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PAGE 3B August 2024
Gadsden City Football Looking For Big Season From TJ Worthy By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger While some North Alabama high school
Gaston Football Has 'Excellent' Numbers
to buy into what was hard, and this group is doing that,” said Sewell. Gaston will open the 2024 season at home against Asbury on August 23. It will mark the first of four consecutive home games for the Bulldogs. Following an open week on August 29, Gaston will host Cedar Bluff on September 6, Woodland on September 13, and North Sand Mountain on September 20. Learning to be successful at home is what you want,” commented Sewell about the program's four straight home games. Sewell believes that the early season home schedule will help his team be prepared when they travel for the first time, which will be on September 27 to Whitesburg Christian. The Bulldogs will be on the road at Section on October 4 and at Pleasant Valley on October 11. Gaston is set to welcome Pisgah on October 18 for the Bulldogs' final home game of the season. “Pisgah is an elite team,” said Sewell about the Class 2A Region 7 opponent. “It’s a tough region from top to bottom,” he said. “I think everybody in the region is in play to make the playoffs.” “We are going to attack it week to week,” he said. “This group is ready to match-up with anyone in our region, anyone on our schedule” Overall, the Bulldogs coach believes this group has a good chance at winning ten games and will focus on being consistent throughout the year. Gaston’s final games of the regular season will be at Sand Rock on October 25 and at Ider on November 1.
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger With one of the best running backs in the state and a strong list of offensive returning starters, the Gadsden City Titans should be an exciting team to watch this fall. Senior running back TJ Worthy reportedly finished last season with just over 1500 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns. He also had 430 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Those totals helped him finish the 2023 football season with almost 2000 total offensive yards and 30 touchdowns. However, the numbers are not enough for TJ, who commented that his personal goal for his senior season is to double the statistics from his junior year. “We feel like that he is one of the best running backs in the state,” commented Gadsden City head football coach Ali Smith. TJ and his teammates finished the 2023 season
with a 9-4 overall record. The Titans reached the third round of the Class 6A State Playoffs and won the Class 6A Region 8 Championship. “We’re excited about picking back up,” said Smith about the 2024 season. The sixth year Gadsden City coach said that this year’s group has worked “really hard” over the summer on numerous things, including their composure. Smith said he has also been working on the team’s continuity and trying to make sure that he places his players in the correct position that will be most beneficial to the team. Most of the position realignment is on defense, as the Titans lost several of their key defensive starters to graduation last year. With about 24 seniors, Smith believes his task, and the pieces, will come together by the start of the season, which kicks off on Thursday, August 22 against Muscle Shoals.
football teams may be struggling with numbers, others have full rosters ahead of the 2024 season. One of the teams with several players who are hoping to hit the gridiron this fall is the Gaston Bulldogs. “We’ve got excellent numbers right now,” said Gaston Head Football Coach Derrick Sewell, adding that participation in the Bulldogs program is “rolling”. “I could not be more excited,” he said. This fall Gaston’s program should have enough players to field a varsity roster with upperclassmen from grades 10 through 12. There are 67 total kids in the Bulldog’s program in grades 7-12. Gaston has 31 players from grades 10-12 and 36 players in grades 7-9. Additionally, the program will have five or six experienced returning players from last year’s team. What’s even better is that the program has a bright future, as Gaston recently had over 50 campers attend the school’s youth football camp. “There is a lot of excitement around the program,” said Sewell. The large number of players this summer has led to healthy competition, which Sewell believes is good and will benefit his team this fall. Additionally, the players have been spending time on techniques and schemes in preparation for the upcoming season. “Any success I’ve had has always been because of a group of players is willing
Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
Gadsden City Head Football Coach Ali Smith
“There is no doubt about it, we have a really tough schedule,” admitted Smith. “Obviously our region is getting tougher every year.” Gadsden’s City’s Class 6A Region 8 opponents include: Buckhorn (Sept. 6), Hazel Green (Sept. 20), Lee-Huntsville (Oct. 4), Fort Payne (Oct. 11), Southside (Oct. 18), and Mae Jemison (Oct. 25) The Titan’s non-region foes this year include the
season opener against Muscle Shoals, Hewitt- Trussville (Aug. 30), McAdory (Sept. 13) and Bob Jones (Sept. 27). “They like to compete,” Smith said about his players going up against tougher opponents. Overall, Smith said that his program was going to take it “one game, one week at a time” and not “take anything for granted." “We have to get better every week,” he added.
