PREP CAPSULES (Week 0): Change greets new season of high school football
STAFF REPORT
Here is hoping football fans enjoy change in 2025.
Mostly, coaching changes across the board, 11 in all as the season opens this Thursday.
That’s right, 11 new coaches, although some are not new. Bobby Carr moved to Prattville from G.W. Carver. Shane Moye left Lowndes Academy for Prattville Christian. There are others but the point is made.
Kirk Johnson left Catholic after a couple of state championships and headed to Alexander City to lead Benjamin Russell. Jeremy Carter is still at Autauga academy after taking over mid-season a year ago.
It’s all part of the show that is high school football. Make no mistake, there will be some adjustments and there are questions from these moves. How good will Catholic be without its old coach? What does Carr do at Prattville? Can Moye create the same championship program at PCA?
There are questions surrounding schools that don’t have a coaching change? Can Tallassee repeat the same success in the second year of L.A. O’Neal? Can Pike Road take the next step and reach the 6A championship game after consecutive semifinal berths? Can ACA make it a little further in Class 3A? Ditto for Trinity and St. James? Or will they make the postseason at all?
The good news is the season is here and some of the questions will be answered very soon. In the meantime, buckle the chinstrap and get ready for some football.
Week 0
All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise
PIKE ROAD (6A) vs. PRATTVILLE (7A)
Thursday at Cramton Bowl
2024 Records: Pike Road (11-3), Prattville (3-7)
Series: Prattville, 1-0
Last Meeting: Last season, Prattville, 41-37
Key Numbers: As a head coach, Bobby Carr has not lost an opener (on the field) since 2007 when he was coaching Edgewood Academy. He had a forfeiture of an opener in 2020 when he was at Autauga Academy... Since its return as a school in 2018, Pike Road has yet to earn a victory over a Class 7A team, currently 0-2 after dropping opening-season games to Prattville and Enterprise a year ago.
The skinny: It’s not a good idea to settle on a favorite in this game since there are so many preseason variables between the two teams. Prattville has a new coach, one of the best in Carr, but has he had enough time to get his team where he wants it? He did a good job last year in his first and only season with G.W. Carver as the Wolverines spanked Vestavia Hills in the Kickoff Classic. As Carr and Carver were winning in Cramton Bowl, these two teams were playing at Wetumpka’s stadium and running up and down the field, combining for 78 points. Prediction No. 1 - this year’s game will not produce as many points, if only because the Lions are retooling their offense and the Pike Road defense should be difficult to move the ball on this season. Prediction No. 2 - Fans should see a great battle between quarterbacks with Prattville transfer JJ Williams and Gunner Gibbs of Pike Road. Both are capable of having a big night and it might come down to who makes the biggest play. Prediction No. 3 - A running back may make the difference and that could be Ja’Michael Jones for the Patriots, who rushed for 160 yards in this game a year ago. That leads to Prediction No. 4 - it doesn’t seem right to pick against a coach who rarely loses an opener or pick a team that has yet to beat a 7A squad. But records are made to be broken, right?
PREDICTION: Pike Road, 27-24
ST. JAMES (4A) at CATHOLIC (5A)
Friday at Knights Field
2024 Records: Catholic (15-0 - 5A champs), STJ (6-5)
Last year: Catholic won, 42-14
Series: STJ leads, 19-15
Key Numbers: For the first time since 1981, both teams enter this matchup with a new coach. That year had Tommy Wilson in his only year leading St. James while Cliff Little began his five-year career at Catholic.
The skinny: The record-setting years of Kirk Johnson are over for the Knights. But that doesn’t mean Catholic will wilt from this point. There are plenty of talented leftovers on the roster. Meanwhile, St. James got a surprise in the summer when Aubrey Blackwell chose to leave for an assistants job in south Alabama. That left athletic director Larry Ware in charge. Ware has plenty of experience dating back to 2002 when he took over at Carver and coached all the way to working with Jim Perry at St. James as an assistant. Despite all the changes, Catholic looks to be in better shape between the two. Jonathan Chandler is now in charge of the Catholic program and he should earn his first win as the Knights’ coach.
PREDICTION: Catholic, 28-14
ALABAMA CHRISTIAN (3A) at LEE-SCOTT (3A)
Friday at Judd Scott Field, Auburn
2024 Records: ACA (7-5), Lee-Scott (5-5)
Series: First meeting
Key Stats: Last season, ACA opened with Escambia County (in a 30-26 win); Lee-Scott opened with Excel and a 33-16 victory.
