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The Trussville Tribune Kickoff Edition 2026

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August, 2026

OVER $385,000 IN TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS SINCE 2019

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H e w i t t -T r u s s v i l l e H i g h S c h o o l

Hewitt-Trussville Football Roster #

Player

YR.

POS

Player

YR.

POS

0 1 2 2 3 4

Jayden Berry Saxton Jones Daniel Williams Nathan Fritz Dylan Price Tyron Allen

SR SOPH SOPH SR JR JR

LB DB RB K WR WR

Banks Vessels

SOPH

Banks Lowery

SOPH

Carter Jones

Onree Pruitt

SOPH

Carter Moore

SOPH

Taariq Adams

Jace Stripling

SOPH

Will Miller

Hunter Futrell

SOPH

Wyatt Fleming

SOPH

OLB

D'ante Seals

Tony Hrbacek

Nathan Mohr

Zeke Hess

SOPH

Jack Floyd

SOPH

Camden Culver

SOPH

Eli Abney

Izaah Gray

SOPH

Lucian Nelson

Gavin Page

Simeon Watson

Ben Sharit

SOPH

Bowman Dahlke

SOPH

Reese Davis

SOPH

Harris Tuggle

Levi McGlaghn

SOPH

Zion Westry

Drew Brisco

OLB

Cody Parker

Stuart Hrbacek

ILB

D.J. Hall

Sam Reeser

SOPH

Kahlil Braswell

Owen Leggett

SOPH

Moses Morrison

SOPH

Odin Woodley

Banks Loyd

Luke Vandenberghe

Harrison Malone

OLB

Luke Perez

SOPH

Jamari Green

SOPH

Marcus Hill

SOPH

Riley O'Neill

Anders Hardy

SOPH

Jaylen Wright

SOPH

Sam Starkey

Jackson Martin

Calvyn Speigner

Caleb Jarvis

SOPH

Hunter Jordan

SOPH

Reid Langley

SOPH

John Carson Koehler

SOPH

Braylon Townes

OLB

Michah Fantroy

Judah Weber

SOPH

Michael Ross

Joseph Deibert

SOPH

OLB

Reid Tidmore

SOPH

Bryant Wisdom

SOPH

Searcy Ellis

SOPH

Parker Neigoot

Henry Hrbacek

Caleb Scott

Braylon Andrews

SOPH

Christian Carrington

Jack Andrews

Lucas Brown

SOPH

Isaac Solomon

Chase Davis

Rivers Harbison

SOPH

Mathis Leslie

SOPH

Henry Farrell

Liam Chesser

SOPH

Cedric Coleman

SOPH

Sam Dick

Liam Armstrong

Preston Armstrong

OLB

Will Baker

Ryker Dummitt

Jacob Malone

Brandon Robinson

Waylon Johnson

Geordin Hatcher

SOPH

Landon Donner

Ethan Dabney

Zach Parks

SOPH

Jake Gonzales

Tate Jones

Warrick Pettus

Sham Chamblee

SOPH

Cooper Sudec

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

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August, 2026

C l ay -C h a l k v i l l e H i g h S c h o o l

Clay-Chalkville Football Roster 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

NAME Jamario Yadao CJ Eldridge Cartier Barnes Caden Farris Josh Ivy Colton McIntyre Aaron Robinson Nasir Ray Braxton Burt DJ Williams Quinton Lowe Fred Flowers JR Leland Johnson Keith Richmond Anton Whitt Isaiah Brown General Wilcher Keston Beck Kaleb Amerson Harrison Richburg EJ Penn Torrance McCormick Jalen Melton Keith Scott Frankie Jefferson Aaron Washington Carlos Pope Noah Hampton Navy Allen

Cayden McGhee Zion Johnson Jakorey Barber Jalon Frazier Trey Kennedy Jaharvis Austin Kam Kelley Javarius Silmon Juandre Elliot Dekaleb Scott Kameron Nail J'Sean Epting-Dew Eli Allen OJ Hill Kameron Taylor Keyon Mattis G'Kobi Robertson Daileon Williams Jeremiah Calhoun Kyler Ingram Stuart Floyd- HC Preston Hatcher- OC/OL Kyle Dickerson-RB/Pass Game Co. Mac Jones- WR Gene Richardson- ILB Eddie Wall- DC/ SC Darius McCall- DL Jake Hibbs- S Brooks Garrett- QB Zach Wilson- TE Josh Cheek- Asst. DL Gavin Wilson- CB / ST Justin Whisenhunt-OLB

POS OLB QB WR WR S DL RB TE CB OLB ILB TE OLB DL CB ILB QB WR WR QB DL S S CB CB TE DL RB S RB WR RB TE ILB CB ILB RB RB S RB S DL RB CB OLB TE TE CB S

CL SR JR SR SR SR SR SR SR SR SR SR SO SR SR JR SR SO SO JR FR SR JR SR SR SR JR SR SO SO SR SO JR FR JR JR FR SO SO SO JR JR JR FR JR SO SO SR SO SO

BUS 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 1 3 2 4 2 3 1 4 3 4 2 1 4 4 4 1 4 4

NO 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

NAME Zion Averitte Jayden Meadows Willie Williams Armond Harris Clyde Richardson Elijah Allen Jimmarus Cooks Christan Ryan Marvin Smoot Amari Walls Jayden Jones Reco Brown Caleb Adams James Felder Makhi Carter Peyton Kimbrough Cristobal Nunez Kaleb Howard Xavier Jones Shamar Smith

POS OLB OLB ILB ILB OLB DL ILB OLB ILB DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL

Eugene Henry Landyn Johnson Davie Fisher Tavaris Powell Victor Rodgers Sterling Scott Christian Bennett Isaiah Moss Jayden Rutledge Christian Cooper Kemareo Heath Eric Craig Macareous Kindell Markise Taylor Patrick King Carmello Sturdivant Corderra Campbell Derious Staples Caden Thomas Evan Flores

OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR WR TE WR TE WR TE DL K DL DL DL DL DL DL TE K

Selin Ventura Dorien Shipman Kameron Porter Adden Bragg Jacorey Williams Josiah Green Keyjuan Kelley Omari Polnett Mario Cabachuela

CL JR JR FR FR JR JR SO FR SO FR FR SO FR SR SO JR SO SO FR SR

BUS 2 4 4 4 2 4 2 4 4 4 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 3 3 1

FR FR FR SR FR FR JR JR JR SO JR JR SR SR SR SO SO SR SO SO SO FR SO SR SO JR JR SO JR

3 3 3 1 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 2 4 4 2 3 2

August, 2026

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PROUDLY HYDRATING THE HUSKIES.

Have a great season!

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Page 9

Tribuneland Football By The Numbers By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

As Tribuneland enters the 2026 season, the football scene features winning traditions, state champions, and experienced leadership. Each program enters the fall with its own story, whether it’s pursuing milestones, celebrating championship wins, or starting a new chapter under a different head coach. Leeds remains Tribuneland’s winningest program with 586 wins. The Green Wave have captured four state championships and 16 region titles. Head coach Jerry Hood enters his 21st season with a 161-77 record. Clay-Chalkville has become the benchmark, hold-

ing a 275-96 record with a 74 percent winning percentage. The Cougars have won five state titles and 11 regional championships. Stuart Floyd, now in his fourth season as head coach, has a 26-11 record and aims to carry on the program’s winning legacy. Hewitt-Trussville enters the season just nine wins shy of the 500-victory milestone. The Huskies have won 491 games and seven region championships and have become one of Alabama’s best programs over the past decade. Josh Floyd enters his 22nd season as a head coach with a 197-70-1 career record that includes four state championships, one state runner-up finish and eight region champion-

ships. Shades Valley ranks second among Tribuneland schools with 557 all-time victories and 13 region championships. George Bates enters his 14th season as a head coach with a 93-68 career record as the Mounties look to return to their winning ways. Pinson Valley has compiled 304 wins while winning three state championships. Logan Colafrancesco, 6-34, begins his fifth season as head coach as the Indians look to return to prominence. Springville has 361 wins and 11 region championships. The Tigers begin a new chapter under first-year head coach Jeff Lumpkin. Center Point has 326 wins in program history and

claimed seven region championships. The Eagles also turn to Grady Griffin. Moody has 230 wins, five region championships, and one state championship. The Blue Devils open the season under first-year head coach Kyle Tatum. Throughout Tribuneland, the numbers highlight different stories. Some programs have achieved decades of continuous success, while others aim to rebuild their proud histories. Several will also experience transitions under new leadership. The 2026 season promises to be exciting. Overall Wins • Leeds — 586 • Shades Valley — 557 • Hewitt-Trussville —

491 • Springville — 361 • Center Point — 326 • Pinson Valley — 304 • Clay-Chalkville — 275 • Moody — 230 Winning Percentage • Clay-Chalkville — .741 • Leeds — .576 • Shades Valley — .552 • Hewitt-Trussville — .523 • Pinson Valley — .513 • Center Point — .506 • Springville — .495 • Moody — .458 State Championships • Clay-Chalkville — 5 • Leeds — 4 • Pinson Valley — 3 • Moody — 1 • Hewitt-Trussville — 0 • Shades Valley — 0

• Center Point — 0 • Springville — 0 Head Coaches by Career Wins • Josh Floyd, Hewitt-Trussville — 197 career wins • Jerry Hood, Leeds — 161 career wins • George Bates, Shades Valley — 93 career wins • Grady Griffin, Center Point — 29 career wins • Stuart Floyd, ClayChalkville — 26 career wins • Logan Colafrancesco, Pinson Valley — 6 career wins • Jeff Lumpkin, Springville — First-year head coach • Kyle Tatum, Moody — First-year head coach

Tribuneland Friday Night Lights: The Massey Projections By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – It’s that time of the year again when Tribune Sports takes a look at Massey’s preseason regular-season projections and rankings for Tribuneland teams. A mathematical computer model produces the Massey Ratings. Years ago, Professor Kenneth Massey of Carson-Newman University created the model to evaluate teams based on results and opponents’ strength. Massey’s college football ratings were even included in the computer rankings used by the old