Coosa Christian Moves To 2A
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Last year the Coosa Christian football team made headlines throughout the season. From various issues early in the year, to competing in the Class 1A State Football Championship, the Conquerors were in the spotlight in some form almost all season. This year, the program is already making new headlines. One of them being an AHSAA Classification change from Class 1A to Class 2A Region 6. With that change, the Conquerors have what fifth year head Coach Mark O’Bryant has dubbed as a “very challenging schedule” from start to finish. Coosa Christian will kick off the season with two non-region road games. The Conquerors open the
season at Pierce County, Georgia on August 23 and the program will travel to Pell City on August 30. Both of these non- region games, along with a battle against the Fyffe Red Devils on Thursday, September 26 and the season finale against Tuscaloosa Academy on Thursday, October 24, are indeed going to be challenging. However, O’Bryant believes these games will help prepare his team for a trip to the Class 2A state playoffs this fall. Last year the Conquerors came just short of winning the Class 1A state championship, falling to Leroy 28-21 in the championship game. The program's first Class 2A Region game will be on September 6 against Southeastern. Other region games for the 2024 season
include a trip to Falkville on September 13 and a trip to Susan Moore on September 20. The Conquerors will host Cleveland on October 4 and Cold Springs on October 11. The final region game will be at West End on October 18. O’Bryant is counting on “good experience” to help his team with the aforementioned games this fall. Coosa Christian has around 15 returning starters and 35 total players on the varsity team. The program also has enough younger players to field a junior high team. “I love my Town of Gadsden and it’s very, very important to me for this city to be very successful,” added O’Bryant, who believes his football program will be successful this year. “I think for anyone to be very successful they must stay in the same
routine of their life, and if it’s a lazy routine, get out of that lazy routine for sure,” he said. Although O’Byant doesn’t like lazy people, or the “woke” public school systems, he does value having players from a Christian School. “I really believe the future of this country depends on Christian Private Schools,” he said. “I don’t like where public schools have went, I think they’re woke and I hate wokeness,” he said. “I believe our country is under attack and we can sit there and turn a blind eye to it, or we can sit there and hit it in the face. I am going to hit it in the face,” he added. Overall, O’Bryant said he was going to serve the Lord and that his team was going to work hard this fall to be successful.
Ashville Steadily Increasing Numbers
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger Second year head Coach Kirakias Shepard said that the Ashville High School football program is steadily growing its numbers. It’s a “steady process” he said during the recent Etowah County Media Days. The Bulldogs will have about 35 varsity players on the roster for the 2024 season, including several junior and sophomore student athletes. However, there are only four seniors set to participate. “We definitely got to build some depth,” said Shepard. Overall, it’s been a good summer, as the Bulldogs have been focused on consistency and stacking good days on top of each other. “It’s been good to be able to go through the off- season with these guys and kind of set that expectation and build it like I want it,” added Shepard about his first full off-season at the helm of the program. Shepard was hired late last summer and did not get to spend much time with the team during the off season during his first season at Ashville.
“Day in and day out I’m a football coach and I need to be in the nitty gritty with my guys,” he said. “I am taking over the play calling duties for the defense.” Ashville will need a solid defense this fall as some of the teams on the Class 4A Region 6 schedule traditionally have high powered, fast paced offenses. The Bulldogs open the season on Thursday, August 22 against Springville. Following an open week on August 30, Ashville will be on the road at Anniston on September 6. Other games in September include Oneonta on September 13, at Etowah on September 20, and at Talladega on September 27. The Bulldogs will open October with a home game against White Plains on October 4. Ashville will travel to Alexandria on October 11, before returning home to face Hokes Bluff on October 18. The final road trip of the 2024 regular season will be to Cherokee County on October 25. The Bulldog’s season finale will be a home game against St. Clair County on November 1.
Glencoe working to rebuild program
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The Glencoe Yellow Jackets hope that the 2024 football season will be a turning point, as the program has been rebuilding for the past two seasons. Glencoe finished 2-8 in 2022 and 3-7 this past season. I just think it takes time when you’re rebuilding a program,” said third year Glencoe Head Football Coach Scott Martin. “We did the best job we could last year,” he said. “We had a good finish to the season last year, which gave us a little momentum going into this year.” The Yellow Jackets closed out the 2023 season with a 48-28 victory over West End, and Martin hopes that his program can
continue the winning streak this fall. “We have worked toward putting ourselves in a position to have success this year,” added Martin, who believes that this will be the year that Glencoe can get over the hurdle and surprise folks with a few impressive wins. “It’s been a good summer,” said Martin, adding that he has been encouraged by his players attitude, mentality, and off- season workouts. Glencoe currently has 44 players, including 28 upperclassmen in grades 10-12 and 16 ninth graders on the 2024 roster. The Yellow Jackets also have 12 seniors on the team this season. “Blessed that these twelve guys are working
together and leading our young,” added Martin. “I think our depth numbers across the line are probably as good as they have ever been.” Glencoe is set to open the 2024 season at Southeastern on August 23. It will be the first ever meeting between the two programs and it will be the only non-region game of the season for the Yellow Jackets. Glencoe will face nine opponents in Class 3A Region 6 action this fall. The Yellow Jackets kick off the nine game region stint with a home game against Westbrook Christian on August 30. The Yellows Jackets will remain at home the following week (Sept. 6) for a contest against what
Martin described as a “well coached” JB Pennington football team. Glencoe will travel to Walter Wellborn on September 13, before taking an open week break on September 20. The remaining games for 2024 season include: Hokes Bluff on September 27, at Weaver on October 4, at Sakes on October 11, Ohatchee on October 18, at Locust Fork on October 25, and a home regular season finale against Piedmont on November 1. “There is never an off week,” concluded Martin. Southside Has New Coach The Southside football program has a new coach for the 2024 season. The Panthers will be under the direction of Ben Stewart. Additionally, Southside is moving up to Class 6A Region 8. The Panthers were in Class 5A last fall and the program finished the season with a 3-8 record. Southside is set to open the new season on Friday, August 23 with a home game against Guntersville. The Panthers will begin region action on Thursday August 29 with a trip to Hokes Bluff.
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