Pelham

Devan Moss

5-YEAR WIN TREND

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2021 2020 4

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2019 2018 2017 linebacker position thanks to the return of Garrett Murphy. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior led the team with 120 tackles last year, including 16 for a loss, while he is also one of the state’s best kickers. His presence will be key for the entire defense, while Carter Lehman also returns as a senior starter with experience to a mike position. Jacob Porco and Hunter Cox are two juniors who will fill out the starting lineup, and Crane said Porco could end up being one of the top players at the position with the promise he has shown.

SECONDARY

Oak Mountain should have a solid back line of defense again this season. They will lose leader Corbitt Grudnhoefer, but the Eagles get back both Devan Moss and Bobby Laury. Moss is one of the team’s best

EDITOR’S 2022 PREDICTION (6-4)

To me, there is no question that this year’s defense has the potential to be the best it has been in school history. There is that much potential returning on the defensive side of the ball. There may be some depth concerns in the challenging Class 7A, Region 3, but the biggest concern comes offensively. With Will O’Dell taking the reins at quarterback, how productive will he be with a lack of returnees at receiver. That’s the biggest question mark for the team as a whole this year. I do think he will be able to gain confidence early in the season and the Eagles will be able to get off to another fast start, which could help for a strong push against the toughest teams in the second half of the schedule. This season, however, will largely depend on how several teams will fair with new head coaches. Will Hoover take a step back? Will Spain Park and Vestavia improve? Those are unanswered questions right now that could make all the difference in the world. Oak Mountain is talented enough defensively and has so much upside offensively, however, that the Eagles should see another winning season.

Photo by Keith McCoy

athletes and could make plays offensively because of his speed, while Laury has the experience to take a big leap forward this year. Backup quarterback Drowdy Hackbarth and sophomore Robert Yoder will also play important roles.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Murphy will return to handle the kicking duties, and Crane has full confidence in him, while Jack Ronilo will handle long snapping duties. James Whatley is a sophomore kicker who is also showing promise.

2,294

During his senior season, Evan Smith totaled 2,294 combined yards through the air and on the ground. He finished with 1,184 passing yards, a career high, and added 1,110 rushing yards as a quarterback, which was one of the top marks in the county. He also totaled 28 touchdowns, played some on defense and handled kick returns at times. He was a true athlete that could do anything for the team, and his presence will be missed heading into a new season.

KEY NUMBERS

120

Garrett Murphy is one of two starting linebackers returning this season, and he returns with a lot of promise after totaling 120 tackles last year. Not only that, he finished with 16 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions, showing a lot of versatility in his game, all while leading the kicking game as well. He’ll get the help of Carter Lehman at the position as well, who totaled more than 90 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks last year. They’re just two of several returning leaders back this season on the defensive side of the football for the Eagles.

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Oak Mountain is on a role right now with two of the team’s best seasons in school history the last two years. The Eagles have had back-to-back seasons of 7-5 and made the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in school history. Most impressive, it has come when the region is arguably been the most difficult it ever has been with three teams consistently ranked nationally, including three-time defending state champ Thompson, who didn’t even win the region last year. Heading into the previous two years, the Eagles had only made the second round of the playoffs three combined times since their first season in 1999. Now, they’ve accomplished that in two straight seasons and hope to make it a third.

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This year’s offensive line will return three starters, which is a major plus. Seniors Luke Oswalt and Sawyer Hutto will both be back, while Hudson Youngblood returns as a starter at center. Those three being back is not only key in helping the run game take a major step forward this season for a balanced attack, but it will help O’Dell’s confidence as a sophomore going into his first full season as the starting quarterback. The offense is going to have to be productive, and how quickly the offensive line can make the rest of the offense go will determine how successful they are.

GOOD LUCK Eagles!

PANTHERS CLASSIFICATION AHSAA Class 6A, Region 3 2021 RECORD 7-4 (5-1)

Tom Causey rejuvenated the Pelham football program, but after seven seasons at the helm, he has departed and new head coach Mike Vickery has come in to lead the team after six years at Northridge to help the Panthers continue their upward trend.

Pelham hasn’t won a playoff game since 2006, but Causey did lead the team to the playoffs in four of his final five years, and the Panthers finished in the top two of the region standings each of his final two years.

Now, Vickery will look to build off of that to help the team take its next step. Whether that happens or not will largely depend on how well the team gels with a new coaching staff that is going to make some changes to style of play in the offseason.

The offense is going to focus on tempo by controlling the pace of the game and creating matchup problems, while the defense will be similar with new terminology, placing an emphasis on pressure.

