Shelby County Football 2023

SHELBY COUNT Y

Shelby County Football 2023

STAFF EDITORIAL

Anna Grace Moore

Barton Perkins

Andrew Simonson

Noah Wortham

PRODUCTION

Sydney Allen

Rowan Futrell

Jamie Dawkins

Connor Martin-Lively

MARKETING

Octavia Campbell

Evann Campbell

Kari George

Michaela Hancock

Rachel Henderson

Rhett McCreight

Tori Montjoy Smith

Lauren Morris

Kayla Reeves

Viridiana Romero

Anna Willis

ADMINISTRATIVE

Alec Etheredge

Stacey Meadows

Tim Prince

Mary Jo Eskridge

Brittany Schofield

Savana Tarwater

EVERY FOOTBALL SEASON BRINGS NEW BEGINNINGS.

Each August, hope springs anew with every team, and each coach, player and fan is full of optimism for the upcoming season.

Here at the Shelby County Reporter, there are new beginnings as well. For the first time in a while, there is a new face greeting you on this page. This is my first football season as sports editor, and I’m excited to take you through the best time of the year to be a sports fan in Alabama.

Over the last three years, as a freelance writer for the Reporter, I have fallen in love with the incredible talent and passionate fanbases at every school in the region, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to spearhead our football coverage along with Alec Etheredge. I hope that my enthusiasm for this coming season is visible throughout these pages. This is without a doubt the most exciting, challenging and rewarding project I have ever undertaken, and the countless hours that I poured into this magazine have made it a labor of love.

Last year, we saw Thompson take home its fourth straight title in dominant fashion, as well as historic playoff runs from Pelham, Vincent and Evangel. They all enter this new season with tons of promise and potential once again, and Helena, Calera, Shelby County, Montevallo and Cornerstone are all poised to challenge for regional glory. Chelsea and Spain Park are both entering their second seasons under talented coaches and look ready to take the next step, while a new era has dawned at Oak Mountain with Shane McComb instilling an exciting and dynamic culture with the Eagles.

Throughout this magazine, you can find

previews for all of them with key players, insights from coaches, full schedules, rosters and, of course, my predictions for how they will finish. I hope these sections prepare you well for what you can expect to see on Friday nights throughout this fall.

You can also find my picks for the top 10 games involving area teams this year. With so many top teams in this area or paying it a visit, along with historic and fierce rivalries, it was almost impossible to choose just 10, but that means this list is stacked with nationally ranked teams and rematches of the most exciting matchups of the last few years.

Last, but certainly not least, I hope you make time for the feature stories throughout this magazine. You’ll get a deep dive into the region’s most talkedabout quarterback battle, Zach Sims and Trent Seaborn at Thompson, and more importantly, the deep friendship between the two stars. You can also hear from Emerson Russell on the incredible work ethic that makes him one of Chelsea’s most exciting players and biggest leaders.

Pelham’s Clayton Mains will introduce you to the people who shaped him along the way as he goes deep about his desire to leave a legacy and impact his community. We also take a look at Helena’s jack of all trades, Hunter Hale, and dive into his football journey and his love of Helena.

No matter how your team fares, I hope you enjoy the season as much as I enjoy covering it. And if you see a guy on the sidelines or in the stands with a press pass who looks way too young to be there, come up and say hi. I can’t wait to meet you.

Andrew Simonson, Sports Editor

Andrew.Simonson@ShelbyCountyReporter.com

Watch Me Work

Chelsea’s Emerson Russell leads the way for the Hornets while relentlessly pursuing improvement

Written by ANDREW SIMONSON | Photos by DAWN HARRISON

EEmerson Russell’s impact on the field for the Chelsea Hornets is easy to see.

His dominance as both a runner and in the receiving game stand out, and his performances on the field have endeared him to Chelsea fans.

However, most of his impact isn’t visible from the stands on Friday nights. Russell has established himself as the workhorse in the Chelsea locker room, and he is one of the Hornets’ biggest leaders because of it.

His influence on Chelsea’s program is evident throughout the building, and the work that he has put in both in practice and outside the team has earned the praise of fellow players and coaches.

“He’s just a great kid,” Chelsea coach Todd Cassity said. “And, you know, he hasn’t really got any D-I type offers yet. I really, really hope he gets that opportunity because he’s worked his rear end off to be that kid, and I have never coached, probably in

my 25 years, a kid that is as talented and has the want to as Emerson.”

JUST KEEP IMPROVING

One of the main things that sets Russell apart from the rest is his work ethic. Even though he has extraordinary talent as a running back, he doesn’t rest on that talent, but instead he works to improve himself every day.

For Russell, it’s all about being better than he was yesterday. He often scours his film looking for any part of his game that needs improving.

“I would usually make a highlight tape at the end of every season, and then I would just notice things that I felt like I could’ve changed every single season,” Russell said. “And I’ll usually add that to my game for the next season and just become 1% better each year.

“Just knowing the mistakes I made and allowing those to change and going into the next season, it just adds small parts of my game, which allows me to become a better player.”

Part of the reason why Russell wants to be the best player that he can is because of his dream to play college football. That dream started becoming more of a reality when Cassity arrived at Chelsea and not only taught the players and gave them freedom to grow, but he and assistant coach Payton Holmes set up players like Russell to do well in recruiting.

“Going into this season, I’m a lot more motivated knowing that coach Holmes has coordinated a lot of like coaches coming into the game wanting to see me play, me and my teammates play and just knowing that is possible for them to be recruiting me,” Russell said. “And getting some offers that I would’ve never thought I could’ve gotten a couple of years ago.”

Cassity already had Russell on his radar when he came to Chelsea, but that grew even more when he saw him in person. That praise only grew when Russell posted an All-County season last year with 1,130 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground as well as a pair of receiving touchdowns.

“I had seen him on film,” Cassity said. “I knew that

he had so much talent, but, you know, just watching him in the weight room smile every day, he never complains. I knew he was going to be special just by the way he approached his everyday life. And the first month I was there, I just got to know him and the work ethic that he put in, it pretty much confirmed to me that this kid’s the player that everybody said he was. And then to see him on the field last year, have 1,200 yards rushing in the region that we play in, you know, it was definitely well deserved on his part with all the work that he’s already put in to accomplish that.”

Russell put up those numbers even though he was in his first season in 7A and working in a new offense under a first-year head coach. He said there was definitely an adjustment period as he and his teammates got the snaps they needed to grow, but that things are looking up on the other side of last season.

“So, the main challenge was going in with a brand new coach and not really having the depth that we wanted, but we had to do what we had to do with the depth that we had,” Russell said. “So, it really allowed me to work harder and some of the other players that are also coming up this season to work harder and get that experience that we needed because we’re kind of young. But knowing that we’re young and we had those guys get experience, it’ll allow us to be a lot better this season knowing that they’ve already had the experience.”

That work ethic and desire to get better comes from his parents, especially his dad, who played for Woodlawn in high school and Samford in college before playing professionally.

From when Russell started playing football at age

5 to now, he remembers his dad motivating him to put in the work to chase his dreams.

“Mainly, he always used to tell me just the only things I can control is my attitude and effort,” Russell said. “I would just use that all throughout my years. And that’s really made me the player that I am today.”

Russell’s parents are still his biggest supporters to this day, and the more that Cassity interacts with Russell and his family, it’s obvious to him where he gets his values from.

“With his parents, with his family, his dad is always around helping out, doing anything that we need from him,” Cassity said. “So, he definitely gets it honestly from his father and his mom, and they’ve done a great job of raising him.

BEING A LEADER

Russell’s work during his career hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Chelsea locker room. As he has grown up at Chelsea, Russell has grown into more of a leader each season as players look up to him.

Russell isn’t the traditional motivational and vocal leader, but instead, he chooses to lead by example and let his work do the talking. To Cassity, that’s even more important because of the lack of players able to lead in that way.

“He’s not much of a talker,” Cassity said. “He’s more of a leader that shows what’s supposed to be done on a daily basis. And a lot of kids talk the talk, but they don’t want to walk it. And he’s definitely a kid that does more the affirmation, the showing of it than he does the talking.”

Russell views himself the same way, but he wants to grow more as a vocal leader as he enters his senior season.

“Most of my career, I was mostly like a lead by example type of player, but this year, I really had to step into that role of being a more verbal leader, and I think I’ve been doing pretty good with it,” Russell said.

Russell is doing that by giving the younger players under him the chance to learn from him while he is still at Chelsea to set the future of the program up for success.

“I’m just taking most of those skill

players under my wing, showing them everything that I know and allowing them to get those reps in that they need, so when I leave them, they’ll know what to do and how to do it,” Russell said.

With that great power comes great responsibility to lead well, as Cassity often tells Russell. He’s one of the biggest leaders on the team, and everything that he does has a ripple effect on the rest of the players.

“All the kids look up to him,” Cassity said. “He’s just one of those kids that everybody gravitates to. When he’s going really well, the entire team’s going really well. And I try to remind him of that on a daily basis, that all those eyes are on him. And if he walks out on that practice field and there’s a lot of energy and excitement, then the entire team’s going to be the same way.”

Russell rises to that challenge daily, and it’s very fulfilling to him to help make sure the next generation is more prepared to step into his shoes as a starter than he was.

“It makes me feel pretty accomplished, even though I’m not very done with that yet,” Russell said. “I’m still working on that some more.

But knowing that I was in their shoes before and had those three years helped me and made me a better player.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

By helping the younger players, Russell is helping to bring together the team and make them not just work well on the field, but grow closer off of it.

To Russell, Chelsea football is a family, and family means being there for his teammates no matter what.

“It’s just a real family-like environment,” Russell said. “It means a lot, and they’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Russell believes that part of Chelsea’s culture is crucial to their success because it makes everything mean more. When he and his teammates are willing to sacrifice for each other and value the team above everything, the sky’s the limit.

“Playing like a team, playing like a family, it really changes how the game is seen so it means a lot more to you when you’re playing,” Russell said. “You’re not being selfish, you’re playing for the guy next to you, and that’s what it’s all about.”

That respect, love and selflessness is a two-way street, and the players and coaches around him pour as much into Russell as he does into them.

Russell and Cassity in particular have a special relationship. Despite only going into their second season together, the two have a strong bond and are willing to do anything for each other.

“It’s one that I can pretty much ask of him anything and he’ll do it, and he can pretty much ask me anything and I’ll do it,” Cassity said. “He had a car wreck last year before playing Oak Mountain, and we were one of the first ones to get there. I care about him. He’s a great kid.”

Even though Russell obviously means a lot to Cassity as one of his all-time best players, Cassity values his relationship with Russell as a person more than anything.

“He’s one of those that I will try to stay in touch with him the rest of my life, that type of kid,” Cassity said. “And I’m just proud to say that I’ve gotten the opportunity to coach him and hopefully that relationship will continue.”

It’s obvious Russell has left a great impact on Chelsea, and going into his senior season, he’ll have one more chance to lead his football family on the field while he aims to accomplish his dreams.

SAY NO TO OPIOIDS

Friendly Competition

Thompson quarterbacks and friends Zach Sims and Trent Seaborn ready to work together for another state title

Written by ANDREW SIMONSON | Photos by DAWN HARRISON

SSpend any amount of time watching football, and chances are, you’ll hear about a quarterback competition. You know, the aging veteran stubbornly refusing to let go of his spot, the wide-eyed rookie deemed as the chosen one by fans and the media, the coach who says he’ll have to wait and see who the best man is, even if he’s already made up his mind.

That’s not what’s happening at Thompson this season. Here, it looks like both quarterbacks riding to the interview in the same car after getting lunch together, cracking jokes during the photoshoot and hyping each other up all day long.

This isn’t your typical quarterback competition. And that’s because Zach Sims and Trent Seaborn aren’t typical quarterbacks.

Both have guided the Warriors to state championships in historic fashion. Both have shown

tremendous potential and have the Power 5 offers to back that up. But most importantly, both are each other’s friends, and no matter what happens, they will support each other every step of the way.

A LEGENDARY LINEAGE

Before Seaborn can talk about his relationship with Sims, he has to go back to the beginning.

Seaborn was born in Hawaii, and he shares that heritage with the Tagovailoas, who moved to Alabaster in 2018 when Tua Tagovailoa began playing for the Crimson Tide and Taulia Tagovailoa transferred to Thompson.

The Seaborns moved to Colorado around the same time, and they visited the Tagovailoas in Alabamas to train under their father Galu, who was

a renowned quarterback coach in Hawaii, and he met Sims while working with the Tagovailoa family.

While Sims was already becoming like an older brother to Seaborn, he was learning from the quarterbacks ahead of him: Tagovailoa, who broke dozens of state passing records in 2018 en route to Thompson’s first state title game appearance since 1982, Sawyer Pate, who won the 2019 state championship, and Conner Harrell, the starter during the 2020 state championship game.

Harrell and Sims especially had a big brotherlittle brother relationship, and Sims said that it was ingrained in Thompson’s culture for the current starter to take the future one under their wing.

“Our tradition of QBs, it’s always been a brotherhood,” Sims said, “You go back to when it was Lia (Taulia Tagovailoa), and then Lia and Sawyer, and then Sawyer and Conner, and then Conner and me, and now it’s me and Trent. It’s just a brotherhood that just really trickles down, and it’s just a tradition that we have.”

It wasn’t until Sims’ sophomore year when the Warriors needed a quarterback behind him that

Thompson coach Mark Freeman pulled up Seaborn as a seventh grader to be Sims’ backup.

From there, Sims and Seaborn became even closer friends as they worked together every day during practice as they learned the offense.

Sims learned quickly how crucial it is to be prepared as a backup because something bad could happen at any moment. When Harrell went down injured late in the 2021 season against Hoover, Sims had to come in and finish the game and start the next week against Florence in the playoffs.

He used the leadership skills he developed under Harrell to help prepare Seaborn for whenever his moment would come.

“I think, especially at the quarterback position, we just have to be leaders, so I think that’s the first and foremost,” Sims said. “And as far as football wise, just always being ready, you know, we’ve had injuries at this spot as well. Connor had got hurt and I had to come in. I got hurt last season, Trent had to come in. So, it’s just first, being a leader, and then always just being ready at this spot.”

GOT YOUR BACK

Once Harrell moved on to North Carolina, it was Sims’ time to shine as a starter with Seaborn as his backup.

The two quarterbacks prepared together every week last season, and Seaborn’s extra preparation was put to use as Thompson found situations throughout the season to let him play.

Sims was still the starter, but Seaborn played a great supporting role as the quarterbacks traded notes and tips as they went into each game.

“That’s really what helped me throughout the playoffs was him being right behind me and supporting me and helping me throughout the whole way,” Seaborn said.

But even that preparation couldn’t fully help Sims and Seaborn brace for what was to come. In a cruel twist of irony, a nagging injury throughout the season ended Sims’ season against Hoover in the regular-season finale.

Almost a year to the date after Sims was thrust into the spotlight when Harrell got hurt, Seaborn became the starter as an eighth grader just before the Warriors were set to defend their three straight state titles in the playoffs.

What could have been disastrous for Thompson turned into one of the most talked-about playoff runs in recent history, as Seaborn led the Warriors to an undefeated postseason capped by a Class 7A State Championship record five touchdown performance. Sims supported him the entire way.

“Zach being there, he was there with me the whole time, and he was really the guy in the chair right next

to me, and he was telling me all this feedback and stuff, and I think that was a really good thing throughout the playoffs,” Seaborn said. “He would help me throughout the playoffs on reads and stuff like that, and I think that he’s been a really big part of what really happened.”

As the national hype for Seaborn started pouring in, it could have been easy for Sims to be jealous and want the spotlight back, but instead, Sims and Seaborn continue to see themselves as a duo that complements each other’s skillsets to give the Warriors the best chance to win.

“I think me and Zach both going in and having our own special skill sets and abilities, I think that’s going to be really hard for defenses to game plan against,” Seaborn said.

CHOSEN FAMILY

What wasn’t hard was for the two of them to become close friends off the field. Even though they are both highly-rated prospects, they’re still teenagers, and they love to do teenager things together.

“When I got pulled up and I really got to know Zach on a more personal level, he’s really a great guy, he’s down to earth. He’s super easy to talk to,” Seaborn said. “He’s probably my best friend through football and also outside of football, you know, we go everywhere together. He’ll drive me places and we’ll go to like a pool or restaurants or stuff like that after practice, and that’s really what’s kept our relationship strong is that brotherhood and not thinking of it as, who’s the starter, who’s the backup, because you

really can’t think like that. That could ruin relationships.”

That relationship works because the pair are very similar people. They know enough about football, and more importantly, about the other person, to help correct each other and point out things that the other may not have noticed.

The pair have grown to be closer than brothers, but they won’t always be a short drive away. Sims is a senior, meaning this is their last season together, and the last chance for him to teach Seaborn what he will need to know to be the main man under center for the next three years.

Seaborn is soaking in all of the moments both on and off the field with Sims, and even if he could go back and learn from any other quarterback, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I will definitely be very sad when Zach leaves,” Seaborn said. “He’s always been a great friend to me and really like a brother to me. And it’s not just like the things that you see on TV, but it’s also the little things too. Like he’ll teach me, at this certain part of the year, on this practice, what will a quarterback do

on this day? And you know, it’s really specific, really detailed stuff, and he’s really prepared me to eventually take over the team. I think I really appreciate him for that and I wouldn’t ask for anybody else to take his spot.”

While Sims will obviously miss his best friend, he’s confident in handing off the reigns because this is what he has prepared Seaborn for. He’s done what Harrell, Pate and Tagovailoa did before him and continued the brotherhood, and that makes him prouder than anything.

“To me, it means the world because I get to do what the guys before me did,” Sims said. “Like Conner, you know, Conner was like my big brother. I would ask him questions about everything, and I would come to him about stuff. So for me to be an older guy now and to be that for Trent, to me it just means a lot just to keep the tradition going and keep the brotherhood going that we have.”

That isn’t typical of how quarterbacks get along. But it’s how programs and dynasties are built, and Sims and Seaborn are the next in line in Thompson’s dynasty.

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Time

GAMES TO WATCH The 10 best matchups for the 2023 season

AUG. 31 (THURSDAY)

It doesn’t get better than this. One of the biggest national powerhouses of the last decade will come to Alabaster to take on the four-time defending 7A state champions. This game will be a measuring stick to how Thompson stacks up against the best.

OCT. 27

The Warriors have accomplished almost everything in the state of Alabama over the last two seasons, except for beating Hoover in the regular season. After losing the last two region titles to the Bucs, expect Thompson to come into the Met with revenge on their mind.

SEPT. 22

Arguably the most entertaining and intense rivalry in the area, Pelham and Helena always delivers. The two schools that used to be together came down to the final play in 2021 and needed overtime to decide a winner in 2022.

SEPT. 28 (THURSDAY

Last year’s matchup of 7A and 6A powerhouses lived up to the hype and then some, and now, the encore will get a national spotlight on ESPN2. Last season, Thompson ended Clay-Chalkville’s 20-game win streak with a game-clinching interception from Anquon Fegans.