Bowl Championship Series. Massey relies on previous seasons to project each program’s strength. As the season advances, preseason assumptions and ratings matter less, and actual game outcomes influence the rankings more strongly. That’s why the Massey rankings can change a lot during the first few weeks

of a season. With the fine print out of the way, Tribuneland heads into the 2026 football season with two of Alabama’s highest-rated teams, according to Massey. The Clay-Chalkville Cougars and Hewitt-Trussville Huskies rank fifth and sixth in Alabama and are among the top 115 teams nationally according to

Massey’s modeling. Clay enters the season ranked number 105 nationally. Massey projects the Cougars to finish the regular season 7-3. Hewitt is right behind Clay at number 115 nationally. The Huskies are also projected to finish 7-3. Moody owns the best projected record among Tribuneland teams. The

Blue Devils are ranked number 22 in Alabama and are projected to turn in a 10-0 regular season. The Pinson Valley Indians check in at number 44 in the state with a projected 7-3 record. The Leeds Green Wave are ranked number 68 and projected to finish 6-4. The Shades Valley Mounties are ranked num-

ber 111 in Alabama and projected to finish 8-2. The Center Point Eagles come in at number 154 with a projected 4-6 finish. The Springville Tigers are ranked number 194 and projected to finish 3-7. Some notable opponents for Tribuneland teams are: Thompson, number 1 in the state, number 15 nationally. Central-Phenix City, number 2 in the state, 33 nationally. Auburn, number 3 in Alabama, number 78 nationally. Complete rankings can be found at masseyratings. com

New coaches in Tribuneland By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – Each December, after all of the high school football championships have been decided, the rumor mills get started up and coaches are reported to be heading elsewhere. Sometimes they leave and sometimes they stay, but it captivates the eyes and hearts of many as we spend a good portion of the offseason looking for the headlines telling us which coaches are heading where. Tribuneland, it is no different. Each year we see turnover and this year was much the same. While Josh Floyd (13th year at Hewitt-Trussville), Stuart Floyd (third year at ClayChalkville), Jerry Hood (eighth year at Leeds), and George Bates (second year at Shades Valley) all return this season, Springville, Moody, Center Point, and Pinson all found themselves in need of a new coach. Moody got things started in the offseason as Jake Ganus took his coaching staff and headed to Pell City not long after winning the Blue Devils’ first-ever state championship as their head coach. Principal Chris Walters and his crew interviewed countless candidates and landed on Briarwood assistant and former UAB defensive coordinator Kyle Tatum. Tatum comes to Moody with no head coaching experience; however, he has years of coaching experience and a reputation for being a players’ coach as well as a very impressive rolodex that will give his players plenty of access to colleges for recruiting purposes. Despite a lot of offseason drama, Tatum has not shied away from the challenge and he looks to keep the Moody train rolling and defend the state championship in 2026

with “Operation 411” in full effect. The Blue Devils have been competitive in some fairly large 7-on-7 tournaments against some of the state’s best teams. All of this while breaking in a new quarterback and replacing 26 seniors and an entire coaching staff. There is a good bit of talent on this team and the revolving door of colleges who are watching them is proof. Center Point fired Dre’Mail King after one season in which the Eagles

went 1-9 despite improvements as the season went on. In late January, Center Point’s administration settled on Grady Griffin as their new head coach. Griffin, no stranger to Tribuneland, comes to the Eagles after spending the previous two seasons at Pinson Valley as their offensive coordinator, putting together some of the most high-powered offenses for the Indians since Sam Shade was the head coach. Griffin has been a head coach before, posting a 29-

27 record at Francis Marion and Aliceville respectively. During his time at Aliceville, Griffin’s teams made the playoffs in each of his three seasons with his best season coming in 2022 where they went 11-2 and made it to the third round of the playoffs. Griffin has managed to keep a good core of his kids around and, though the Eagles will be young, there seems to be a renewed spirit at Center Point. The Pinson Valley Indians decided to go in a dif-

ferent direction this year as they fired James Thompson soon after the season ended at the Reservation. Thompson appeared to have the program headed in the right direction and his coaching staff, though a bit slim, was poised to come back for what promised to be a successful third season. However, an improvement from 1-9 to 4-6 was not enough to keep Thompson and his guys around. Just before the calendar flipped to February, the Indians decided on Logan Colafrancesco

as the new man for the job. “Coach Cola” as he is referred to, comes to Pinson with years of experience as an assistant and some head coaching experience at John Carrol. Despite a 6-34 overall record and offseason challenges at his new gig, Coach Cola is turning heads as the new head man for the Indians. His guys have been very competitive in 7-on-7’s during the summer and they are attracting a lot of eyes in their offseason work outs thus far. Look for this team to potentially surprise some folks when the lights come on this season. Finally, the Springville Tigers found themselves needing a new head coach after Chris Metcalf decided one season with the purple and gold was enough and took his talents to Mountain Brook to be an assistant on Chris Yaeger’s Spartans staff. Getting a bit of a late start, the Tigers administration decided on former assistant coach Jeff Lumpkin as the next leader for Springville. Lumpkin spent the past two seasons at Gadsden City where he served as interim head coach last year for the final eight games for the Titans. Lumpkin comes in, much like Moody’s Kyle Tatum, with no head coaching experience but a plethora of experience as an assistant. Lumpkin is also no stranger to Springville as he served on the staff under Jon Clements, including the Tigers’ most successful season since 2009 when they went 5-6 in 2023 and made the playoffs. Despite the late start, Lumpkin has hit the ground running with offseason workouts and taking advantage of the extra summer work that the Tigers get for not participating in spring football, and he looks to have his Tigers ready for the difficult task that awaits them in 5A’s best football region this season.

Page 10

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

August, 2026

Center Point High School

Center Point Football Roster 1

CANTY, DAE'MON

ATH

BEAVERS, LELAND

BROWN, TYLER

McCALL, COURTNEY

WHITE, CAMERON

HINKLE, BRANDON

ZEIGLER, MAQUIS

ATH

REID, TRAVIEN

GARDINER, NOVIAN

DANIELS, JAYLEN

HILL, JAYDEN

STEPHENS, KHALIL

LOMAX, JUSTIN

SMITH, RAHN

MAY, CHRISTIAN

FIELDS. JUANDERIN

GALLEGO, MAKAI

MOORE, JAYDEN

RICE, KENNEDY

BARNES, NOAH

WILLIAMS, KELVIN

TOLBERT, CAMERON

PADGETT ROBINSON, AIDEN

ATH

WILLIAMS, BRAYLON

OL/DL

BRUNO, BRAYLON

TOLIVER, ADRIAN

OL/DL

MURRY, KAIDEN

COOKS, JEKHI

OL/DL

CUNNINGHAM, KAMEN

LUMPKIN, JAYDEN

OL/DL

MIXION, TREY

HATCHER, JEREMIAH

OL/DL

WELLS, DAMARI

COWAN, CALEB

OL/DL

ACOFF, DONTARIUS

WASHINGTON, KAMDEN

EATMON, AMARI

CHAPMAN-RUIZ, EFRIAN OL/DL

THOMAS, CHRISTIAN

MOORE, JAMARION

OWENS, MALIACHI

GRANT, JEREMIAH

MIXION, MACK

WILLIAMS, KENNETH

HOWZE, RA'VON

MOORE-MONTGOMERY, ANARRIUS

WATSON, JAMARION

MARTIN, JEREMIAH

SKIPPER, JORDAN

EPHRAIM, JACOBI

OL/DL

THREAT, TYLER

OL/DL

BELL, LEONARD

OL/DL

RUFFIN, SHANNEN

OL/DL

POUNCY, ZEDRICK

OL/DL

CHAPMAN-RUIZ, GABRIEL

FLOYD, KEVON

0L/DL

KELLY, TERELL

UNDERWOOD, DE MARIUS

GOMEZ, JONATHAN

August, 2026

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

Page 11

Hal Riddle’s legacy lives on By Henry Williamson, for the Tribune

TRUSSVILLE, Ala. – Long-time head football coach and local legend, Hal Riddle, was recently nominated for the ALFCA Lifetime Achievement Award on July 23, adding another accomplishment to his resume. “It’s pretty humbling to be considered for anything lifetime achievement wise,” Riddle said. “I know Phil Lazenby, who’s another one of the guys that was selected, and he’s had a pretty storied career. He’s a first rate individual besides being a special coach, so I’m honored to be in that group.” Riddle played quarterback and graduated from Hewitt-Trussville in 1976 before earning his degree at the University of Montevallo in 1980. A year later, he started his coaching career as an assistant at Warrior and Hewitt-Trussville, then moved to Erwin in 1984 where he eventually was promoted to head coach in 1993. At Erwin, he finished 39-20 overall in five seasons, including receiving 1995 6A Coach of the Year honors after winning 10 games and an area championship. In 1999, Riddle departed from Mortimer Jordan after one season and replaced Tony Pugh as head coach at Clay-Chalkville, a school that opened three years earlier in 1996. Despite being new to the program, he managed to lead the Cougars to their first ever state title in Class 6A, securing a 30-27 victory over Robert E. Lee

of Montgomery in overtime to cap off a historic run. Through three seasons, he totaled a 26-12 record. “It was a unique situation”, Riddle said. “We started off decent and won the first game, then lost the second game. Shades Valley came over to Clay and wore us out in October. A couple weeks after that, something just clicked and those kids started believing in themselves, and we had a great ending to the season, and got into the playoffs. In the semifinals, we went to Shades Valley and our guys had a lot of confidence going into that game. We won and got a chance to play in the championship game. Robert E. Lee was the rep from the south. It’s just unbelievable and amazing to get to one of those games and then to win one, so it was really exciting.” Head football coach at Clay-Chalkville, Stuart Floyd, was the starting quarterback for Riddle’s championship team in 1999. “Extremely proud of him and to have played for him,” Floyd said. “The positive impact he had on me as an 18-year-old kid. He had a different style and method, but it was effective.” Leeds head football coach Jerry Hood worked alongside Riddle as an assistant at Clay-Chalkville. “He deserves it,” Hood said. “He’s a very successful football coach and an even better man. When I became the coach at Clay, we competed against each other for many years and he was a wonderful mentor to me. He always kept things in a

godly perspective, and that helped me. His motivation was to win each week, but that wasn’t the overall goal. The overall goal was to have

a positive impact on people and he did that. He had a heck of a career.” In 2002, Riddle accepted the head coaching job at his

alma mater, Hewitt-Trussville. He spent 12 years with the team before retiring in 2014. During that span, he propelled the Huskies to

multiple playoff appearances, ending his tenure with a 79-55 record. “It was very encouraging that they offered me the opportunity to come and be the football coach there”, Riddle said. “To have the opportunity to go back home and be the coach at your alma mater is pretty special.” Jeremiah Millington, 2004 alumni of Hewitt-Trussville, was the starting quarterback under Riddle and is now the head basketball coach at Leeds. “Coach Riddle was a true coach who did more than teach the rules of the game; he taught the rules of life for young men”, Millington said. “His impact goes far beyond the field & scoreboard, leaving a legacy of hard work, integrity, and community pride that changed the trajectory of so many lives.” Riddle reflected on his experience and shared where he is now since his 2014 retirement. “When I first retired, it was really different, because I didn’t have that routine that I’ve been used to,” he said. “But in the meantime, my wife and I have got a little booth at an antique store. We do a little shopping and have 11 grandkids that are buried in a sundry of different activities and sports, so that keeps us with something to do. Life is really good for us and we have been really blessed.” Riddle closed his career as head football coach with a 150-90 record in 21 seasons and will be honored for his impact on the sport during the ALFCA banquet in Montgomery in January.

