T he S ports L edger
PAGE 11 www.TheSportsLedger.com
MARCH 2023
Jacksonville State head football coach Rich Rodriguez recently added several players for 2023 during national signing day. "I thought our staff did a really good job," said Rodriquez. "There's obviously a lot of transition going on with the move up to FBS and moving to a new conference. And we're selling the new facility that is going to get started here pretty soon, so there is a lot going on." The three transfers that are already with the team are senior wide receiver Jamarye Joiner from Arizona, junior safety Austin Ambush from Maine and junior running back J'Wan Evans from San Mateo College in California. Joiner is a player that signed with Rodriguez and current Jax State offensive coordinator Rod Smith as a quarterback out of high school and will now play his final season for the duo in Jacksonville. Ambush brings three seasons of experience from Maine, while Evans is a playmaker that had a lot of success at the junior college level. Jax State has also signed four offensive linemen with a lot of size in Kaiden Arnold (6-7, 335), Bryce Causey (6- 7, 315), Marvin Lee (6-6, 310) and Cameron Griffin (6-4, 300). They join two signees from December in Daveion Harley (6-2, 305) and Maddox Sunderman (6-4, 300) to round out an offensive line class that will add size to the roster immediately as Jax State moves into FBS. "(Offensive Line Coach Rick) Trickett knew that we needed some size and he got that and we have our eye on some other guys," Rodriguez said. "We knew that we had to get bigger up front, but the big thing is we wanted to get guys that are athletic and can move. They're all big, athletic guys. We have to get them stronger, but we will get them in the weight room and teach them technique." Ambush is already working with the Jax State defensive backfield and will be joined by prep safety Nehemiah Pgouda. JSU also added Geimere Latimer, who Rodriguez says can help at multiple positions. "Safety was probably our thinnest defensive position," Rodriguez said. "We knew that we needed a whole bunch of guys there, and we signed some guys that we think can help us there. They are bigger, taller athletic guys." Also signing with the Gamecocks were a pair of defensive ends/bandits in Tae Floyd and Shane Payton Hodges, guys that Rodriguez described as big and athletic. On offense, JSU added speedy receiver Jaylen Williams and a talented quarterback in Cam Vaughn. Rodriguez said that his staff will continue to look for possible additions through the transfer portal as teams work through and finish their spring practices. The Gamecocks are currently conditioning in in Spring practice, which officially began on March 4. The practicing season will culminate with the JSU spring football game on Thursday, April 13 at Burgess-Snow Field. Jax State Football Adds To Roster
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Members of the Sardis baseball team watch from the dugout during the Lions recent home game against the Geraldine Bulldogs. The Lions recently went undefeated to win the 2023 Etowah County Baseball Tournament. Sardis was 3-0 in the county tournament with wins over Southside (12-2), Glencoe (2-0) and West End (12-0). Russ Wiggs was named the 2023 Etowah County Tournament MVP after batting 5-10 and pitching a complete game with 10 strikeouts. Hokes Bluff Coach Named To Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Etowah County Baseball Champions
Courtesy of AHSAA and Bill Plott Most of Michael Robertson’s life work has been in one way or another tied to Hokes Bluff High School. He graduated as valedictorian from Hokes Bluff in 1977 where he was an outstanding athlete earning All-County honors in three sports. He was quarterback on state champion and runner-up football teams, played on three state championship baseball teams, and his No. 2 jersey was retired in 1977. Robertson’s impact has been felt daily at Hokes Bluff and around the state for the last four decades. That is a chief reason he is one of 13 individuals inducted as the Class of
2023 in the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame. Following his high school graduation at Hokes Bluff, Robertson attended Gadsden State Community College on a baseball scholarship and later graduated from Athens State in 1981 with a degree in mathematics. He also earned a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and an education degree from Lincoln Memorial University. The Hall of Fame Coach began his career in 1981 as an assistant at Southside-Gadsden, before returning to his alma mater Hokes Bluff in 1984, where he continues to serve. Robertson has earned numerous Coach of the
Year honors in three major sports. He began coaching football in 1996. In 26 years, he has compiled a record of 170-121 with 15 state playoff appearances. His 2001 team defeated Tarrant 23-0 to win the Class 3A State Championship. The Eagles won a school record of 13 games, and he was named State Coach of the Year. The football field was named in his honor in 2019, and he has been named an All-Time “Legend” in Etowah County Sports. In addition to football, he also coached girls’ basketball from 1986 through 2008, winning seven area championships and advancing six teams to the semifinals. Two of his
teams were runners-up. He added baseball to his coaching duties in 2011. In 12 years, his teams have won seven Area championships and had two teams make the semifinals of the state playoffs. A total of seventeen All-State players have been recognized from his baseball program. Hokes Bluff Mayor Scott Reeves said Robertson’s positive impact is a direct result of his commitment to the community. “Coach Rob has a big heart for his community and his alma mater,” said Reeves. “It is evidenced by his commitment and dedication to Hokes Bluff High School… His devotion to our community has impacted the lives of many student-athletes, not only coaching them to be competitors on the field and courts but also how to be successful students in the classroom. He has taught young men and women how to win in life and be responsible citizens to their communities.” Reeves said Robertson’s example has been on display daily. “His demonstration of hard work, perseverance, loyalty, integrity, dedication, and commitment to his students in the classroom, his players, his assistant coaches, his peers and the community of Hokes Bluff speak volumes for the man he truly is,” Reeves said. “Throughout his career, he has won big games and lost games, but he always encourages our kids to take the wins and “celebrate it” and “learn from the defeats” because life will throw both at you.”
Hokes Bluff Principal Scott Calhoun was one of Coach Robertson’s players at the school. He has witnessed Coach Rob’s impact from all sides of the spectrum. “As a young male student athlete in high school, I always looked up to my coaches,” said Calhoun. “I was fortunate that one of my coaches was Mike Robertson. Coach Rob taught me some valuable lessons as a teenager that I still carry with me almost 40 years later. He was someone that I looked up to with great respect as a young man, but my respect and admiration for him have only increased as I have become an adult. “In my educational career, I have been fortunate enough to have worked at six different high schools. All the schools have been great, and I have worked with some really good football coaches and athletic directors. None of them have come close to Coach Rob. He has been, and still is, an excellent role model for all our young men. He instills a great work ethic, sense of pride, and a never quit attitude in all of the students he coaches. He still coaches with the same fire, grit, and determination that he always has.” Calhoun said many of Robertson’s former players have chosen to become coaches because of him. “His influence on those around him is strong. He is the best at what he does and has truly found his calling in life. So many young people, male and female, have benefitted from playing for him. His influence reaches far beyond Hokes Bluff.”
Photo by Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Jax State Catcher Brooks Bryan during the Gamecocks recent game at Alabama.
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