SEPT.

Since it was revived in 2018, this series has become one of the most perennially entertaining and underrated matchups on the schedule. Shelby County ended a three-game skid against the Bulldogs last season, and Montevallo will look to regain control this season.

OCT. 20

Last year’s contest was a game that Calera fans have replayed in their heads and Helena fans wish they could forget. Calera won a four-overtime thriller with a playoff spot on the line for the two teams. A playoff spot could once again be on the line in 2023.

1. THOMPSON VS. IMG ACADEMY

2. THOMPSON AT HOOVER

3. PELHAM VS. HELENA

4. THOMPSON VS. CLAY-CHALKVILLE

ON ESPN2)

5. SHELBY COUNTY VS. MONTEVALLO

1

6. HELENA VS. CALERA

OCT. 20

A battle of the last two region champions, this matchup on the last week of the regional slate could decide playoff positioning, if not the region title itself.

SEPT. 15

The pair of Highway 280 rivals will do battle with both programs establishing new cultures, the Eagles in their first season with Shane McComb and the Hornets with second-year coach Todd Cassity.

This matchup was the Jackets’ lone loss last season, a one-point defeat that decided the regional title and prevented a historic undefeated season. Now, Vincent will be out for revenge.

OCT. 13

Expect to see a tantalizing matchup between Chelsea’s run game and Spain Park’s run defense, along with two teams ready to prove themselves against one another after Spain Park’s tight win last year.

7. PELHAM AT HOMEWOOD

8. CHELSEA VS. OAK MOUNTAIN

9. VINCENT AT B.B. COMER SEPT. 21

10. SPAIN PARK VS. CHELSEA

LIONS

It’s no secret that Briarwood is incredibly disappointed with their 3-7 finish in 2022. This is a group that had playoff expectations coming into the year looking to make something special out of it.

Now they’ll move on to 2023 without the player who has defined Briarwood football for the last four seasons: Christopher Vizzina, who now moves on to Clemson. However, the Lions have always been a team that reloads whenever they lose talent, and this year is exactly the same.

Briarwood has a great group of senior leaders anchored by Grey Reebals, Jack Cornish and Max Luster, and the team is full of hard workers who have put their head down this summer and strived to get better. Head coach Matthew Forester also brought in new assistants Tony Johnson and Kyle Tatum, both of whom have helped bring this group of players together and develop them.

As coach Forester says, “hope is the greatest motivator.” Briarwood certainly has plenty of that going into 2023.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

For the first time in four years, Briarwood has a quarterback battle. It’s still up in the air whether senior Josh Thompson or junior Will Clark will take the field at Lions Pride Stadium in Week 1. Amid all of the uncertainty, one thing is clear: both are talented athletes that can stretch the game on their feet, so the system won’t change depending on who’s under center. Both have grown more comfortable at the position and being leaders on the team as the summer has gone on.

RUNNING BACK

Cooper Higgins and Evan Robson both return from 2022 and will share the carries this year for Briarwood as they look to make the run game a priority behind the rookie quarterback. Both are big, bruising backs that will look to dictate the line of scrimmage. Forester hopes that the physical downhill style will help control the game tempo and open up the playbook for the quarterback. Look for sophomore Eli Thompson to be a wild card as a versatile scat back.

RECEIVERS

The receiving room should be deep, dynamic and diverse. First, there’s Sawyer Click, who looks to be Briarwood’s annual breakout senior receiver after a

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 6A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

3-7 (1-5 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Matthew Forester RECORD

33-14 (Fifth Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Mike Bautista, Lance Coggins, Daniel Forester, Shane Harmon, Colin Hutto, Tony Johnson, Bobby Kerley, Jay Matthews, Brent Reese, Kyle Tatum, Jay Wise, Bob Blake

LAST REGION TITLE 2019

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

Cooper Higgins

Grey Reebals

great offseason gaining maturity and running routes well. Then, you have the other returning receivers in Gabe Margene and Ben McNulty looking to have great years. There are also the receivers who play cornerback as well, with Caleb Keller transitioning to fulltime offense in his senior year and Grey Reebals getting offensive reps in addition to his defensive and returning responsibilities. JP Harbor will also fit in well with the offense, and Forester has four players competing for the tight end spot in Max Luster, Gavin Gurtis, Chance Freeman and Dane Whitehead. There’s a lot of breakout potential in this group, which should be fun to watch.

OFFENSIVE LINE

In a world full of uncertainty, it’s nice to have a tight-knit offensive line that know their spots and are stepping into leadership roles. New offensive line coach Tony Johnson brought in schemes from Mountain Brook that the players have taken to which will utilize their physicality to open up the offense. Luke Schultz is a tough assignment for defensive ends at left tackle as he clocks in at 6-foot-7, 290 pounds. Fellow senior Trey Saunders joins him on the left side

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: Clay-Chalkville

Sept. 1: @ Spain Park

Sept. 8: @ Chilton County*

Sept. 15: Pelham*

Sept. 22: Bye

Sept. 29: Oak Mountain

Oct. 6: @ Helena*

Oct. 13: @ Calera*

Oct. 20: Benjamin Russell*

Oct. 27: Homewood*

Nov. 3: @ Fairhope

*Region Game

at guard with explosive power to open gaps. Tanner Hudson and Barnabas Karanja are in a battle for the center position, and then the right side will be all hard-working seniors no matter if Lude Solomon, Cole Carter or Charlie Thompson gets the starting nod.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The line returns five players who started at least once last year, and four are seniors. Luke Dickinson, Andrew Kassouf, Max Luster, Cace Reynolds and Garrett Witherington have been hitting the practice field and weight room hard to take the next step this season. It’s an experienced group that

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Grey Reebals, CB/WR

Reebals is one of the most athletic cornerbacks in the region, and he’ll also bring that speed and talent to the receivers room.

Cooper Higgins, RB Higgins is one half of the physical running back duo that Briarwood will hope establish the tempo of the run game.

Evan Robson, RB Robson will split the main carries this year and presents a big, bruising challenge to opposing defensive fronts.

Sawyer Click, WR Click has breakout potential written all over him after making great strides this offseason to give the rookie quarterback a consistent veteran target.

Jack Cornish, LB

One of the returning starters at linebacker and leaders on the defense, Cornish will look to take a big leap this year and become one of the top contributors on the Lions defense.

KEY DEPARTURES

Christopher Vizzina, QB No quarterback left a bigger mark on his program than Vizzina. He elevated every player on the Lions offense with his tremendous ability and showed his teammates that they could make it to a program like Clemson from Briarwood.

Grant Dickinson, LB Dickinson was the leader of the defense, not just on the stats sheet, but in how he rallied his teammates around him and stepped up every week.

Harrison Clemmer, OL Clemmer and fellow senior lineman Walker Chambless both were named to the All-County Teams for their veteran leadership and dominance in the run game.

Brady Waugh, WR

Waugh was the top target for the Lions last year and recorded 624 yards and eight touchdowns even against the top corners in the region.

QUICK HITS

NEW SHOT CALLER Everyone will have to get used to life without Christopher Vizzina, but coach Forester is in a unique spot of changing quarterbacks for the first time in his five years at Briarwood. That’s allowed Forester to strip down the offense and find what works for his two quarterbacks, Josh Thompson and Will Clark. The good news is that both quarterbacks have a similar playstyle, snd while the new signal caller will undoubtedly have massive shoes to fill, hopes are high that they will be comfortable in the role come week one.

STAND AND DELIVER One of the biggest things that jumps off the page when looking at Briarwood’s roster is that they have loads of depth and quite a few options at every skill position, but they lack star power. The lack of proven weapons was a concern in the past when Vizzina was quarterback, but iit’s onev again even in his absence. There is lots of potential for breakout seasons across the roster, but it will just be a matter of who will step up. Sawyer Click seems poised to be one of those players who makes a name for himself, as well as Gabe Margene and Ben McNulty. The defense has multiple breakout candidates in Rylan Hamm, Wes Burgess and Luke Reynolds.

DON’T MISS THE FOREST Forester was one of the best linebackers in state history during his playing career at Briarwood, so when the state record holder for the most tackles in a season (285, for those curious) talks in practice, you listen. It’s no secret when talking with Forester that the linebackers hold a special place in his heart, and he always expects big things from them and the rest of the defense. This year, Forester has an elite linebacker in Jack Cornish who is ready to follow in his coach’s footsteps and become one of the best at the position in the area. He also has Luke Reynolds coming over from safety, and he’ll be a talented addition to the group as well.

2023 Briarwood Roster

will look to dominate games and has depth to boot, with Zeke Turner and Eli Stubbs leading the pack of players in the mix for snaps.

LINEBACKERS

As Forester is a linebacker himself, he has high expectations of them learning their assignments and tackling well, and this group is more than capable of that. Jack

Cornish returns as a starter but moves over to middle linebacker, and Luke Reynolds is switching over from safety to the nickel slot. Asa Harris, Griffin Albright, and Brooks Allred will all be interesting names to watch as depth options.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The Lions view secondary as one of their

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (4-6)

Briarwood has a lot of questions to answer this year after losing big names in key positions. It’s easy to focus on what Briarwood has lost until you realize what they have coming back: solid veteran contributors across the defense and on the offensive line as well as a slew of returners across the offensive skill positions. Briarwood has a proud history of reloading at any position that they lose talented players at. This year feels different, though, because of the caliber of players the Lions lost last year and the lack of proven players left on the offense. Nobody on this schedule is a cakewalk, which make it difficult to find wins for a developing team to earn. However, we’ve all learned to doubt Briarwood at our own risk, so I believe they will find a way to win more games than last year even though they are still a year or two out from making it back to the playoffs.

smartest groups with the most natural fits in the position. Grey Reebals returns to the secondary after a year at nickel back, and Ethan Carr, Patrick Wilson and Will Werchanowskyj all return at corner. Rylan Hamm, Wes Burgess and Brooks Travis are all impressing at safety this summer and will battle it out to decide their places

on the depth chart.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Garrett Heinemann is preparing to handle all three kicking duties for Briarwood this season, but receiver Britt Wagoner may see some punt and long snapping time as well. There’s an open competition for long snappers.

KEY NUMBERS

It’s impossible to overstate Christopher Vizzina’s impact on the Briarwood offense, but one state comes close to encapsulating his success. Vizzina scored 27 touchdowns in the air and on the ground for the Lions last year while recording 1,828 passing yards and 341 rushing yards. Those scores are gone this year, and it will take a village to replace the contributions he made to this team.

2022 RESULTS

Grey Reebals had a breakout season last year at the nickel position, earning 87 tackles on the season. That includes six tackles for loss and three sacks, and Reebals also broke up five passes and blocked two kicks. That versatility in all aspects of defense makes Reebals one of the most exciting returning defenders in the region. He’ll be called upon to do it all once again as Briarwood seeks to establish a dominant defense in all phases of the game.

*Region Game

2022 STATS

Offense

22.2

5-YEAR WIN TREND

Photo by Andrew Simonson

CALERA

EAGLES

The Calera Eagles have a strong foundation to build on after reaching the 6A state playoffs in 2021 and 2022 following back-to-back one-win seasons.

Now, after regressing slightly with a 4-7 mark in 2022 that was still good enough to make the playoffs, they will have to replicate that success with a new head coach given just a month to prepare.

Each position group has new full-time starters, but none are more high-profile than quarterback and wide receiver, where AJ Johnson, KD Young and Dalton Ash will look to fill Preston Stokes and Braylyn Farrington’s outsized shoes.

One thing is sure to be the same: Calera will be athletic and fast again in 2023. Kobe Prentice and Braylyn Farrington’s influence has given the Eagles game-changing speed on both sides of the ball, and that will be their biggest weapon that they build around this year.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

AJ Johnson will finally get his turn at starting quarterback, and he has gained lots of momentum over the offseason. He excels at seeing defensive breaks and can spin the ball very well. If Johnson has one area to work on, it’s forcing the deep ball, especially now that he doesn’t have a safety net like Prentice or Farrington to throw to. The good news is that he’s been working on his decision-making and being smarter with the football, which should come in handy until his young offensive weapons fully develop.

RUNNING BACK

Hayden Callahan has come along well since his debut and will be the main back for Calera as a junior. Behind him, Calera has both speed back and power

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 6A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

4-7 (3-3 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Jerad Holder

RECORD

First Year

ASSISTANT COACHES

Matt Scoggins, Marcus Dowdell, AJ Ward, Jake Allen, Paul Hovey, Geordy Garrison, Mac McMillan

LAST REGION TITLE

2008

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2022

KD Young

back options in Quatez Williams and Camarien Yow, respectively. Williams ran in the 6A state track championships as an eighth grader this spring, and the speed he possesses as a freshman will be fun to watch develop on the gridiron. Yow can be a Danny Brundage replacement and be a bruising back between the tackles.

RECEIVERS

Calera doesn’t feel much pressure to replace Braylyn Farrington because there are plenty of fast receivers in the room. KD Young and Dalton Ash are both returning after getting some starting experience as sophomores and now enter 2023 with more confidence after a great spring. Elijah Bates will start as an underclassman and is a rising star to look out for after stepping up his game in the offseason. All three are leaders on the offense and could be

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: Spain Park

Sept. 1: @ Chelsea

Sept. 8: Benjamin Russell*

Sept. 15: Homewood*

Sept. 22: @ Chilton County*

Sept. 29: Bye

Oct. 6: @ Pelham*

Oct. 13: Briarwood*

Oct. 20: @ Helena*

Oct. 27: @ Gadsden City

Nov. 2: McAdory#

*Region Game #Thursday

poised for explosive seasons. Braxton Brooks and JaMariun Ford are going back and forth for the fourth receiver spot, but either way, both will be key depth options.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Jake McDonnell and Stuart Goldman

PLAYERS TO WATCH

AJ Johnson, QB

After waiting his turn behind Preston Stokes, Johnson is now the man for Calera. He has a lot of arm talent and has great field vision. Both of those skills will be key in a young offense.

KD Young, WR

All eyes are on the receivers to replace Braylyn Farrington, and Young leads the charge of returning receivers ready to make an impact. He brings game-changing speed that provides the offense with big play potential, but he’s also stepped up as one of the offense’s leaders.

Dalton Ash, WR/P

Like Young, Ash has the potential to be Calera’s main target with his leadership and explosive speed. His versatility as a receiver and punter allows him to make impactful plays all over the field.

Hayden Callahan, RB Callahan will bring the power as a between-the-tackles runner and receives the baton of Calera’s main back role as an incoming junior.

KEY DEPARTURES

Braylyn Farrington

Many could have been crushed under the weight of replacing Kobe Prentice, but Farrington kept Calera’s style alive with dynamic speed on both offense and as a returner. He’ll now take that speed to Auburn to run track for the Tigers.

Preston Stokes

Stokes was Calera’s leader under center and excelled as one of the best quarterbacks in the area by using his arm and athleticism to reach the playoffs in backto-back years.

Michael Banks-Mason

A defensive leader for Calera for the last few seasons, Banks-Mason carried an outsized influence on the defense and served as the anchor in the middle with his play-making ability.

Jaquon Barron

QUICK HITS

NEED FOR SPEED For the second straight season, Calera needs to replace a speedster top receiver. Last season, Braylyn Farrington did a phenomenal job at the thankless task of replacing current Alabama WR Kobe Prentice, and now someone new needs to replace Farrington since he graduated. Luckily, many of Calera’s receivers come in with a skill you can’t teach: speed, which comes from their track experience. The football side comes from new volunteer receivers coach Marcus Dowdell, who gained a lot of buyin from the receiving room. Now, KD Young, Dalton Ash and Elijah Bates are ready to shine and give AJ Johnson some explosive weapons.

LET’S PLAY TWO While Calera is a 6A school, they have multiple players who play at least two sports, and they also have a handful of two-way players. Josh Rhoads, Carlos Wisenhunt and Mac Graham all joined the team after making their names elsewhere on Calera’s campus, Quatez Williams highlights the track influence on Eagles football, and there is versatility on the lines and special teams to play multiple positions. Calera hopes that recruiting from their hallways will lead to more versatile athletes and greater success as they prepare for a likely future in 7A.

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM

After multiple one-win seasons, Calera made the playoffs in each of Jason Hamlin’s two seasons as coach. Now, the real test for the Eagles will come repeating the feat for a third straight playoff appearance, now with a new coach. It won’t be easy, but there are still opportunities for wins throughout their schedule and while the top end of the region is strong, it isn’t unbeatable.

are the tackles, Cade Mitchell and Jaquan Barron are working as the guards and the man in the middle is William Harris at center. Goldman and Barron are both anchors on the line as seniors, but both Mitchell and Harris got meaningful reps last year for the Eagles. McDonald also switched over from defense to help shore up the line, and he’ll look to bring some of his skill from the opposite end of the field.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Calera’s 3-4 defense starts up front with Kharlis Cooper moving over to start at nose guard. Around him, Solomon Moore, Christian Dexter and Deshun Seay will serve as defensive linemen and round out what could be a really exciting position group. In particular, the linemen have been the vocal leaders in practice motivating their teammates and making sure everyone is doing their job, so they will be looking to take on a bigger leadership role come Friday nights.

LINEBACKERS

All four of Calera’s linebackers graduated last year, so it’s up to a new group to be the best versions of themselves and strive to be better than those who came before. Calera baseball player Mac Graham will add a football letter this year, as he’s fallen in love with his strong field linebacker position and been a pleasant surprise for the coaching staff. Josh Jones will play the boundary, and starting kicker TJ Hernandez can play both positions. Two of those players will receive starting spots and the other will be a backup. On the inside, it’s the same numbers game. D’Ivan Brown, Nick Holland and Taylor Alford are gunning for two inside linebacker roles. Holland and Alford can both run on the offense as a fullback, and it’s likely if one of them misses out on a linebacker spot that they’ll move over with the option of coming back if injury needs pop up.

SECONDARY

2022 RESULTS

KEY NUMBERS 2022 STATS

5

Calera returns just five seniors who started in 2023, two from the offensive line and three defensive starters. That means the leadership mantle has fallen on the junior class, and they rose to the challenge. AJ Johnson, KD Young and Dalton Ash all stepped up as offensive leaders going into their junior year, and Calera hopes to build around their core to form a special group for the next few seasons.

848

Braylyn Farrington’s county-leading 848 receiving yards are now gone, but his influence wasn’t limited to the passing game. Farrington recorded multiple touchdowns from the backfield in 2022 and also was a kick return specialist with four return touchdowns on the year. It will be up to a group of players to replace Farrington’s outsized influence, but Calera’s speed across the board should lead to a seamless transition to life without their number one weapon.

Calera’s secondary gained a lot of valuable experience in close games down the stretch last year, and they will look to use that and their speed to come back improved this season. Cornerback

Ahmari Collins and safety Ayden Slaten have stepped up as leaders in the secondary after starting last year. They will be in the mix to start once again along with Josh Rhoads and LeShond Boone at safety. Boone is coming off ACL surgery, and Rhoads is in his first football season after playing baseball for Calera. Carlos Whisenhunt joined the

cornerback room from the basketball team, and will look to use his verticality to complement Kamari Stokes and Troy Burks in the position group.