Built for Championships: Inside Tribuneland’s Football Legacy By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – Few areas in Alabama have produced the sustained championship success found across Tribuneland. From dramatic overtime victories and perfect seasons to heartbreaking runner-up finishes, ClayChalkville, Leeds, Pinson Valley, Moody, Shades Valley and Hewitt-Trussville have combined to make the area one of the state’s premier high school football regions. Together, those six programs have reached 19 state championship games and captured 13 state titles. No Tribuneland program has brought home more blue maps than Clay-Chalkville. The Cougars own a 5-1 record in state championship games, capturing titles in 1999, 2014, 2021, 2023 and 2025. Clay’s first championship was won in dramatic fashion. Facing the Lee-Montgomery Generals in the Class 6A state championship at Legion Field, the Cougars rallied from an early deficit before winning a 30-27 overtime thriller. Quarterback Stuart Floyd threw two touchdown passes to game MVP Tavarous Doyle, who also rushed for a score while accounting for 167 total yards. After Lee kicked a field goal in overtime, Dewey Stoudmire answered with the game-winning 10-yard touchdown run, delivering Clay’s first football state championship under head coach Hal Riddle. In the 2014 Class 6A title game, Jerry Hood’s Cougars outlasted previously unbeaten Saraland 36-31 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Game MVP Ty Pigrome accounted for five touchdowns, rushing for 101 yards and three scores while throwing for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

T.J. Simmons caught five passes for 165 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, while Nico Collins added a touchdown reception as the Cougars claimed their second title. Clay looked to repeat but fell to Spanish Fort in the 2015 championship game 31-28. The Cougars returned to the top in 2021 with a perfect 15-0 season under Drew Gilmer by defeating Hueytown 46-42. Running back Edward Osley rushed for 152 yards and five touchdowns to earn game MVP honors. Quarterback Khalib Johnson threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns, including scoring strikes to Nathan Owens and Mario Craver, as the Cougars held off a furious Hueytown comeback. Clay followed with another thrilling win over Saraland in 2023. Game MVP Jaylen Mbakwe rushed for 130 yards and three touchdowns while throwing a 40-yard scoring pass to Mario Craver in a 31-28 victory. In 2025, the program came full circle. Under Stuart Floyd, who quarterbacked the 1999 champions, the Cougars added another title. Behind game MVP Aaron Frye, Clay defeated Saraland 38-21 at Protective Stadium to finish a perfect 15-0. Frye rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns while completing 8-of-10 passes for 167 yards and two more scores. Jacari Johnson hauled in a 66-yard touchdown reception, Nasir Ray added a scoring catch, and the Cougars rolled up 413 total yards to claim the fifth championship in school history. The Cougars have now won titles under four different head coaches: Hal Riddle, Jerry Hood, Drew Gilmer, and Stuart Floyd.

Leeds has built one of the state’s most successful championship résumés. The Green Wave are 4-1 in state title games, winning championships in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2015 under Keith Etheridge. Leeds’ first title came in 2008 when the Green Wave completed the first undefeated season in school history. Quarterback Rush Perkins accounted for four touchdowns, rushing for three and throwing for another, as the Green Wave defeated Cordova 38-21 at Legion Field to capture the Class 3A state championship. Two years later, Leeds defeated Hamilton 42-32 in the 2010 Class 3A championship game. Dedric Forsythe opened the scoring with a 68-yard touchdown run, then Jonathan Rose added an 84-yard interception return for a score, and later caught a 38yard touchdown pass from Dylan Shelton. Ladarius Rodgers rushed for three touchdowns, including scoring runs of 87, 34 and 75 yards, as Leeds built a 42-18 lead on the way to its second state championship. The Green Wave came within one victory of another championship in 2013, advancing to the Class 3A title game before falling to Madison Academy. In 2014, the Green Wave defeated Deshler 30-0 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Quarterback Tadarryl Marshall earned game MVP honors after rushing for 107 yards and throwing a touchdown pass to Jermaine Johnson. Leeds held Deshler to just 77 total yards, including only 36 rushing yards, while Demontrez Clark added a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown. The following season, Leeds successfully defended its crown with an overwhelming 55-7 victory over Fayette County in the 2015

Class 3A championship game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Game MVP Tre’ Nation rushed for 186 yards and five touchdowns as the Leeds rushing attack piled up 395 yards on the ground. Marshall added a touchdown pass to Koi Freeman, and the Green Wave scored on eight of their nine offensive possessions to claim the school’s fourth title. The Pinson Valley Indians put together one of the state’s greatest four-year runs during the late 2010s. The Indians captured three state championships in four seasons. Future NFL star Bo Nix led Pinson Valley to its first championship in 2017, posting a perfect 15-0 record and a 31-10 victory over Wetumpka in the Class 6A state championship at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Nix accounted for three touchdowns, rushing for two scores and throwing another touchdown pass to LiAllen Dailey. Running back Khymel Chaverst added a rushing touchdown, while Dailey finished with five receptions for 93 yards. The Indians’ defense limited Wetumpka to just 166 total yards as Pinson Valley captured the first football state championship in school history under Pat Nix. Nix then guided the Indians to another title in 2018. Pinson Valley defeated Saraland 26-17 in the 2018 Class 6A championship at Jordan-Hare Stadium behind another standout performance from Nix. He threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Geordan Pollard hauled in an 83-yard touchdown reception, Demarion Holloman added a touchdown catch, and Kendall Thornton sealed the victory with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown as the Indians repeated as state champions.

Following a one-year absence from the finals, the Indians returned in 2020 under first-year head coach Sam Shade. Quarterback Zach Pyron threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as Pinson Valley defeated Spanish Fort 23-13 to claim its third championship. Moody added its name to the championship list in recent years. After reaching the state championship game for the first time in 2024 and falling to Catholic-Montgomery, the Blue Devils returned the following year to capture the first football state championship in school history. Le’Kameren Meadows rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns as Moody dominated Vigor 25-0 in the 2025 Class 5A championship game. The Blue Devils controlled the game from start to finish, rushing for 277 yards while pitching a shutout to finish the season 13-2. Not every championship story in Tribuneland ended with a trophy. Shades Valley came within one possession of bringing home a championship on two occasions, reaching the state championship game in 1987 and again in 1994 under Robert Higginbotham. In 1987, the Mounties dropped a 19-13 decision to Vigor despite taking a halftime lead in their first finals appearance before suffering an equally heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Anniston seven years later.

In the 1994 championship, Shades Valley drove to the Anniston 5-yard line in the fourth quarter, only to have a potential go-ahead score end with an interception. The Mounties also hold a unique place in Alabama football history as one of the participants in the AHSAA’s first-ever playoff game in 1966. Hewitt reached the finals in 1992 under Jack Woods. The Huskies fell to Lee-Montgomery 14-0. Championship success has spanned generations throughout Tribuneland. Hal Riddle guided ClayChalkville to its first state title in 1999. Keith Etheridge built Leeds into a championship power with three titles before adding another in 2015. Patrick Nix and Sam Shade each delivered championships at Pinson Valley, while Jerry Hood, Drew Gilmer and Stuart Floyd continued Clay-Chalkville’s winning tradition. Jake Ganus brought Moody its long-awaited first football championship in 2025. Those coaches also developed some of Alabama’s most recognizable players. Rush Perkins, Stuart Floyd, Tavarous Doyle, Ty Pigrome, Nico Collins, T.J. Simmons, Edward Osley, Jaylen Mbakwe, Aaron Frye, Bo Nix, Zach Pyron, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Tre’ Nation and Le’Kameren Meadows all authored unforgettable championship performances that helped define their respective eras. From Legion Field to Jordan-Hare Stadium to Bryant-Denny Stadium and Protective Stadium, Tribuneland programs have spent nearly four decades competing on Alabama’s biggest stage. Thirteen blue maps and countless unforgettable performances later, the region’s championship legacy remains one of the state’s finest—and it’s still being written.

