Alabama Ledger - November 2021

S PORTS L EDGER Read Free Online at www.TheSportsLedger.com The JSU Begins Search For New Football Coach Gamecocks to join Conference USA

Section B - Page 1

November 2021

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

The Atlanta Braves historic season finished in grand fashion, as the program defeated Houston in six games (4-2) to win the 2021 World Series. Atlanta became just the fourth team in history to reach the World Series despite having a losing record at the All-Star Break and only the second to come away with the championship title. The 1964 Cardinals accomplished that feat by defeating the New Yankees to win the World Series Title that year.

The Braves franchise reached the World Series in 1991, but lost to the Twins. The 1973 Mets also made the list. However, the Mets fell to Oakland. In the 2021 World Series the Braves started out strong defeating Houston 6-2 in Game One. The Astros evened the series with a 7-2 victory in Game Two. Atlanta took Game Three 2-0 and Game Four 3-2. Houston rallied for a 9-5 win in Game Five. Atlanta claimed the World Series crown with a 7-0 win in Game Six.

After nearly nine years at Jacksonville State and eight as its head football coach, John Grass and JSU mutually agreed to part ways following the Gamecocks home finale against Abilene Christian on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Grass informed members of the media of the decision in his postgame press conference following the Gamecocks' 40-25 win over Abilene Christian. "First, I'd like to thank Coach Grass for his service to Jacksonville State University, our Football program and to our student-athletes for the past nine years," Athletics Director Greg Seitz said. "Since he was hired as our head coach in 2014, we've experienced new heights in FCS football, including a trip to the FCS Championship Game in 2015." Grass' tenure at JSU comes to an end after serving for eight years as the Gamecocks' head coach and one as an assistant. He returned to his alma mater in 2013 as the offensive coordinator on Bill Clark's staff and was named the head coach in 2014 after his 2013 offensive unit broke several JSU and Ohio Valley Conference records. He finishes his career with the Gamecocks with a 72- 26 record and having won six Ohio Valley Conference Championships, five of which came in his first five seasons at the helm. "My time has come and gone here," Grass told the media on Saturday night. "It's been a great ride. It's been unbelievable. You can't put into words what has happened here. This will always be my home. We've raised our kids here for nine years. Me and my wife are both alumni. This place has done so much for me that I can't ever repay it. "As an era comes to an end, you look back and analyze it. There are so many special people that made what we've done here happen. God put so many special people in my life, and when we started it His hands have been on this program in so many ways. I like to win and hate to lose as much as anyone, but the lives that have been changed with what God has done for our program has been unbelievable. It's been the best thing I've ever been a part of." The Gamecocks have two games remaining in FCS play, starting at Lamar on Saturday, November 13 and finishing at Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 20. Following the season, JSU will break ground on a new stadium expansion and will begin its transition to Conference USA and the Football Bowl Subdivision. The move to Conference USA was announced on Friday, November 5, 2021. JSU will play the 2022 season in the inaugural season of ASUN Football, before playing a C-USA schedule in 2023. Currently a member of the ASUN Conference, JSU will transition all sports into C-USA in the summer of 2023, with the biggest change coming for the Gamecock football program. With the new conference home, JSU will make the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS),

Photo by Brandon K. Pierce | The Sports Ledger

Former JSU Head Coach John Grass

the highest level of college football. It will end a run in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) that started in 1995 and has seen the Gamecocks win nine conference championships and advance to the Division I Playoffs 10 times. JSU has advanced to the Quarterfinals three times since 2013, including a National Runner-Up finish in 2015. "With an exciting time on the horizon for Jacksonville State and Gamecock Football, we feel that the interest in our head coaching position will be greater than it ever has been," Seitz added. "We will begin a nationwide search for our next coach, who will lead us into the FBS." Conference USA is an NCAA Division I athletic conference based in Dallas, Texas. Now in its third decade, ConferenceUSAhas adapted to the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics with an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and leadership in competition, academics and community. The Gamecocks will join Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston as the newest members of C-USA. "We are incredibly excited about adding these four new members and feel there is tremendous upside in these moves for our conference," Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod said. "This is a quality mix of established and emerging universities that provides us with a compelling group to continue to build with, focusing on competing for and winning championships well into the future. We have been deliberate in our efforts for the past few weeks to get us to this point and will continue to evaluate and consider our additional options for membership."

Iron Bowl Auburn defensive back Nehemiah Pritchett (14) breaks up a pass intended for Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III (8) at Bryant- Denny Stadium in the 2020 Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide defeated Auburn 42-13 last year and Alabama currently leads the rivalry series 47-37-1. The two teams tied 6-6 in 1907 and following that game the programs did not play again until 1948. The Iron Bowl has been played every year since then and was held in Birmingham until 1989. The event continued in both Auburn and Birmingham until it finally made it's way to Alabama's Bryant Denny Stadium in 2000. The Iron Bowl currently rotates between the Auburn and Alabama campuses and this year it will be played at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn on November 30, 2021. Photo by Mickey Welsh | The Montgomery Advertiser JSU Softball Schedules Game with Alabama at Sand Mountain Park The Jacksonville State softball team will host 21 games at University Field in 2022, including a home opener against Auburn and an ASUN Conference slate. The Gamecocks and head coach Jana McGinnis, who enters her 29th season at the helm of the softball program, will play in five non-conference tournaments. The Gamecock will host Samford and Austin Peay in the JSU Invite before conference play begins. The nonconference portion of the schedule also includes the Feb. 23 home opener against Auburn, as well as a return trip to the Tigers on April 19. JSU will face The University of Alabama in the Sand Mountain Showdown to christen the Sand Mountain Park in Albertville on March 30. The season will open in ULM's Tournament in Monroe, LA, on Feb. 11 and then continue in a tournament at Southern Miss before the Tigers visit University Field. The Gamecocks will then travel to tournaments hosted by Georgia Tech and Miss State before the JSU Invite is held on March 11-12. Other nonconference home games are scheduled with ULM, Colgate and Dartmouth. The Gamecocks' will begin conference action on March 19-20, 2021 when they travel to Kennesaw State. They also visit Florida Gulf Coast, Lipscomb and Central Arkansas, while North Florida, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and Bellarmine will all travel to JSU for their series.

Football Playoffs Underway Piedmont's Austin Estes (#9) attempts to break away from a Sylvania defender during the opening round of the 2021 AHSAA State Football Playoffs on Friday, November 5. The visiting Bulldogs defeated Sylvania 40-20. With the win, Piedmont is one of the few Northeast Alabama teams that advanced to the next round of the playoffs. To see more results from this season, and from the opening round of the playoffs, see inside this issue. Photo by Brandon K. Pierce | The Sports Ledger

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