SPECIAL TEAMS

TJ Hernandez will be back for his senior season at kicker, but he’ll also get some time at linebacker. That’s because on top of his big leg, he loves to run in and get tackles, which will help give the coverage team another tackling option. Dalton Ash will handle some of the punting duties for Calera in addition to his other roles.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (4-6)

A few weeks ago, I had Calera down as one of the potential surprise teams in the area this year. However, that was before Jason Hamlin stepped down as head coach with just two weeks before fall practices started. Hamlin was a great head coach who knew how to get the most out of his roster and established an identity and culture for Calera. Calera named offensive coordinator Jerad Holder as their interim coach shortly after Hamlin left, which allows for some continuity, but that doesn’t change the fact that he stepped in with less than a month until their season opener. Given the difficulties any new head coach faces preparing for their first year at a program, especially one given so little time to prepare, I can’t stand here and predict that Calera is going to have a winning season this year. However, Calera fans have been down this road before. Hamlin stepped in less than two months before the season started in 2021 and guided the Eagles to a 7-4 record after three straight seasons of only winning one head-to-head game. That was also partly because of the talent that has come through Calera over the last few years. One of the reasons I originally believed Calera was a surprise team was because of that talent, speed and athleticism that they’ve shown over the last few years and still have now. However, the talent that they have now is very raw, and likely needs strong coaching to develop, which Calera has less of now with Hamlin gone. But, crazier things have happened in Calera, and I will be happy to be proven wrong by Calera’s underdog spirit if that is the case.

Ayden Slaten

CHELSEA

TEAM INFORMATION

HORNETS CLASSIFICATION

With one season down in 7A, Chelsea hopes to see growth in year two as they develop into a team that can compete at the highest level.

Head coach Todd Cassity and the Chelsea players were thrown into the fire of one of the toughest regions in the nation in 7A Region 3, and while last season was difficult in many ways, the Hornets emerge from that fire stronger and a better team.

The Hornets have gotten bigger, stronger and quicker over the offseason, and they hope to translate that to results on the football field.

Cassity enters year two as the Hornets coach with his players, coaches, city and community bought in to what he’s building at Chelsea. No matter what happens this season, the goal is to continue developing Cassity’s culture and improving on last year’s results.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

Carter Dotson had a shaky first season as a starting quarterback in 7A, but that experience as a sophomore was a great learning opportunity that prepared him to step up as an upperclassman. Now, he has the confidence to take on defenses and the knowledge to make smarter plays with the weapons available to him under center. Look for Dotson to make a big leap in year two as a starter.

RUNNING BACK

Emerson Russell is ready for another season as Chelsea’s lead back, and Cassity is excited to see what leaps he takes this year as he is bigger and faster than he was last year. Behind him, Morgan Barnes and Chase Stracener are two sophomores who will look to take some of the load off Russell. Both are bigger backs, as Barnes is 5’9” and 190 pounds and Stracener is 5’10” and 205 pounds, which will help absorb some of the harder carries between the tackles.

RECEIVERS

Jaxon Shuttlesworth was a big play receiver for Chelsea last year, and now the 6’4” senior will bring more size with 30 extra pounds and more experience from playing in big situations against top opposition

AHSAA Class 7A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

1-9 (1-6 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Todd Cassity

RECORD

1-9 (Second Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Scott Lowery, PJ Wright, Cole Corkren, David Collins, Colby Harris, Stuart Morrison, Payton Holmes, Matt Norris, Joey Woods, Lee Miller

LAST REGION TITLE 2006

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

Carter Dotson

last year. Nick Sulenski also gained about 30 pounds on the other side of the line and will split tight end snaps with Owen Carlson in addition to his receiver role. Raymond Bridgeman is poised to have a strong senior season as he brings a speed dynamic to the Hornets offense as well as great hands. Reece Bittner is a great route runner and position receiver that helps round out a diverse receiver room.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Three of the five starters are seniors, with Zach Hair at right tackle, Logan Sanders at right guard and Jacob Glidewell in the middle at center. They will bring the experience on the right side of the line, while two juniors will fill out the left flank: Will Pohlmann at left

Emerson Russell

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 24: @ Helena#

Sept. 1: Calera

Sept. 8: @ Tuscaloosa County*

Sept. 15: Oak Mountain*

Sept. 22: @ Thompson*

Sept. 29: @ Pelham

Oct. 6: Vestavia Hills*

Oct. 13: @ Spain Park*

Oct. 20: Hoover*

Oct. 27: Hewitt-Trussville*

Nov. 3: Bye

*Region Game #Thursday

guard and Eli Williams at left tackle to round out the group.

DEFENSIVE LINE

One of Chelsea’s biggest question

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Emerson Russell, RB

One of the top running backs in the area, Russell’s athleticism and quickness set him apart from the rest of the pack.

Jaxon Shuttlesworth, WR

The tall and dynamic playmaker is back, and he’s bigger and better than ever. Shuttlesworth’s big play capability will be an x-factor for the Hornets offense again.

Owen Key, S

The leader in tackles for the Hornets last year, Key is a Swiss Army knife in the back of the defense and has the size to match up with just about anyone.

Carter Dotson, QB Dotson is prepared to make a leap in year two as a starter behind a solid offseason of work and the confidence and football IQ to make big, smart plays.

KEY DEPARTURES

MJ Conrad, WR/KR

Conrad totaled over 900 all-purpose yards as a receiver and returner, and Chelsea will miss their top target who became one of the best athletes in the area.

Walker Williams, OL Williams only allowed two sacks throughout the entire season against some of the best defensive lines in the state within Region 3, earning him an All-County spot.

Chris McNeill, DB McNeill had four interceptions against the region’s top quarterbacks and recorded 36 tackles to post an incredible senior season.

Jack Seymour, K/P Seymour was one of Chelsea’s five All-County selections last year after going 22-for-23 on extra points and perfect on three field goal attempts while also downing 11 punts in the opposing red zone.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (3-7)

I think that Chelsea will be a much improved team from last year. You could definitely tell that this was a unit very much out of their depth after being used to the waters of 6A. It’s easy to pick this team to win more games. That is, until you look at their schedule. Enough ink has been spilled on the strength of the top of the region with Thompson, Hoover, Hewitt-Trussville and the recent resurgence of Vestavia Hills. Chelsea should be more competitive against the rest of the region, including Oak Mountain, Tuscaloosa County and Spain Park, but even some of those teams are likely to be improved in 2023. Chelsea’s best chances at wins will come in their opening stretch against Helena, Calera, Tuscaloosa County and Oak Mountain. If they flip those games, then Chelsea has a fighting chance of finishing at .500. The Hornets will need to show up every week as each game is either against a regional opponent, heated local rival or sometimes both. Regardless of where Chelsea ends up after this season, this will be a tremendous growing opportunity for the future and another step towards brighter times for Cassity’s program.

marks is at defensive line, where they return none of their three starters up front. They’ll still operate with a three man front in 2023, and filling those spots left by the departures are junior Gavin Hailstock in the middle at nose guard, and surrounding him are senior Carter Parrish and junior Romello Cooper. Chelsea hopes to take the pressure off the new starters by utilizing the linebackers, cornerbacks

and safeties in ways that involve those experienced groups more.

LINEBACKERS

One of Chelsea’s impact players at middle linebacker, Anderson Brooks, has taken big leaps with both his body and speed over the offseason. Brooks improved his 40-yard dash time from 5.2 seconds last year to 4.6 seconds in June during camp season. Adam

Photo by Iron City Studios

QUICK HITS

PROVING THEY BELONG Last year was a rough first year in the 7A classification for Chelsea, as their lone win came against Oak Mountain in week four. Despite that, the future still looks bright for the Hornets, and they have a chance to make much more noise in the region this year. Cassity has preached to his team that they belong here in 7A, and the talent on their roster certainly backs it up.

STARTING FAST While the top of the region is as strong as ever, Chelsea has an opportunity to get off to a strong start with an easier first four games. They’ll open the season against non-region rivals Helena and Calera, and then the Hornets will start their regional slate with a trip to Tuscaloosa County and a visit from Oak Mountain. Chelsea lost their games against Calera and Tuscaloosa County by a combined five points and beat Oak Mountain on the road last year, which means each of those games provides a strong chance for the Hornets to win. With Helena still figuring out key positions as well, there’s a world where Chelsea rolls into Thompson in week five with a perfect record, which is why Cassity has made it a priority to get his team to start strong out of the gate.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

The face behind the defensive coordinator headset will look a little different this season, as veteran coordinator Ted Darby retired at the end of the 2022 season. His successor is former Helena defensive backs and strength coach Scott Lowery, who they hired in the middle of the offseason to lead the defense. Lowery has brought a lot of excitement and energy to this unique opportunity to lead a 7A defense.

Cornwell is another returning player at outside linebacker, and he’ll look to close out his Chelsea career with a strong final campaign. Joining him at the other outside linebacker position is Ethan Prickett, a

junior who will take on a bigger role for the Hornets as a starter in 2023. Blitzing will be a key part of the play-calling for the linebackers as they look to create havoc and be aggressive to make life easier for the new

Anderson Brooks Owen Key & Drew Cheslock

Shuttlesworth

defensive linemen.

SECONDARY

The secondary returns completely intact from 2022. Owen Key was a leader in tackles for Chelsea last year, and now that he is back for his senior season, Cassity expects to use the 6-foot-1 safety in lots of different spots around the defense. Drew Cheslock will start at free safety, and the senior has big expectations

1,130

from the coaching staff going into his final season. Sam Parrish rounds out the safeties, and as just a sophomore starting at strong safety, he’ll continue to be a name to watch going forward for the Hornets. As for the cornerbacks, senior Brandon Sims is the veteran presence in the back and is joined by sophomore Kenny Wesley. All five starters will feature in many different angles and runs to shut down the pass game and

KEY NUMBERS

Emerson Russell was an absolute force to be reckoned with in the Chelsea backfield, recording 1,130 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He also showed his versatility with 175 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the air. Russell did all of this while dealing with an injury for most of the season and facing new, more challenging defenses in their 7A region. Now that Russell is back healthy with a year of experience at the highest classification under his belt, he is ready to be the heart and soul of the offense and power Chelsea to an improved season on the offensive end.

3

While Chelsea only won one game last season, they were very close to increasing that number. Three of the Hornets’ losses last season were by a score or less, including a loss by four to Calera, one to Tuscaloosa County and seven to Pelham. Those are easy targets for improvement this season with a better and more prepared roster than the one they fielded a year ago. If Chelsea can flip those close losses into wins, those can also give the team positive momentum that they can take into the rest of their schedule and give their opponents a closer contest than they faced a year ago.

Jaxon

2022 RESULTS

*Region Game

2022 STATS

Offense

Total points: 150

Per game: 15.0

County rank: 9

Defense Points allowed: 340

Per game: 34.0

County rank: 11

assist in tackling in every area of the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Fresh off an All-State season in soccer, Luke Miller returns at kicker as a sophomore. According to Cassity, he’s improved to hit a field goal from 40

yards consistently and can kick to the end zone on kickoffs. Qassim Harbor has a 40-to-45 yard range on punts with good hang time, and hopes to get some more looks from colleges in his senior season. Tyler Kirkland will help both in his key role as long snapper after starting as a freshman last year.

COOSA VALLEY

REBELS

After taking a disappointing step back in 2022, Coosa Valley will turn the page into the new year with a new look.

Of the 25 players currently on their roster, only six have played football before, according to head coach Vince DiLorenzo, which means most of the summer has been spent getting the new players up to speed on the fundamentals and the Rebels’ system.

The good news is that the players are growing individually and as a team throughout the summer. They’re all bought in and new leaders are taking charge in the locker room. The Rebels even have enough players to field a JV team, which will help develop future stars.

After going through many trials and difficulties last season, a new culture is taking root, and expectations are high for the future as DiLorenzo aims to bring success back to Coosa Valley.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

After losing quarterback Blake Warnick, senior Konnor Steele will play his first season under center. DiLorenzo hopes Steele will be the toughest player on the field, be able to run the offense well and be ready for whichever defense he’s matched up against on Friday night. JV quarterback Kellin Smith will back up Steele.

RUNNING BACK

Dustin Prickett returns from last season, and he’ll start in the backfield. He may be small, but his speed will play a big factor in games. If the Rebels lean into Prickett’s experience and athleticism by designing plays to take advantage of his speed, that will help bring along the rest of the new offense.

RECEIVERS

The Rebels have five receiving options in 2023. Senior Joseph Tyson and sophomore Braylon Smalls will provide some experience to the group to help their new quarterback. Coosa Valley will look to support them with rookies Jake McArthur, Coby Moore and Ethan Hollingsworth, who should all become more comfortable in their roles as the season progresses.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Senior Keaden Smalls starts at tackle, and he’s

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AISA Class A, Region 1

2022 RECORD

2-8 (0-4 Region 1)

HEAD COACH

Vince DiLorenzo

RECORD

5-16 (Third year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Reece Donahoo, Jordan Greene

LAST REGION TITLE 2010

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

joined at the position by rookie Brooks Klinner. The guards are the same way, with Broxton Lightner playing again as a junior and fellow sophomore Joseph Grantham flanking him in his first season. Brycen Wilson is new to football as well at the center position, and all linemen will be backed up by freshmen and eighth graders from their JV team.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Keaden Smalls is the only piece of the defensive line puzzle that DiLorenzo has solved, but he expects a big season from Smalls. He spoke highly of Smalls and felt like he would be a problem for opposing offenses to deal with. Historically, most of the offensive line has shifted over to the defense, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lightner, Wilson, Grantham and Klinner joined Smalls on the defensive front.

LINEBACKERS

Konnor Steele and Brycen Wilson will

roll into 2023 as Coosa Valley’s linebacker duo. DiLorenzo was coy on what exactly to expect stylistically from their new additions, but he did say he expects them to perform well and make a big impact on the game.

SECONDARY

Cornerbacks and safeties are two more position groups that DiLorenzo and his staff are looking to fill with so many new players on the roster, but Braylon Smalls will for sure start at corner, so that is one less spot to worry about for the coaches. Cornerback

Joseph Tyson and safeties Jake McArthur and Coby Moore are the other high schoolers listed on the secondary roster.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The entire special teams is gone from 2022, so DiLorenzo will see who emerges from tryouts before the season starts.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Dustin Prickett, RB/LB

Prickett’s quickness more than makes up for his lack of size, and his explosive runs will be key on both sides of the ball, but especially at running back.

Keaden Smalls, OL/DL

One of the few veterans on the 2023 Rebels roster, Smalls will be a playmaking presence on the defensive line while helping a developing offensive line.

Braylon Smalls, WR/CB

Smalls’ experience will play a key role in both the receivers room and in the secondary, and as just a sophomore, he’s someone who Coosa Valley can utilize in the years to come.

Joseph Tyson, WR/CB

Tyson’s senior presence will be crucial with a young group of receivers around him, and his ability to play alongside Smalls in the secondary gives DiLorenzo a veteran group on defense.

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: Bye

Aug. 25: @ Cornerstone

Sept. 1: Lowndes*

Sept. 8: @ Lakeside*

Sept. 15: @ Pickens

Sept. 22: Banks

Sept. 29: Evangel Montgomery

Oct. 6: @ Crenshaw*

Oct. 13: @ Abbeville

Oct. 20: @ Southern*

Oct. 27: Sparta

*Region Game

2023 Coosa valley Roster

Photo by Andrew Simonson

CHARGERS

The Cornerstone Chargers tasted success in 2023, and now they want seconds.

The Chargers players came into the offseason wanting to take the next step after falling just short of the AISA eight-man title game last season, and they’ve grown in maturity and skill all offseason.

After losing only two seniors from last season and only having one this year, the leadership mantle now falls on the junior class, including playmakers like Zeke Adams, Cohen Hewitt and Landon Alexander.

Now that head coach James Lee’s culture has taken root and the young players know what winning feels like, the Chargers have the potential to do something special in 2023.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AISA Eight-Man, Region 1

2022 RECORD

6-5 (2-3 Region 1)

HEAD COACH

James Lee

RECORD

20-40 (Seventh Year)

ASSISTANT COACHE

Sam Adams, Nick Simmons, Dane Reece, Alan Keef, Xavier Harris, Justus Adams, Erik Brechin

LAST REGION TITLE

2016

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2022

QUARTERBACK

Zeke Adams had a breakout season for the Chargers last year, throwing for over 1,700 yards and adding over 1,300 more rushing, and he’ll look to take an even greater leap in 2023. The junior signal caller added more size while not losing any of the speed that made him a key part of the Chargers’ RPO offense.

RUNNING BACK

After running with both a speed back and power back in 2022, it’s all speed in the Cornerstone backfield this year. Cohen Hewitt is back from last year, and he’ll be joined by converted receiver Drake Dunning. If either back gets three or four yards to gain some steam, look out, because both have the athleticism to rack up big yardage once they hit their second level.

RECEIVERS

Noah Shoperd and TC Sanders both return to bring some experience to this strong group, as does

Zeke Adams

converted lineman Seth Dillard. Jackson Waugh and Keaton Kaef join the group in 2023, and even though they are new, they have the same traits as the other receivers: speed and great hands.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Junior Landon Alexander will be the big playmaker as Cornerstone will use his athleticism he developed on the defensive line to block on run plays, which is key to making an RPO offense click. Around him once again are two third year starters: Malachi Adams and Gabe Allman. The freshman Allman will be a problem for opposing defenses at six-foot-four and 275 pounds.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The entire line will lean on Landon Alexander’s ability to take over games, and he will be the centerpiece of the defensive front even as he faces double and triple teams. Gabe Allmon, Malik Adams and Jackson Waugh will also be

in the rotation for snaps.

LINEBACKERS

James Wilson is the focal point of the linebacker group, and he’ll be joined by Drake Dunning and Keaton Keith. Since Lee’s goal is to play a fast and aggressive style of defense, the linebackers will have to get to the ball and cause chaos. Cash Causey will split time between linebacker and defensive line.

SECONDARY

Noah Shober returns as a starter, and around him are some of the quickest and most athletic players on the team: TC Sanders, Jackson Waugh, Keaton Keith and Colton Hewitt.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Noah Shobed will kick field goals and extra points this season, but Lee expects to go for two in most point-after situations. Shobed and Jackson Waugh will split kickoff and punt duties.

2023 CORNERSTONE Roster

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Zeke Adams, QB/DB

After taking a big leap in year two as a starter, Adams’ dual-threat talent will be the anchor of Cornerstone’s offense and he’ll look to top his 3,000 all-purpose yards from 2022.

Noah Shober, WR/DB

Shober is one of the best playmakers on the team and his athleticism and speed will be crucial to success on both sides of the ball.

Cohen Hewitt, RB/DB

A returning back from last season’s dynamic duo, Hewitt will take the lead in 2023 and use his speed to open up a world of possibilities for the RPO offense.