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Springville High School

# 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Springville F2026 ootball R oster Springville Fo Name Jayce Alexander Cash Mobley Cooper Dorsett Phoenix Moon Jaheam Williams Savonte Killian Franklin Tripp Michael Peerson Colton Hill Aaron Prestidge Jayden Hill Braxton Gossett David Bosley Mason Norris Eli Hargrove Amari Vann Carson Pyle Isaiah Cook Bradley Rotelle Brody Mitchell Tyler Tatum Carson Bailey Chris Vasquez Noah Thomas Gavin Smith

Grade 12 11 12 11 10 11 11 12 11 9 12 12 11 11 9 11 11 12 10 12 11 9 12 11 9

Kyler Lee

Sam Leach Ashton Dern

9 9

Noah Crawford

Alec Swallows Cooper Henderson

11 11

Elijah King

Kamden Lands

# 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94

Name Hunter Roberts Sutton Hydrick Tyler Leopard Cason Cornwell Damian Smith Reiley Hallmark Tyler Baswell Jordan Mertz

Head Coach Grade Jeff Lumpkin 12 12 Assistant Coaches 12 Drew Barnett 12 Chris Martin 12 Ken Storie 12 Matthew Lee 11 Matt Smith Justin Demarco Darren Robertson 10 Nathan Fuller Steven Mizzell

Jack Schlenker

Noah Gill Elind Buggs Charlie Hicks Levi Gant

11 11 10 9

Jake Morgan Jayden Harding Adrian Sixtos

11 10 11

Cruz Spivey Tyler Leopard Colton Layfield

9 12 9

Sawyer Towery

Brayden Kent Kasen Voudrie

10 9

Athletic Trainer Austin Crawford Lesley Byrd Student Trainers Samyiah Ward Ellie Dean Karlee Chandler

Film Coordinator Ryan Wallace

August, 2026

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Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

August, 2026

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Tribuneland Friday Night Lights: Clay-Chalkville preview By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

CLAY – Clay-Chalkville will see many changes this fall. The defending state champions move to Class 5A following Alabama High School Athletic Association realignment, begin play in a new region, open a long-awaited new stadium and replace one of the most decorated senior classes in program history. One thing that will not change is that expectations remain high for head coach Stuart Floyd and the Cougars. Entering his third season at Clay, Floyd has compiled a 24-3 record, including a perfect 15-0 season and the Class 6A state championship in 2025. Clay owns five state championships (1999, 2014, 2021, 2023 and 2025) and enters the season with the highest winning percentage among Tribuneland football programs at 74 percent. “I think anytime you’ve got experience coming back on both sides, you’re kind of ahead of the curve,” Floyd said. “You’re just plugging in some new pieces.” Those new pieces begin with replacing three of the

state’s most productive offensive players. Quarterback Aaron Frye earned Tribune Player of the Year honors after totaling 3,475 yards and 44 touchdowns during Clay’s undefeated championship run. The Cougars also lost running back Joshua Woods, who accounted for 1,707 yards and 24 touchdowns, along with receiver Corey Barber, who hauled in 70 passes for 1,153 yards and 14 touchdowns. Cornelius “CJ” Eldridge steps into the starting quarterback role after serving as Frye’s backup last season and rushed for 339 yards and six touchdowns. Eldridge holds an offer from Samford. “CJ has done a good job getting acclimated and leaning on the experience that’s around him,” Floyd said. Clay returns plenty of talent around its new quarterback. Senior Aaron Robinson, who recently picked up his first scholarship offer, and fellow senior Cayden McGhee will spearhead the running back rotation, while sophomore Noah Hampton, freshman O.J. Hill and sophomore Juandre Elliott provide depth.

The receiving corps is led by Nasir Ray, Kaleb Amerson, and Cartier Barnes. The trio holds multiple scholarship offers. Sophomore Keston Beck, who recently picked up an offer from Ole Miss, and slot receiver Cayden Farris, who holds multiple offers, are expected to play key roles. Ray caught 24 passes for 390 yards and five touchdowns last season, giving Clay another experienced playmaker. Four starters return along the offensive line. Christian Bennett, currently with 19 D1 offers, anchors left tackle, while Shamar Smith returns at left guard. Peyton Kimbrough is expected to take over at center, James Felder returns at right guard, and Tavaris Powell, with double-digit scholarship offers, rounds out the group at right tackle. The Cougars also have a new kicker in Mario Cabachuela to replace reliable Joseph Del Toro.

While the offense reloads, the defense may be even stronger than last season’s unit. The Cougars return one of Alabama’s most dominant defensive fronts. Arkansas State commit Colton McIntyre recorded 44 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, nine sacks and 13 quarterback hurries last season. Keith Richmond, an Arkansas commit, added 50 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and 17 quarterback hurries. Helena transfer D.J. Williams, an Iowa State commit who finished with 80 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one interception last season. “Our defensive line is pretty solid,” Floyd said. Behind them, Quinten Lowe, with multiple offers, returns after totaling 93 tackles and 15 tackles for loss, while Jacksonville State commit Isaiah Brown contributed 86 tackles. The secondary features one of the state’s rising stars in junior Anton Witt, who already owns multiple scholarship offers and will also handle punting duties. Jamario Yadao, who also has multiple scholarship offers, moves from linebacker to safety after recording 65

tackles and three interceptions last season. Joshua Ivy, Jalen Melton and Keith Scott add experience to the defensive backfield. One of the biggest offseason changes came on the coaching staff as veteran assistant Eddie Wall takes over as defensive coordinator after Jake Helveston’s departure. The Cougars’ coaching staff otherwise remains largely intact. Brooks Garrett returns as quarterbacks coach, while Kyle Dickerson will manage the running backs. New assistant Mac Jones takes over the wide receivers. Preston Hatcher serves as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, while Zach Wilson was promoted from within the program to coach the tight ends. Defensively, Darius McCall and Josh Cheeks coach the defensive line, Gene Richardson works with the inside linebackers, and Justin Whisenhunt coaches the outside linebackers. Gavin Wilson coaches the cornerbacks, while Jake Hibbs oversees the safeties. Justin Burdette will assist with various coaching duties. The Cougars begin a new chapter this season in

Class 5A Region 6, where they will face Oxford, Pell City, Pinson Valley, Southside-Gadsden, Springville and St. Clair County. “You’ve got some new opponents, so that’ll be fun,” Floyd said. “We’ll be going different places and getting ready for people we haven’t played before.” Although the schedule includes several difficult stretches, Floyd believes it will prepare his team for another postseason run. “We’ve got some tough opening games and a tough finish,” Floyd said. “I think it’ll get us ready for the playoffs.” Another milestone awaits this fall as Clay is expected to christen its new home stadium. The Cougars have made their home field one of the state’s toughest venues, with their last regular-season home loss coming on Oct. 16, 2020. Clay has lost just seven home games total over the past decade. With a veteran roster, one of the state’s most experienced defenses and a tradition of success, the Cougars look to begin a new era in familiar fashion as they chase state championship number six.

Leeds expects experienced roster to take next step in 2026 By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

LEEDS – After a season of fielding a young team due to injuries, Leeds head coach Jerry Hood believes those growing pains could pay off this fall. The Green Wave finished 6-5 in 2025 before losing in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs, but almost every key contributor returns from that squad. Hood, entering his eighth season at Leeds, is 58-25 and has led the Green Wave to six straight playoff appearances. Leeds is looking for their first region title since 2022. “I like this bunch,” Hood said. “Most of them played last year and went through the season as a very young group. We’re still relatively young on offense, but ten of those kids started last year, and seven or eight on defense started. You can see throughout the summer that it’s a much more veteran group.” That early playing experience has produced a mindset that Hood likes. “They’re very serious about their work,” Hood said. “I don’t think they particularly enjoyed being 6-5 and getting beat in the first round, to be honest with you. We had an awesome summer. They’re bigger and stronger, so we’re looking forward to competing.”

Hood wants to see complementary football from his squad this season. “I expect that when each side gets on the field, they do their job,” he said. “Whatever that job consists of throughout a game and whatever is necessary, that’s what we expect. I need it to be consistent so that we know what to expect each game. Your effort is going to be there, your execution is going to be there, and you’re playing smart.” Leading the offense is senior playmaker Taylon Gaiter, who had almost 1,300 all-purpose yards last season. “Taylon is unbelievable,” Hood said. “This is his fourth year playing varsity football. He’s got a couple of offers, and he is just dynamic. We do so many things with him, and he has grown up to be quite a leader for us.” The Green Wave have two new options at quarterback. Rising sophomore Bennett Schorfhaar impressed Hood throughout the spring and summer, while Brennan Archer transferred from Springville. Schorfhaar has grown to 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds and continues to develop. “We feel really good about the quarterback position with those two,” Hood said. The receiving corps features emerging Division I

prospect Jacauri Swain, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound sophomore who already holds scholarship offers from Florida, Georgia Tech and UAB. Swain saw action as a freshman before missing time with an injury. Hood also expects Brody Chambers, Jordan Smith, and versatile athlete Sam Minnifield to contribute. Minnifield could see action on both sides of the ball. “He’s kind of a Swiss Army knife-type fellow,” Hood said. At the running back position, the Green Wave will have Marquintis Meadows and Jacarrious Davis available. Both missed significant time with injuries last season. “They’re back, and they’re healthy,” Hood said. “We expect really big things from both of them. The key is, can we keep them healthy?” Hood is optimistic about his offensive line, where all five starters return. The projected lineup includes Tucker Byers at left tackle, Luke Bell at left guard, Houston Jackson at center, Chris Bates at right guard, and KJ McGuinness at right tackle. Last season’s group included three sophomores, a freshman and a junior. The unit now enters the fall with a full season of experience together. “They’re seasoned,” Hood said. “They under-

stand what we do, and we can get down into the details with it. I really expect them to be the smartest bunch on the field. “With all the different stuff we’ll see, we need them to make adjustments and calls to get us in the right stuff. I expect they’ll be a really good unit.” Leeds also returns much of its defensive unit after starting seven or eight firstyear students a season ago. Tylin Moultrie and James Langford return on the defensive line, while Sebastian Nava moves back to defensive end after playing offensive tackle last season. Chase Tidwell and sophomore Walker Wingo are also expected to contribute on the edge. Wingo has developed into one of the team’s strongest players, according to Hood. Leading the linebackers is senior Reggie Franklin, who has started since his sophomore season. Franklin has grown into his frame and now stands approximately 6-foot-3 and weighs 223 pounds. “He can run, and he’s just now hitting that part where you grow into your frame,” Hood said. “He’s a super kid, and he’s going to be a great leader for us.” Joining Franklin are returning starter Javone McCrayer, who moves from defensive back to outside linebacker, and Kenneth

Howard on the weak side. “The thing that stands out about them is all three of those kids are fast, and they can really run,” Hood said. “They’re all physical and smart, so we feel really good about that group.” The Green Wave also returns an experienced secondary. Amillion Burt, Malachi Paul, and Aiden Williams are expected to handle the cornerback positions, while senior Eddie Brown and sophomore Jordan Lockhart will work at safety. Lockhart could also contribute offensively after stepping in at running back during the final six games of last season. Grayson Camp has emerged as the leading option to handle place-kicking and kickoff duties, while Schorfhaar and Archer could share punting responsibilities depending on the situation. “He definitely has a good leg,” Hood said. “He’s played defensive back, too, so he’s been through the hitting part of football. He’s got an edge to him.” Leeds also enters the season with continuity on its

coaching staff. Chad Slade joins Nick Bradford in working with the offensive line following the departure of Obed Ellis, who became an assistant principal. Jeremiah Millington returns as offensive coordinator. Jesse Turner coaches the receivers, Jordan Welch handles the running backs, and Lorenzo Patty also works with the receivers. On defense, Curtis Coleman and Judah Walton coach the defensive line, while Jake Wingo works with the linebackers alongside Hood. Neil Chambers will oversee the cornerbacks, and Drew Gilmer joins the staff to coach the safeties. “He brings a wealth of experience,” Hood said of Gilmer. While Hood likes where his team stands entering the season, he knows navigating its Class 4A region will be anything but easy. “I would argue that it’s the toughest region in Class 4A,” Hood said. “You’ve got Jacksonville, Moody and Central-Clay, who are really good football teams. I expect Lincoln to be so much better. Sylacauga is going to be a tough game. Anniston is in there with us now, and Alexandria. “There’s not an easy region game on the schedule. The way I see it, you better be ready to fight hard every week.”