HEAD COACH

Mike Vickery

RECORD (First year)

ASSISTANT COACHES

Joseph Colvin, Hunter Williams, Charles Graves, Kyle Elsberry, Josef Lauderdale, Nathan Collins, Greg Dickinson, Ronnie Clemens, Nathan Fordham, Craig Hall, Kevin Lesueur, David White, Sean Anderson

LAST REGION TITLE

2020

LAST PLAYOFF GAME

2021

MEET THE TEAM

QUARTERBACK

For the last four years, the quarterback position has been held by two brothers—Xavier and Will Lankford. Now, following Will’s graduation last year, the Panthers will have to find their next leader at the position. Last season, Will totaled 1,326 passing yards and 459 rushing yards with 23 total touchdowns, which is a big gap to fill. This year, it will either be junior Clayton Mains or senior Drake Hickox. Mains is a left-handed quarterback who has had a good summer and is natural to the position. He is also athletic and can escape with his legs when needed, but he still has a lot of learning to do with the offense. Trey

Corkill

Jake FOX

Hickox has shown growth at the junior varsity level and is smart. He sees the field well and is picking up on the new offense quickly with a positive attitude.

RUNNING BACK

Dylan Peterson and Gabe Gamble have had control of the backfield for several years now. Last year, Gamble took that role following Peterson’s departure. Now, Gamble is gone and takes 1,306 rushing yards and nine touchdowns with him. Stepping in to fill that starting role will be senior Ra-Sen Martin. A multi-sport athlete, Martin works hard in the weight room and has quickly proven to the coaches he is the starter. Mykell Prince, who could play a

2022 SCHEDULE

Aug. 19: Jackson-Olin Aug. 26: @ Oak Mountain Sept. 2: Bye

Sept. 9: Briarwood* Sept. 16: @ Helena* Sept. 23: @ Chelsea Sept. 30: @ Calera*

Oct. 6: Benjamin Russell*# Oct. 14: Homewood* Oct. 21: @ Chilton County* Oct. 27: Spain Park#

*Region game #Thursday night game

lot on defense, will add depth offensively as a halfback.

Darius Copeland, WR

An all-around athlete, Copeland totaled 390 receiving yards and 109 rushing yards last year on offense and is also a weapon in the secondary defensively.

Jackson Davenport, OL

Returning for his senior season, Davenport has multiple years of starting experience and will be the glue to this year’s offensive line, which will be key for a new quarterback.

Seth Branham, LB

Branham is one of two key leaders back to the linebacker position this season after totaling 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks as a junior.

Jamal Miles, DB

The secondary will be led by Miles this season, who is speedy and athletic. He finished last year with 30 tackles, five pass breakups and an interception.

Jake Fox, DB/WR

You may see Fox on both sides of the ball as a senior. A receiver the last two years, he’ll work a lot at defensive back as a player who does what the team needs.

Will Lankford

Lankford totaled 1,326 passing yards, 459 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns.

KEY DEPARTURES

Gabe Gamble

Totaled 1,306 yards and nine touchdowns.

Brayden Marlowe A leading tackler with more than 70 last year, including 10 for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Caleb Newell

The team’s top offensive lineman a season ago.

2022 Pelham Roster

NO. NAME POSITION YEAR

1 Darius Copeland WR 12 2 Jamal Miles DB 12 3 Kamari Hollis WR 12 4 Cohen Lee LB 12 5 Mykell Prince WR/RB 12 6 Trey Corkhill WR 12 7 Bishop Rellah LB 11 8 Seth Branham LB 12 9 Drake Hickox QB 12 10 Ra-Sen Martin RB 12 11 Ethan Hill DB 12 12 Christian Johnson WR 12 13 Garin Fitts QB 9 14 Will Felton LB 11 15 Clayton Mains QB 11 16 SirMichael Broom DB 12 17 Jake Fox WR 12 18 Brock Isabel WR 11 19 Markel Bell DB 11 20 Luke Pukstys DB 12 21 Corey Perkins DB 12 22 Marshall Watts DB 11 23 Kaleb Porter RB 10 24 Jake Garner WR/K 10 25 Owen Hoar WR 10 26 Kesean Griffin DB 11

27 Javian Gee DB 10 28 Tyler Tucker DB 10 29 Sam Powell WR 9

NO. NAME POSITION YEAR

30 Carter White DB 11 31 JDeion White DB 9 32 William McGough RB 11 33 Hunter Drawhorn LB 10 34 Tyjerious Johnson HB 11 35 Noah Bell WR 10 36 Mike Grayson RB 11 37 Hollis Davis LB 9 38 Nick Bamberg DB 11 39 Carson Dill WR 12 40 Tristan Rutledge LB 9 41 Isiah Byrd LB 12 42 Joseph Hampton LB 9 43 Riley Sams WR 10 44 Vance Barker HB 11 45 Chim Ajinwo DB 9 46 Uriah Barginere LB 9 48 Prince Maye DL 10 49 Macqueline Tyler DB 10 51 Kasey Taylor OL 9 52 Brodie Martin DL 11 53 Xavier Merchant OL 10 54 Cash Tatum OL 11 55 Vance Barker OL 11 56 Garvin Thomas OL 9 58 James Betres DL 9 59 William Murphy OL 9 60 Beau Martin OL 10 61 Braden Patterson DL 9