Landon Alexander, DL/OL Alexander is a game-changing player on both sides of the ball with an ability to wreak havoc against dual and triple coverage as well as blocking for the run.

KEY DEPARTURES

Logan Lightsey

One of Adams’ top targets last season, Lightsey’s experience played a key factor in helping the young offense develop last season.

Caleb Boackle

Boackle brought a unique between-the-tackles run style to Cornerstone’s offense that complemented Hewitt’s speed well.

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 18: @ Snook

Aug. 25: Coosa Valley

Sept. 1: Bye

Sept. 8: Riverside

Sept. 15: @ Springwood*

Sept. 22: North River*

Sept. 29: Southern Prep*

Oct. 6: Trinity

Oct. 13: Meadowview*

Oct. 20: @ Evangel Montgomery*

Oct. 26: @ Bessemer#

*Region Game #Thursday

Photo by Noah Wortham

EVANGEL

LIGHTING

Even though Evangel won their fifth straight NHSA eight-man national championship in 2022, last year’s run felt extra special to head coach Tim Smith, as the Lightning went undefeated thanks to a special group of seniors including Eli Whitfield and Judah Thompson.

Now that those seniors are gone, Evangel is preparing for a rebuilding year in 2023, but the goal remains the same of bringing home another state and national championship.

Their schedule may include fierce rivals and the best teams from around the southeast, but with a roster full of rising stars and new faces that’s deep enough to play 11-man tomorrow, Evangel is wellpositioned to keep their place as the nation’s top eight-man program.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION ACSC

2022 RECORD

13-0 (4-0) National Champions

HEAD COACH

Tim Smith

RECORD

61-11 (Seventh Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Hagan Joiner, Clay Romano, Brian Wolfe, Blake Thompson, Jack Donovan, Andrew Welch, Marty Black

LAST REGION TITLE 2022

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2022

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

For the first time in the Tim Smith era, there’s a quarterback battle at Evangel. Will Welch steps in as an upperclassman after backing up Eli Whitfield last year, but he has new competition for the job in transfer Kemp Swords. Both are dual threat quarterbacks and some of the fastest players on the team, which opens up the run pass option on offense.

RUNNING BACK

Thousand-yard runner Hunter Atkins returns as the starting running back for his senior year, and he’s bigger than ever at around 200 pounds. Fullback Colton Dorough is over 200 pounds as well, and Smith will run them together. Both should play well in the RPO since Atkins can catch from any position and Dorough can block and line up wide in a trap set.

RECEIVERS

Caeleb Austin makes his return after a broken leg in week one forced him out until the playoffs. Zion Thompson steps into his brother’s shoes with great hands. They also have two converted defensive linemen in six-foot-four Clay Stanton and six-footthree Grady Watkins.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Carson Donovan is back for his fifth year as the

Caeleb Austin

starting center, and the six-foot-four, 280-pound senior is, in coach Smith’s words, the “bell cow” of the line. Around him will be Ethan Stallings who only weighs 175 pounds but plays like he’s bigger than that. Baylor Parker will return for his fourth year as a starter.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Cole Romero, Grady Watkins and Clay Stanton all return as starters up front on the defense. Smith noted that last year, none of them weighed over 200 pounds, but they all ran the 40yard dash in under five seconds, which made up for the size difference in speed.

LINEBACKERS

Hayden Black is the centerpiece of the group, and Caeleb Austin’s ability to fill the run and cover the slot makes him

the perfect eight-man linebacker. Zane Barlow impressed in Austin’s place last year, and Shase Green and Nick Cloud are middle linebacker options.

SECONDARY

All-Conference selection Zion Thompson returns as one of the best corners in eight-man football, and Will Welch will pair with him. Other cornerbacks in the mix are Kemp Swords, Eli Black, Stone Henderson and Christopher Staniscavage.

SPECIAL TEAMS

After losing three-year starter Lucas Mast at kicker, the Lightning are back to square one on special teams, as all positions are up for grabs this summer. Will Welch may punt in addition to his returning duties, and Hunter Atkins will join him as a returner.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hunter Atkins, RB

Atkins rushed for over a thousand yards in 2022 despite barely touching the ball in the second half of contests. Atkins’ skills as both a runner and receiver open up a world of possibilities for Evangel.

Caeleb Austin, WR/LB

In case anyone forgot how impactful Austin was to the Lightning offense, he turned in spectacular performances in the playoffs and All-American Game to give fans a taste of what’s to come when he’s fully healthy this season.

Carson Donovan, OL/DL

One of the most seasoned Evangel players, Donovan’s size and athleticism will remain a crucial factor on both sides of the ball, but how he leads as a senior will be fascinating to watch.

Kemp Swords, ATH

Swords’ athleticism has him in the mix at quarterback, receiver, linebacker and corner in his first year with the Lightning.

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 12: Cary Christian#

Aug. 18: @ East Central HomeSchool*

Aug. 25: Evangel Montgomery

Sept. 1: Southern Prep Academy

Sept. 8: Carolina

Sept. 15: @ Freedom*

Sept. 22: Lighthouse HomeSchool*

Sept. 29: @ Ezekiel Academy*

Oct. 6: @ Franklin Christian

Oct. 13: Southern Christian*

Oct. 20: Bye

*Region Game #Saturday in Gatlinburg, TN

2023 Evangel Roster

Photo by Barry Stephenson

HELENA

HUSKIES

As the old saying goes, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Helena learned exactly what that meant in 2022 after watching a 6-1 start evaporate into an 0-3 finish that saw them miss out on the playoffs. Now, after an offseason of soul-searching, head coach Richie Busby and his staff are determined to finish the job and give the same amount of effort from start to finish.

The offense has stars returning at receiver and running back, but big questions at quarterback and on the offensive line will determine Helena’s ceiling in 2023.

Nonetheless, this is still a talented team on both sides of the ball with a bruising run game and relentless blitz schemes. Helena has figured out harder situations before, and they have the potential to make something special happen.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

For the second straight season, Helena has a quarterback battle after Dalton Llewellyn graduated. Senior Carson Acker and sophomore Nate Ferguson are competing for the job, and coach Busby said that one of the deciding factors will be leadership. Acker has been the backup for the last three years, and that experience is irreplaceable, but Busby also isn’t scared to start a sophomore. Acker is more of a pocket passer and Ferguson is a dual threat, which will give the offense different looks depending on who will start.

RUNNING BACK

Helena has always been a run-first team, and 2023 will be no different. Jordan Washington returns as the lead back, and he’ll look to take an even greater leap in his senior year after running for 898 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games last year. Washington was on pace to come close to 200 carries again after taking over 200 carries as a sophomore when AJ Horstead was hurt. In coach Busby’s eyes, that’s way too many carries for a high school back, so the Huskies will look to split the carries with promising sophomore Domynck Santiago. Busby views Santiago as their future starter, and they’ll look to other younger backs to get some reps. Horstead will be a big loss for the

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 6A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

6-4 (3-3 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Richie Busby

RECORD

35-19 (Sixth Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Jim Elgin, Keith Maple, Don Dover, Ryan Dudchock, Adam Bice, Jonathan Mincey, David Lee, Neal Chambers, Nick Malantis, Eli Bealle, Clif Naron

LAST REGION TITLE 2021

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

Helena backfield, but between the veteran Washington and rising star Santiago, there shouldn’t be a drop-off from where the group was last year, which will be a big help for the new signal caller.

RECEIVERS

Coach Busby believes this may be the best receiving corps that he’s had during his time at Helena because of the talent and depth at the position. Hunter Hale is the headline name after becoming one of the best receivers in the county last season. Torrey Ward made some big catches in key moments last year, and he’ll be a name to watch to take the next step as a junior. The goal is always to get the ball to playmakers, which means utilizing Hudson Pennington within the system and finding breakout candidates like Nathan Jones. Tripp Bouler, Caleb Haney, Gavin Franks and Jarett Scott

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 24: Chelsea^

Sept. 1: Buckhorn

Sept. 8: @ Homewood*

Sept. 15: Chilton County*

Sept. 22: @ Pelham*

Sept. 29: Jackson-Olin

Sept. 30: Briarwood*

Oct. 13: Bye

Oct. 21: Calera*

Oct. 27: @ Benjamin Russell*

Nov. 2: @ Vestavia Hills#

*Region Game #Thursday Game

round out the experienced returners that will help the rookie starter grow more comfortable and confident.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The line is a big question mark for Helena this season, but the good news is that Reese Mims and Grant Vines will

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hunter Hale, WR Helena’s do-it-all weapon returns for one last ride. Hale became the number one target with 752 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns as a receiver and kick returner, and he’ll have a role in the defense as a rare two-way player in 6A.

Jordan Washington, RB Washington becomes the main back in 2023 after posting impressive numbers in back-to-back seasons. His 12 touchdowns in eight games from a split carry load helped power Helena last year, and the All-County talent will have a chance to improve as a senior.

Torrey Ward, WR

Ward’s 6-foot-4 frame and great hands came up big in key spots last year. Now that he’s one of the main receiving options and an upperclassman, expect bigger things from Ward as a junior.

Joseph Roberto, LB

Roberto returns after a year at IMG Academy, and he’ll look to pick up right where he left off to be a force from the mike linebacker spot.

KEY DEPARTURES

AJ Horstead, RB

One half of the two-headed monster in the backfield, Horstead was an impactful back who led the way with his physicality and complemented Washington well.

Dalton Llewellyn, QB Llewellyn may have only started one year for the Huskies, but he handled the pressure well and made plays both in the air and on the ground throughout the season.

Mason Johnson, LB Johnson filled in at the mike linebacker after Joseph Roberto transferred to IMG, and he was one of the players who stepped up most last year to fill a big hole.

Kevin Pinkard

2023 Helena Roster

return as starters to provide some upperclassman experience up front. As for the other three spots, those are still up for grabs between six players. The line will be a crucial piece to figure out with a downhill run style that revolves around their star running back Washington, as well as to provide protection for the rookie starter so he doesn’t deal with any more unnecessary pressure to rush his decisions.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Huskies lost defensive line coach Shane Hutchinson to Hoover as well as three seniors, but the unit will look to continue strong in their stead. Brett Barry and Jake Quick both return from last year at defensive end, Parker Copeland and Connor Guida will split time between the defensive line and halfback and Brock Wise will be another starter inside. Four of the five starting

spots are decided, with just the fifth defensive end spot coming down to Quick and Austin Acosta in camp.

LINEBACKERS

The linebacker room could be one of the strongest position groups on the team, and it starts with Joseph Roberto, who returns to the mike linebacker spot after a year at IMG Academy in Florida. Nathan Thomason’s senior experience will prove invaluable as the only

2022 RESULTS

Chelsea W 28-6

@ Buckhorn W 55-17

Homewood* L 15-24

@ Chilton County* W 35-28 (OT)

Pelham* W 31-24 (OT)

Jackson-Olin W 16-13

@ Briarwood* W 31-21

Bye

@ Calera* L 51-52 (4OT)

Benjamin Russell* L 14-47

Vestavia Hills L 24-44

*Region Game

2022 STATS

Offense

Total Points: 300

Per Game: 30.0

County Rank: 3

Defense Points

Allowed: 276

Per Game: 27.6

County Rank: 7

returning starter from last season. Helena will fill their third linebacker position with a committee of Reed Woods, Cole Mathis and Domynck Santiago. Their goal is to blitz early and often to put pressure on the opposing offense using defensive coordinator Jim Elgin’s schemes and runs, which should ease the burden on the rest of the defense.

SECONDARY

Junior JT Alvis continues to impress colleges at safety, and he will have a new running mate in Kevin Pikard as

the other starting safety. Desmon James and Eli Ray return to the team and will likely start at cornerback. The secondary will also benefit from some multi-position players, thanks to Hunter Hale’s two-way skill and Fred Grooms being able to play at safety, linebacker and on the defensive front.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The unit remains intact from last year, with Austin Lewis returning as both kicker and punter, Hal Landrum at long snapper and Caleb Haney and Tripp Bowler will split holding duties.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (7-3)

There are two directions you can go with picking the Huskies this year. There’s a world where they figure out their quarterback and offensive and defensive line situations and everything turns out well, and there’s one where they don’t. I believe the former will happen based on the early assessments of the players going for each position and Helena’s track record of reloading talent. This is one of the most wide-open years that Class 6A, Region 3 has seen in quite some time, and Helena has the opportunity to use their strengths on both sides of the ball to power them to enough wins to make the playoffs. One thing is for sure: Helena has to take advantage of this talented group of seniors to do something special, and everybody in the building is determined to give their all from Week One until the final whistle and make that happen.

Wearing many hats

Helena’s Hunter Hale ready to tackle every facet of the game during senior season

Written by ANDREW SIMONSON | Photos by JEREMY RAINES

As Helena Huskies’ star Hunter Hale prepares for his senior season, it’s the end of a long road.

It’s a road that has been paved with the bonds he has grown with his family and friends, playing time at nearly every position and a deep love for his lifelong hometown of Helena.

Hale has played football for about as long as he can remember. His first year of tackle football was when he was in first grade, where he was a quarterback. His dad taught him nearly everything about football fundamentals, and the bond between them grew as the years of playing together went on.

“Me and my dad would just go outside, we’d throw the football,” Hale said. “I would learn how to tackle, learn how to catch the ball, throw the ball, all of that.”

He went on to play quarterback through his time at Helena Middle School, when he first showed flashes of the athleticism and versatility that he possesses today. He made the switch to receiver, and while he was excited for the challenge, one person definitely wasn’t.

“My dad, he was mad at me when I did it, because I told him that I wanted to play receiver and he didn’t understand why at first, but then I was able to tell him and he started to understand,” Hale said.

Hale played both offense and defense for the Huskies in middle school and impressed during his time there. Even though Hale’s versatility was a good problem to have, the Helena coaches still had to figure out which side of the ball he’d play on.

“He’s one of those players when he came up, you’re

like, ‘What are we going to do with him?’” Busby said. “‘The kid can play on both sides of the ball. Who’s going get him on their side of the ball? Was coach (Jim) Elgin getting him on defense or was coach (Keith) Maple going to get him on offense?’”

Technically, neither won, because Hale was a kick returner when he joined the varsity team as a freshman. Freshman returners are a rarity in 6A and 7A, but an even more rare sight at a big school like Helena is someone who starts at wide receiver, cornerback and kick returner for three straight years, but Hale will do just that this year.

The reason why it’s so rare is mostly because of the physicality that 6A football presents. Hale’s athleticism and the way he takes care of his body makes it easier for coach Busby to throw him in on all three phases.

“That’s the hard thing about young guys coming up out of middle school,” Busby said. “A lot of them played both sides of the ball down there, and then they come out and they’re really good on both sides, which way are we going to go with this kid? Because as you know, in 6A and 7A football, it’s hard for them to play both sides the whole game with the talent they’re playing against. But Hunter’s able to do it, he’s always in great physical shape.”

As the years have gone on, Hale’s role has kept expanding for Helena. He can get carries as a running back, throw the ball if needed and play any position in the passing game on either side of the ball. Hale said getting to be a multiple-position player has been fun because he can impact the game more.

“I felt good about myself,” Hale said of the move. “I felt like I was able to contribute to the team a lot more, able to be everywhere on the field.”

Much of those position changes have come down to trust between Hale and the coaching staff, which has been a constant since he joined the Huskies. He plays with a toughness that is needed to play on both sides of the ball, and he’s played through almost any added injuries that he suffered with the snap increase.

His drive to improve and be the best at whatever he is given makes it easier for Busby and his assistants to trust Hale with more responsibilities.

“When a kid is where they’re supposed to be all the time, doing what they’re supposed to do and doing it as well as they can, you build trust pretty quickly with them,” Busby said.

Hale’s work ethic has made him an easy player for both Helena coaches and fans to root for during his time with the Huskies.

“You want to see him succeed because he puts so much into it and he cares so much about it,” Busby said.

That drive to be better and work hard gets noticed

by Hale’s teammates. Hale has developed into a true leader for the Huskies alongside his growth as a player and an athlete, and most of it is leading by example.

Hale does step up as a vocal leader at times, but he sees himself as both leading with his words and actions.

“I mean, I’m a pretty vocal guy,” Hale said. “I talk to everyone, make sure they are doing what they’re supposed to do. I just think by going out there and just going 100 percent and doing everything I can do to be the best I can just shows other people on my team that I need to work hard too.”

Busby highlighted the actions side of it, but knows there’s a vocal side to Hale that he’s excited to see step up this season.

“Hunter is a big leader by example,” Busby said. “When the game’s over, you’re going to tell that kid’s been in a football game, he’s given everything he has. He will get vocal at times when he needs to, and hopefully we’ll see more of that this year as he steps into his senior year. But he’s always been a leader by example with effort and passion for the game, and that’s what you definitely want to see first.”

Over his football career, Hale has grown closer to his teammates and coaches as time has gone on.. He is a lifelong Helena kid, and suiting up for his hometown team to represent the community he loves means everything to him.

“I love playing with everyone, all my teammates, I love them all,” Hale said. “They’re my best friends. I love the coaching staff, I’m friends with all of them, like best friends. I know them all well, can joke with them, everything. I just love playing at Helena.”

MONTEVALLO

BULLDOGS

While Montevallo slipped to a 4-6 record last year, their playoff expectations remain the same.

That’s a credit to head coach Blake Boren and the culture and style he has created to carry on Montevallo’s back-to-back playoff appearances in 2018 and 2019 into postseason berths in two of his three years at the helm of his alma mater.

Under Boren, the defense has been a constant strength and while the offense has been up and down, they are always talented, and the same is true for both groups this year.

Boren has used the offseason to develop the culture and locker room leaders, and talented seniors like Javon Rogers, Charlie Adams and Braxton King have helped develop the future of the program while becoming hometown heroes.

While the region is as difficult as ever, Montevallo is filled with optimism thanks to their largest roster ever, new facilities upgrades and unwavering community support.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

Braxton King returns for his second full season as the Bulldogs starter. He’s often heralded for his athleticism, and rightly so, since he’s been a finalist in the 400-meter dash in track since his freshman year and has multiple non-quarterback offers, but King is still more than capable of throwing the ball well. Boren is excited to utilize both the passing and running talents of King and his sophomore backup, Jordan Ward, who will get game experience on defense to prepare him for starting at quarterback next season.