Foundation, structure are the goals for Eagles’ first year under Grady Griffin By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor

CENTER POINT – The Center Point Eagles are beginning the season with a new head coach for the second time in two years as Grady Griffin takes over for Dre’Mail King who, after a 1-9 season that saw great improvement despite a lack of success on the scoreboard, was let go from the position. Before King, the Eagles were led by George Bates, now at Shades Valley, who went to the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. 14, Center Point officially began the Grady Griffin era as the former Pinson Valley offensive coordinator was named the next head coach for the Eagles’ football team. Before his time at Pinson, Griffin served as head coach

at Aliceville and Francis Mason, compiling a 29-27 record over five years and going to the playoffs in each year at Aliceville including a 2022 season that saw Griffin’s team make it to the third round of the playoffs. Griffin hit the ground running in his first seven months at Center Point. “It’s been seven months since I walked in and met the boys,” said Griffin. “It’s been great. The mindset has really changed. Everyone knows Center Point is going to have athletes. But the off field stuff, is it coached as it needs to be. The accountability and trust and those things have really grown since we have been here. The previous coaches have done a great job and we want to do that and continue improving on it. They have really bought into our process.”

Griffin came in and hired quite a talented coaching staff to help him, bringing several coaches from Pinson to be assistants. “A lot of guys from the previous staff left, which sort of made it easier because I got to hire guys I know I have worked with. I did retain two coaches from the previous staff here in James Brazier and Johntay Lilie. Brazier has been here the longest as I am his fourth head coach. I was able to score big with some buys like Flip Madison, who is that mastermind on defense and he keeps us organized and structured on that side of the ball. I brought in Kirakias Shepard who is a former Ashville head coach and defensive coordinator at Pleasant Grove. He brings the grit on that defensive side. Rodney Jackson, who is our basketball coach, is

going to coach the secondary. We got a new young coach who played at Indiana and played at Ramsay on one of those championship teams under Reuben, his name is Cedarius Doss and he’s helping with cornerbacks. On offense I got to bring some guys that I have been already coaching with in Vic Gerald, DJ Cunningham, and Dakota Tolbert, who came over with me. We have a real good group who express the same message.” When asked about players we need to be on the lookout for, Griffin expressed that the defense

will be experienced and the offense will be young, but there are playmakers all over the field. “Our defense are the old guys on the team. Our secondary, starting with Cameron White, who has multiple offers. He’s a cornerback. Damon Canty is an athlete, so he can play both sides. Jayden Hill and Justin Lomax are our safeties, and they have offers as well. Those guys are battle tested. At middle linebacker, Jayden “JayMo” Moore, he’s our leader in the middle and he has a couple of offers as well. Those older guys are the rocks. On offense, we are young, but very talented. They will be easy to mold. We are waiting on one guy to really step up. Someone who is on the doorstep is Aiden Padgett-Robinson. He’s a track kid and a standout on the basketball team, and we

are looking for big things out of him.” When asked what he hopes year one looks like for Center Point under Grady Griffin, the Eagles’ head coach said, “In December, we would love to be in South Alabama and bring back some hardware that is colored blue. But if not, we want to have the structure and the foundation and have the building built. We want it to be solid and just be ready for some renovations and paint. Year one is the struggle, year two is better, but year three is usually that year. I think we will be good in year one and I think we will look back and see that we laid that foundation and were well coached and we will be a problem for folks in the future.” Grady and his Eagles get started on August 21 at Central Tuscaloosa.

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August, 2026

Despite Youth, Floyd Believes Huskies Have the Pieces to Compete By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

TRUSSVILLE – The Hewitt-Trussville Huskies enter the 2026 season with a roster that is young in some spots, but not without experience. The Huskies went 8-3 last season, climbed as high as No. 28 nationally and reached No. 1 in the ASWA poll for the first time since 1991. Since 2014, Hewitt-Trussville has had the fifth-most wins in Alabama’s Class 7A. Head coach Josh Floyd enters the season with a 197-70-1 career record, including four state championships, one state runner-up finish and eight region championships. At Hewitt, Floyd is 98-41 with two region titles. “We’re excited about the year,” Floyd said. “We definitely are one of those teams where we’re going to have to rely on some young guys this year. We lost a really good senior class last year, and some of those guys have been threeyear starters. They played a lot of football here. Lost a lot defensively from that group. “But I really like our team. I like our guys, I really do. I think we’ve got a chance to be a really good football team. We’ve just got to stick together as a group.” The Huskies return five starters on offense after averaging 33 points per game last season, seventh-best in Class 7A. Defensively, Hewitt returns three starters from a unit that allowed 14 points per game, second-best in 7A. “The facts are we are kind of young,” Floyd said. “Due to some injuries last year, we had to play some of those young guys last year. You’ve got some sophomores playing. You had two or three freshmen last year who played, and two of them started for most of the year. They’re still young, but those guys got thrown in the fire when they were freshmen, and I think that’ll benefit those guys this year.” Offensively, Hewitt returns experience at nearly every position group, led by senior tight end Jackson Martin, sophomore quarterback Jack Floyd and an offensive line that was forced to grow up quickly because of injuries last season. Martin, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tight end with multiple FBS offers, caught 17 passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns last season. Floyd said Martin’s versatility makes him one of the Huskies’ most important offensive players. “You’ve got Jackson Martin, who we think is going to be a really big weapon for us;

it is his third year to start here at tight end,” Floyd said. “He’s an H-back, receiver. He’s a guy that we move around a lot. I know what colleges like about him is that he’s pretty versatile and can do a lot of different things. Jackson is 6-4, 230, and runs really well. I think he’s going to have a huge senior year.” Floyd returns at quarterback after starting five games last season. He completed 74 percent of his passes for 916 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 622 yards and five scores. “He went 4-1 last year as a starter, and again, he’s one of those guys who got thrown in the fire,” Floyd said. “We had a plan for Jack last year to get some playing time. Obviously, Zach got hurt in week two against Gadsden City, so all of a sudden, about the second quarter, mid-second quarter, second game of the year, Jack’s the guy. His first three games were against top-10 teams, Hillcrest, Hoover, and Vestavia. “I think Jack’s even a different level this year because of that. I think the game’s slowing down for him. He’s seeing things faster.” Floyd also likes the depth behind his starting quarterback. “Harris Tuggle will be a junior next year,” Floyd said. “I think Harris has improved as much as anybody has improved in about the last year and a half. He’s just done a really, really good job at quarterback, had a good offseason, got stronger and bigger, and we’re excited about him.” Floyd said sophomore Judah Weber is another quarterback option. “Judah’s a really good football player,” Floyd said. “He’s a guy who could play quarterback if we need him to.” The offensive line, a concern entering last season because of a lack of depth, could become one of Hewitt’s strengths in 2026. “We’ve got some good linemen coming back,” Floyd said. “One thing that hurt us last season was that we ended up having three offensive linemen, who had started a lot of games, miss the majority of the season, and two of them were seniors.” Those injuries to the line last season gave younger players opportunities to gain game experience against tough opponents. Seniors Micah Fantroy and Calvyn Speigner return alongside Searcy Ellis and Odin Woodley, who all started games last season. Sophomore John Carson Koehler “has a legit chance to start this year,” says Floyd. “He’s very physical and has

a chance to be one of the best ones we’ve had.” “You had at least four guys that started a lot of football last year up front,” Floyd said. “That’s something we’re excited about.” Floyd also expects sophomores Anders Hardy and Hunter Jordan to provide depth to the unit. “They’ve got good size and are going to get on the field,” Floyd said. “We still might be a little bit young up front, but a lot of those guys played last season, so that’s a positive.” Sophomore running back Daniel Williams looks to lead Hewitt’s ground game after a standout spring that included more than 130 yards of offense in the Huskies’ spring game against Parker. “He’s always been a bigtime weapon for that class, and we 100% believe in him,” Floyd said. “He has good speed, he’s tough to bring down and has really good vision. He’s a good receiver out of the backfield as well.” While Williams is expected to get most of the carries, Floyd said senior Harrison Malone’s versatility will allow the Huskies to use one of their top defensive players on offense as well. “When he was in ninth grade, Harrison was a heck of a running back,” Floyd said. “When he moved up his sophomore year, we wanted to find a way to get Harrison on the field.” Floyd said senior linebacker Jayden Berry is another option in the backfield. “Jayden’s one of our strong kids on the team,” Floyd said. “He’s about 220 pounds. He can also play running back and fullback, but he’s in the mix at linebacker, too.” Floyd expects several players to contribute at the wide receiver position. Junior Dylan Price, senior Riley O’Neill, senior Lucian Nelson and junior Tyron Allen give Hewitt a mix of experience and speed. “Riley’s going to be a big weapon for us this year,” Floyd said. “He’s had a really good summer, a really good offseason.” Floyd said O’Neill started a couple of games and played extensively last season. He said Price gained valuable experience behind an older receiving corps and “will definitely be a really good player for us.” Floyd described Allen as “explosive” and “definitely one of our faster kids on the team.” Floyd called Nelson “a program guy that’s really bought into things” who has “had a really good offseason, gotten bigger, stronger and faster.”

