-Ins
Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 1801 Gadsden Highway Birmingham, AL 35235
Hoover
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
a.m.
p.m.
2024 Cougars look to continue success under Floyd
By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
While the 2024 ClayChalkville Cougars may look different on the sideline and the field, one thing will remain the same: their pursuit of championships.
Under first-year head coach Stuart Floyd, the Cougars will be looking to win back-to-back 6A titles and the school’s third state championship in four years. Clay has compiled 37-2 overall and 18-0 region records over the last three years.
Floyd, a 2000 Clay graduate, was the starting quarterback for the 12-3 Cougars and led them to the 1999 6A state championship.
Floyd went on to play collegiately at the University of Southern Mississippi before returning to Birmingham to join the Clay-Chalkville program. He was the offensive coordinator for the Cougars’ 2014 state championship team.
Floyd would leave the program after the 2016 season and have stops at HewittTrussville, Mortimer Jordan, and Springville before returning home in 2023 as the Clay offensive coordinator.
On the field, the Cougars will look to replace Jaylen Mbakwe (Alabama), JacQawn McRoy (Oregon), Mario Craver (Mississippi State), Tevis Metcalf (Arkansas) and DJ Barber (Auburn) along with several other key players.
ers back and a couple of our secondary guys returning.”
Floyd feels his 2024 Cougars have bought into his philosophy and likes the team chemistry he has seen thus far.
Floyd had to replace not only a number of key players but also two defensive coaches. The Cougars’ defensive coordinator made the move to Hoover, and the cornerback coach took the defensive coordinator position at Chilton County.
“As long as you can keep the consistency with the staff and keep everything the way it is supposed to operate it will be fine,” Floyd said. “We have finally got the staff together and are fully staffed. It is a good group of guys, and I am excited about them.”
The Cougars have won three consecutive region titles, but Region 6 got more challenging this year with the addition of perennial power Mountain Brook. Clay will face 6A contenders Mountain Brook and Oxford, along with Pinson, Shades Valley, Pell City, and Huffman in region play.
However, the Cougars’ cupboard is not bare, as they return ten starters on offense and defense.
By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
Offensive players to watch: Aaron Frye, QB, Corey Barber, WR, Aaron Osley, RB, Marlon Compton, WR, Zay Starks, AP, Armon Boswell, Center,
Nikita Getmanshchuk, QB, Jabari Staples, TE and Kumar Robinson, WR
Defensive players to watch: Patrick Smith, Jr. DE, Deon Callins, DB, Jacarlos Hunter, DB, Colton Mcintyre, DL, Junior Cole,
DL, Na’Karius Allen, LB.
“Offensively, obviously, we have a new quarterback that is going to be playing, but we have a lot of the skill guys back, four of them, and a running back that is back,” said Floyd. “The offensive line is the question mark as far as experience goes, but they are getting there.”
Floyd believes his Cougars will be in the state title hunt with region foes Oxford and Mountain Brook. He also expects Parker, Spain Park, Saraland, Gulf Shores, and Pike Road to be contenders.
“Defensively, we have pretty much the entire defensive line back, and a new nose guard will help out a lot,” Floyd said. “We have one or two lineback-
In the non-region schedule, the Cougars face 5A power Ramsay and 7A power Thompson, along with Hueytown and Vestavia.
Floyd excited about 2024 Huskies
For the 2024 season, Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd enters his eleventh year at the helm of the Husky football program.
Floyd, the 2023 Alabama Football Coaches Association 7A Coach of the Year, led his Hewitt team to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the 7A semi-finals. The Huskies advanced to their first third-round playoff game since 2008 and only the fifth time in the school’s history.
With an 82-35 record, Floyd passed Hal Riddle last season for the second-most wins in school history and now sits only behind longtime Husky head coach Jack Wood.
Floyd’s 181 wins over 20 seasons tie him with Keith Etheridge of Auburn High for the fourth most wins in 7A. Floyd is the second-longest tenured coach in 7A behind Austin High’s Jeremy Perkins.
Hewitt has been one of the top football programs in the state over the last eight seasons. The Huskies are the fifth-winningest team in 7A during that span and have reached the quarterfinals of the playoffs seven of the previous eight years.
The 2023 Huskies owed much of their success to experience and leadership. The 2024 squad will be looking to replace 31 seniors, nine of whom signed to play collegiately. Twotime All-State quarterback Peyton Floyd, who accounted for over 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns, and four experienced offensive linemen are the most glaring losses.