RUNNING BACK

While Montevallo graduated a talented running back last year in Anthony Martin, they are bringing back EJ Morton, who is entering his fourth year in the backfield. He’ll take on the heavy lifting between the tackles and establish the run. Junior Rozario Conwell is the heir apparent, but he’ll play a key role since he is a smaller, quicker back that can open up plays on the edge. Brannon Hudson will also play a factor after suffering a season-ending injury last year at linebacker, using his six-foot-two, 215-pound frame in a new role as a physical running back.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 4A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

4-6 (3-4 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Blake Boren

RECORD

19-14 (Fourth Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Jim King, Garrett Langer, Charlie Boren, Daryl Burns, Brandon Adams, Josh Bennefield, Dalton Becker, Anthony Deason, Bubba

Tubberville, Kevin Smith

LAST REGION TITLE 1995

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

Braxton King

RECEIVERS

It’s not often that a surefire FBS talent like Javon Rodgers stays at a school like Montevallo all four years. Not only has Rodgers stayed, but he’s established the Bulldogs’ culture as a great leader and served as a great ambassador for Montevallo as a school and city. He’ll be the undisputed top target for King, but the talent doesn’t stop there. Christian Tolbert has shown incredible athleticism in his two years starting at receiver and kick returner. He has a knack for finding the end zone once he gets the ball, so look for him to get more targets this year. A dark horse on the offense this year is junior Deterrius Cuts, who is a six-foot-two, 205-pound hybrid tight end who will be involved in both the pass and run game this year and has impressed Montevallo and college coaches every step of the way.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Bulldogs have three returners and solid depth options behind them. Tyler Mitchell is already six-foot-two, 285-pounds as a tenth grader and both plays and looks like a prototypical tackle with college-level upside. K’Erius Cockrum will move over from nose guard to tackle, and he has

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: Bye

Sept. 1: @ Shelby County

Sept. 8: @ Hale County*

Sept. 15: @ Dallas County*

Sept. 22: West Blocton*

Sept. 29: Jemison

Oct. 6: Sipsey Valley*

Oct. 13: @ Bibb County*

Oct. 20: Holt*

Oct. 27: ACA*

Nov. 3: Tarrant

*Region Game

uncharacteristic athleticism for a sixfoot-three, 280-pound junior in just his second year playing football. Montevallo’s underclassmen guard duo AJ Guizar and Derek Diaz are also back, and Boren believes that this is a solid core to build around for the next three years. Kelston Hodges is in the driver’s seat to win the center job, and behind those five starters are seniors Tyler Gentry and Ben Locke.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Many of the offensive linemen like Tyler Mitchell, AJ Guizar and Kelston Hodges will play both ways, but they have talented players to add to those two-way starters. Charlie Adams was an

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Braxton King, QB

As the signal caller for the second-ranked offense in the county, King’s lethal combo of speed and arm strength is the center of the Bulldogs.

Javon Rogers, WR/DB

An All-County First Team selection a year ago, Rogers has come into his own as one of the most talented players in the area at both receiver and corner.

EJ Morton, RB

After playing behind Anthony Martin last year, it’s now Morton’s time to shine and take his place in Montevallo’s talented lineage of running backs.

Charlie Adams, DL

Adams is one of the most tremendous athletes on the team and used that skill to receive an All-County Second Team spot last year.

KEY DEPARTURES

Jaydien Rutledge

Rutledge brought both size and athleticism to the receiving corps and will be greatly missed as one of King’s most reliable weapons.

Anthony Martin

The Bulldogs’ leading rusher from a year ago, Martin was physical presence in the backfield during his four years on varsity.

Cam Goins

Technically also a loss from last season after missing his senior season with an injury, Goins was an impact player for the Bulldogs with Kial Cottingham as the quarterback.

Jaylon Hudson

Hudson will literally be a big loss from the offensive line as the 6-foot, 305-pound lineman was one of three standout seniors on the line who graduated last year.

Javon Rogers

2023 Montevallo Roster

All-County Second Team selection last year and will dominate along the defensive line. He already has Montevallo’s all-time sack record and will add to it as a senior. Nylan Goode is the other defensive end, and he’ll be important to Montevallo’s success as well. K’Erius Cockrum started last year at defensive tackle and will

contribute in big ways as another two-way starter this year.

LINEBACKERS

Montevallo traditionally uses a fourlinebacker set, which is why having three experienced linebackers return is great news. EJ Morton and Hunter Lutz are

back as every week starters at inside linebacker for another season. Lutz especially has had a great offseason and developed well, so he’s a candidate for a big senior season. Brannon Hudson is technically returning from last year, but after going down with an ankle injury in week one, he’s like a brand new addition

to the group. Boren is also excited about the young talent coming up like hybrid outside linebackers Buck Ross and Deterrius Cutts.

SECONDARY

The secondary is full of tremendous athletes. It starts with Javon Rodgers,

who brings the same athleticism that he displays on offense to the cornerback spot. Peyton King was one of the top tackling forces for the Bulldogs last year as a starter, and he’ll look to take a big leap this year. Christian Tolbert is a returning starter who played both corner and safety,

Christian Tolbert

MR. ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD Javon Rogers racked up 639 receiving yards while playing alongside Jaydien Rutledge in the Montevallo receiving corps. This year, he’ll be without Rutledge flanking him, and with that comes an opportunity and a challenge. His new top target status comes with an actual target placed on his back, where he’ll draw the top cornerback assignment in more situations than he did last year when he split the honors with Rutledge. As the saying goes, “pressure is a privilege,” and Rogers wouldn’t be receiving those top assignments without having the talent to draw those.

NEXT IN LINE Montevallo has proven to be a running back factory in the Blake Boren era. It started with Joseph Anderson, who had one of the best seasons of any running back in state history in 2021. From there, Anthony Martin stepped up as a solid physical running back. Now, the top running back mantle falls to EJ Morton, Martin’s running mate last year. Like Martin, Morton is a big, bruising back who will get the hard yardage and set up the passing game while still being able to power through for extra yards.

TAKING THE NEXT STEP Boren knows that with Montevallo’s growth as a school and city, a promotion to 5A is likely in the cards, if not next year, then in the near future. He and the athletic department are laying the foundation now for future success. New locker room renovations were finished over the summer, as was installation of a new set of visiting bleachers, Boren is also working through books and leadership training with his players to establish a positive, winning culture for years to come.

and likely joining him will be Rozario Conwell, who has tremendous potential at corner. The experience in the secondary and across the defense will be crucial as the young offense develops their talent and chemistry.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Ben Locks is back for his third year at kicker and punter, but thanks to Montevallo’s recent football success, more of their talented soccer players want to try football, which could give the Bulldogs some more options down the road, if not this year.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (7-3)

Montevallo is too good of a program now to have two down years in a row. Both the offense and defense should be in a much better place than a year ago, especially with the talent they have returning. Not everything is in their hands though. If Region 3 was a video game, American Christian and Bibb County would be the final bosses that make you throw your controller. The top two of the region has been a glass ceiling that the Bulldogs haven’t been able to crack through for most of the last decade. Those are both likely losses again this year, but the good news is that Montevallo had close losses against some of the teams around them in the standings last year. They should also be much improved over their non-region opponents, which will likely push Montevallo back over .500 on the year. Circle home contests against West Blocton on September 22 and Sipsey Valley on October 6 on your calendar, because if Montevallo flip those losses into wins, they could easily finish third in the region and make the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons.

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OAK MOUNTAIN

EAGLES

A new day has dawned at Heardmont Park, and it’s the start of the Shane McComb era for Oak Mountain.

After a disappointing season last year, the Eagles made the call to change directions and bring in McComb, a young and energetic coach from California.

McComb arrived on April 1 and immediately got to work assembling a completely new coaching staff and establishing a new, more positive and healthier culture.

The players seem to be bought in and committed to McComb’s philosophy and playstyle, from the seniors now on their third head coach all the way down to Oak Mountain’s exciting underclassmen.

For now, though, it’s all about making the most of year one of the rebuild. The Eagles bring back leaders on both sides of the field. Their goal: lay the foundation for the future and go all in for wins to send off this senior class strong.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

While the Eagles have last year’s starting quarterback Will O’Dell returning this season, McComb is having a quarterback competition to determine his first starter at Oak Mountain. O’Dell will battle with Drody Hackbarth for the signal caller role, and while Hackbarth is performing well, he has also converted to free safety and will start over there, and O’Dell has taken massive leaps from where he was last season. Expect O’Dell’s experience as a 7A starter and ability to focus on just being a quarterback to give him the edge to start.

RUNNING BACK

La’Kamren Meadows was someone the previous coaching staff was excited about as a freshman last year, and now with both Trey Vassell and Davion Foster graduated, Meadows will have to go from background player with tons of potential to one of the main contributors on the offense this season. He’ll have some help in Marty Myricks, who will be another top rusher for the Eagles.

RECEIVERS

The Eagles will have two veterans back at receiver in Sawyer Smith and Tristan Vardaman. Smith picked up

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 7A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

3-7 (1-6 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Shane McComb

RECORD

First Year

ASSISTANT COACHES

Ross Robinson, Levi Estes, John Rodgers, Dustin Edgar, Clay Machen, Chase Trotter, Ryan Dobbs, Gabe Robinette, Mike Rogan, Bryan Lamb, Freddie Thomas, Andrew Varvuoties

LAST REGION TITLE

None

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2021

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Will O’Dell, QB

O’Dell got valuable experience in his first season as a starting quarterback, and he will be in the mix to return as the starter this year.

La’Kamren Meadows, RB

After impressing the previous coaching staff, Meadows has continued to improve and will step into his role as the main back this year.

Sawyer Smith, WR

When back healthy, Smith will be a solid weapon in the passing game and should make a great tandem with whoever the quarterback is.

Caleb Jaworski, DL

One of the rising stars of the defense a year ago, the spotlight is now on Jaworski, who has the talent to make a big impact on the line.

Sean Ray, CB

Ray is a breakout candidate at cornerback who looks to make a big leap as a junior and live up to McComb and the new coaching staff’s praise.

an injury over the offseason, but will likely be back and healthy in time for the start of the season. While Smith has been rehabbing, Vardamann has put in a great offseason of work and will look to make a leap from last year. Both he and Smith are seniors in a very young locker room, so they will likely step up as leaders. Jacob Moore has also stepped up in Smith’s absence and will be a big play target for O’Dell. Jackson Blackwell also returns as the starting tight end, and Niko Varvoutis and Gambo are promising h-back options.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Oak Mountain lost three starters at offensive line in Luke Oswalt, Sawyer Hutto and Hudson Youngblood, and one of McComb’s biggest tasks will be replacing those three players and constructing a solid, cohesive offensive line that can both protect O’Dell and allow him to more easily make big throws as well as create extra yardage situations for the running backs. McComb was tight-lipped on who he was looking at for the starting five, but regardless of who goes up front, it will be a very young unit that will be a big development focus this

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: @ Northridge

Sept. 1: @ Pelham

Sept. 8: Hewitt-Trussville*

Sept. 15: @ Chelsea*

Sept. 22: Tuscaloosa County*

Sept. 29: @ Briarwood

Oct. 6: @ Hoover*

Oct. 13: Thompson*

Oct. 20: @ Vestavia Hills*

Oct. 27: Spain Park*

Nov. 3: Bye

*Region Game

year.

DEFENSIVE LINE

This group is one of the most experienced on the Oak Mountain side, and they’ll help develop the younger players that fill the defense. Senior Ty Campbell and juniors Caleb Jaworski and Daveon Johnson are all returning and have put in the work through solid offseasons. Ian Laughlin will move over from the running back room to give the line another solid option. On the interior, Joey Lewis has impressed so far and sophomore Jordan Pierce will be another name in the mix there as well.

KEY DEPARTURES

Devan Moss

One of the best pure athletes on the team, Moss was an All-County caliber corner whose speed greatly impacted Oak Mountain’s pass defense.

Garrett Murphy

Another two-sport talent for the Eagles, Murphy terrorized opposing offenses as one of the top linebackers in the area and received an All-County Second Team nod as a senior.

Luke Oswalt

Oswalt was one of the anchors of the Oak Mountain offensive line that helped in both the run and pass game.

Sawyer Hutto

Another graduating senior from the offensive line, Hutto’s experience will be greatly missed on a unit with a lot of unknowns this year.

La’Kamren Meadows

Sawyer Smith

2023 Oak Mountain Roster

2022 STATS

Offense

Total Points: 140

Per Game: 14.0

County Rank: 10

Defense Points Allowed: 304

Per Game: 30.4 County Rank: 10

2022 RESULTS

Northridge W 23-14

Pelham W 21-17

@ Hewitt-Trussville* L 13-48

Chelsea* L 7-21

@ Tuscaloosa County* L 31-34

Briarwood L 14-34

Hoover* L 0-40

@ Thompson* L 0-51

Vestavia Hills* L 21-42

@ Spain Park* W 9-3

Bye

*Region Game

LINEBACKERS

One of the things McComb wants for his defense to get lots of tackles, and naturally, that means the linebackers will play a key role in achieving that. Porto was noted as someone who will help lead the way on the defense. He’ll be joined by a pair of young players to watch on the Eagles defense. Colton Moore has already impressed as a sophomore, and he will play some defensive end as one of many Oak Mountain players being tested in different positions. Yoter is a freshman who will step into another linebacker spot if Moore does play up front.

SECONDARY

Entering his junior season, Sean Ray is a great talent at corner and will be exciting to watch his development as he makes the leap from underclassman to upperclassman. One of the most

intriguing young athletes on a team filled with them is Jaden Aparicio, who already stands at six-foot-one as a freshman and is a lengthy player with great hands. Complementing them on the safeties side are Cole Kelley and Robert Yoder, both juniors who are hard-nosed and some of the toughest players on the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS

James Woughtley will handle both kicking and punting duties, and over the offseason, McComb has gotten a chance to see the kicking talent that Oak Mountain fans saw last year. Woughtley can now hit 45-yard field goals consistently with a long around 55 yards, which should help open up more scoring situations for the Eagles if drives stall. His kickoffs can also reach five yards inside the end zone, which is more proof of his special leg talent that we don’t often see in high school.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (3-7)

While I am very optimistic for the future of Oak Mountain and the energy that Shane McComb will bring to the program, that doesn’t change the present much. This is year one of a rebuild, and the beginning is always difficult. Almost every team around the Eagles in the region is getting better, and Oak Mountain just has too many questions to answer for me to have confidence that they will improve on last year’s result. This is arguably one of the hardest regions to rebuilt in because the standard of play is so high that not only will the Eagles face teams that are lightyears ahead of them while they rebuild, but because the bar that they have to clear in order for the Eagles to make the playoffs and contend for a regional championship is so high. The one thing that you can bet on is the seniors and upperclassmen giving it their all now that they are behind a coach that they want to win with and a determination from McComb to win as many games as they can with this group of players. That will allow Oak Mountain to steal a couple of games from teams expecting to roll them over and give the Eagles some momentum to build on for the future with their young core.

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PANTHERS

The Pelham Panthers look to continue their rise through the 6A ranks after another successful year last season.

Any worries that there would be a falloff after former coach Tom Causey left were quickly put to rest as Mike Vickery continued building on the culture that Causey laid the foundation of.

Pelham finished second in their region and reached the second round of the playoffs while establishing a new system and developing a rookie quarterback in Clayton Mains.

With a talented group of players back on both sides of the ball and a positive culture around the team, the Panthers seem poised to take the next step their quest for a state title as they aim to get better with each day they work.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 6A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

6-6 (4-2 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Mike Vickery

RECORD

6-6 (Second Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Craig Hall, Nathan Fordham, Brian Maner, Josef Lauderale, Ronnie Clemens, Kevin LaSueur, David White, Jody Colvin, Nathan Collins, Eric Gibbons, Kyle Elsberry, Greg Dickinson

LAST REGION TITLE 2020

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2022

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

Clayton Mains returns at quarterback after winning the competition last summer and proving himself on the field. While there were some struggles at times, there was no doubt that he was the Pelham’s man. His ability to use his legs to extend plays or take it himself, as well as how he dealt with pressure made him special. He wasn’t always accurate with his throws, and that’s an area that the coaching staff want to see improve this year. Mains has worked to improve his consistency and both pre-snap and live ball decisionmaking this offseason, and he has received many more live reps in the spring and summer than he did last year now that he’s the undisputed starter. Internally, the expectations are high for Mains to be a different, better quarterback this year.

RUNNING BACK

While Pelham lost their main back from last season in Ra-Sen Smith, they bring back two physical runners who will define Pelham’s style this season: Mike Grayson and Kaleb Porter. After installing a new offense last year, Vickery changed parts of the run game to take advantage of his duo’s skills. He knows they’re not going to make long runs by reaching their second level, but he hopes that they can establish

Clayton Mains

the run between the tackles and get short, tough yards while also taking care of the football. Having two backs will also hopefully help both stay healthier with less carries. Both have experience in supporting roles in the past, and now they’ll be ready to share the main spotlight.

RECEIVERS

Most of Pelham’s receiving corps is still being decided, but their number one target will be CJ Tolbert. He has shown great athleticism and speed on the practice field, but he truly broke out in the spring game and has coaches excited for what will happen under the Friday night lights. He also brings experience to

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: @ Jackson-Olin

Sept. 1: Oak Mountain

Sept. 8: Bye

Sept. 15: @ Briarwood*

Sept. 22: Helena*

Sept. 29: Chelsea

Oct. 6: Calera*

Oct. 12: @ Ben Russell*#

Oct. 20: @ Homewood*

Oct. 27: Chilton County*

Nov. 2: @ Spain Park#

*Region Game #Thursday

the room, which the rest of the receivers don’t have yet. Vickery is excited about some of the basketball players and

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Clayton Mains, QB

After leading Pelham to the playoffs last year, Mains will bring his dual-threat skillset back to the Panthers huddle for his senior season.

Bishop Rellah, LB

Fresh off an All-County season, the Navy commit is a tackling machine who will relentlessly pursue the ball.

Will Felton, LB

Felton will slide over to inside linebacker after thriving in the linebackers group last season under Vickery.

CJ Tolbert, WR

A potential breakout candidate at receiver, Tolbert has impressed all offseason with his speed and talent and will be Mains’ top target this year.

Jake Garner, K/P/WR

Garner has generated buzz from college coaches for his talents as both a kicker and a punter, and this year, he will add wide receiver to his skillset.

KEY DEPARTURES

Darius Copeland, WR

Copeland missed most of last season due to injury, but he was setting a blazing pace before that, posting 678 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns in half a season.

Jamal Miles, CB

Miles was one of the top corners in the county with four interceptions and 63 tackles, and he joined Copeland on the All-County First Team and as a Liberty Flame.

Ra-Sen Martin, RB

Pelham loses their leading rusher from a season ago and will have to fill their starting running back role for the second straight season.

Mike Grayson

2023 Pelham Roster

underclassmen who are coming up the ranks, and he hopes to get them up to speed over the summer to determine who wins the other spots.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The line could be one of Pelham’s deepest position groups with a lot of solid players who can move around the line if needed. Tyler Mason and Cash Tatum are the returning starters from

last year, and Vickery is counting on both to be leaders on the offense with new starters around them on the offensive line, as well as at running back and receiver. Vance Barker will step in to play center, and Rylan Hoyett has lofty expectations from Vickery to potentially play in college. Sliding into the fifth spot is Prince Maye, who played defensive line last year. All of them are working every position to be as versatile as

ONE CITY ONE TEAM ONE WAY

possible.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Pelham’s defensive line arguably has the most experience of any position. They bring back three seniors in Brody Martin, Gerardo Lopez and James Schmucker, and they all played a lot of snaps last year that will help them anchor the line this year. That experience will be crucial to Pelham’s aggressive

slant style defense. Behind them are three sophomores that will learn from the seniors and rotate into those positions so they are ready to take over next season, and there are even more freshmen who can be depth options if needed.

