SPORTS LEDGER March 2023 Read Free Online at www.TheSportsLedger.com Page 7 The
Albertville Pee Wee Football Moving To Sand Mountain Park The Albertville Pee Wee Football and Cheerleading programs are merging with Sand Mountain Park. Beginning this year, these programs will become part of the youth sport offerings that the park organizes and executes. Football and cheerleading registration will be available online or in-person at Guest Services until April 15 through Sand Mountain Park. Registration information is available online at www.sandmountpark.com and on the parks Facebook page, @sandmountainpark. All practices will be held at the park, and games will be split between the park and Albertville High School this season. Football and Cheerleading will continue to be part of the North Alabama Youth Football League (NAYF), and football coaches will continue to be certified through USA Football. Sand Mountain Park will also host the NAYF Super Bowl in October of this year. Kenny Jones became President of AlbertvillePee- wee football in 2002. He had a vision to start the Marshall County Youth Football & Cheerleading League for all the high schools in the county to have a pee wee program. By 2004 his vision had grown to 12 programs in Marshall, Etowah and DeKalb counties. That is when he created the North Alabama Youth Football & Cheerleading League (NAYF). Twenty-one years later, NAYF now has grown to 32 programs in the following Alabama counties Marshall, Etowah, Dekalb, Jackson, Madison, South Pittsburg, Tennessee and Trenton Georgia. Jones said he is pleased with how the Albertville Pee Wee program has developed over the years and hopes that by transitioning to Sand Mountain Park that it will take Albertville Aggies Pee Wee program to the next level. “I look forward to the change that will come with the merge of the Albertville Pee Wee cheer program and Sand Mountain Park, said Crystal Cox, Vice President of Albertville Pee Wee Cheer. "The many resources the park can provide will help ensure the growth of the program. I will remain as cheer vice president for at least two years. During this two year transition I look forward to seeing this program prosper,” she said. “With the changes coming at the high school with a new head football coach, we feel it’s a good time to start the transition of turning over the Albertville Pee Wee program to Sand Mountain Park, said Scott Maynor, Vice President of Albertville Pee Wee Football. "This is a transition that will slowly take place over the next two years. I look forward to continuing to be the Vice President for Albertville over the next two seasons and throughout the transition," he added. "We are excited for the great resources that Sand Mountain Park can help us provide to all players, coaches, and parents.” “One of the most important purposes of the park is to grow and expand our youth sport opportunities for our community," said Sand Mountain Park General Manager Patrick O’Brien. We are so excited to add pee wee football and cheerleading to our annual youth sports programming schedule. The park’s resources and structure can help significantly improve both programs, building on the already strong foundation and cultivating future growth. There is also a great opportunity to build stronger connectivity with the Albertville High School varsity football and cheerleading programs, and there is commitment by us and the high school to make that happen. The future of youth football and cheer in Albertville is extremely bright and we are very thankful to be part of it," O'Brien added. Youth sports participation currently averages close to 2,500 kids per year at the park and adding these programs will increase that number. In addition to the newly added Pee Wee Football and Cheerleading programs, the park also offers Miracle League, soccer, basketball, t-ball, softball, baseball, tennis, swimming, flag football, and volleyball for kids in the Sand Mountain region. Auburn University's annual spring football game will kick off at 1 p.m. C.T. on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at Jordan- Hare Stadium. The A-Day game will anchor a full weekend of events on the Plains. The Auburn baseball team will also be in action beginning on Thursday, April 6, hosting Texas A&M at Plainsman Park, with the final game of the three-game series beginning at 3:30 p.m. CT on A-Day. Additionally, Auburn will honor National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas with a statue unveiling ceremony at the exterior entrance of Plainsman Park on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT. The full weekend will also feature the Auburn men’s tennis team hosting Arkansas on Friday at 3 p.m. CT at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. Tickets to attend A-Day in Jordan-Hare Stadium are on-sale now through the Auburn Ticket Office for $10 to the general public and free for current AU students. All $10 seats are general admission. Tigers Unlimited premium seat holders will receive information via email this week regarding tickets for their respective club spaces. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line on April 8. A-Day tickets can be purchased here on AubTix.com or in-person at the Auburn Ticket Office located at Neville Arena, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Auburn A-Day Game Set For April 8