Floyd’s uptempo “Husky Fast” offense will have a slightly different look this fall. Hewitt offensive coordinator Juan Johnson left in February to become the head coach at Baker High. Under Johnson, the Hewitt offense averaged 35 points per game over his four years as coordinator.
Floyd didn’t have to look far to find Johnson’s replacement. In April, Hueytown offensive coordinator Ethan Carroll moved across Jefferson County to Trussville.
Carroll will have four returning starters from an offense that averaged almost 38 points per game last year. While the offensive line only returns one starter, Floyd is optimistic about the group. “We are a little bit young upfront on the offensive line, but I like how they ended spring,” Floyd said. “I feel like they started jelling towards the end.”
Speedy dual-threat quarterback Noah Dobbins steps in for the departed Floyd. The senior, with 4.6 speed, saw action in 11 games last year.
Seniors Mason Holloway and Nate Brisco look to anchor the offensive front. Holloway will see action along the defensive front as well.
Sophomore Jackson Martin looks to be the starting tight end for the Huskies.
Three-year starter Jacob Serena leads a wide receiver corps that will be a strength of the team. The senior has hauled in 64 receptions for 779 yards and six touchdowns over the last three seasons.
Dylan Cope caught 41 balls for 400 yards and three scores last year. The junior
holds half a dozen offers to play at the next level.
Cooper Langston, who started a few games last season, looks to be in the starting rotation as a senior and improve on his eight receptions for 62 yards a year ago.
The Huskies’ running back position will also be a strength of the team.
Delvecchio “Duece” Alston rushed for 347 yards and averaged 8.1 yards a carry last season. The junior holds a pair of college offers with more expected to come.
James Kelly will see time as a running back and wide receiver. The versatile junior averaged ten yards per touch in 2023.
CJ Davis will be a starter as a ninth-grader for the Huskies. The talented freshman is one of the top recruits in the nation and holds multiple offers from SEC and ACC schools.
Defensive coordinator Sean Talsma enters his sixth season with Floyd. Talsma will have six returning starters from a unit that gave up 21 points per game last season. While the defensive line lost several players to grad-
uation, the top two tacklers, linebackers Owen Robinson and Parker Floyd, return to anchor the defense. The pair combined for 195 tackles last season.
Senior Owen Sewell and junior Denarrius Crawford will see action at the outside linebacker position.
Senior defensive end Drew Ollis returns to the defensive front and will be looking to improve on his 49 tackles, two sacks, and five QB hurries from a season ago.
Sophomore defensive end D’ante Seals, who holds three SEC offers, will join Ollis on the defensive front.
As mentioned, Holloway will play both ways on the line this fall. The versatile senior recorded 13 tackles last season.
Senior defensive back Michael Igbinoghene, a four-star recruit with over 20 scholarship offers, returns to the secondary.
Joining Igbinoghene in the defensive backfield is returning defensive back Will Phillips. The junior recorded 58 tackles and two interceptions last season.
Baasel Alabsi will see action defensively and possibly handle some kicking duties.
Senior Colton Argo, a newcomer during spring, appears to be taking over most of the kicking job after the graduation of Trip Ward.
Ollis will handle the punting duties.
The new Husky team got their first taste of action in the spring when they faced off against a talented Parker team expected to compete for a 6A title. Hewitt came away with a close 45-35 road victory over the Thundering Herd.
Along with the spring game win, the school celebrated opening a new indoor practice facility. The 70-yard turf field pavilion is arguably the finest in the state.
The Huskies finished in second place behind Thompson in Region 3 last season with a 5-2 record and will be looking to claim their first region title since 2017. Region 3, the toughest in the state, got even more challenging with the addition of Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Prattville as replacements for 6A returning Spain Park and Chelsea.
“The challenge is doing it every single week and try-
ing to stay healthy,” Floyd said. “You can’t feel sorry for yourself because you are playing Hoover the next week, and then you’ve got Thompson, and then you’ve got Vestavia.”
“If it goes badly, you’ve got to move on and get ready, and even if it goes well, you’ve got to get ready,” Floyd said. “That is the biggest thing in our region; it is week to week.”
The game against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on September 20th will have a decidedly Arkansas flavor. Floyd, 99-21-1 with four Arkansas 3A and 4A state championships at Shiloh Christian, will face off against the Patriots’ Jamie Mitchell. Mitchell went 5312 in five years with North Little Rock High, winning the 2017 Arkansas 7A state championship and making four consecutive state championship game appearances. Mitchell is tied for the second most wins in Alabama 7A with 254.
Hewitt will travel to Vestavia, Thompson, and Tuscaloosa County and host Hoover, Hillcrest, Prattville, and Oak Mountain in region play.