Defensively, the Huskies must replace several starters, but they return three experienced players: senior defensive end D’ante Seals, senior outside linebacker Harrison Malone, and senior defensive back Simeon Watson. Seals anchors a defensive line that must replace significant production from last season, but Floyd believes the group has the pieces to develop quickly. Seals, a Troy commitment, returns after recording 47 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks last season. “We’re expecting him to have a huge senior year,” Floyd said. “He’s put on some mass this offseason, so I’m really expecting big things for him.” Floyd also expects senior Eli Abney to emerge after seeing action last season. “Eli’s about 6-foot, 220 pounds and one of our stronger kids in the weight room,” Floyd said. “He’s one of those guys who played some last year, but now he’s got a chance to be the guy. We think Eli’s going to have a really, really big senior year for us on the D-line.” Senior Michael Ross is also expected to contribute to the rotation, while Floyd believes freshman Landon Donner has the potential to make an early impact. “Even though he’s going to be a freshman, he’s a guy that could play defensive line for us.” Malone returns to lead the linebacking corps after earning All-Region honors with 79 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks last season. “I’d say he’s one of our best pure football players on the entire team,” Floyd said. “He’s one of our leaders back on defense, being a three-year starter. One of our leading tacklers last year, just a guy who makes plays. He’s just a football player.” Floyd also expects senior Jayden Berry and junior Ryker Dummitt to play key roles. “Ryker’s about 6-2. Really good football player,” Floyd said. “He’s a big kid, and he’s going to be in the mix at linebacker.” Sophomores Hunter Futrell and Joseph Deibert also figure into the rotation. “Hunter played some as a freshman last year,” Floyd said. “Both those guys will play and have a chance to be really, really good. They’re going to be really good football players. Hunter played baseball, so he didn’t go through spring. Joseph did go through spring, but we didn’t get Hunter back until after that.” Cody Parker, who led

Springville in tackles last season, joined the Huskies during the summer. “We did have one transfer here who was from Springville last year,” Floyd said. “I know he led their team in tackles. He didn’t get here till the summer, so he didn’t go through spring ball. We just got to show some evaluation there, but he’s a good-sized kid.” Watson returns to lead a secondary that must replace several experienced starters after battling injuries last season. “Simeon’s a really good football player,” Floyd said. “He’s a really explosive kid. Breaks on the ball really, really well.” Junior Zion Westry is expected to take on a much larger role after seeing limited action a year ago. “Zion’s a really good player,” Floyd said. “He’s got a ton of potential. I think he’s got a big future. He’s going to get some more offers.” Floyd also expects juniors Caleb Scott and Sam Dick to compete for playing time at safety, while sophomore Judah Weber provides another option. “Judah’s another safety that’s a really good football player,” Floyd said. Another player Floyd expects to contribute is Parker Neigoot, who returned to football after spending last season focused on basketball. “Parker didn’t play last year,” Floyd said. “He’s a basketball kid, but he came back out this year. We’re expecting him to be really good. He’s similar to Will Phillips as far as being 6-2 or 6-3, long, with a lot of range.” Special teams should again be a strength for the Huskies with Nathan Fritz returning after making 37 extra points and one field goal, Banks Loyd is back handling kickoffs, and Tony Hrbacek returning at punter. Floyd also expects sophomore Rivers Harbison to carve out a role after calling him “probably the most versatile” specialist in the program. The Huskies will again face one of the state’s toughest schedules, opening the season at Auburn before non-region games against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Pike Road. “I think it’s extremely difficult,” Floyd said. “I think it’s probably one of the harder schedules we’ve had, maybe the toughest we’ve had top to bottom.” Floyd expects Auburn to once again be among the state’s best teams. “Auburn’s going to be in the top five,” he said. “They’re just like us as far as being top five and in the mix every single

year. We’re going down to their place for the first game, which we’re excited about. We think that’ll be a fun environment. We like playing those kinds of games. That’s our preference.” Hillcrest, in Class 5A this season, remains on the schedule. “We know how good they are,” Floyd said. “They’re one of those teams that if this new playoff thing had been in place the last two years, they’d be in the playoffs. They’ve just been in our region.” The Huskies close non-region play against Pike Road. “They’re going to be really, really talented,” Floyd said. “Again, they’re going to be a top-five, top-10 team in 5A.” Floyd knows how tough things get when region play begins. “I do think the region’s tougher than it’s ever been, top to bottom,” he said. “Spain Park comes in, and they’re back to where they used to be. They were playing really good football at the end of the year.” He said there is little room for error in a league that includes perennial powers such as Hoover and Thompson. “There’s just not a lot of margin for error,” Floyd said. “I don’t think people truly understand that unless you’ve been in the region. When you have to do it every single week, it’s just different. There’s no breather.” Hewitt enters the season with continuity on the coaching staff. “We are holding tight,” Floyd said. “There were one or two that I thought might be changes, but it actually worked out where we were able to keep them here.” Floyd said several assistants have had opportunities elsewhere, but the Huskies have worked to keep the staff together. “We have some guys that have had opportunities every year, but we obviously try to do the best we can to keep our staff here.” Despite the youth, Floyd said the expectations inside the Huskies’ locker room remain unchanged. “I’m pleased with where we’re at as a program and pleased with our staff,” Floyd said. “Like everybody, we want to win a state championship. That’s the one thing we haven’t quite been able to get done. We’ve done about everything else since we’ve been here. We’ve proven to be top five, right there in the mix every year, but obviously, we want to win it. That’s always going to be the goal every year.”

Year Two Under Bates Brings Optimism to Shades Valley

By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor

IRONDALE – George Bates understood that his first year at Shades Valley would be challenging. Taking over a program with a new coaching staff, new expectations, and a roster learning an entirely new way of doing things, Bates expected growing pains. The Mounties finished 2-8 in 2025, but the veteran coach believes the groundwork

has been laid for better days ahead. Now, with a full offseason behind them and a move to Class 4A next season, Bates is encouraged by the direction of the program. “We expect to have 55 to 60 players,” Bates said. “Year one was up and down, but that was to be expected with a new staff and new standards. The program going into year two is shaping up well. We’ve had a true offseason with our players

and some staff additions. “The familiarity with our core values, schemes, and building relationships among the team has been good. The offseason was productive, and now we’re excited about the summer season before fall camp starts.” The move to Class 4A could not come at a better time for the Mounties. Shades Valley joins Region 5 alongside Carver-Birmingham, Center Point, Dora, Fairfield, Oak Grove, Wenonah and

Woodlawn, giving the Mounties a fresh opportunity after competing in one of Alabama’s toughest 6A regions the last few years. For Bates, the region alignment also carries a little familiarity. The longtime coach previously led both Center Point and Woodlawn and spent seven seasons guiding the Eagles to seven consecutive playoff appearances. Before that, he won a region championship at Minor in 2016.

But Bates isn’t focused on the past. The emphasis throughout the offseason has been building relationships, developing players, and creating a culture capable of sustaining success. The Mounties showed flashes throughout Bates’ first season, but consistency proved difficult for a limited roster, players adjusting to new schemes and expectations. Entering year two, Bates believes that adjustment period is largely

behind them. With a larger roster, staff changes, and a full offseason together, Valley enters the summer with optimism. Whether those changes equal wins this fall remains to be seen, but Bates believes the program is much further along than it was a year ago. And for a veteran coach who has spent much of his career rebuilding programs, that’s exactly where he wants his Mounties to be.

“Coach Cola” era set to begin at Pinson

By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor

PINSON – For the seventh time in eight years, the Pinson Valley Indians football program begins the season with a new head coach. Coach Logan Colafrancesco, “Coach Cola” as he is referred to, looks to stop that revolving door on the Reservation on Highway 75 and it all started the day he accepted the job as he put his players to work immediately. The work continued into Cola’s first spring at Pinson. “We were short-staffed on the coaching side of things this spring, but we made it work and we were able to install some of

our offense,” said Coach Colafrancesco. “We did not get to work with the offensive line as much as I would have liked to. The defense was ahead of the offense and that is really what you want, but we are moving forward now and we will continue throughout summer and fall camp and get the offense up to speed. But, the kids got to see how we practice from a structure standpoint and our terminology standpoint. The number one thing we wanted was to be physical. We were very physical. We hit and tackled every day.” Colafrancesco takes over a Pinson team that lost a good bit of talent to graduation, but the

cupboard is never bare on the Reservation. It all starts with quarterback Raymond Howard who looked good in limited playing time during the 2025 season. “Raymond Howard has done a real good job for us,” said coach. “He’s an athlete and can beat you with his legs. He can throw as well. Marvion Foreman will be a great receiver for us. He’s tall and can boogie. Matthew McKinney and Ian Maxwell are working at running back for us and we feel good about those guys. Ian can play that tight end/ sniffer position. The heart and soul will be both lines and on offense we have Mikey Thom-

as at center coming back. On defense, Anthony Garner is back and Caden Farley is young but will be a big time player.” Despite major improvements on the field last season, the Indians have not experienced a winning season since 2022 when Lee Guess took Pinson to a 6-4 record. However, Pinson is no stranger to championships, taking home the blue map in 2017, 2018, and 2020 under Patrick Nix and Sam Shade respectively. The Indians look to build a culture of hard work and winning and that is what Coach Cola expects from his team and he has hired staff members who

share that passion. “We just want to be physical and work hard,” said coach. “We’ve hired Taylor Burgess as defensive coordinator. He comes to us with a lot of experience as Bill Burgess’ grandson and he’s just a good man. Sam Crane will coach offensive line and help with run game. KJ Robertson is a former Thompson coach and has coached at Vanderbilt. He will do special teams and help with defense. Cord Sandberg is one we are trying to get hired on soon. He played at Auburn and most recently coached at Moody and he will help us with quarterbacks and running backs. We kept Justin Brown. He is a

staple and he is Pinson through and through and he’s our wide receiver coach. James Fletcher is helping us on defensive line as well.” The road will be tough for Pinson as they enter class 5A Region 6 where some of the best teams in the former 6A, and in the state, play. The likes of Oxford and defending state champs Clay-Chalkville await Colafrancesco’s innaugural Indian squad. However, the veteran coach has no intentions of backing down from the challenge. The Indians get the Coach Cola era started on August 21 as they host the Florence Falcons out of Region 7.

