Madison Academy Mustangs

MADISON ACADEMY

BY STEVE MOULTON

Madison Academy began playing football in 1963. 58 years later the Mustangs are getting ready for another season under the lights off Slaughter Road in Madison.

Bob Godsey enters his 3rd year as the Head Football Coach of the Mustangs coming from Hartselle where he won a state title for the Tigers 10 years ago in 2011. Overall, this is Godsey’s 24th year in Coaching in the state of Alabama with a combined record of 198-73. “ I think we’ve got a chance we have a lot of potential, now weather we can bring that potential to reality that is up to us,” Coach Godsey said.

After multiple injuries and a below .500 season in his first season the Mustangs busted loose in 2020 going undefeated in the regular season and winning Class 4A Region 7 Championship (their 8th region championship in the last ten years). The Mustangs start this season on the road taking on 6A opponent Briarwood Christian, the Lions are coming off a run into the second round of the 6A state playoffs. “Anytime you play a team like them (Briarwood) you know what kind of challenge it is. They are a tough physical well coached team that isn’t going to make mistakes and I think that is great way to start our season,” Coach Godsey on the Lions.

In terms of what to replace for Madison Academy, it starts with their quarterback, Avery Seaton who is now a two-sport athlete at Alabama A&M University. The cupboard isn’t bare for the Mustangs; with Kaden Young anchoring the offensive line and playmaker Tim “Deuce” Spurlock the Mustang fans have a lot to be excited about this year.

Deuce has over twenty scholarship offers, according to 247sports. com ranging from UAB, South Alabama, Troy, Boston College, South Florida, Mississippi State, Memphis, and Michigan. Spurlock is listed as a 3-star recruit. “He is outstanding in practice on both sides of the ball, he loves football, and we obviously count on him to do a lot of stuff for us,” Coach Godsey said.

Young 6-4 300 pounds plays the center position and has played there since he was a freshman. Young was a second team All-State performer in 2020 and has offers from South Alabama and Southern Mississippi heading into the year.” Extremely hard worker for us, was good player for us last year but I think we has improved a lot this off season. He’s got to be our guy to bring that leadership in the trenches for our other guys and he does an excellent job of that for us,” Coach Godsey.

Some other Mustangs to be on the lookout for this season include, Senior Wide Receiver Jalen Holmes, “ He made big plays for us last year and he continues to impress,” Coach Godsey noted. Plus, Senior Running back Will Stokes has added a little more weight plus little more explosiveness heading into his final season for the Mustangs. But maybe the biggest return for the Mustangs comes in the form of Senior Linebacker Chuck Moore coming off ACL surgery last year. “ I haven’t seen any effects from Chuck coming off that ACL surgery in less than a year ago and he has worked extremely hard to get where he is today,” Coach Godsey commented.

Finally Senior Kanen Hamlett is a three-star prospect that is also getting some attention from some colleges as well. Hamlett offers include Appalachian State, Austin Peay, Army, Arkansas State and Georgia State. “We need him to step up this year too,” Coach Godsey said.