Hewitt opens the season with non-region home games against J.A.G. (formerly Jeff Davis) and Gadsden City. In the season’s fifth game, the Huskies will go on the road to face Pinson. The game will be the 33rd meeting between the two old foes.
“We have six home games this year, and I think that is exciting,” said Floyd.
“We want to make sure those six nights are big special nights for the kids and the community.”
“We need everyone to come out and support us like they always do,” he said.
While the Husky team doesn’t have as large a senior class as last year’s, Floyd is excited about his team and seniors’ potential.
“We like this football team,” said Floyd. “I like the camaraderie and chemistry of this team.”
“We’ve got some young guys, and our senior class is not quite as big, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be great leaders.”
Stuart Floyd was announced as Clay-Chalkville's head football coach, replacing Drew Gilmer who left for Hoover.
Photo by: CCHS Athletics
Hewitt-Trussville head coach Josh Floyd. (Photo by Ron Burkett)
Center Point running back Troy Bruce scores a touchdown during the Eagles win over Oxford, Oct. 21, 2022. (Photo by Ron Burkett)
Center Point’s Deon Moore passes the ball during Center Point’s loss to Clay Chalkville Friday night. Photo by: Ron Burkett
Shades Valley lines up against Deon Moore and the Center Point offense on Friday, October 6, 2023. Photo by: Jordan Hudecz
2024 Season Preview: Springville Tigers
By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
SPRINGVILLE – Jon Clements, the reigning Trussville Tribune Coach of the Year, enters his fourth season as the head coach at Springville and the Tigers are trending in the right direction. After a 4-6 season in 2021 and a 1-9 season in 2022, Clements famously spent some time in Colorado with the Air Force Academy coaching staff and installed the triple option offense. Despite much scrutiny within the program, this wound up being a genius move on “Clem’s” part and the Tigers made the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and had
a non-losing regular season for the first time since 2011. In year four for Clements, he hopes to see that offense evolve as he replaces the core of that offense from 2023. “We have teams now having practice days or practice periods during their practices in preparation for us. Little ole Springville,” said Clements. Some eyebrows seem to have been raised by last season’s output. Springville finds themselves in possibly the toughest class in all of 5A football this season with the addition of Center Point, who moved from 6A down to 5A this year, as well as cross-town rivals Moody
and Leeds who are perennial playoff teams. But that will not scare this group.
The Tigers lost a ton of talent that contributed last year not only on offense, but on defense as well. Brodie Ginn anchored the offensive line that blocked for Mahlon Alverson and Noel Cox, who both graduated as well. On defense, Kaden Hanrahan and Cole Tittle are amongst the names Clements will have to replace.
Much of the offensive line returns, with the exception of Ginn, so returning quarterback Jake Conner will have a familiar group blocking for him, which will be key to the success of the offense. Conner will have
freshman Trigg Murdoch and junior Reed Wallace in the backfield with him to replace Alverson and Cox. Springville also adds Brodie Frederick, a senior who you may recognize as a leader on Brandon Easterwood’s basketball team. Frederick will give the Tigers some speed and height at the wide receiver position. On defense, the backfield will be the strength. Conner will be the leader of the group with junior KJ Jefries and senior Jacob Adams joining him at DB. Replacing leaders at linebacker like Hanrahan and Tittle will be a challenge, but the cupboard is not bare as there are a host of young play-
ers waiting for their turn. Perhaps the biggest loss this year was not on the field, but on the sidelines. Matt Partridge has moved out of state, and he was Clements’ right-hand man and wore many hats. One of his jobs was defensive coordinator. This year, Christian Depew takes over for Partridge in that role. He is no stranger to Springville as he served as defensive coach previously. Otherwise, the coaching staff has stayed intact with names like Ken Storie and Torronzo “Coach T” Mosley, as well as others, on the sidelines.
Offensive players to watch: Jake Conner, QB; Brodie Frederick,
Defensive
to watch:
ner,
kick off the season against Ashville and Fairview before opening region play against Leeds in week three. Other key games will be at Lincoln, where officiating can be quite the challenge, vs Moody on October 18 and at Center Point the next week. The season ends with Jon Clements going back to his old stomping grounds and taking on the Yellow Jackets of Corner, which is where he was head coach during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Bates looking for Eagles to soar with move to 5A
By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
“CP, not me,” is not just a slogan. Center Point head coach George Bates practices what he preaches.
You would be hardpressed to find a coach in the Birmingham area who does more to promote his team on social media than Bates.