NO. NAME POSITION YEAR

63 Charles Buley DL 9 64 Jermiah Burnes LB 10 65 Brian Terry OL 12 66 Chris Hernandez OL 11 67 Corbin Sanders OL 11 69 Griffin Marshall DL 9 70 Jeremy Burgos-Rivera OL 10 71 James Schmucker DL 12 73 Joshua Myers OL 9 74 Jason William OL 11 75 Jackson Davenport OL 12 76 Mikey Ramos OL 12 77 Tyler Mason OL 11 78 Jadeon Rhine OL 9 79 Drew Martin DL 10 80 Kam May WR 9 81 Austin Colvert WR 9 84 Charlee Buley LB 9 85 Eathan Jowers WR 11 88 Benji Augsburger WR 9 90 Jacob Armstead DL 9 91 Ameer Hasty DL 9 92 Jaylin Bonner DL 10 93 Rylan Hoyett DL 10 94 Jaden Williams DL 12 95 Keon Brooks DL 12 96 Sean Rutledge DL 12 97 Uriah Barginere DL 9 99 Gerardo Lopez DL 12

RECEIVER

Whoever does win the starting quarterback job will have a very strong group of receivers to work with. Darius Copeland is back for his senior season as a do-it-all athlete after totaling 390 yards and four touchdowns last year in addition to 109 rushing yards. He will be a team leader as one of the state’s most talented athletes, while senior Kamari Hollis will also take on a big role this season. A basketball player, he is an athletic presence who can stretch the field and make deep plays. Trey Corkill adds another returning starter to the mix as a physical athlete who will do whatever is asked of him to help the team. Will McGough is a junior who adds speed to the position as a track athlete who qualified for state in the 100-meter dash last year.

OFFENSIVE LINE

One of the most important but difficult positions to judge for a new coaching staff ahead of a season is the offensive line, and that is the case for Vickery

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Kamari Hollis

without having seen the team in pads yet. That said, the Panthers do return senior Jackson Davenport and junior Cash Tatum, who are both returning starters standing around 6-foot-3, 290 pounds. Beyond those two, Brian Terry will play up front as a 5-foot-11, 275-pound lineman. Those three will anchor the position, while others will be battling heading into fall practice. 7

2021 8

2020 3

2019 7

2018 5

2017

EDITOR’S 2022 PREDICTION (5-5)

Pelham’s region became much more difficult this season, which ultimately makes it tough to see the outcome. Not only do they still have rivals Helena and Calera in the region, but added are Briarwood and Homewood, who will likely be strong contenders for the region title. The defense will be enough to keep this year’s team in games, but it could be the offensive progression with a new quarterback and running back that ultimately decides this team’s postseason fate.

It’s A great Day to Be AIt’s A great Day to Be A PANTHERPANTHER

Tune in for live game coverage every week on The River 93.3 FM. And, head over to Zapata Mexican Restaurant to join Pelham players, coaches, and community for the live radio broadcast of the Panther Pulse coaches' show on Tuesdays at 6 pm. Tune in for live game coverage every week on The River 93.3 FM. And, head over to Zapata Mexican Restaurant on Valleydale Road to join Pelham players, coaches, and community for the live radio broadcast of the Panther Pulse coaches' show on Tuesdays at 6 pm. pelhamhighathletics.com pelhamhighathletics.com

CONTINUING TO BUILD The patience Pelham had with former head coach Tom Causey eventually paid off the last several years, as the Panthers started to build a foundation for success. The culture change led to four playoff appearances in the last five years, three seasons of at least seven wins in the last four years, and a region title and runner-up finish the last two years. Now, new head coach Mike Vickery steps in to take over. Vickery’s job, in addition to leading the team, is to continue building on that foundation to keep the culture where it is. Otherwise, you take steps back and lose the sense of pride the team is playing for.

NO MORE BROTHERS For the first time in five seasons, there won’t be a Lankford at quarterback. Xavier Lankford was the starter for two years before brother Will Lankford took the reins from him. Now, the Panthers will be looking for that next man to step in, and it won’t be a third brother. Heading into the season, Clayton Mains and Drake Hickox are battling for the job and both bring positive skills to the field. Whoever ultimately wins the job won’t just have to replace the legacy of the Lankfords, but they will have to be a key leader in helping implement Vickery’s style.