LINEBACKERS

Vickery sees the linebackers as leaders of the defense who constantly bring pressure, and he Panthers have two massive talents back in Bishop Rellah and Will Felton who fit that bill

EDITOR’S 2023

PREDICTION (7-3)

There’s no reason to predict anything other than another solid season for the Panthers. They should finish better because many of the other teams in 6A Region 3 still have a lot of questions to answer. The fact that they already have an established number one man in CJ Tolbert will help Mains while the more recent additions at receiver develop. They also have the defensive playmakers capable of causing problems. Expect a fourth straight playoff spot for the Panthers and another step towards even greater success in the future.

Bishop Rellah

CONTINUE THE CLIMB Pelham continued their great run of recent success last season with their fourth playoff appearance in the last five years and third straight finish in the top two of the region. Vickery not only carried on Causey’s momentum, but he went a step further and helped Pelham win their first playoff game since 2006. Talking with the coaches and players, the goal this season was to keep moving forward and further up the 6A ranks.

MAIN EVENT After a year in the spotlight, Clayton Mains is back under center and hungry for more. Mains did a tremendous job of carrying on the Lankfords’ legacy at the quarterback position, as Will Lankford mentored Mains and they still maintain a close relationship. Mains has stepped up as a senior leader and wants to bring along the younger generation of Pelham players. On the field, he has lived up to early expectations and proven himself as a solid dual threat quarterback, and he should return with an improved arm and running ability.

RELOADING AT RECEIVER

Pelham lost both Darius Copeland and Trey Corkill from last year’s squad, so the receiving corps will lose some talented pieces from last year. The good news is that there is a lot of raw talent in the building that, given time, should be able to fill those large shoes. The highlight of the batch is CJ Tolbert, who locked down the top receiver spot with a phenomenal spring game. He will bring a lot of the quickness and athleticism that Copeland left behind. Behind him, Vickery has a few basketball players that are in the mix for spots, which is exciting because of the vertical leap height, physicality and ability to catch the ball well that basketball players typically bring to other sports. They’ll also rotate some promising underclassmen who will have the chance to take bigger roles quickly if they live up to their potential early.

Markel Bell

perfectly. Both are committed to FBS programs with Rellah going to Navy and Felton staying in-state at South Alabama, and they both play like FBS players with their tackling prowess. Felton will switch to inside linebacker after Pelham lost both of their starters from last year, and Rellah will continue to get snaps at safety in addition to his normal outside linebacker duties. They will rotate some other players into the other two positions, including Jaden Williams, a senior moving over from the defensive line who has impressed with his athleticism, as well as Hunter Drawhorn. Vickery said they will try to have at least one linebacker blitzing at all times, so the athleticism and

2,480

speed these four bring are essential to making that happen.

SECONDARY

Pelham has one returner at secondary with Kesean Griffin, who started at corner last year. His skillset has grown enough over this offseason that he’ll bounce between corner and safety. The other corner will be Javian Gee, a junior who Vickery believes is really coming into his own at the position. Senior Marshall Watts will bring his track speed to the safety position, and he’s developed that raw athleticism into a true secondary toolkit that will be exciting to see this year. One name that can’t be

KEY NUMBERS

Clayton Mains established himself as an extremely strong dual-threat talent within Pelham’s offense last season. He improved himself as the season went along to finish with 2,480 all-purpose yards. 1,800 of those came from the air, and 680 were earned on the ground, while Mains took the Panthers to the end zone 28 times. His impressive numbers combined with Pelham’s playoff success earned him a spot on the All-County Second Team as one of the area’s top quarterbacks.

78

Bishop Rellah was a force in the middle of the field for Pelham’s defense last season, earning 78 solo tackles to lead all Panthers defenders. Those 78 solo tackles and nine tackles for loss were part of his 112 overall tackles in 2022, and he also recorded five sacks and two picks. Those numbers are part of the reason why Rellah excited college coaches ahead of his commitment to Navy, but it’s his growth as a leader that should excite Pelham fans this year. Rellah will take command and prepare young players for the future.

Photo by Dawn Harrison

2022 RESULTS

2022 STATS

overlooked is Will McGough, who has missed the last two years due to injury but has the potential to put together a special senior season if he stays healthy.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Jake Garner will once again serve as kicker, punter and placekicker, and

Will Felton

the coaching staff believes he has college football potential. He will also get a few reps at wide receiver because he wants to and has the athleticism from playing soccer for Pelham. As for the snappers, those duties will fall to the Martin brothers: Brodie, Drew and Beau, who will all be in the rotation.

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The Main Man

Lifelong Pelham native Clayton Mains hopes to represent his community with a stellar final season

Written by ANDREW SIMONSON | Photos by DAWN HARRISON

Just a few weeks before the start of his senior season, Clayton Mains is feeling contemplative.

That’s normal for most seniors contemplating their future after high school, but most high schoolers aren’t the starting quarterback for their hometown team.

Mains is contemplating his legacy, and as Pelham’s quarterback, that comes with a lot, as it naturally makes him one of the city’s most well-known names and biggest representatives.

He doesn’t shy away from that honor, and his quest this season is to put the best possible ending he can on his career in Pelham to leave his mark on the community.

“I feel like I’m so blessed to grow up in a community

that is Pelham that I get to represent on a higher level, and I’m really looking forward to figuring out how I can leave my legacy and etch my name in Pelham history as best as possible,” Mains said.

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Around when Mains was in second grade, he noticed that all of his friends were playing football. That started getting him interested in wanting to play for himself, and it was love at first sight.

One of the things that drew him to football wasn’t the game itself, but the bond that his friends had formed through playing together.

“I just remember seeing all this group of guys in my

grade that were just so close with each other, even second grade, and just become friends,” Mains said. “And I just loved that brotherhood that they had then.”

Some of those friends he mentioned were offensive linemen Tyler Mason, Cash Tatum, Vance Barker and defensive backs Markel Bell and Will Felton, all of whom have played with Mains since he started and will be out on the field with him this fall as seniors.

Linebacker Bishop Rellah joined the group around middle school, and the seven of them have become as close as brothers. They do everything on the field together and support each other with the tough love you can expect from your family, and have helped each other improve since their freshman year.

“When we hang out, we’re always supportive of

each other, we’re always in the weight room, always pushing each other to get better,” Mains said. “And that’s the main thing. Like we are brothers in a sense of, we’re going to get on each other sometimes, but at the same time, we’re brothers in the sense of, when it’s all said and done, we might be at each other in practice, but as soon as practice is over, we’re back to being brothers. And that’s really cool to me.”

That drive extends into Mains’ personal training, and he relentlessly strives towards the goals that he sets himself toward.

LEARNING IN THE LIMELIGHT

Going into this season, Mains is the starting quarterback and unquestioned leader of the Pelham

Panthers.

He couldn’t say the same at this time last year, as he was in a quarterback battle with Drake Hickox for the starting role. Mains impressed enough early to win the job and established himself throughout the season as the man to lead Pelham.

Mains brought a dual-threat dynamic to Pelham as he threw for 1,800 yards and rushed for 680 more for a total of 2,480 all-purpose yards in his first season as a varsity starter.

Now with a full offseason, the preparation is completely different. Mains has more time to slow down and learn the offense and work on the skills he wants to improve on such as his decision-making now that he knows he is for sure the starter.

NEXT IN LINE

Even as Mains searches for ways to build his own legacy, he is already part of a proud quarterback legacy at Pelham.

Before Mains, Will Lankford was the signal-caller for the Panthers. Like Mains, Lankford was a dualthreat quarterback and thrived in the playstyle, guiding Pelham to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021. And like Mains, Lankford loved

Pelham and wanted to give back to his community.

The two quarterbacks bonded as Mains learned a new offense in his freshman year, and Lankford took Mains under his wing and mentored him as he realized that Mains was the future of the program.

“He was always going to help me out and coach me up,” Mains said. “If he was going to the field, he was going to make sure that I was invited to go too. He was just making sure that the next generation of talent was just as set up as his generation of Pelham was.”

Even though Lankford has since graduated and moved away to play at Elon, the two still stay in touch regularly.

“I’m pretty sure every single other guy in my grade would say the same thing, to have that one guy that always would help them out on their journey. And for me, that guy was Will Lankford,” Mains said. “I promise you that guys like that are the reason that Pelham keeps building on what they build every single year.”

Now that Mains is a senior, he wants to be a Will Lankford to his teammates and ensure the future of Pelham football stays bright long after he hangs up the green and gold uniform. He may not know if he’s doing everything right, but he still tries and does what he can.

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WILDCATS

After back-to-back playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021, last season was a disappointing one for the Shelby County Wildcats. It felt like anything that could go wrong did as injuries tore through the team and young players were forced to develop on the fly, both of which impacted the Wildcats’ ability to stay in games down the stretch.

Now, this season looks brighter for head coach Zeb Ellison and a talented core of players aiming to get back to their playoff ways and build chemistry and success for years to come.

The defense is loaded with stars and breakout players, and the offense is poised to take the next step with strong new and returning weapons.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 5A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

3-7 (1-4 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Zeb Ellison

RECORD

9-11 (Third Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Cedric Drake, Lee Hibbs, George Liveakos, Cedric Drake, Jim Adams, Edmond Buie, Shannon Jones, Chris Bell, Adrian Powe, Glenn Stephens

LAST REGION TITLE 2008

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2021

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

After being thrown into the fire last year as a freshman, Ryan Sipes enters his sophomore year as a better, more comfortable player than he was last year. He stepped up midway through last season as he got more experience as a starter, and he started slowing down and understanding the offense better. Now that he is through his first season, he has been using this offseason to correct those mistakes from the first season and grow more confident as a starter. Some of that has come from new offensive coordinator Chris Bell, who Ellison said has taken Sipes under his wing and helped him grow as a player and person.

RUNNING BACK

Shelby County always has a run-first offense, and that’s not going to change in 2023. Do-it-all back Bradley Horton is back for his third year as a starter, and he’s seen as the heart and soul of the team. His hard work ethic is infectious and is one of the toughest players on the field, both of which are perfect for a running back. Devin Alexander is an exciting underclassman behind him who got an opportunity to get game action last year as a freshman, and is back stronger and with a world of potential and expectations.

Ryan Sipes

RECEIVERS

Ellison believes the receivers group is very improved from last year, and no one may have made a bigger jump than Dominic Woods. Any time you line up a former defensive end at receiver, chances are they’re going to have a size advantage, and that’s just what the sixfoot-one, 210-pound Woods brings after converting to the offense last year. He can also extend that height with his great jumping ability. Ellison is also excited about Terrance Copeland and his talent for getting in space and the plays he makes after the catch as just a freshman. Ethan Hall is another talented and promising young player looking to make an impact this year.

OFFENSIVE LINE

According to the coaching staff, this may be the biggest offensive line that Shelby County’s ever had. The best part is that none of them are seniors, meaning they will get to develop together for at

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: @ West Blocton

Sept. 1: Montevallo

Sept. 8: @ Holtville*

Sept. 15: @ Jemison*

Sept. 22: Bye

Sept. 29: @ Moody

Oct. 6: Demopolis*

Oct. 13: Selma*

Oct. 20: Marbury*

Oct. 27: Rehobeth

Nov. 2: @ Woodlawn#

*Region Game #Thursday

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cooper Pennington, LB Pennington was a breakout star as a freshman last year and has a bright future anchoring the Wildcats defense.

Bradley Horton, RB/LB

A perennial force on both offense and defense, Horton led the county with 26 tackles for loss and will be the main man in the backfield this year.

Ryan Sipes, QB

Sipes had a shaky first year starting, but he progressed well as the season went on and now is ready to use the improvements from a full offseason as the starter to work on the field.

Keith Castleberry, DL Castleberry is a senior leader on a very young team and will be one of the main names on the Shelby County defensive front.

Dominic Woods, WR

Hyped by coaches as the most improved player this offseason, Woods brings a defensive end’s body to the receiving room without losing an ounce of the speed.

KEY DEPARTURES

Noah Reed

Reed was a big play receiver as a junior in 2021 before a season-ending injury last offseason took him out for his entire senior campaign.

Connor Rigney

Rigney was another key receiver for the Wildcats as a solid option for quarter-

Tommy Grigsby

Grigsby was a reliable multi-year kicker whose play when the game was on the line helped the Wildcats win multiple games behind his leg.

Bradley Horton

Ellison and the staff are developing them to help determine the final two spots.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Ellison’s goal is to bring multiple

season as someone who’s completely bought in to the culture, and he’ll be a key senior leader of very young team. Sophomore Eli Carlisle brings some versatility to the mix as he can play both 3

While Shelby County has found their identity and culture with Zeb Ellison, other teams around them are figuring it out. Out of the six teams in Class 5A, Region 3, three have a new head coaches: Marbury, Demopolis and Selma. The Wildcats lost to all three last year, but they have the opportunity to take advantage of teams finding their identity and implementing new systems. If the Wildcats flip a couple of those games, that could be enough to make the playoffs after missing them last year.

Representative Corley Ellis

Alabama House District 41

fronts and switch up looks to get the most out of his players in any play, but three returners are the nucleus of that. Keith Castleberry has received a lot of praise for how he’s developed from last

KEY NUMBERS 6

15

Even though the Wildcats were a very young team last year, they did graduate a significant senior class last year. Shelby County lost 15 seniors from last year’s team, including key starters like Connor Rigney, Tommy Grigsby and Connor Sheehan. That also includes seniors like Noah Reed who weren’t able to play last season due to injury. Luckily, the Wildcats have plenty of young players who are talented and learned from these seniors and are ready to make an impact.

Even though the offense struggled last season, the defense posted a solid season. Shelby County’s defense ranked sixth in the county with 26.6 points allowed per game. This was also despite playing many underclassmen and inexperienced players on defense. That leaves an easy route to possible success in 2023: continue the momentum on defense by continuing to prevent opposing offenses from scoring as much while also improving the offense to make up the difference in points and get the Wildcats into more close games. The defense has the stars and the strategies to succeed, and the more that Shelby County stays behind its defense, the better it will be.

GOOD LUCK Wildcats!

Photo by Noah Wortham

2023 Shelby County Roster

QUICK HITS

THE HURT LOCKER ROOM

Unfortunately, injuries were the predominant theme last season for Shelby County. Players in nearly every position group went down hurt, which forced younger and less experienced players into the limelight as the season went on. Thankfully for the Wildcats, that is in the past and everyone who was hurt last year is either back healthy or likely will be by the time the season starts. In addition, those young players who were thrown into the fire last year are back and have game experience under their belts, and some of them are poised to be starters this year. Even in the disappointment of last season, that is definitely a positive takeaway.

DEFENSIVE STARS Defense

nose guard and defensive end. Jackson Thompson is also back after being injured last year. The trio may not be the quickest players on the field, but they’re some of the toughest and most unselfish ones, and that will help them draw double teams and free up the linebackers to cause chaos.

LINEBACKERS

Bradley Horton led the county with 26

tackles for loss and was selected to the AllCounty First Team, and between his talent and a veteran line, he shouldn’t have a problem getting behind the line of scrimmage. Cooper Pennington is one of the biggest names returning at any position, and he’ll slide over to inside linebacker. As just a sophomore, he’s already one of the most impactful players on the field and among the region’s best young stars. They’ll

has been a strong suit of the Zeb Ellison era at Shelby County, and now the unit is anchored by some of the most exciting players in the area. Cooper Pennington is the star sophomore and is ready to make a big impact now that he is at inside linebacker this year. Bradley Franklin is perennially one of the top linebackers in the county, especially at getting into the backfield and forcing tackles for loss. Micah Swain’s speed has impressed for the last two years, and he will be back at corner to give a boost of quickness to the secondary. Keith Castleberry will be a senior leader for the entire defense, and Hunter Brown and Lucas Wright will be back healthy this season and prepared to make up for lost time. In addition to being one of the most talented defenses around, they are also one of the most physical, a trait that is bred in competitive practices. This unit should be well prepared for game action and could be a problem for opposing teams to deal

2022 RESULTS

West Blocton W 14-7

@ Montevallo W 21-6

Holtville* L 13-34

Jemison* W 23-6

Bye

Moody L 0-47

@ Demopolis* L 6-48

@ Selma* L 0-29

@ Marbury* L 14-35

@ Rehobeth W 38-31

Woodlawn# L 7-31

*Region Game

#Thursday Night Game

be joined by a pair of potential impact players in Hunter Brown, who’s nearing a return from ACL surgery, and Connor Rogers. Campbell Aderholt and Cale Blevins are among those vying for playing time.

SECONDARY

The secondary is loaded with versatile players with Micah Swain, Cade Joiner and Eli Holliman able to play anywhere on the field on either side. Lucas Wright joins them after missing his entire junior season due to injury, and he’s gotten up to speed quickly since returning to the

team. Their goal is to play their technique well and limit the big plays and selfdestructive mistakes that hurt the unit a year ago. The group has come along well though, and Swain especially has stepped up as a leader coaching the younger kids.

SPECIAL TEAMS

TJ Minton is now the full-time kicker after filling in for the graduating Tommy Grigsby last season, and the coaching staff is very high on him. The punter role is still up in the air, but it will likely be filled by Ryan Sipes or Cooper Pennington.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (6-4)

There isn’t much that suggests that last season was anything other than a blip in Shelby County’s continued rise in the 5A ranks. It was a transitional year on offense, and both units had arguably the worst injury luck anybody could ask for. That’s in the past now, and Shelby County has emerged a better, closer and more driven team with a lot of talent behind it. They have a unique opportunity within their region to grab more wins with many teams going through changes. Sipes will have to continue growing as a quarterback and the offense will need to generate more points this year after finishing dead last in the classification in add hyphens last season, but the signs of improvement are there from the offseason that they’ll come along. There will be a lot of defense-driven games in 2023, but I think those will be the Wildcats’ strong suit and they’ll use those to get back on track and over .500, if not to the playoffs.

Scores, stories and photos Scores, stories and photos

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SPAIN PARK

JAGUARS

It’s been a rough few years at Spain Park, but you don’t have to look far to see the potential in this group.

A common theme when talking with opposing coaches was that Spain Park was a lot better than their 3-7 record showed. They haven’t broken through lately in the difficult 7A Region 3, finishing with four wins or less every year since 2018.

The task of turning the Jags around has fallen to second year head coach Tim Vakakes, who has already taken steps to turn around the culture and help Spain Park catch up with other teams in the area.