From recruiting fairs to community service projects to posting about his players’ accomplishments, Bates makes sure his Eagles are exposed to life off the field and recognized for their achievements on the field.
While Bates, the tenth-winningest coach in 5A, understands what it takes to make a program successful away from the Xs and Os, he has also shown that he knows how to build and sustain a winning program between the lines, too.
Bates took over a Center Point program in 2018 that had gone 3-37 over the previous four seasons.
The Eagles doubled that win total in Bates’ first year, made a playoff appearance, and won their first playoff game in eight years to finish the season with a 6-6 record.
The Eagles’ next three years saw them put together a 25-12 record, make three playoff appearances, and advance twice to the third round of the 5A playoffs.
In 2022, the Eagles moved up to 6A and joined Region 6, one of the most challenging regions in the state. Center Point was unphased by the move up in classification and responded with a runner-up finish in the region to Clay-Chalkville, a playoff win, a 9-2 record, and a #8 final season ranking.
Last season, the Eagles finished with a 7-4 record, third in the region behind state champion ClayChalkville and #7 ranked Oxford. They advanced to the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year under Bates.
The Eagles are returning to 5A for the 2024 season and are looking to have another outstanding season.
Bates feels that the move to 5A is good for his program. “It’s a depth deal,” he said. “We will have about 55 to 60 players, and in the region we just came from, the top teams have 90 to 100 players.”
“Our top 22 could play with their top 22, but about 60 percent of our top 22 had to play both ways,” Bates
said. “So, it’s not really the same.”
“There will be a few in 5A with larger numbers, but most will be similar to us.”
Bates expects the Eagles’ experience in 6A the past two seasons to help his team’s confidence this fall.
“We talk to the kids about respecting everyone in our region and everyone on our schedule, but we know that with the level of competition and caliber of programs we played the last two years, we won’t face a better program or better competition,” Bates said.
“We held our own against everyone except Clay, and they got the best of us.”
“It is an equal playing field at this point,” he said. “There are no excuses.”
Bates feels good about his team at this point in the summer. “We have a lot of skill guys, and we are still mixing and matching to see where they fit in the ultimate puzzle,” he said. “The team is working hard and jelling.”
“It is our job as coaches to put them in the right place.”
The Center Point coaching staff isn’t large, but it returns all the coaches from last season. Geoff Walters is the offensive coordinator, and Justin Wright is the defensive coordinator.
“We have everyone back,” Bates said. “We had no changes, so continuity is important to us.” Bates believes in communication, and getting the coaches together for a re-
treat is an important part of the coaches’ relationships with one another.
“We are upfront and honest with each other; we have good comradery and rapport.”
This past spring and summer, the Eagles have had the opportunity to play against and work with some quality programs across the state. For their spring game, Bates took his squad to Shelby County to face Briarwood Christian. The Eagles participated in the Magic City 7-on7 Showcase, the Alabama State 7-on-7 tournament, and the Hustle Up Regional 7-on-7 tournament.
Center Point also had OTAs with Brewer, Mountain Brook, and Shelby
County. “We like to get away in the summer as much as we can, but it has to make sense,” Bates said. Bates will rely on a large senior class of 21, the largest under Bates, to lead the Eagles this upcoming season. “The majority of the 21 have been contributors,” said Bates. “They know what to expect.” Offensive players to watch:
Deon Moore, athlete; Julius Finnerson, running back; Antonio Garfield, receiver; Jaylyn Rainey, offensive lineman; James Edwards, offensive lineman; Jaimouryn Fuller, offensive lineman; Brian Dickerson, quarterback, and Keywone Posey, receiver. Defensive players to watch:
Willie Kimble, defensive lineman; Terence Tubbs, linebacker; Javiyeen Taylor linebacker; Kaleb Parker Holt linebacker; and Jaquoryae Busby, defensive back.
The Eagles will be led by Moore, a 6A All-State player. “He is an athlete,” said Bates. “He will spend time at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and defensive back positions.” Moore committed to Austin Peay last week.
The Eagles join Jacksonville, Leeds, Lincoln, Moody, Springville, and St. Clair County in a new-look 5A Region 6.
Center Point will face Bessemer City, Fultondale, J.A.G., and Woodlawn in the non-region slate.
“Come out and support us. We put a pretty good product on the field and will continue to do it,” said Bates. “Our complete scholar-athletes deserve to see a packed house.”