LEADING THE HUNT The Panthers will be led defensively by a strong charge at linebacker this season thanks to the return of three stellar tacklers. Cohen Lee, Seth Branham and Bishop Rellah all return as starters this season after combining for more 198 tackles a season ago. The Pelham defense has taken major strides the last two years, giving up 20 points per game or less the last two seasons. This year, the potential is there for that side to be as good as last year if not better. If it happens, the linebackers will be key in leading the charge.

Jamal Miles

DEFENSIVE LINE

Pelham will take a hit on the defensive line with four seniors departing, but they will get two key players back this season. Keon Brooks is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound senior defensive end who will lead the unit with high expectations from the coaches, while junior James Schmucker will also be back as a physical presence. Jaden Williams, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior, is another defensive end and the third player up front who will be relied upon heavily going into the season, while others are battling to rotate in and out. Vickery said there could be 5-6 who rotate in. LINEBACKERS

The strength of this year’s Pelham defense will be the linebackers with four players back who have a lot of playing experience. Seniors Cohen Lee and Seth Branham both return to inside linebacker positions to lead the group. Branham totaled 80 tackles last year, including eight for a loss and four sacks, while Lee added 58 tackles and two tackles for loss. Outside linebackers Bishop Rellah and Will Felton both return experience as well. Rellah totaled 60 tackles a season ago, including two for a loss and two sacks. All four will help the defense remain one of the best in the county this season.

Photo by Keith McCoy

SECONDARY

The secondary will feature some of the best athletes on the team looking to make a difference on the field this year. Jamal Miles returns as a starter and could be the team’s best player regardless of position. A senior, Miles totaled more than 30 tackles last year, while he finished with five pass breakups and an interception. He’ll lead the unit, while Jake Fox has moved from receiver to

Mortimer Jordan W 42-6 Oak Mountain L 0-21 Calera W 34-30 @ Stanhope Elmore W 14-13 Helena L 34-37 @ Chelsea L 28-31 Wetumpka W 41-14 @ Benjamin Russell W 20-14 Bye @ Chilton County W 35-14 @ Homewood W 10-7 McGill-Toolen* L 6-20

*Playoff game

2021 STATS

Offense Total points: 264 Per game: 24 County rank: 8

Defense Points allowed: 207 Per game: 18.8 County rank: 2

Darius

Copeland

defensive back and is showing a lot of promise in the summer with strong play. Copeland could also play a lot on defense in the secondary as another versatile player similar to Miles and Fox. Beyond those three, others are competing heading into fall practice, which is leading to more depth. SPECIAL TEAMS

Jake Gardner will return to handle field goal and punting duties this year as a sophomore with a big leg that the coaching staff is excited about, while Brody Miller will handle all snapping duties. Others are still looking to emerge in certain roles on special teams.

A new era

Vickery ready to take Pelham to next level as team’s new head coach

Written by ALEC ETHEREDGE | Photos CONTRIBUTED

Mike Vickery is no stranger to success as part of a coaching family. Now, as the 2022 season approaches, he has a chance to make his biggest splash yet as the new head coach of the Pelham Panthers.

Vickery spent the last six seasons leading the Northridge Jaguars as the school’s second head football coach and will now take over for former Pelham coach Tom Causey.

“It’s been a process that was fun and exciting,” Vickery said after being introduced. “Anytime you have the opportunity to work for really good people, a really good situation, a really good system with emphasis on extracurricular and doing what’s best for young people to be successful, you definitely get excited about that opportunity.”

Vickery went a combined 24-38 in his time leading the Jags at the 6A level, competing against some of the best teams in Class 6A along the way.

The last two years, he led Northridge to back-toback winning seasons of 7-4 and consecutive playoff appearances.

Both teams started the season 6-0 before losing four of five down the stretch, including difficult firstround playoff games.

Vickery has taken the Jaguars from 10-30 his first four seasons to a combined 14-8 the last two seasons as contenders for the Class 6A, Region 4 Championship. Hueytown and HillcrestTuscaloosa, who have made deep playoff runs the last two years, were the only two teams to edge out Northridge in the region standings the last two seasons. He also spent 12 years at Daphne as an assistant coach before getting his first crack as a head coach.

During Vickery’s tenure at Daphne High School, the football program won or shared 10 region titles and participated in two Class 6A Championship games, earning the 6A State Championship in 2010 working under his dad and head coach Glenn Vickery, who went 125-52 in 12 seasons.

Now, Vickery will take on the task as the next Pelham head coach, and he said he sees the potential of what could be.

“I’ve had an opportunity to watch Pelham grow and get better and better,” he said. “The kids play hard. They really encompass everything we want out of our football player. The sky is the limit for a place like Pelham. The school system is willing to do what it takes to take this thing to new heights.”

Vickery added that building relationships will be