Benefield Inducted To Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame Bert Browne has been named the new head football coach for the Albertville Aggies. Most recently, Browne was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Tennessee Tech. During his playing days he was one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Tennessee Tech football history. Browne, a native of Richmond, KY, is pictured between Albertville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Boyd K. English, left, and Albertville High School Principal Jordan Phillips, right. Browne Name Albertville Football Coach Photo Courtesy of Albertville Athletics
Thirteen major contributors to prep athletics in Alabama have been inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame, including Legendary Fyffe head football Coach Paul Benefield. The Class of 2022-23 also includes various administrators, coaches and officials from around the state. These individuals include: football coaches Paul Benefield, David Powell, Mike Robertson, and Trent Taylor; basketball coaches Homer Davis, Ronald Jackson; Tim Miller; Jack Steele Jr.; and John Woody; administrators Steve Giddens and Charles McCaleb; and selected in the “Old-Timers’ Division” were baseball and football coach William “Earl” Griffin and basketball coach Matthew L. Jones, now deceased. Griffin also served as a contest official for much of his career. The individuals enshrined this year include; administrator Larry DiChiara; contest official and former AHSAA Director of Officials Mark Jones; track and cross country coach David Dobbs; girls’ basketball, volleyball, tennis and softball coach Jana Killen; football coaches Stacy Luker; Jimmy Perry; and Danny Powell; boys’ basketball coaches Johnny Shelwood, Tim Smith and Ronnie Stapler; and selected in the “Old-Timers’ Division” were track coach Donald Wayne Murphy and basketball coach Wade Robinson. Both are deceased. Paul Benefield is Fyffe High school’s current head football coach. The long-time DeKalb County Coach just completed leading the Red Devils to their 13th undefeated regular season (10-0) and the program's sixth perfect 15-0 season since 2014. Benefield, is a 1976 graduate of Fyffe High School. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Jacksonville State University in 1980 and earned his master’s degree in 1981. He began his football coaching career at his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1981-1987. He moved to DeKalb County rival Plainview from 1987 – 1992 and then took his first head-coaching position at Sylvania 1992.
At Sylvania, Benefield compiled a 45-11 record in five seasons and he led the Rams to back-to-back 12-1 seasons in 1994 and 1995. Benefield moved back home to Fyffe in 1997 and for the last 26 years has been nothing short of amazing. With this year's 10-0 regular season at Fyffe, and counting Sylvania’s back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons under Benefield, it gives the Red Devils head coach a total of 15 undefeated regular seasons in 31 years. Since he took over the program, Fyffe has a record of 292-44. This includes a 51-game winning streak from 2018-2021 and it also makes Fyffe the AHSAA’s winningest football program for the last 20 years. Benefield's teams have won five state championships since 2014 and have finished runner-up twice (2007, 2015). His 2019 team outscored opponents 639-43, and his 2014 team set a then state record scoring 751 points in a 15-0 state championship run. Fyffe won two Class 2A crowns going 15-0 each year in 2018 and 2019. The Red Devils moved to Class 3A in 2020 and finished 15-0 again to claim the program's third consecutive state title. Benefield has compiled an incredible 337-55 record, which ranks third all time in the state. His winning percentage of 85.8% is the best in state history for any coach winning more than 200 games. His teams put together a streak of 70 consecutive games scoring 20 or more points, and his 58-23 playoff record is one of the best in the state. Additionally, Benefield's 29 state playoff appearances ranks fourth all- time in the AHSAA. Benefield was named the Alabama Coach of the year in 2007 and 2014, and has coached in the AHSAA North- South and Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classics The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame first class was inducted in 1991. The addition of Benefield and the other members of the Class of 2022-23, brings the total number enshrined into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame to 390.
Photo by Marvin Gentry, AHSAA
The members of the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame for 2022-23 include: (Front L-R) Mike Robertson; Paul Benefield; Trent Taylor; William Earl Griffin; Charles McCaleb; Homer Davis. (Back row) John Woody; Steve Giddens; David Powell; Ronald Jackson; Angelo Jones (son of inductee Matthew Jones; Jack Steele Jr.; and Tim Miller.
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