WR; Trigg Murdoch, RB; Reed Wallace, FB.
players
Jake Con-
DB; KJ Jefries, DB; Jacob Adams, DB. Springville will
The Springville offense gets in work during summer practice. Photo by: Johnny Sanders
Center Point Head Coach George Bates. (Photo by Ron Burkett)
SHADES VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
IRONDALE MIDDLE
SCHOOL
IRONDALE YOUTH MOUNTIES
GO MOU N TIES!
Hey Mounties!
Your Irondale community stands behind you, and wishes you a very successful season-- both on the field and in the classroom. Keep making us proud! Mayor
James D. Stewart, Jr.
Season Preview: Leeds Greenwave
By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
LEEDS – When you talk about legends in Alabama high school football coaching, you cannot have that conversation without the name Jerry Hood, head coach of the Leeds Greenwave, being mentioned.
Hood got started as an assistant at McAdory in 1993 followed by serving on Toney Pugh’s ClayChalkville teams when the Cougars first started their program in 1996. Continuing the trend of building new programs, after 2 years at Clay, Pugh took his staff, Hood included, to the new Oak Mountain High School to build the football program there. When Pugh moved on, Hood stayed and took over the Eagles in his first head coaching position.
In five years at Oak Mountain, Hood went 28-26, making it to the state semifinals in 2005 before losing to Hoover.
In 2008, Hood was hired to take over the ClayChalkville Cougars, this time as the head coach. On the field, Hood’s Cougars went an impressive 84-17 during his 8 years, winning a state championship in 2014.
Officially, Hood’s record was 75-26 due to a controversial 2011 season in which there was accusation of an ineligible player on the team that caused Clay to forfeit nine of their 10 wins. Pure speculation would lead one to believe that they likely would have won the state championship that year as well. This was also the only year under Hood that the Cougars would miss the playoffs.
Hood took a couple of years off from coaching before taking
the Leeds job in 2019. Under Keith Etheredge, from 2006 until 2015, the Greenwave had built one of the better teams in 3A and 4A football in Alabama, winning multiple state championships, including back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015 paired with a title in 2010 and 2008. Lee Gibson took over for Etheredge and could not find the same success, going 1815 in three years at Leeds. Coach Hood’s first Greenwave team went 2-8 in 2019. In Jerry Hood fashion, the Greenwave turned things around quickly. 2020’s Leeds Greenwave went 9-3 and has not looked back since. In the
same year, the Greenwave moved to 5A which made it even more impressive. Each year since, Leeds has won no less than nine games and has been a playoff contender in each year. Strong defense and “old school” football has been the name of the game for Hood’s version of Leeds football. While there have been some good offensive teams, 2022 being the best, the defense often chokes out opponents and allows even the most prolific of offenses to score minimal points. In 2024, the Greenwave will face new challenges such as replacing two of the best defensive linemen, in Chris Burge and Kavion
Henderson, to ever play for Leeds and a couple of new region foes in Center Point and Jacksonville to pair with a tough non-region slate. On defense, as stated above, Hood will be replacing two dominant defensive linemen, including one of the most decorated players in Leeds history in Kavion Henderson, who will be suiting up for the Arkansas Razorbacks this year. Chris Burge is the other lineman that will need to be replaced, a UAB Blazer for the coming season. “Replacing them will be tough, but we have some good guys coming in to do it,” said Coach Hood. Jackie Bishop and James Langford will carry the
load up front for the defense while Miles Jones, Gavin Howard, Reece Bitner and Miles Ashford look to fill out the rest of the defense. “We should still be strong on defense, but we will be young. I am looking forward to watching them grow. I think we will be good there,” said Hood. On offense, the Greenwave return almost everyone. The line, anchored by Gavin Bowlin, Wilson Beasley, and Carlos Plascencia, who have multiple offers between them, will be a strong point for the Leeds offense. Hard-nosed quarterback Conner Nelson returns for the Leeds as a dual threat who is not afraid
to tuck the ball and run into a pile for tough yards. Nelson will have every receiver from last year’s team to spread the ball to, as well as ZJ Dale and Grayson Ford, who also has several offers, in the backfield to provide experience and toughness in the running game. “We will be pretty explosive with Nelson back at quarterback and all of our receivers, said Hood. “We also have ZJ (Dale) and Ford back at running back.” Offensive players to watch: Conner Nelson, quarterback; ZJ Dale, running back; Wilson Beasley, offensive lineman; Grayson Ford, running back; Gavin Bowlin, offensive line; Carlos Plascencia, offensive line. Defensive players to watch: Jackie Bishop, defensive line; James Langford, defensive line; Miles Jones, linebacker; Gavin Howard, linebacker; Reece Bitner, defensive back; Miles Ashford, defensive back. Hood said of his team, “They are going to be young on defense but there is a lot of speed out there. As a team, we are very competitive and that gets me really excited for this season.”
