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PAGE 6A October 2023 PAGE 4B August 2024
Geraldine Working To Replace 15 Seniors
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger One of the most impressive high school football teams in Northeast Alabama last fall was the Geraldine Bulldogs. The 2023 program scored 551 points, set a team record with 12 wins, went 9-1 in the regular season, and reached the Class 2A State Semifinals. This year players and coaches want to win it all and fourth year Geraldine Head Coach Michael Davis believes the 2024 team has a lot of “potential.” “Just dreaming of playing for a State Championship, for a lot of kids, sometimes seems unreachable,” said Davis during the recent DeKalb County Football Media day. “You got to get kids to believe” that anything is possible and that dreams can be reachable if given the right tools and opportunities. “If you want to be successful, here is the blueprint,” added Davis.
Geraldine’s coach admitted that the 2024 team is going to be “different” from last year and that the Bulldogs’ program has got to find “this year’s team identity.” However, Davis believes the blueprint for the upcoming season has been laid out and his program has been working on it since the final game of last year. “We got right back to it after last season ended,” he said. Geraldine’s goal this fall is to dominate each and every play, be disciplined and fundamentally sound. Davis also hopes his team can be consistent, stay healthy, and work through the process to become better at every practice and each week during the season. “They expect to win, but they also understand that if they don’t do what they are supposed to do, they're not going to win,” commented Davis about his players. “It’s easy to get on top, but what’s hard is staying there.”
Photo Courtesy of Andy Vance
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger One of the challenges for many high school football coaches and teams each year is to fill open positions left vacant from senior student-athletes who graduated the prior season. “We lost twelve really good seniors last year that had been playing for a long time,” said Valley Head Coach Charles Hammon. “Fortunately, we are going to have twelve seniors again this year,” he said. “That is big for Valley Head to back up twelve seniors with twelve seniors.” This may be particularly true this year, as Geraldine is rebounding from losing 15 seniors to Graduation. “You can’t replicate experience,” said Davis. However, the Bulldogs have ten returning seniors, as well as six returning starters on offense and five players returning on defense. “We have a lot of guys that are stepping into new
Hammon added that despite losing some standout players from last season, that his program has a good bunch coming up to fill their shoes. Valley Head will have approximately 32 kids on the 2024 roster in grades 9-12, including four returning offensive linemen. Additionally, several of Valley Head’s skill guys are back, including Quarterback Tytan Blevins, Nate Baine, Cayson McElrath, Ben Johnson and Layne Hawkins. The Tigers will soon find out how all the pieces roles,” added Davis, while noting that several younger players have been, and will continue to, contribute to the team. One of the other challenges of the 2024 season for Geraldine is a change in region opponents. The Bulldogs are moving from Class 2A Region 6 to Region 8. Geraldine’s Region 8 lineup opens with a home
will fit together as the program is set to open the 2024 season on August 23 against Cedar Bluff. The contest is one of three straight home games, that include a non- region rival game against Section on August 30 and a matchup against Class 1A Region 8 foe Gaylesville on September 6. Valley Head will not be changing classifications like some other area football programs, but the Tigers are moving from Region 7 to Region 8. The changes will give Hammon’s team some new game against Asbury on September 6. The Bulldogs will be on the road the following week (September 13) for a region matchup against DeKalb County rival Sylvania, which is the only team that defeated Geraldine during the regular season last fall. Other Region 8 foes include Holly Pond (September 20), Collinsville
(October 4), at Brindlee Mountain (October 11), Whitesburg Christian (October 18) and at Fyffe (October 25). Geraldine's non-region games include the 2024 season opener at Sardis on Thursday, August 22; a mid- season match-up at Class 5A Boaz on September 27; and the 2024 regular season finale at Douglas on November 1. faces and opponents to line- up against in the fall. Valley Head is set for a trip to Class 1A Region 8 rival Ider on September 13. Other 2024 region opponents for Valley Head this fall include Spring Garden (September 20), at Ragland (October 4), Woodville (October 11), and Appalachian (October 25). The remaining two non-region games include a trip to North Sand Mountain on September 27 and the 2024 regular season finale at Collinsville on November 1.
Valley Head Returning Several Skill Players for the 2024 Season
Plainview Bears Move Up To Class 4A Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger Plainview quarterback Trey Rutledge (#3) hands off the football last year. Rutledge is a senior for the Bears this season.
By Brandon K. Pierce The Sports Ledger The Plainview Bears have moved up to Class 4A and will be competing against several new opponents this fall. The Bears will face eight Class 4A Region 8 teams this year, starting with the 2024 season opener against Westminster Christian on August 30. Plainview’s other Region games this year include trips to Randolph (September 6) and DAR (September 13), Madison County (October 4), at North Jackson (October 11), New Hope (October 18), at Madison Academy (October 25), and St John Paul II (November 1). With the larger number of region opponents, Plainview had to make some tough choices with the 2024 schedule, especially concerning the program’s non-conference games. This year the only DeKalb County matchup for the Bears, will be a home game on September 27 against Sylvania. It marks the first time since the 2005 season that Plainview will not compete against county rival Fyffe. It also marks the first time since 2009 that County foe Geraldine is not part of the mix.
Plainview’s other non- conference game this fall will be against Pisgah on September 20. The Bears have not played the Eagles since 2021. Plainview won that match-up 54-40. To be successful with the tougher schedule, the Bears hope that this year they will be able to better protect the football, limit offensive turnovers and eliminate mental errors. Plainview also has a few offensive players with what Assistant Coach Jeremy Pruitt called explosive ability, but the program does not have a lot of depth. Pruitt did note that the Bears have been able to add some guys in the off-season which should help with the program’s depth issue. Defensively, Plainview is hoping to be more physical and attack the football. The Bears are replacing five seniors from last year. However, the program does have several returning players with experience, as well as some new guys who are playing football for the first time. This includes eight seniors, of which four are returning and four are new players.
Photo Courtesy of Andy Vance
Good Luck Teams!
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