Their 2023 squad is full of talented and athletic players at every position, and they’ve been working to get stronger and better over the offseason. Most importantly, move to after Vakakes, add comma after according to Vakakes, and that motivation to improve could kickstart Spain Park towards the success they saw years ago.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

After losing quarterback Evan Smallwood to graduation, Spain Park has a quarterback competition between sophomore Brock Bradley and junior Ethan Smallwood. Both are baseball players that bring that arm strength to the gunslinger position and are also extremely hard workers, which has made the competition tough. Smallwood is a calm, smart presence in the pocket, while Bradley is one of the fastest athletes on the Jags with tremendous upside. Vakakes is leaning towards Bradley, but could go the other way by the end of the summer.

RUNNING BACK

A lot of running back duos become as close as brothers, but Spain Park’s tandem are actually brothers. Derrick and Dakarai Shanks are the main backs for the Jags, and they’re easy to plan an offense around because they’re basically the same type of player in Vakakes’ eyes. Both are multi-tool backs who can be physical, quick, lined up for a catch or used as blockers. That versatility and similarity will help Spain Park’s offense be more dynamic while keeping both backs fresher by not needing one brother for a specific package.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 7A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

3-7 (1-6 Region 3)

HEAD COACH

Tim Vakakes

RECORD

3-7 (Second Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Keat Litton, Matt Thompson, Brandon Berry, Daron Arrington, David Bush, Danny Kimble, CD Daniels, Darrius Taylor, Daris Robinson, Bryan Tull, Matt Hall

LAST REGION TITLE

2015

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2017

Brock Bradley

RECEIVERS

Wide receivers will be one of Spain Park’s biggest strengths this year with an experienced and talented group of seniors in Jonathan Bibbs, Jamar Jones and Logan Bromlee. All three are big play receivers that know how to stretch small gains into bigger ones. That playmaking ability and comfort in their roles will help the rookie quarterback as he develops. They can also block on the perimeter to help their fellow receivers make big plays of their own. Cam McFarlan is a big option at tight end at six-foot-four, 210-pounds. The only thing scarier than a skill player that size is an aggressive one at that size, and McFarlan is exactly that.

OFFENSIVE LINE

On either end of the line will be two seniors anchoring down the front five: Connor Langston and Hudson Calahan.

Jonathan Bibbs

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: @ Calera

Sept. 1: Briarwood

Sept. 8: Hoover*

Sept. 15: Thompson*

Sept. 22: @ Vestavia Hills*

Sept. 29: Bye

Oct. 6: @ Tuscaloosa County*

Oct. 13: Chelsea*

Oct. 20: @ Hewitt-Trussville*

Oct. 27: @ Oak Mountain*

Nov. 3: Pelham#

*Region Game #Thursday

It will be up to them to carry the load and bring along the new offensive starters. As for the guards and center, four juniors are battling it out for those three spots. Jayden Craig, Jovan Taylor, Jackson Bell and Clete Ponder will have to get used to life on a 7A offensive line quickly if they win the job, but they’ll

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jared Smith, DL

One of the county’s fastest rising stars, Smith is a fearsome presence on defense who will bring the pressure on opposing offensive lines all season long.

Jonathan Bibbs, WR

Spain Park returns their top target from a season ago who had 50 receptions and four touchdowns and was an All-County Second Team selection last year.

Nik Alston, DL

Another member of the defensive line with Power Five potential written all over him, the junior is riding a wave of hype and is ready to make a massive impact this season.

Jamari Moseley, CB

One of many seniors in the secondary for the Jags, Moseley has established himself as a threat defensively.

KEY DEPARTURES

Jonas Harrelson

Harrelson went from unheralded a year ago to an All-County Honorable Mention.

Evan Smallwood

Smallwood was as tough as a dual-threat quarterback comes and will be misse.

Zamir Farris

Spain Park’s starting back for the last two seasons, Farris was key.

Brian Alston

Alston was a top-caliber talent on the defensive line.

2023 SPAIN PARK Roster

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (5-5)

This Spain Park team is a lot better than their record shows. The pieces are there to be better on offense if the young players develop quickly, and the defense has a great chance to improve on the foundation they laid last year. This prediction has less to do with the players and coaches on this team, and more to do with everyone else around them. Right now, there are two groups in Class 7A, Region 3: the powerhouses of Thompson, Hoover, and Hewitt-Trussville, and everyone else. It’s not impossible to break through that glass ceiling. Oak Mountain broke through into the playoffs a couple of seasons ago, and Vestavia Hills is making a case to join those three behind their recent success. Spain Park has plenty of winnable games across their schedule against rebuilding teams like Oak Mountain, Briarwood and Calera, as well as some closer games against Tuscaloosa County, Chelsea and Pelham. If the pieces come together quickly, the Jags could be one of the area’s surprise teams this year. The difficulty of the region will likely keep Spain Park out of the playoffs, but the improvements in 2023 will carry on into the future with a young core and newer coaching staff, and they’ll be back among the region’s best in no time at all.

have blocking help in the two tackles and the receivers after the catch.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Jared Smith burst onto the scene as a sophomore last year and showed tremendous potential to be a threat not just at Spain Park, but at the next level too. He has gained 10 pounds and now sits at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, and that size and athleticism will be a great mix to create pressure at defensive end. Nik Alston is another junior getting Power Five looks and is poised for another big

24.5

season as well. The pair are joined by seniors Josh Lewis and Jacob Olsen and juniors Aiden Walker and Landon Johnson who have great size and are in the mix for snaps on the four-man front.

LINEBACKERS

The linebackers are a smart group who play aggressive and make sure everyone around them is doing their job, but the trio of seniors still have something to prove in 2023. Landon Huey returns as a starter, Jacob Roe is back after an injury

KEY NUMBERS

While the offense sputtered at times last season, the defense found better success in 2022. Spain Park’s defense allowed 24.5 points per game last season, which was the fifth best across all teams in the area. That was mainly due to solid players at all positions in the defense, including Jared Smith and Brian and Nik Alston up front on the line, Jack Kendrick and Jonas Harrelson at linebacker and Alex Smith and Jamari Moseley in the secondary. Continuing to get better on defense while also capitalizing on great defensive plays on the other side of the offense are two of the keys to Spain Park’s success in 2023.

4

2022 STATS

Offense

Total Points: 177

Per Game: 17.7

County Rank: 8

Defense Points Allowed: 245

Per Game: 24.5

County Rank: 5

It has been a rough stretch for the Jags lately, as Spain Park hasn’t won more than four games since 2016, which was also their last winning season. Vakakes and his staff are hoping to put an end to this streak and get back to winning ways. Vakakes found success at Jackson-Olin during his extensive stretch at the helm, so he has had success as a head coach before. Stringing together wins is easier said than done with a schedule that includes Thompson, Hoover, Hewitt-Trussville and Vestavia Hills every year. With that said, Spain Park is more talented than in years past and has a leader with proven success that can take advantage of that.

Dakarai Shanks

2022 RESULTS

Jared Smith

last year and Chase Wolsoncroft has some experience at linebacker as well. All three have gotten time on the field, but coach Vakakes wants them to step up and make a bigger impact now that they’re full-time starters.

SECONDARY

The cornerbacks and safeties are two more senior-heavy positions for the Jags. Jamari Moseley is back at corner after continuing to impact the game last season. Kelly Roberson also returns at safety and is joined by Keontae Robinson

and Tyler Walker. The unit will try to keep the ball in front of them as much as possible this year, and they bring physicality and a winning attitude to the field.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Both positions will come down to Alex Lloyd and Josh Tullos. The senior Lloyd has proven he has a strong leg after starting previously, but Tulloss is improving throughout the offseason going into his junior year, so neither has the edge at this point.

THOMPSON

WARRIORS

Even though Thompson won its fourth straight state championship in 2022, it felt even more special than the rest.

The Warriors put on some truly impressive defensive performances behind some of the best talent in the country, including Peter Woods, Seth Hampton and Tony Mitchell, and while the offense took time to gel, skill players like Zach Sims, Trent Seaborn, AJ Green and Korbyn Williams shone down the stretch in the playoffs.

While many of the offensive skill players who hoisted the trophy in Auburn last year are back, many of their defensive stars are gone, and now head coach Mark Freeman faces the challenge of replacing multiple starters on defense as well as on the offensive line.

Even though there are some offseason question marks, Thompson has always had players step up to fill big shoes, and there are many players poised to be the next men up for the Warriors and turn in another special season in Alabaster.

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 7A, Region 3

2022 RECORD

11-3 (6-1 Region 3) Class 7A State Champions

HEAD COACH

Mark Freeman

RECORD

83-18 (Ninth Year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Connor McGavin, Brad Costanzo, Dustin Goodwin, Shawn Sutton, Trey Clark, Tyler Scozzaro, Shawn Defoor, Woodrow Briggs, Taylor Burgess, Caleb Hullett, Jordan Robertson, Durrell Fuqua, Jimmy Bunting, Ross Newton

LAST REGION TITLE 2020

LAST PLAYOFF GAME 2022

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

There aren’t many quarterback rooms around the country where the state championship MVP could be a backup. But most quarterback rooms aren’t Thompson’s, and that’s as much of a testament to Zach Sims’ talent as it is to Trent Seaborn’s. Sims proved to be a very accurate passer last season and powered Thompson to some impressive in-state performances. Seaborn also showed flashes of talent coming in for Sims throughout the regular season, but when Sims got hurt and Seaborn needed to step up, he did just that and dominated in the playoffs. Sims looks to be back to

Trent Seaborn

AJ

being fully healthy in August for fall camp, and Freeman will see who plays better in camp to decide whether to go with the senior Sims or the freshman Seaborn. It’s likely that both quarterbacks will play throughout the season, and coach Freeman says you can count on both playing in the first two non-region games as he hopes to have a firm starter by week 3.

RUNNING BACK

Thompson may have one of the most fearsome running back duos around in AJ Green and Michael Dujon. Green was a 2022 All-County First Team selection after totaling 1,453 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. Dujon is

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: Opelika (at Cramton Bowl

Montgomery)

Aug. 31: IMG Academy (Florida)

Sept. 8: Vestavia Hills*

Sept. 15: @ Spain Park*

Sept. 22: Chelsea*

Sept. 28: @ Clay-Chalkville#

Oct. 6: @ Hewitt-Trussville*

Oct. 13: @ Oak Mountain*

Oct. 20: Tuscaloosa County*

Oct. 27: @ Hoover*

Nov. 3: Bye

*Region Game #Thursday

considered the team’s most valuable player by Freeman for his ability to move around and do so much for the offense.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Zach Sims, QB

Thompson’s regular season starter last season, Sims is a consistently accurate passer with great legs and playmaking abilities.

Trent Seaborn, QB

After making national headlines with his unbeaten run as a starter in the playoffs, all eyes are on the freshman to see how he develops next.

AJ Green, RB

The leader in the backfield last year for the Warriors, Green will lead a two-headed monster at running back.

Deuce Oliver, WR

Oliver steps into the role of Thompson’s top target after a big season last year.

Anquon Fegans, DB

Fegans delivered on all of the hype he received coming into last year.

Caleb Ballard, DL

An All-County First Team selection a year ago, Ballard finished 2022 with 71 tackles and is now the main man up front.

KEY DEPARTURES

Seth Hampton

Thompson will lose their leading tackler from last season who also came up with five interceptions to impact games from the middle of the field.

Peter Woods

Last year’s county Player of the Year was an absolute force to be reckoned with while collecting 11 sacks and 89 tackles.

Tony Mitchell

Before heading to Alabama, Mitchell imposed fear on offenses all over the state and collected 56 tackles despite missing several games.

Green

5-YEAR WIN TREND

Both will be frequently featured as Thompson will once again be a run-heavy team, but with as much experience as both backs have in the spotlight, they should have no problem operating in a prominent role yet again.

RECEIVERS

Even with the loss of Korbyn Williams, Thompson brings back Deuce Oliver and Kolby Hearn, two receivers who entered 2022 with great potential and very high

expectations and lived up to them. Oliver has turned into one of the best receivers in the area thanks to his full tool kit of receiving skills. His speed and hands are next level, but what truly sets him apart as Thompson’s most dangerous weapon is his ability to run any route and get open. He’s expected to be even better this year after a great offseason, as well as Hearn, who has impressed with his athleticism and catching ability in spring and summer practices. Freeman is still working out

Anquon Fegans

who the other two receivers will be. Angel Jones will likely play in the slot opposite Oliver, Trey Knight is in the mix, and a dark horse for the final spot is Colben Landrew, a six-foot-five, 190-pound sophomore who impressed for Thompson basketball last year and has picked up football very quickly. Sam Cunningham will work at tight end and Gabe Binion is the h-back, which operates like a tight end in Thompson’s system.

OFFENSIVE LINE

After losing four seniors from last year’s

team, Thompson has a clean slate at offensive line. Freeman is keeping all options open and working many players across the line. Out of the 10 players battling for spots, Dylan Marquess is in the driver’s seat to start at center, the tackles will likely be Braydon Saylor and Baron Crittle and the probable pair of guards are KC Walters and Matthew Wilkerson. Of those four, Crittle is the only one who is new to the team, which means they know the culture and expectations even if they aren’t as familiar with the ins and outs of their roles on Thompson’s offense. A lot of

QUICK HITS

ARMS RACE Quarterback competitions in high school football are nothing new, but it’s not hyperbole to say that Thompson’s starting battle is one of the most talked about in recent memory. It’s for good reason, too. Both Zach Sims and Trent Seaborn have shined in the spotlight and proven themselves as the top quarterbacks in the country. Both have strong arms that can make the big plays. Now the question is: which of the two gives the Warriors the best chance to win in 2023?

STRIVE FOR FIVE The Warriors made history last season as the first team since Hoover in their 2002-2005 prime to win four straight state championships. Thompson has already established themselves as a dynasty under Freeman, but the Warriors still come into each year hungry and ready to add more accolades and trophies to their historic run. Five in a row would put them in truly rarified air, as only Hazlewood from 1988-1992 has ever won five straight state championships in the playoff era.

FIVE ON THE LINE One of the Thompson coaching staff’s biggest questions they have to answer is who will start on the offensive line. They lost four seniors from last year’s front five and now have ten players competing for five spots. Position battles are normal in offseason camp, but to replace an entire position group at once is very challenging. Getting the starting five right is especially crucial this season.

THE WARRIORS’ WEAPONS

No matter who starts at quarterback, they will have an arsenal of offensive weapons that most signal callers could only dream of. Green and Dujon are poised to be a two-headed monster in the backfield. The receiving corps is also one of the best anywhere with a pair of phenomenal athletes in Deuce Oliver and Kolby Hearn.

Good luck Warriors!

questions remain about who will start and how the offense will cover for an inexperienced line, but the offensive line competition should establish some depth options that can be called upon down the road.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Even with losing two five-star athletes, Thompson has some exciting talent on the defensive front. It starts with All-County senior Caleb Ballard,

who returns from last year. Matthew Hurd is a breakout candidate for the Warriors at defensive end. Noah Streeter and Haden McDonald are competing for the nose guard spot, and whoever comes out of that will play a big role. Another name to look out for down the road is freshman Cam Pritchard, and there’s a chance that he or someone else will get involved in this group as they search for the stars who will anchor the line this year.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (9-1)

Even with the question marks that Thompson still has to answer, I still believe that they will finish better than last year. However, they have a difficult road to earn that record. There’s no shame in falling short against IMG Academy, as they attract the nation’s top recruits and end the season high on the national rankings for a reason. In addition, Thompson will face arguably three of the top five teams in the state during the regular season in Clay-Chalkville, Hoover and Hewitt-Trussville. Of those three games last year, they only fell to Hoover, and that was a single-digit loss that the Warriors avenged in the playoffs. I think that Thompson will be competitive against every single team on their schedule, including those four teams mentioned, but there’s a chance that they lose a couple of those games. Freeman has been open that he views a tough regular season schedule as preparation for the playoffs and the highstakes situations that single-elimination football presents. This is a team that peaks when the calendar flips to November and the bright lights come on, and they’ve proven each of the last four years that they can win when it matters the most. That should put them right back where they’ve been for most of the Freeman era: competing for a Class 7A State Championship.

Jayden Davis

LINEBACKERS

This has typically been one of the Warriors’ stronger positions, and Jayden Davis and Tyler Hicks will be the next ones up in the short but rich history of Thompson linebackers. While this year’s inside linebacker duo hasn’t been in the spotlight as much due to the success of players like Seth Hampton and Jake Ivie, Freeman believes they have the potential to be as

strong as any linebackers the school has produced. The other two linebacker spots are up for grabs, but Davis and Hicks should both be able to elevate the unit regardless of who else fills those spots.

SECONDARY

Kaleb Harris returns as Thompson’s do-it-all safety. He can hit, strike and cover opposing players very well, and Freeman calls him one of the most

KEY NUMBERS 5 30

Trent Seaborn’s record five touchdown performance in the state championship game as an eighth grader has hung over Thompson’s quarterback decision since he stepped off the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium with the state championship game MVP award. Eighth graders don’t put up the numbers that Seaborn did throughout the playoffs, and the extraordinary potential that he possesses has made it tempting to give the ball to the freshman full-time. However, Sims was the one who led the Warriors to a 6-1 region record and set up Thompson for their dominant playoff run, which is why the senior’s performances also make it hard to take the ball from his hands.

Thompson will enter the season ranked 30th in the nation in the MaxPreps Preseason Top 100. The Warriors are used to being highly ranked nationally, as well as playing nationally ranked teams, and this year, they’ll welcome fourth-ranked IMG Academy to Alabaster in Week 2. The Ascenders from Florida are perennially one of the nation’s best teams. Hoover is ranked 63rd in the national preseason list, and there’s a good chance Hewitt and Clay-Chalkville join them as Thompson’s nationally ranked opponents. Regardless, it will be another difficult path to a state championship both in and out of the region.

Kolby Hearn

2022 RESULTS

*Region Game

^Playoff Game

#State Championship Game

2022 STATS

Offense

Total Points: 413

Per Game: 29.5

County Rank: 4

Defense Points Allowed: 181

Per Game: 12.9

County Rank: 1

efficient players he’s ever had. His experience is going to be another key factor that Thompson will rely on with so many new and young players on defense. Anquon Fegans has had a freight train of hype the last couple of years, and will be even better as a fivestar upperclassman this year. Peyton Lewis also returns to round out the group that will likely be the defense’s

biggest strength this year.

SPECIAL TEAMS

John McGuire and Vickor Kyatt will split kicking and punting duties for the Warriors after finding success so far. As for returners, those are up in the air, but Thompson has plenty of quick players like Anquan Fegans and Deuce Oliver who are options.

2023 Thompson Roster

VINCENT

YELLOW JACKETS

All eyes are on Vincent in 2023 after a historic ten-win season and a trip to the playoffs last season.

While the Yellow Jackets lost many key players from that team, including Blake Allums, Zach Wright and Zac Carlisle, head coach Lucas Weatherford has reiterated to the team that the standard has been raised, and their job is to build off last year’s momentum to become a perennial powerhouse.

After losing an impactful senior class, the leadership mantle falls on the current upperclassmen. Vincent has a large and talented junior class that will come alongside the seniors and hopefully lead for the next two years.