Coming off of a 9-3 season in 2023 that ended when eventual 5A champions Ramsay ended their season in the second round of the playoffs, the Greenwave look to continue their winning ways despite a tough schedule. Out of region, Leeds travels to Mortimer Jordan and Briarwood while welcoming Shades Valley and Pelham to Homer Smiles. The region slate has familiar opponents in Springville, Lincoln, Saint Clair County and Moody with additions Jacksonville and Center Point.
Season Preview: Moody Blue Devils
By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
MOODY – Year three of the Jake Ganus era looks to be the most interesting by far. As we have reported previously, Ganus has brought a new attitude to the football team as well as the entire school and even the community.
In case you have not seen our previous articles on the ascent of this program, we will provide the short version. Until 2022 (Ganus’ first year), Moody had never won 10 games in a season and had only reached nine wins in a season one time, in 2004. The Blue Devils won 10 games in both of his seasons and made it to the second (2022) and third (2023) round of the playoffs respectively.
To say Jake Ganus and company have changed the culture in Moody is likely an understatement. We will not get into all of the other ways things have changed at Moody, but it has become infectious throughout the entire city.
The 2024 campaign looks to be one for the books as Moody embarks on a brutal out of region/class schedule where they will take on Gainesville, GA, Josh Nibblett’s team who is ranked in the top 100 in the nation. They will also take on a trio of 9-3 playoff teams in 7A Auburn High School and 6A powers Oxford and Helena. That is in addition to the brutal 5A Region 6 schedule. On offense, Moody will have to replace KD Barnes as the primary target for senior quarterback Charlie Johnston, as well as running back Blaine Burke who was a cheat code himself and big-time receiver Aiden Robinson.
Johnston, a Georgia Southern commit, will lead the offense once again for Moody with a plethora of
talent on the field with him. His backup is junior Boaz Thornton, who saw limited time last year, but looks to step in when needed this year. The offensive line remains intact with familiar names like Jackson Randall and Jaxon Huckeba returning, along with the other three starters from last year’s team. Fish Brinegar will have something to say about one of the five spots along that line. “We had OTA in Montgomery yesterday and everyone was spent. I got a text from his trainer saying Fish worked for two hours after we got home and he had to make him go home. He just has a motor that will not quit.”
Receivers Braden Wright and Josiah Dozier return to give some depth and experience at the position. Hybrid player and former DB Jalijah Rutledge will play receiver as well as running back. “He may be
the best athlete on the field for us,” said Ganus. Also at receiver for Johnston will be speedster Steven Sigler, who boasts 4.3 speed and is “the fastest player I’ve ever coached,” said Ganus. Other contributors will be Bradley Blais, Colin Eatman and Bravis Cave Jr, who will also play running back. Replacing someone like Blaine Burke is never easy, but Rutledge, along with newcomers Le’Kamren Meadows and Cave Jr, will take on the task. Meadows’ father, Lou, is Moody legend, earning all-state first team in 2004 for the Blue Devils. Cave played for 6A state champion ClayChalkville Cougars last year. Ganus is eager to get the ball in his hands this season. “He’s a great blocker which is what he did for Clay and they won a championship. He brings that experience and swagger here and he can do a lot with the ball in his hands,” said
Ganus. Also, be on the lookout for rising junior running back Kevin James, who looks to add to the depth of this talented group.
On defense, the front seven will be very strong and experienced while the backfield will see a few new faces, but a lot of talent that Ganus said could be even better than the previous group, who had two D1 scholarship players in A’mon Lane-Ganus and Chase Jackson as well as hard-nosed player AJ Madison.
The line will be anchored by veterans Cam Mallory and Bailey Abercrombie who both have a multitude of D1 offers. Henry Smith, a Hoover transfer, will make noise at defensive end with a 6’4” 240 lb frame along with Josh Willet, who can play anywhere along the line, Caleb O’Niel and Eli Walker.
Linebacker is absolutely loaded with potential five-
star sophomore Ba’Roc Willis, who has offers from every SEC school and many more to come. Willis is not alone as familiar names like Simon Molay, Kaleb Goff, Jagger Ludolf and Marshal Teofilo shore up a very talented and experienced corps. “These guys can move around a lot. They can all play the different roles at the position,” said Ganus. Defensive back looks like the one that was depleted as much as any position group at Moody, but the talent that replaces them could make the absence of Lane-Ganus, Jackson and Madison not as bad as it may seem at first. Tennessee commit Sidney Walton returns as the veteran of the group. Kylan Baker, who joined the team late in 2023, looks to make a splash, along with Thompson transfer Noel Hicks, DJ Brooks, and Brody McCutcheon. Kicker will have a new face as well, with Calvin
Overton brings a 45-yard range to the Blue Devils as well as backup Will Yates who returns for his sophomore season. Eli Walker replaces the graduated Brady Dodd as long snapper.