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

August, 2026

Page 17

Leeds High School

LeedsLeF ootball R oster eds Football Roster Number

First Name

Last Name

Grade

Reginald

Franklin

Amillion

Burt

Jacauri

Swain

Taylon

Gaiter

Sebastian

Nava

Marquintis

Meadows

Tylin

Moultrie

Javone

McCrayer

James

Langford

Malachi

Paul

Bennett

Schorfhaar

Eddie

Brown

Landon

Carter

Corbin

Bradley

Brody

Chambers

Jordan

Lockhart

Brennen

Archer

Knox

Meloni

Tucker

Smith

Aiden

Williams

JaCarrious

Davis

Walker

Wingo

Will

Davis

Midon

Foster

Sam

Minnifield

Braxtin

McClain

Josiah

Ousley

Asher

McCarty

Pulliam

Sam Carson

Beard

Harrison

Willis

Donell

Number

First Name

Last Name

Grayson

Camp

Kenneth

Howard

Trenton

Miller

Josiah

Cobb

K.J.

Jones

Tucker

Byers

Chris

Bates

Antonio

Betancourt

Houston

Jackson

Martin

McGinnis

Steven

Davis

Eli

Pickens

Jacob

Hallmark

Luke

Bell

Elijah

Bates

Maddox

Greene

Daniel

Funderburg

Murphey

Dixon

Cameron

Perkins

Anthony

Grambling

Derrick

Roundtree

Demarion

McKinstry

Elijah

Johnson

Emenin

Villalibos

Luke

Gilmore

D.J.

Winborn

Ma'thel

Toles

136

Dill

WR/DB

175

Chase Justus

Isbell

Michael

Macon

Asher

Kruse

Jordan

Smith

Tylin

Toles

Christian

Delemus

Peter

Hopper

Pos.

227

160

215

150

255

200

300

180

212

165

190

180

165

190

170

185

160

180

166

183

178

157

145

165

146

140

178

175

165

DB/K

Lewis

Bryson

Thomas

Vincent

Covey

B.J.

Woods

RB/LB

Will

Watkins

Sage

Wingo

Hudson

Reeves

Chase

Tidwell

Jet

Capps

Jaxson

Abercrombie

Denzel

Miles

Antonio

Rice

0 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

12 10 12 12 12 12 11

10 12 12 12

10 11

10 10 9 10 9 9 10 10

DL LB LB

44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 63 64 65

88 91 99

LB LB WR DL RB

Grade 11

11 9

12 10 11 10 10 11 10 9 11 9 11 12 12 9 9 9 9 10 9 9 10

9 9 9 11 10

Pos. K LB RB DB

OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL DL DL OL DL OL DL DL OL OL OL

WR WR WR WR WR DL

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

Page 18

August, 2026

Shades Valley High School

Shades Valley Football Roster Number

Name

Grade

Number

Name

Grade

Kourtney "Bubba" Moore

Cesar Sabino

Antwan Kelser

Justin Rodriguez

Osmond Williams

Ramon Curry

Christian Dooley

Jonathon Bell

Dylan Raines

Henry Abrams

Jadon Hall

Devin Rogers

Corey Knight

Jean Duran

McKenzie Wright

Matthew Jemison

Zavier "Zay" Moore

Quindarius Osborne

Jordan Howard

Jacob Jackson

Jamel Polnett

Jayden Hood

Da'Corrian Pope

Christopher Patterson

Chandler Pope

Korlan Harvell

Kameron "Kam" Harris

LaDerek "LJ" Riley

Quinton Thomas

Xavier Goree

Mehki Thomas

Kaiden Gaston

Amare Banks

Keisyn Nettles

Damarcus Williams

De'Terrius Davis

Tyler Cephus

Kyle Bryant

JaMari King

Justin Mims

Braedon Covington

JarWayne McKinstry

Ronjae Clay

Drayden Allen

Jacori Riggs

Michael Alonso

McKenzy Jackson

Keith Snow

Carter Pope

Jordan Petite

Cordez Stephenson

Yandel Vargas

August, 2026

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August, 2026

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

BEST OF LUCK THIS SEASON TO OUR AREA TEAMS!

Page 21

Page 22

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

August, 2026

Moody looks to continue success under Tatum By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor MOODY – Before the first speck of dust settled on the Blue Devils’ first-ever blue map football trophy, Moody’s offseason became one of the biggest stories in the state. The smoke had barely cleared at Protective Stadium before rumors started surfacing and controversy reared its ugly head for the defending 5A (now 4A) state champs. First, you had the infamous “cigar-gate” and then coaches and players left. Now, some of those players are being made to come back due to AHSAA ruling that Jake Ganus and his staff illegally recruited players to Pell City. In the wake of Ganus and his staff leaving, Moody did not waver in hiring a bigtime head coach to replace the former head coach who had elevated the Blue Devil football program to heights it had never seen, including that first-ever state championship. Enter Kyle Tatum. Coach Tatum hit the ground running and has not looked back and, despite the turnover of coaches and 26 seniors, Operation 411 does not look to be slowing down much, if at all. “Everything is going great,” said Tatum. “We have a lot of momentum and we have seen a good bit of development in the past six months. We are very excited. It’s always all about the kids and we have great kids here at Moody. The community support is real. It’s a pretty professional thing. Great school and great football program. Coach Ganus and those guys did a great job and we are putting our tweak on it and instilling our core values. How we practice is sort of a secret weapon. We are situational and we practice situational football. We have been getting after it. It really has been awesome.” Tatum’s squad has competed in some very competitive 7-on-7 tournaments over the summer. “We were

invited to Troy, which was cool. Started with Central Phenix City, Thompson, and Clay-Chalkville and we competed. We were at Bama the next week and had ClayChalkville again and Spain Park. It really isn’t about the competition, but it’s about us. We have a new quarterback and seeing him go through reads and make sure he’s doing it quickly. That took time. We got our tail whipped a few times. We were beating Prattville

in one game and we threw a pick and momentum swung. We lost. We got to the second round after pool play.” Tatum’s challenge before competition began was to hire a staff. “I hired guys from different spectrums. It was crazy. I took the job and got here and none of the previous coaches wanted to stay. I interviewed them all and offered a few of them and respectfully, they went to Pell City, which we un-

derstood. But it gave me more of a clean slate. We had some volunteers like Coach L who trains some of our kids. He had a guy working with him and he was great with the guys and he gelled with them really well. Willie Miller Jr is his name. He’s receivers coach. Brian Anderson is offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. His son, Eli Anderson, will coach quarterbacks. Justin Albert is assistant head coach and he

will coach running backs. Offense is set. Defensively, I hired Dan Carroll, who did a great job, but he had to leave for another job. We have others like Kelly Sanders who will coach jacks and be head strength coach. Tyree Turner will coach interior defensive line. Those guys played for me at UAB. Blake Bradley comes from Pleasant Grove and coached at Prattville and he will coach special teams and linebackers. Ty Smith-Lind-

sey will coach corners. We have an opening as safety coach. Hard to say who defensive coordinator is going to be. Right now, it is basically me and Blake is helping out. I’m excited. I would put our staff up against anyone. At the end of the day, the kids just have to know you love them.” The players on the field may change some later on with returns from the group who transferred to Pell City, but there is a core group coming back. “Jalijah Rutledge is a guy we will look to for a lot of production. Aiden “Chipmunk” White and Colin Eatman are guys who are solid. We’ve got Austin Dryburgh at quarterback and there are some possibilities there. Running backs Juju Hill and Trigg Murdoch are a good one-two punch and Taj Gilmore is going to be a special freshman. On the line, we return one starter from last year and that’s center Maddox Gaines. Maverick Bevel is someone we are looking for big things from at that guard position. Kobe Taylor is coming on strong at receiver too. Kaiden Mitchell at linebacker is a special player. The front is very active. Donnie Dennis and Ethan Evans and Major Abrams are getting after it. DJ Price is looking good at corner and we’ve got some youth in the back end with him. The future is looking bright. Those guys are fast and they get after it.” “When we took this job, there was a lot of adversity,” said Coach Tatum. “We wanted to get things going, create some consistency. When we get to December, I want to look back and be able to say that we were disciplined, tough, did we get better every week and were we prepared. And if we did all of this and did it the right way, I can sleep easy at night. At the end of the day, can we say we built a brotherhood. Preparation equals performance.” Moody starts their season August 21 as the host Tatum’s former team, Briarwood Christian.

Tigers building stability in Lumpkin’s first year By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor

SPRINGVILLE – The Springville Tigers have seen a good bit of turnaround at the head football coach position over the past few years with the longest-tenured coach in recent memory being Keith Maple who coached the Tigers from 2001 – 2013. Jon Clements was with the Tigers for four years more recently and Chris Metcalf led the Tigers last season before heading to Mountain Brook earlier this year. Lumpkin takes over a Springville squad that went 1-9 last season in 5A (now 4A) and graduated several key players and lost some others via transfer. Regardless of those things, paired with the fact that the Tigers are now in the region with Clay-Chalkville, Oxford, and others, Lumpkin’s boys will face the challenges ahead with anticipation and pride. “We are not going to back down from the challenges at all,” said Lumpkin. “We are excited to get to play in one of the toughest regions in the state. It’s an opportunity and a monumental challenge, but one we will not shy away from.” The new head coach got a late start, getting the job in late April this year, but he has been able to settle into the role nicely despite that. “The kids are working hard and excited to be here,” said Lumpkin. “Just them getting to know the staff and better know each other, it’s been a lot of fun so far. There’s a good core of kids that I’m familiar with and some new ones that are there. Just de-

veloping relationships and trust with them. It has been really positive and the kids are working their tails off. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind coming in as late in the spring as I did, but it has been good.” One of the first things Lumpkin had to do was get some assistants hired to help coach the Tigers. A couple of familiar faces will continue serving along with some new faces as well. “Coach Drew Barnett is going to be our defensive coordinator. We coached together at St Clair County. He is coming from Oak Mountain. I have always thought a lot of him as a coach and I was glad to be able to get him. He does a good job with our kids. Coach Chris Martin has been on staff at Springville and he will be offensive coordinator. He’s very good no matter what he coaches. Matthew Lee will coach offensive line and he is one we retained. Ken Storie is still a volunteer for us, he’s our linebackers coach. Matt Smith is coming from Ragland and he will coach defensive backs. Nathan Fuller is someone Drew and I coached at St Clair and he will come on. We have Justin DeMarco as defensive line coach.” Despite some major player turnover, the Tigers’ head coach has discovered that the cupboard is no bare at Springville. “There’s a genuine love for one another in this program and they want to play for each other and be successful,” continued Lumpkin. “They just need a little stability. Franklin Tripp is a wide receiver and defensive back for us.