The skinny: It might not be fair to compare the expectations from this year to last but ACA did lose a lot from a second-round team a year ago. The offensive powerhouse outscored people early while the defense grew up. This year, it’s the other way around. Defensively, the Eagles could be stout and will need to be when facing the Warriors, who were baptized into AHSAA play a year ago and missing the playoffs from a region in which all four teams were eliminated in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. The Eagles defense will need to create turnovers and give their offense a short field every now and then. ACA coach Michael Summers probably prefers a defensive-oriented team. He’ll find out soon enough if that means winning a few early tilts.
PREDICTION: ACA, 24-21
MONTGOMERY ACADEMY (3A) at TALLASSEE (4A)
Friday at J.E. “Hot” O’Brien Stadium
2024 Records: Tallassee (9-3), MA (10-2)
Series: MA, 1-0
Last season: MA, 22-16
Key Stat: Tallassee went from 1-9 in 2023 to 9-3 last season after coach L.A. O’Neal had pulled the same trick at B.T. Washington in Tuskegee in years before. MA begins the season with three-straight road games and four of the first five away from home.
The skinny: This one matches two teams expecting to improve on what were stellar seasons in 2024. Tallassee was the biggest surprise in the River Region while MA expected to be good but went a step further in winning its region. This opener didn’t really show many signs of what was to come. Tallassee spent most of the game attempting to overcome turnovers but those eventually did in the Tigers. MA rode the fortunes of the first win to a couple of key victories the next two weeks (St. James and Houston Academy). Speed will be the key for both teams since each has plenty of it. The Eagles are replacing linemen on both sides of the ball and it remains to be seen how long it takes to get that in place. Tallassee has several seniors back although they lost 19 from last year. The Tigers are playing on new turf and with the enthusiasm being what it is, it’s hard to pick against the home team.
PREDICTION: Tallassee, 21-20
KEY GAMES
Stanhope Elmore (6A) at Marbury (5A) – The Bulldogs haven’t won a game since Oct. 20, 2023. Stanhope Elmore hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020. Both teams would like a spark to start the season. The Mustangs seem to be in a better position to get it. SE,33-23
Park Crossing (6A) at Selma (5A) – Park Crossing went 0-9 a year ago, which is the second time in three years that has happened. Selma won this game in ‘24 and typically has Division I players scattered all over the field (see Auburn OL Jeremiah Wright). Until the Thunderbirds prove it can win on the road - something it hasn’t done since the start of the 2023 season - there is no reason to pick them to win the opener. Selma, 20-12.
Holtville (5A) at Trinity (3A) (Thursday)– The Bulldogs begin season No. 2 with Cory Lee at the helm. Trinity has high expectations but lost seven starters on defense. Still, the Wildcats have enough to earn a win at home. TPS, 27-24.
Loachapoka (2A) at Prattville Christian (3A) - The Shane Moye era begins at PCA. Loachapoka is not exactly a “gimme” for a start. The Indians won four straight at the end of last season to earn a playoff bid. The Panthers are still in a learning phase with their new coach but should pick up the win. PCA, 19-16.
Wetumpka (6A) at Beauregard (5A) - Wetumpka will start a sophomore at quarterback (Charlie Skipper) on the road at an opponent that has been pretty consistent over the years. This game was closer than expected last season. Expect the same this time. WHS, 21-20.
Percy Julian (6A) at Paul Bryant (6A) - The Phoenix lost their starting quarterback of two years but have a solid group of offensive linemen. Paul Bryant has not had a winning season since 2017, including 1-9 a record year ago. No reason to believe the Stampede opens with a win this time. Julian, 25-12.
THE REST
Thompson over G.W. Carver 35-14 (Thurs.); Hewitt-Trussville over JAG, 42-9; Elmore County over Dadeville, 34-12; Billingsley over Greensboro,22-13; Lowndes over Edgewood, 35-21; Evangel Christian over North River, 20-14; Macon East over Heritage Christian, 28-21; Valiant Cross over Hope Christian, 29-23.
OPEN: Hooper Academy; Autauga Academy
RECORD: Last week 0-0; Season 0-0 (.000)