The Blue Devils coaching staff has taken a bit of a hit as offensive line coaches Chad Slade and Andre Smith are no longer on staff as well as Braxton Mann. Moody has added Jamari Staples and Cord Sandberg to the staff for this year to pair with familiar names like Brandon Wiley and TD Marshal.
Offensive Players to watch: Charlie Johnston, QB; Josiah Dozier, WR; Jalijah Rutledge, RB; Braden Wright, WR. Defensive players to watch: Ba’Rock Willis, LB; Cam Mallory, DL; Kaleb Goff, LB; Sidney Walton, DB
As mentioned before, Ganus has not made it easy for this team to win 10 games for the third year in a row, scheduling 4 monster games outside of the region slate. The region is tough enough with the addition of Center Point, Springville and the hump that Coach Ganus has yet to get over and Moody’s biggest rivals, the Leeds Greenwave. Can the Ganus-led Blue Devils get over that hump and steal a few wins from the gauntlet that is the out of region schedule? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain.
There is a plethora of talent at Moody and there is definitely a Blue Map mentality on 411. “We scheduled Bishop McNamara last year for the purpose of seeing teams like Ramsay, who we will face in the playoffs. This year, we wanted to make the out of region schedule as tough as we could. We might get to the playoffs and realize we aren’t the best in 5A, but we will be the most battle-tested,” said Ganus.
Leeds’ Jerry Hood addresses his opponents after Friday night’s 34-0 win over Saint Clair County. Photo by: Will Heath
Moody’s Charlie Johnston with a throw in the Blue Devils 34-21 win over Southside Gadsden Friday, October 27, 2023. Photo by: Ron Burkett
Season Preview: Pinson Valley Indians
By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
PINSON – The Pinson Valley Indians enter the 2024 season in familiar fashion. With a new head football coach for the third year in a row.
Lee Guess entered the 2022 season at the helm of the Indians. In 2023, it was Gentrell Eatman. Now, in 2024, James Thompson is your head football coach at Pinson Valley High School. The obvious question for a coach coming into this situation is, “does this type of turnover concern you?” Thompson was emphatic in his answer.
“Simply, no,” said Thompson. “I believe everything is destined. Where you are is where you are supposed to be. I have no fear. I know how to work and what works and nothing in the past bothers me. We look forward and we move forward. Nothing
behind us bothers me. We are here to work, we are back and we are going to get better. I am confident in what we are doing and we have a good football team. Thompson takes over a team that finished the regular season strong last year, winning three of their last four games and making it into the playoffs with a 4-5 record, where they lost to Muscle Shoals in the first round. The cupboard is not bare for coach Thompson and his staff. There are playmakers all over the field. The offense should click and the defense will have a lot of speed and athleticism. On offense, the Indians have some real weapons.
At quarterback, after taking a year off, Jamison Green will take the starting snaps. “He’s a 100% guy. He studies, stays in the weight room and is in the film room all the time. He checks off all the boxes for a quarterback and does all of the
important things.” Behind him is freshman Raymond Howard, who looks to be the future of the position. Running back may be the most interesting position on the Pinson offense. Thompson coached running backs at the collegiate level, so this is his baby. Returning starter Rico “Fudge” English was set to be the go-to guy in the backfield but his unfortunate passing earlier in the year leaves a void there. TJ Calhoun, who was a slot receiver, will fill the role of running back, getting most of the carries. Simeon Conner, a freshman, will look to back him up. Amir Marshall will be the “load” as Thompson calls it. “He will help us on short yardage situations and such.” Calhoun will also play some wide receiver in the rotation with a host of weapons at the position who will catch passes from Green. The offensive line may be the biggest mystery as
they replace several across the front. However, this is a big, athletic group led by senior Gabe Lando. “There are about 18 guys up there that will have to play, but they aren’t just bodies up there. We believe they are all good and we can do well with any of them in the game. These guys come to work every day and we have coaches who are committed to teaching. I am confident in them all.”
