Montevallo

A ton of bricks

Jordan Washington ready to lead Helena’s ground game during the 2022 season

TThe Hamilton song “It must be nice to have Washington on your side” may not have been about Jordan Washington, but the Helena Huskies are living those words heading into the 2022 Written by ALEC ETHEREDGE | Photos by JEREMY RAINES The confidence has clearly carried over, and there should be plenty of reason for it. Going into last season, the sophomore didn’t know what to expect, but he admittedly didn’t season. The junior running back for the Huskies is returning for his junior year fresh off a schoolrecord sophomore season, and he’s excited to take even more of a role with a year of experience under his belt. “I feel like my head is at the same place it was at the end of last season,” Washington said. “I’m going to go out there and play just as hard. My goal is to go for 200 yards that first game against Chelsea.” think it was going to be a season in which he set a new single-season rushing record for Helena High School. Washington said he went into the season with a goal of trying to top the 800-yard mark. “I thought that would be a great season, but me and the O-Line just started clicking and it felt good,” he said. Instead of 800 yards, he doubled that mark and went for 1,606 yards on the ground and 26 touchdowns, while he also had 129 receiving yards.

“It was kind of surprising,” Washington said. “I didn’t expect to have that good of a year.”

He said it was game five against rival Pelham that ultimately made the difference in his confidence and was the moment he knew the rest of the season would be dominant.

During the game, Washington had an 80-yard touchdown with 7:38 to play that put the Huskies in front 30-22. That became key, as they went on to 37-34 in a chaotic game.

“That touchdown run was my first really long run of the season and it led to my first 100-yard game,” he said.

He finished the rivalry win to help push Helena to 5-0 with 157 yards and the lone touchdown.

“After that game, the O-Line got better, which helped my confidence grow as well,” he said. “I had a 200-yard game after that and kept going up. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to be good.’”

He went on to finish the season as the second-leading rusher in the county and as one of the top running backs in the state.

Now a junior, the back, who models his game after Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry because of his ferocious and physical running style, is expecting an even better 2022 season.

“The goal is always to win state,” Washington said. “We definitely want to make it out of the first round of the playoffs, which is a motivating factor going into this season after falling short last year.”

He said the goal from a team aspect is to play together and avoid injuries. If those two aspects play out, he feels good about the team accomplishing every goal they want to.

Washington also said he is trying to step up and be a leader in every facet of the game.

“I need to be a better player and lead my teammates to doing the right things so we can make the right plays and play hard all game,” he said. “That’s a big key.”

He also made sure to point out that Helena’s strong second half’s won’t be going anywhere due to his physical running style as well as the running style of others in the backfield.

“We want to wear down defenses,” he said. “Our goal is always to have defenses running and tackling because we don’t really get tired. We practice in the mornings and we practice hard. We just don’t get tired.”

BULLDOGS CLASSIFICATION AHSAA Class 4A, Region 3 2021 RECORD 8-3 (5-2)

Expectations continue to grow for the Montevallo Bulldogs as they head into year three under Blake Boren.

The Bulldogs have won seven and eight games in his first two years, respectively, while they have made the playoffs each of the past four seasons.

Heading into the 2022 season, they will lose a few key pieces, but overall, the offense will feature a lot of athleticism, while the defense should be as good as it has been.

In Boren’s two years, the defense has gone from giving up 35.5 points per game in 2019 to giving up 22 or less the last two years. Now, the defense has the most returning talent it has had, which should make it even more dangerous this season.

That could be what helps Montevallo compete for one of the top two spots in the region this year, which is always a tall task with American Christian and Bibb County on the schedule.

HEAD COACH

Blake Boren

RECORD

15-8 (Third year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Charlie Boren, Jim King, Garrett Langer, Brandon Adams, Tyler Blackwell, Dalton Becker, Josh Benefield, Cody Davis, Marquis Goins

LAST REGION TITLE

1995

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2021

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

Montevallo will have to replace starting quarterback Kial Cottingham from last year. One of the team’s best athletes, he threw for 608 yards, ran for 385 yards and played defensively as well. He was, however, injured for a large portion of the season, which allowed Braxton King to get some experience. Now, the role is King’s going into his junior season. A speedy quarterback who is arguably the fastest person in the school, King can be special. The focus early in the season will be how his arm progresses. Boren wants the team to throw the ball more, and he will have to be able to do that to keep the team balanced this season. Braxton

King

Anthony Martin

RUNNING BACK

The biggest blow heading into the season will be the loss of running back Joseph Anderson. He set a new rushing record in the county last year for a single season with 2,346 yards, while he totaled 29 touchdowns as well. Anthony Martin will have the tall task of replacing him. Martin has been in the offense for three years and has played a lot. With a size of 5-foot-8, 170 pounds, he is a physical runner who can set a physical tone. Depth, however, will be the key. EJ Morton and Peyton King are both athletes who can make defenders miss and will rotate into the lineup.