In 2023, it’s all about taking the next step, and if the pieces come together, this could be another special group at Vincent.

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

Casen Fields has big shoes to fill after Blake Allums led the offense in 2022, but he has already contributed to the offense while coming in as a backup quarterback and as a receiver. In that game time, Fields flashed tremendous athleticism while scoring multiple touchdowns, and the coaches are excited for what he can do this year. While Allums primarily used his arm to make plays, Fields is a dynamic dual threat player with explosive power on the ground and in the air, which should add extra layers to the Vincent offense.

RUNNING BACK

RyKelus Robertson may be the most important piece back from Vincent’s playoff team last year. He was the county’s leading rusher last year with 1,824 yards, and his explosive power in the backfield will be key to Vincent’s success this year. Behind him, senior Quinterrius Robertson and sophomore Jayden Roberts will battle it out for reps and will gain experience behind RyKelus, although both can step up and deliver in big spots when called upon.

RECEIVERS

It’s a tough task to replace both Zac Carlisle and Tray Youngblood in the same season, but Vincent has enough talent returning that there won’t be a

TEAM INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION

AHSAA Class 2A, Region 4

2022 RECORD

10-2 (6-1 Region 4)

HEAD COACH

Lucas Weatherford RECORD

24-29 (Sixth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Tim Gilbert, Tim Junkins, Blake White, Cory Williams

LAST REGION TITLE

2006

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2022

Casen Fields

drop-off. Aiden Poe returns from last year’s starters, as well as tight end Ray Albright, who brings a 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame to the table. Look for the 6-foot-3 junior Phoenix Maxwell to be an impactful weapon with his mix of height and speed. Deontaye Robertson and Mattson Davis will also be in the mix for targets throughout the season.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The Jackets return three starters from their solid offensive line last year in Ethan McElrath at center, Grayson Gulde at guard and Zach Gable at tackle. From there, coach Weatherford is still looking to fill the other two spots. Keller Finn, Zahmir McMillan and Kendarious Chapman are in the driver’s seat right now, but it is still an open competition. Regardless of who wins the jobs, the line will heavily lean on the three returners and their success from last year.

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line will look much like their offensive counterpart. Ethan McElrath returns as a starter on the defensive line, and around him will likely be Zahmir McMillan, Zach Gable

2023 SCHEDULE

Aug. 25: @ Ragland

Sept. 1: Winterboro

Sept. 8: Central-Coosa*

Sept. 15: @ Fayetteville*

Sept. 21: @ B.B. Comer*#

Sept. 29: Childersburg

Oct. 6: Ranburne*

Oct. 13: Woodland*

Oct. 20: @ Isabella*

Oct. 27: @ Thorsby*

Nov. 3: Bye

*Region Game #Thursday

and Kendarious Chapman playing both sides. Brayden Abbott is another player that coach Weatherford hopes will come along and play a role. The goal is to experiment with the defensive line so that it’s not always the same guys playing every snap on both ends of the field, but they’re still looking at players to rotate in to fill those spots.

LINEBACKERS

Now that the secret’s out on Ray Albright’s dominance at linebacker, more defenses will be prepared to spot him out and prevent him from getting in and tackling. However, there’s only

PLAYERS TO WATCH

RyKelus Robertson, RB/DB

Robertson was the county’s leading rusher last season and played a big role in elevating the run game in Vincent’s offense.

Ray Albright, LB/TE

Albright was one of the best tacklers around last year and will look to make a big impact on the defense while also contributing as a tight end.

Grayson Gulde, LB/OL

A force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball, Gulde is one of the locker room leaders of the Jackets and has the on-field talent to back it up.

Phoenix Maxwell, WR/CB Maxwell is a potential breakout candidate as he brings both height at 6-foot3 and speed to both sides of the wide receiver/cornerback matchup.

Casen Fields, QB/CB Fields steps into the quarterback position as a dual threat with the talent to expand Vincent’s offensive play calling options while still having a dynamic arm like Allums.

KEY DEPARTURES

Blake Allums

The quarterback and Vincent’s unquestioned leader, Allums is a truly special talent whose legacy as an athlete and person will last for years to come.

Tray Youngblood

Youngblood was Vincent’s top receiver last year with 734 receiving yards, and in addition to his 11 offensive touchdowns, he scored a pick six, kick return touchdown and punt return touchdown last season.

Zack Wright Wright was named to the First Team AllState for leading the county with 126 solo tackles, while also adding 10 sacks and serving as a leader on the defense.

RyKelus Robertson

Phoenix Maxwell

2023 Vincent Roster

so much that you can do to stop a man coming off 79 solo tackles in 2022, and the All-County linebacker will look to be a game-changing force once again in 2023. Him and Grayson Gulde are looking to take Zach Wright’s leadership

role on the defense. Aiden Gasaway returns to back up both men, and joining him are two new faces. One is Camden Cobb, who is in his first varsity football season after starring as a catcher in baseball, and the other is sophomore

Cayden Carroll, who will be a strong option once he physically develops.

SECONDARY

Casen Fields, RyKelus Robertson and Deontaye Robertson will all look to use

their athleticism from playing on offense on the defensive side as cornerbacks. Phoenix Maxwell moves over to safety after playing cornerback last year and will join Jayden Roberts and Noah Scott in the safety room. The athletic skills and speed are all there across the board, but this is still a very green group experience-wise. The goal this summer has been to close that gap in practice to mentally prepare them for live game action.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicking and punting are a giant question mark after losing both kicker Ty’Qun Goodman and long snapper Blake Allums. Unless someone emerges from special teams tryouts, Aiden Poe will likely kick, Ray Albright will punt and either Aiden Gasaway or Casen Fields will snap. The unit isn’t completely inexperienced, as Poe converted a successful onside kick last season.

EDITOR’S 2023 PREDICTION (9-1)

This is somewhat of a bold prediction for a team that lost its starting quarterback, top two targets and defensive leader, but Lucas Weatherford has built a program that is more than just one class of players. Vincent is deep, talented and built to be successful for years to come. Weatherford says the standard is now to be as good as last year, if not better. I believe that with how they dominated their region last year, even if Vincent is a step behind where they were last year, they shouldn’t have a problem with most of the teams in their region. The real tests will come when they face B.B. Comer, who beat the Jackets by just one to hand Vincent their only regular season loss, and Isabella, who were their lone single digit win in the regular season. Both games are on the road and will be the measuring sticks to see if Vincent is as good or better than last year. I think they’ll be as good as they were in 2022 and have another chance to get out of the first round again.

QUICK HITS

RUN IT BACK Now that Vincent has made it back to the playoffs for the first time with this group of players and done so in dominant fashion, the players and coaches are hungry for more. It took a truly special group of players to get Vincent to ten wins and to the second round of the playoffs, but even though some have graduated, quite a few are returning this year. Replicating the feat will take work, but it isn’t out of reach. The next steps beyond reaching the playoffs would be winning a region title for the first time since 2006, and then making the third round of the playoffs for the first time in school history.

NEW LEADERS Blake Allums and Zac Carlisle weren’t just leaders on Vincent’s team, they were like assistant coaches in Weatherford’s eyes. Their impact on not just the football program, but the entire town of Vincent through their performances in other sports and in the community cannot be overstated. Now, the mantle falls to Ray Albright and Grayson Gulde to guide the team in their quest to return to the playoffs. Weatherford also noted that while the senior class is small, the juniors behind them are a very large class, and he’s already seeing leaders develop from there. That is a positive development that will bring the class together over the next couple of years and hopefully lead to something special in the years to come.

DYNAMIC DUO Zack Wright may be gone from the Vincent linebackers room, but that doesn’t mean that all of the talent is gone. Ray Albright had a monster breakout season last year, recording 101 tackles with 79 being solo tackles. Grayson Gulde is his partner in the linebacker spot, and both together are more than capable of filling Wright’s hole. They’ll be tasked with bringing the pressure and shutting offenses down every week.

Good Luck Yellow Jackets!

STATE RECORDS

SHELBY COUNTY

AHSAA Football Individual Records

OFFENSE - MOST POINTS SCORED, Season

204, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 2001 - T-53rd

OFFENSE - MOST POINTS SCORED, Career

620, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2002 - 11th

OFFENSE - MOST TOUCHDOWNS SCORED, Season

34, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 2001 - T-58th

OFFENSE - MOST TOUCHDOWNS SCORED, Career

102, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2002 - 10th

OFFENSE - MOST FIELD GOALS MADE, Game

5, Crosby Gray, Spain Park (15) vs. Thompson (14), 2015 - T-1st

OFFENSE - LONGEST FIELD GOAL

60 yards, Michael Proctor, Pelham (39) vs. Mountain Brook (16), 1991 – 4th; 51 yards, Jason Lang, Pelham vs. Shades Valley, 1994 - T-52nd

OFFENSE - MOST POINTS KICKING, Game

15, Crosby Gray, Spain Park (15) vs. Thompson (14), 2015 - T-8th

OFFENSE - MOST EXTRA POINTS KICKED, Season

68, Graham Wilson, Briarwood (of 73 attempts), 1998 – T-30th

OFFENSE - MOST EXTRA POINTS KICKED, Career

180, Graham Wilson, Briarwood, 1997-99 – T-12th

OFFENSE - MOST EXTRA POINTS KICKED, Consecutive

53, Michael Proctor, Pelham, 1989-91 – 21st

OFFENSE- MOST KICKOFF RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS, Season

5, Jason Wilkins, Shelby County, 1997 – T-1st

OFFENSE – LONGEST KICKOFF RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN

99, Luke Prewett, Briarwood vs. Chelsea, 2019 – T1st

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS RUSHING, Season

2,346, Joseph Anderson, Montevallo, 2022 (11 games) - T-45th

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS RUSHING, Career

5,144, Arthur Johnson, Thompson, 1980-82 - 34th

OFFENSE- MOST RUSHING ATTEMPTS, Game

46, Wade Streeter, Spain Park (63) vs. Hewitt-Trussville (64), 2014 - T-13th

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS PASSING, Game

507, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Oak Mountain, 2018 –11th; 488, Harrison Barker, Spain Park vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa

2019 – 19th; 474, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Hoover 2019

– 24th; 467, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Huntsville, 2017

– 28th; 450, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 –39th; 444, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Sumter Central, 2018

– 42nd; 439, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Jemison, 2018

– 47th, 415, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson (51) vs. Pelham (21), 2017, T-55th, 408, Tyler Watts, Pelham (28) vs. Vestavia Hills (48), 1995, T-63rd; 401, Mason Duke, Spain Park (52) vs. Thompson (28), 2014, T-70th

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS PASSING, Season

3,823, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017 – 4th; 3,788, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – 6th; 3,469, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 - 13th; 3,376, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo, 2018 – 16th; 3,124, Sawyer Pate, Thompson, 2019 – 29th; 2,834, Parker Anderson, Pelham, 1999 – 41st; 2,672, Michael Hiers, Briarwood, 2017 – 55th; 2,501, Bart Yancey, Briarwood, 199069th; 2,484, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1997 – 72nd; 2,388, Zac Oden, Montevallo, 2015 – 82nd; 2,334, Cornelius Brown, Calera, 2017 – 97th; 2,056, Jeff Flannery, Briarwood, 1998 – 130th

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS PASSING, Career

7,968, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-07 - 16th; 7,608, Taulia Tagovailoa, 2017-2018 – 22nd; 6,838, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1994-97 – 33rdd

OFFENSE - MOST PASSES ATTEMPTED, Game

61, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Hoover 2018 – T-5th; 55, Mason Duke, Spain Park vs. Oxford, 2013 - 11th; 53, Nick Mullens, Spain Park vs. Austin, 2012 - 15th

OFFENSE - MOST PASSES ATTEMPTED, Season

442, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – 4th; 435, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017 – 5th; 361, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 – 21st; 342, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1997 – T-32nd; 335, Bart Yancey, Briarwood, 1990 - T-35th; 323, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo, 2018 – 49th; 306, Sawyer Pate, Thompson, 2019T-63rd; 303, Parker Anderson, Pelham, 1999 – 67th

OFFENSE - MOST PASSES ATTEMPTED, Career

1,008, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1994-97 - 8th; 966, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-07 - 14th; 877, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017-2018 – 18th

OFFENSE - MOST PASSES COMPLETED, Game

33, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Hoover, 2018 – T-14th; 32, Mason Duke, Spain Park vs. Oxford, 2013 - T-18th; 31, Nick Mullens, Spain Park vs. Austin, 2012 - T-25th; 31, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Oak Mountain, 2018 – T-25th; 28, Harrison Barker, Spain Park vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Mountain Brook, 2019 – T-44th; 28, Mason Duke, Spain Park (52) vs. Thompson (28), 2014 – T-44th

OFFENSE - MOST PASSES COMPLETED, Season

287, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017 – 3rd; 271, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – 4th; 228, Sawyer Pate, Thompson, 2019 – T-20th; 228, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 – T-20th; 204, Parker Anderson, Pelham, 1999 - T-37th; 200, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1997 - T-40th; 189, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo, 2018 – T-61st

OFFENSE – MOST PASSES COMPLETED, Career 594, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-07 - 10th; 558, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017-2018 – 13th; 519, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1994-97 – 18th

OFFENSE – MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES, Game

8, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 – T-2nd

OFFENSE - MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES, Season

47, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 – 4th; 41, Sawyer Pate, Thompson, 2019 – T-13th; 38, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo, 2018 – T-22nd; 36, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – T-32nd; 35, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017 – T-39th

OFFENSE - MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES, Career

88, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-2007 - 13th; 71, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017-2018 – 28th; 55, Tyler Watts, Pelham, 1995-97 – T-48th

OFFENSE - LONGEST TOUCHDOWN PASS

99 yards, Jeff Flannerty to Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1999 –T-1st; 99 yards, Joe Craddock to Tim Castille, Briarwood, 2002 – T-1st

OFFENSE - PASS COMPLETION PERCENTAGE, Game

86.2, Mason Duke, Spain Park (52) vs. Thompson (28), 2014 - 8th

OFFENSE - PASS COMPLETION PERCENTAGE, Season

74.5, Sawyer Pate, Thompson, 2019 – 4th; 73.9 Parker Anderson, Pelham, 1999, 6th; 66.0, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – 38th

OFFENSE – PASS COMPLETION PERCENTAGE, Career

63.6, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017-2018 – 7th

OFFENSE - MOST PASS RECEPTIONS, Season

125, Ahmad Edwards, Thompson, 2017 – 1st; 74, J.J. Evans, Montevallo, 2018 – 43rd; 70, Mike Pettway, Thompson Warriors, 2018 – T-49th; 70, Montez Billings, Pelham, 2002 - T-49th; 70, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998 - T-49th

OFFENSE - MOST PASS RECEPTIONS, Career 243, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2002 - 3rd

OFFENSE – MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS, Game

5, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 – T-4th; 4, Korbyn Williams, Thompson vs. Auburn, 2022 – T-11th; 4, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. American Christian, 2018 – T-11th

OFFENSE – MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS, Career 41, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2002 - T-13th

OFFENSE – MOST YARDS RECEIVING, Game

269, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. Sumter Central, 2018 – 14th; 245, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 – T-31st; 212, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. Lincoln, 2018 – T-68th; 209, J.J. Evans, Montevallo vs. Jemison, 2018, T-74th

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS RECEIVING, Season

1,706, J.J. Evans, Montevallo, 2018 – 2nd; 1,564, Ryan Peppins, Thompson, 2022 – 8th; 1,459, Ahmad Edwards, Thompson, 2017 – 13th; 1,305, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998 - 28th; 1,194, Tim Castille, Briarwood Christian, 1998 – 49th; 1,170, Shannon Hartsfield, Briarwood, 1990 – 61st; 1,156, Mike Pettway, Thompson, 2018, T-65th; 1,118, Mo Edwards, Thompson, 2017 –T-75th; 1,060, Bill Flowers, Pelham, 1999 – 93rd

OFFENSE - MOST YARDS RECEIVING, Career

4,122, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2002 (243 catches) - 3rd

OFFENSE – TOTAL OFFENSE, Game

511, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Oak Mountain, 2018 –T-27th; 494, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Sumter Central, 2018 – 36th; 490, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Hoover, 2018 – 40th; 488, Harrison Barker, Spain Park vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, 2019 – 43rd; 455, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 – 60th; 446, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Jemison, 2018 – 68th; 423, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson (63) vs. Hewitt-Trussville (49), 2018 – 87th; 417, Hayden Garrison, Chelsea vs. Briarwood Christian, 2021, 91st; 415, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson vs. Pelham, 2017, 92nd; 409, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Lincoln, 2018, 96th

OFFENSE – TOTAL OFFENSE, Season

4,205, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2018 – 14th; 3,975, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017 – 16th; 3,577, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo, 2018 – 31st

OFFENSE - TOTAL OFFENSE, Career

9,544, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2003 - 15th; 9,164, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-2007 – 17th; 8,180, Taulia Tagovailoa, Thompson, 2017-2018 – 24th

OFFENSE, TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS, Game

8, Malik Inabinette, Montevallo vs. Greensboro, 2018 – T-7th

OFFENSE - TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS, Season

53, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 - T-16th

OFFENSE - ALL-PURPOSE YARDS, Season

4,079, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2007 - 6th; 2,430, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1999 – 53rd

OFFENSE - ALL-PURPOSE YARDS, Career

9,544, Tim Castille, Briarwood, 1998-2003 - 13th; 9,164, Barrett Trotter, Briarwood, 2004-07 - 18th

OFFENSE – MOST TWO-POINT CONVERSIONS, Season

15, Deon Gilliland, Montevallo, 2018 – 4th

DEFENSE - MOST INTERCEPTIONS, Game

4, Brandon Salser, Chelsea vs. Isabella, 1989 - T-5th

DEFENSE – LONGEST INTERCEPTION RETURN FOR TOUCHDOWN

99, Tamardreon Purnell, Montevallo, 2019 – T-25th

DEFENSE - MOST TACKLES, Game

26, Ethan Simmons, Briarwood (14) vs. Vigor (13), 2012 – T-13th

DEFENSE - MOST TACKLES, Season

285, Matthew Forester, Briarwood, 1998 - 1st

DEFENSE - MOST TACKLES, Career

612, Matthew Forester, Briarwood, 1996-98 – 4th

DEFENSE - MOST FUMBLE RECOVERIES, Game

3, Jordan Carroll, Briarwood (32) vs. John Carroll (13), 2012 – 2nd

AHSAA Football Team Records

MOST CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

4, Thompson, 2019-22

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury and should be taken seriously. Although fewer than 10% of concussions involve a loss of consciousness, it is important to understand the dangers and not take them lightly. Even a minor fall or collision may be of concern, so be alert to symptoms such as headaches, unsteadiness, confusion or other types of abnormal behavior.

Any athlete with a suspected concussion should immediately be removed from play and activity, evaluated right away by a doctor or healthcare professional, monitored and not left alone and not drive a motor vehicle. To make an appointment, please call 205-934-1041.

A concussion is nothing to play with.