Tough season for Wiregrass teams

By David Mundee

Published: November 4, 2008

The regular season is in the books for Alabama high school football teams and for the Wiregrass, the numbers were not as positive as recent years.

Of the 40 teams in the Dothan Eagle coverage area, 21 (more than half) finished with a losing record, including 10 who won two or less games.

Seventeen of the Alabama teams in the coverage area finished regular-season play above .500 and two others right at .500 (5-5).
For the first time in four years, the area didn’t have a team finish the regular season undefeated.

In each of the last three seasons, there were three teams undefeated, including Charles Henderson, Pike County and Cottonwood last year. Eufaula, Geneva and Houston Academy finished unbeaten in the 2006 regular season and Eufaula, Pike County and Houston Academy in 2005.

Only one area team finished the regular season with just one loss — Pike Liberal Arts (9-1). There were just six two-loss teams and four three-loss teams, giving the area just 11 teams with three or less losses.

The improved: Fifteen of the area teams in Alabama improved their win totals from last year, though several playoff teams could boost that number.

Making the most improvement were Barbour County, Pike Liberal Arts and Ashford Academy. All three have won five more games than last year. Barbour County went from 3-7 to its current 8-2 record, Pike Liberal Arts went from 4-7 to 9-1 and Ashford Academy went from 2-8 to 7-2. All three could extend the win totals in playoff games this week.

Straughn and Dale County improved the win column by four games and both could add to it in the playoffs. Straughn was 4-6 last year and is 8-2 now. Dale County went from 2-8 to 6-4.

Daleville and Slocomb have increased win totals by three games. Daleville has gone from 4-7 to 7-3 and Slocomb 5-6 to 8-2. Both are in the playoffs and could add to the improvement.

Improving by two games are New Brockton (6-4), Zion Chapel (4-6) and Ariton (8-2). New Brockton and Ariton can add to their numbers this week in the playoffs. Zion Chapel is through.

Making one-game improvements were Rehobeth (2-8 to 3-7), Abbeville (1-9 to 2-8), Headland (1-9 to 2-8), Pleasant Home (3-7 to 4-5) and Abbeville Christian (2-8 to 3-6). All are through for the year.

Playoff teams Enterprise, Elba, Houston Academy, Goshen and Geneva County all have the same amount of wins as last year, but have a chance to bump above it this Friday.

1,000 rushers: At least 10 players finished the regular season with 1,000 or more yards rushing, including Slocomb teammates Jermaine Williams and Scottie Burdeshaw.

Also surpassing a 1,000 were Pike Liberal Arts’ Jerel Foster, Marianna’s Bradley Battles, Carroll’s Josh James, Ashford Academy’s Justin Ingle, New Brockton’s Tevin McNair, Enterprise’s Brandon Hart, Providence Christian’s Preston Jones and Goshen’s Marcus Williams.

Several other players are nearing 1,000 and could surpass it in this week’s playoff games. Among those are Enterprise quarterback Tony Gray, Opp’s Richard Davis, Houston Academy’s Seth McGowan and Ashford Academy’s Kevin Gray.

1,000 passers: Eight area quarterbacks have surpassed the 1,000 mark for passing yards this season.

The eight are Daleville’s Tevin Flowers, Straughn’s Ryne Taylor, Ashford’s Charlton Pope, Charles Henderson’s K.D. Edenfield, Wicksburg’s Colby Thomley, Geneva County’s Rico Reese and Headland’s Chase Peterson.

Enterprise’s Tony Gray is within 25 yards of reaching the plateau and will likely surpass it in Friday’s playoff game.
Top performances: Seven players from the area were honored for performances last week by the Alabama Sports Writers Association or the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

Cottonwood’s Marcus Glanton and Charles Henderson’s Antonio Youngblood were honored by both groups.
Ashford Academy’s Kevin Gray was honored by the ASWA, while Geneva’s Jo Jo Tolver, Slocomb’s Jermaine Williams, Enterprise’s Tony Gray, Headland’s Michael Thompson and Providence Christian’s Preston Jones were honored by the AHSAA.
Glanton had 14 total tackles, including three for losses and two more for sacks, and also deflected a lateral that resulted in an 10-yard loss in the Class 2A Bears’ 20-15 win over 3A playoff team Dale County

Youngblood, Charles Henderson’s defensive end, had two fumble recoveries, an interception and a sack in the Class 5A Trojans’ 35-27 win over 6A Northview.

Ashford Academy’s Gray accounted for 16 tackles, 13 solos and three for losses, in the Falcons’ 31-29 loss to Chambers Academy.

Geneva’s Tolver accounted for four touchdowns, scoring in three different way in a 41-13 win over Samson. Tolver threw a a 65-yard touchdown pass on a wide receiver reverse, caught touchdown passes of 28 and 22 yards and rushed 67 yards for another score. His four scores totaled 182 yards.

Slocomb’s Williams rushed for 251 yards on 31 carries and three touchdowns, including 177 and all three scores in the second half, as the Red Tops beat Geneva County, 35-14.

Enterprise’s Gray accounted for 210 yards and five touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 34-14 win over Jeff Davis. Gray rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries and touchdown runs of 14, 1, 33 and 9 yards and threw for 102 yards on 4-of-9 passing with a 57-yard TD pass.
Headland’s Thompson rushed for 217 yards on 24 carries and all three Ram touchdowns in a 24-18 win over Houston County.

Providence Christian’s Jones accounted for 218 yards and three scores in a 42-16 win for the Class 1A Eagles over 3A Wicksburg. Jones rushed for 159 yards and touchdown runs of 14 and 53 yards and caught two passes for 59 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown pass.

Three in Army Iron Man award running: Cottonwood’s Glanton, Enterprise’s Gray and Pike Liberal Arts’ Douglas Hawkins are among the 10 nominees for the weekly Army Iron Man Award.

Hawkins caught a 17-yard touchdown pass, rushed for a two-yard touchdown, and returned a punt for a 62-yard touchdown in Pike Liberal Arts’ 34-6 win over Autauga Academy.