RECEIVERS

Along with the offensive line, this year’s group of receivers will make up one of the team’s most exciting position units. Javon Rogers will be the leader back at receiver with a frame of 6-foot2, 165 pounds, while athlete Jaydien Rutledge also returns with a size of 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. He has had an exciting spring and will be a great compliment on the outside to Rogers. The positon would have been really strong with Kam Goins back as well,

2022 SCHEDULE

Aug. 19: Bye

Aug. 26: Shelby County Sept. 2: Hale County* Sept. 9: Dallas County* Sept. 16: @ West Blocton* Sept. 23: @ Jemison Sept. 30: @ Sipsey Valley* Oct. 7: Bibb County* Oct. 14: @ Holt* Oct. 21: American Christian Academy* Oct. 28: Tarrant

*Region game

but he will miss his senior season following an injury. Christian Tolbert is a junior who is expected to help with that as a slot receiver, while King will also fill a slot role in addition to playing at running back. There are five others behind that group who are also going to rotate in at the position.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Up front, the Bulldogs will return three starters who they’ll build behind. Jaylen Williams, Jaylon Hudson and Brantley Burk are all seniors returning this season. Williams is the longest at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, while Hudson is the biggest at 6-foot, 305 pounds. Burk,

Braxton King, QB

King will have the benefit of playing some last year in place of Kial Cottingham, which should help with his confidence as the full-time starter this season.

Jaydien Rutledge, WR/DB

An impressive athlete on both sides of the ball, Rutledge will return as a starter at both receiver and defensive back this season.

Javon Rogers, WR/DB

A sophomore last year, Rogers totaled 265 receiving yards and was a leader in the secondary. He’ll return as a leader again this season.

Charlie Adams, DL

A returning starter to the defensive line, Campbell totaled more than 50 tackles, including six for a loss and five sacks last year.

Jaydien Rutledge

KEY DEPARTURES

Jospeh Anderson

Anderson became the county’s all-time single-season rushing leader last season after totaling 2,346 yards on the ground with 29 touchdowns. His leadership will be missed offensively.

Kial Cottingham

An All-State player, Cottingham played defensive back, quarterback and receiver in his time with the Bulldogs and departs as the team’s top athlete from last season.

Cole Dennis

A multi-year starter up front, Dennis will be a big loss for both sides of the ball heading into the new season.

NEXT MAN UP With the departure of Kial Cottingham at quarterback and Joseph Anderson at running back, Montevallo will lose two of its best players going into the 2022 season. Now, it’s next man up for the Bulldogs. Braxton King will take the reins as the new starting quarterback after playing in several games for an injured Cottingham last year, while Anthony Martin will be important at running back with some experience the last two years. Both have big shoes to fill, but the potential is there for them to take the torch and run with it.

GETTING HOT EARLY The last two years, it has been a strong finish that has made the difference in Montevallo making the playoffs thanks to six wins in a row to end each season. This year, it will be about a fast start. The Bulldogs will have the chance to jump out to a 6-0 start this season with their two toughest games coming later in the season against Bibb County and American Christian. That makes the fast start very important for their playoff chances and could be what gives them the confidence to take down those two tough challengers for the region title.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST Montevallo’s offense has been no stranger to success the last several years, and that should remain the case this season. This year has the potential to see the most production offensively in several years with the return of some top athletes. The Bulldogs don’t have that one player who will take over a game like Joseph Anderson previously did, but they have a lot of athleticism, especially at receiver. With Jaydien Rutledge and Javon Rogers both returning, that adds a playmaker on both sides of Braxton King, who is poised for a breakout season, while Anthony Martin should also have a big year.

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE

The Bulldogs have now made the playoffs four consecutive years. Last year’s senior class was the third in school history to accomplish the feat of making it all four years. Now, this year’s seniors will hope to make it five straight years and the first to ever make it backto-back senior classes to make the playoffs every year.