A new face on the field for Pinson’s offense will be coordinator Grady Griffin, who has coached with Thompson in the past at Pickens County, as well as served as head coach at Aliceville for the past three seasons, posting a 24-12 record overall and making the playoffs each year. “I am very excited to have him on staff and I have confidence that, he and the offensive staff will put points on the board,” said Thomas. On defense, the whole
unit hinges on the line. The leader of the defensive line is edge rusher Jarmaricus Thomas. He will lead a group that returns six starters who are experienced, five of which were starters last year. “We were able to retain Maurice Belser as our defensive coordinator and Justin Matison as our DB coach. I have a lot of confidence in these guys. We are going to fly around and not be predictable on defense. Our coaches know how to mix things up and I am really excited to see these guys get out on the field. Thompson is jumping right into the fire from the frying pan, as they say, with a tough out of region schedule that includes 7A state champion Central Phenix City on the road in week zero, with a familiar coach on the opposite sideline in Patrick Nix, who coached Pinson to consecutive state championships in 2017 and 2018 and a semifinal ap-
2024 Shades Valley preview
pearance in 2019. Following that road trip is a road game at Gardendale, who is looking to rebound from a 3-8 year. After that, Pinson gets into region play with a home game against Huffman and road games at Oxford and Shades Valley. Other out of region games include Hewitt-Trussville and Hueytown. “In order to be the best, you have to play the best and even beat the best. We want to win games and that’s tough to do. We are glad to have the opportunity for our kids to see teams like this. 7A champs and 6 and 7A playoff teams. That is what you want. But, no matter who we are playing, we will accept the challenge and we will not change anything about how we play. We schedule these hard teams, and I did it at Pickens County, to prepare for November. Being battle tested going into November is a good thing.”
By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
As head coach Rueben Nelson enters his fourth year at Valley, he is optimistic about his 2024 Mounties.
The Mounties have registered one winning season over the last three years, gone 12-16 and have not made a playoff appearance since 2020. However, with a 126-80 record and a state title on his resume, Nelson knows what it takes to guide the Mounties back to success.
The Mounties have made several changes to the program in the past year, including overhauling the offensive philosophy, enhancements to the strength and conditioning program, and an increased focus on accountability and academics.
The Mountie roster includes 21 seniors, the largest senior class in years. That number would have been closer to 30 if Valley hadn’t lost several players to the growing high school “transfer portal.”
No fewer than six former Mounties will play key roles for other high school teams across the Birmingham metro area this fall.
The Mounties will have a new starting quarterback this year in junior Zayvian Bolden after the departure of Steve Brown, a two-year starter and Tennessee Tech signee.
“Zay is going to have to have a good year for us,” Nelson said. “He is a smart kid who can make the throws, and the team seems to follow his lead.” Look for wide receiv-
er Javien Williams and Dre’shaun Cook, a talented 6’4, 210 lbs tight end, to be major threats in the passing game, which will showcase more tight end involvement than last season. Running back Geordan Clarke, who started as a freshman, returns for his junior year. Expect freshman Quincy Poole to compete for playing time. The offensive line is the strength of this year’s team, with all five start-
ers and the top seven from last season returning.
Offensive linemen Julian Maddox, Aiden Smith, Johnny Steele, Jaydon Ford, A’Jari Jones, Peyton Kidd and Will Looney return with lots of playing experience.
“They played more than anybody else,” said Nelson. “We get a chance to put some older guys up front where it matters, which is big for us.”
Steele will see playing time on the defensive front as well.
“Johnny has to play big in the middle,” Nelson said. “He has to set the tone. I think we are going to need a big year from Terrance James, too. He saw a lot of playing time last year.” On the defensive front, look for senior Landy Saxton to be a mainstay with Steele and James. Senior Jamie Small moved from safety to linebacker and will replace Alabama State signee Ethan Johnson. “I think
he’s going to have a big year,” said Nelson. “He’s a level-headed kid, super smart, and a great athletic teammate. We moved him from strong safety to linebacker, and he’s done well.”
Look for talented seniors Ja’Caryous Burrow and Chandler Marks to return in the Valley defensive backfield. In Region 6, the Mounties will face defending 6A state champion ClayChalkville, 6A title con-
tenders Mountain Brook and Oxford, Pinson, Pell City, and Huffman. “Toughest schedule in 6A football,” Nelson said. “Can’t complain about it though.
That’s how it lines up.”
In non-region play, the Mounties open their season at home against Woodlawn, then travel to 5A contender Leeds and host Cherokee County, a 4A powerhouse with a 25-5 record over the past two years.
New Pinson football coach James Thompson addresses his team after a summer practice. Photo by: Johnny Sanders
Rueben Nelson watches his Mounties at Hoover 7 on 7. Photo credit: John Goolsby