He was sort of skinny when I was here before and he has really committed to the weight room and now he’s becoming a prospect. His attitude is infectious. He shows the young kids how it’s supposed to be done. Tyler Tatum is a linebacker and he is our spiritual leader. He prays for us each day and you can tell what comes out of his mouth is from the heart. He wants what’s best for everyone out there.

Anytime I’m asked to go anywhere and speak, Tyler is going with me. They are outstanding individuals and players as well. Offensive line will be a strength. Damian Smith and Noah Gill will lead us there. Michael Pearson, our kicker, is a loud voice we get out there every day. Running back Savonte Killian has done an outstanding job for us this summer. Colton Hill, a linebacker, has really shown

out in workouts and competitions. Linemen Cason Cornwell and Jake Morgan are doing an outstanding job and Alec Swallows is an absolute dude for us at linebacker and tight end.” Lumpkin looks to restore some community pride in a program that has not seen a winning record since 2009. “I want these kids to know I care about them. This is not a stepping stone job for me. This is the school I want

to be at and the community I live in. I know what the school has done in the past and I want to get it back to that point. There were some really good runs and getting it back to where it used to be and restoring the pride in our program, that’s important. We want to take care of the kids first and get this thing back to where it needs to be.” The Tigers get the season started August 21 as they travel to Ashville.

August, 2026

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

Page 23

Moody High School

Moody Football Roster 0

KAIDEN MITCHELL

OMAR QABLAWI

COLIN EATMON

CORNELIUS BRAXTON

JUSTIN HILL JR.

RYAN MCPHERSON

OWEN RANDALL

MASON MINK

DONNIE DENNIS

WADE STINSON

AIDDEN WHITE

GRAYSON HOWARD

KYLAN BAKER

LUKE BEHM

ZAYNE LEONARD

NOLAN NUNNELLEY

DJ PRICE

BROOKS THOMPSON

BAROC WILLIS

COLT SMITH

KOBE TAYLOR

AUSTIN STEAD

JALIJAH RUTLEDGE

MCCONNELL MYERS

TRISTAN HARVARD

CONNOR DAVIS

ERYK BIRCHFIELD

CARLOS BRYANT

JAKE LOWERY

MADDOX GAINES

ZION TRUELOVE

JASON SLAY

MAJOR ABRAMS

DALTON CARPENETTI

AUSTIN DRYBURGH

GUNNAR BROWN

MARLON TARRANCE

INDIANA BLACK

ERIC WASHINGTON-TATUM

ANDREW ATKINSON

CADEN CRUMP

BYRON VERGARA

JAYDEN STRICKLAND

AYDEN PELHAM

ANDREW PERRY

BRAXTON WRIGHT

BRAYDEN BOSWORTH

LOGAN BISHOP

KAMAURY COOK

MAVERICK BEVEL

TRIGG MURDOCH

TANNER TERRANCE

COLTON SMITH

LEBRON LAGARI

KARSON SELF

FISHER BRINEGAR

CAMDEN HINDS

MAX ABRAMS

RAYSHOD HINES

ISAIAH CARTER

AVERY MALLORY

CONWAY MEADE

AIDDEN JONES

IZAIAH CALLAHAN

SHAWN-COLE JONES

JAYDIS NORMAN

AYDEN TURNER

DANIEL BAKER

JD MCWILLIAMS

BRYANT PHILLIPS

BRIGGS POLAND

CAYDEN EVANS

MICAH NICHOLS

RAMONE JACKSON

JASPER MCCRAE

ALEX BROWN

AIDDEN GREEN

ETHAN EVANS

TAHJ GILMORE

ASHLEY SETSER

KYRON ADAMS

Kickoff Edition | The Trussville Tribune

Page 24

August, 2026

Pinson Valley High School

Pinson Valley Football Roster First Name

Last Name

Number

Position

D'Artagnan Adams 39 WR Aidan Agee 7 LB Seth Banks 33 DB Brayden Bobbs 17 WR Ausarion Britton-Preyer 88 WR Demarquis Brown 45 LB Ja'Veon Byrd 38 WR Nasir Caldwell 37 DB DiJohn Caldwell 80 WR Errish Caldwell Jr. 44 DB Tyran Chambers 54 OL Donovan Chambers 81 WR Shelton Chapman 71 OL Mory Cisse 49 DB Ja'rard Clark 26 WR Santione Collier 11 DB Cortez Collins 99 DL Javion Crawford 84 WR Jami'jha Dorsey 82 WR/QB Aiden Evans 20 LB Kaiden Farley 51 DL Aiden Fitts 8 WR/DB Marvion Foreman 2 WR/DB D'Marion Franklin 48 DL Anthony Gardner 19 DL Michael Giles 30 RB Demarion Gurley 85 WR Trenton Hackworth 16 DB Zeyshaun Horn 52 OL Raymond Howard 9 QB/LB Caden Howe 42 WR Caleb Howe 47 WR Jaxon Ingram 23 WR/RB Carlos Johnson 5 RB/LB Alonte Kirby 21 DB Rell Leonard 13 DB Ian Maxwell 40 RB Ja'Markis Maxwell 73 OL Michael Mayfield 24 DL Bradley McClaney 29 LB Alec McClure 56 OL Caydien McGhee 86 WR Matthew McKinney 4 RB Anthony McKinney 46 DB First Name Last Name Number Position Markel McMullen 25 WR/DB Jaquavien McNeal 43 LB Daniel Means 55 OL Elijah Menyweather 12 WR First Name Last Name Number Position Height Tavaries Miles 3 WR/DB Jaquavien McNeal 43 LB 5'9 Jamari Moore 72 OL 6'6 Daniel Means 55 OL Ja'Michael Myrick 18 WR 5'10 Elijah Menyweather 12 WR Tavaries Miles 3 WR/DB Jacorrian Patterson 27 DB 5'9 Jamari Moore 72 OL Trent Pickett 65 OL 5'11 Ja'Michael Myrick 18 WR 5'10 Alijah Plump 32 LB Jacorrian Patterson 27 DB 5'11 Romelo Purifie 87 DB 6'3 Trent Pickett 65 OL Moriyah Rhodes 22 LB 5'9 Alijah Plump 32 LB Romelo Purifie 87 DB Joshua Robinson 92 DL 5'5 Moriyah Rhodes 22 LB Andre Roper 83 WR/K 6'2 Joshua Robinson 92 DL 5'5 LaTrell Showers 6 LB Andre Roper 83 WR/K 5'8 Darius Smith 0 DB 6'1 LaTrell Showers 6 LB Christopher Spivey 28 DB 5'10 Darius Smith 0 DB Christopher Spivey 28 DB Evan Stephens 58 OL/DL5'5 Evan Stephens 58 OL/DL Avery Streeter 59 OL/DL5'9 Avery Streeter 59 OL/DL Mickal Thomas II 50 OL 5'11 Mickal Thomas II 50 OL 5'8 Javier Valle 41 K/P Javier Valle 41 K/P 5'11 Khylen Williams 89 WR 5'11 Khylen Williams 89 WR First Name First Name

Logan Logan Taylor Taylor Jake Jake KJ Justin KJ Sam Justin

Last Name Last Name

Position Position

Height

Weight

Grade

5'10 6'0 5'10 5'8 6'2 5'9 5'8 6'0 5'8 5'11 5'11 5'11 5'10 5'6 6'0 5'10 5'9 5'8 5'9 5'9 6'2 5'11 6'2 6'1 5'11 5'10 5'6 6'1 6'1 5'10 5'6 5'6 5'9 5'9 5'9 5'8 6'1 6'0 6'3 6'3 6'2 5'5 5'10 5'9 Height 6'0 5'9 6'6 5'10 Weight 5'9 170 5'11 280 5'10 125 160 5'11 250 6'3 145 5'9 140 5'5 265 6'2 167 115 5'5 205 5'8 250 6'1 130 5'10 190 5'5 155 135 5'9 200 5'11 270 5'8 200 5'11 155 5'11 130

152 205 145 140 160 140 130 145 140 125 295 161 278 125 145 150 265 127 145 225 265 150 140 210 240 172 125 150 285 200 125 125 190 220 135 155 250 255 200 200 175 120 185 130 Weight 161 170 280 125 Grade 160 10 250 11 145 11 11 140 9 265 12 167 10 115 11 205 10 10 250 12 130 9 190 11 155 11 135 12 9 200 9 270 11 200 11 155 11 130 10

10 11 10 11 12 10 10 11 8 11 10 9 10 10 12 11 11 10 10 11 10 11 12 11 11 9 10 10 12 11 9 9 10 12 11 11 10 12 11 12 12 9 12 9 Grade 12 10 11 11 11 9 12 10 11 10 10 12 9 11 11 12 9 9 11 11 11 10

Last Name Name First

Position Last Name

Coaching Staﬀ Coaching Staﬀ

First Name

Colafrancesco Head Coach James Colafrancesco Head Coach Burgess Defensive Coordinator Will Burgess Defensive Coordinator Garrett Offensive Coordinator Joe Garrett Offensive Coordinator Robertson Special Teams Coordinator-Linebackers Jay Brown Receivers Walter Robertson Wide Special Teams Coordinator-Linebackers Crane Offensive Line Brown Wide Receivers

Fletcher James Gunter Will Jones Joe Lipscomb Readus Jay

Walter

Defensive Line Fletcher Wide Receivers Gunter Defensive Line Jones Defensive Backs Linebackers Lipscomb

Readus