Javon

Rogers

who will play center, stands at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds heading into his final year. Beyond those three, Derek Diaz will likely start as a 6-foot-2 sophomore, while four others are still battling for the left tackle position heading into fall practice. Williams and Hudson will also help on the defensive front in addition to their time on the offensive line. Hunter Lutz and Nylan Goode will also be important for the Bulldogs at the position, while others should add depth.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Returning starters Charlie Adams and RJ Smith will lead the defensive front this season. Adams totaled 43 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks last season, while Smith holds a size of 6-foot-4, 340 pounds and will cause issues for opposing offensive lines. Ben Locks also got some playing time last year at defensive end and is one of the team’s best athletes as a 6-foot-3, 205-pound three-sport athlete. LINEBACKERS

At linebacker, a few offensive players will be key. Morton will handle an inside linebacker position as a starter in every game last year, while Burk and Martin will also fill roles when needed. Brannon Hudson also possesses a lot of potential as a 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomore. He will be the biggest key in replacing leading tackler Jamion Prentice who totaled 92 tackles a season ago. Spencer Adams

EDITOR’S 2022 PREDICTION (8-2)

Despite losing some of the team’s best athletes going into the season, there is still plenty of reason for optimism surrounding the Bulldogs. Not only do they have athletic playmakers ready to step in, but the schedule sets up perfectly for them to gain confidence early in the season and be ready for their biggest challenges in the final four weeks. The only way Montevallo struggles is if there is a lack of focus in fall practice, during game weeks or on game nights. The team will be talented enough to compete in every game they play, it just boils down to being fundamentally sound and physically ready. Depth could also be a concern for Montevallo, but if the team stays healthy, they should be in the same position this year of battling American Christian and Bibb County for the top three spots.

2022 Montevallo Roster

NO. NAME POSITION GRADE

1 Jaydien Rutledge WR/DB 12 2 Braxton King QB 11 3 Javon Rogers WR/DB 11 4 Christian Tolbert WR 11 5 Keiston Ross WR/DB 10 6 Elfreeman Morton LB/RB 11 7 Anthony Martin DB/RB 12 8 Brannon Hudson ATH 10 9 Kam Goins ATH 12 10 Deterrius Cutts WR/DB 10 11 Jordan Gains ATH 11 12 Tim Waters WR/DB 12 13 Elijah Dunn RB 10 14 Kemp Swords QB 10 15 Jordan Ward ATH 9 16 Chris McMiller ATH 9 17 Peyton King ATH 11 18 Rozario Conwell ATH 10 19 Gabe Haynie OL/LB 12 20 Angel Romero ATH 11

NO. NAME POSITION GRADE

21 Buck Ross ATH 9 22 Slade Knight ATH 9 25 Jacob Fowler ATH 9 26 Ja’Korey Ellis ATH 9 28 Dalton King WR/DB 11 32 Kamardre Purnell OL/DL 11 34 Bryce Smith LB 10 40 Ethan Juarez LB 9 42 Spencer Adams LB 12 45 Benjamin Locks WR 11 46 JC Baggett TE/DE 10 50 Hunter Lutz OL/DL 11 51 Blaine Graham OL/DL 10 52 Jaylon Hudson OL/DL 12 53 Kelston Hodges OL/DL 10 54 N’Darius Smith OL/DL 9 55 Nylan Hill-Goode OL/LB 10 56 Danny Ramos OL/DL 9 57 K’Erius Cockrum OL/DL 10 58 Connor Shores OL/DL 10

NO. NAME POSITION GRADE

59 Tyler Gentry OL/DL 11 60 Jaylen Williams OL/DL 12 61 Rocky Gonzalez OL/DL 9 63 Legend Gentry OL/DL 9 64 Jayden Weeks OL/DL 9 65 Jacob Edwards OL/DL 9 66 Jesus Munzo OL/DL 10 70 Brantley Burk OL/LB 12 71 Richard Smith OL/DL 12 72 Kyler Mitchell OL/DL 9 73 Ty Sullens OL/DL 10 74 Derek Diaz OL/DL 10 75 Matthew Rhonden OL/DL 10 76 Thomas Kimani OL/DL 10 77 AJ Guizar OL/DL 9 80 Lester Blevins WR/LB 11 92 Terry Howard OL/DL 10 96 Chris Washington OL/DL 9

should take a leap forward after injuring his collarbone last year. A senior, he can play a nickel type of position and split between the secondary and linebacker. SECONDARY

Boren is extremely confident in the secondary this year because of the athleticism on the back end of the defense. In addition to Martin and Adams rotating between linebacker and the secondary, Rogers and Peyton King