Gadsden area high school football previews: How do the state finalists look this season
The high school football season starts next week, so its time for preseason previews of Gadsden area teams.
This is the first of two previews, this one covering the 17 Gadsden area teams that are not in Etowah County. They cover parts of seven counties in northeast Alabama. Three teams made the state tournament game, with Fyffe leaving as champions and plenty of others going on deep playoff runs.
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Albertville
Coach: Bert Browne (1st season)
2022 record: 1-9, missed playoffs
Region: Class 7A, Region 4
Preview: The Aggies have fallen on tough times as of late, with back-to-back one win seasons. They bring in Browne and his expertise of turning around programs to try and right the ship. It's probably too early for Browne to make a huge turnaround but expect the Aggies to improve off of their 1-9 record from last year.
Ashville
Coach: Kirakias Shepard (1st season overall)
2022 record: 2-8, missed playoffs
Region: Class 4A, Region 6
Preview: The Bulldogs find themselves in a tough region, with the last two state runner ups and always good Etowah, the hope is that Shepard can help them compete in the region.
Boaz
Coach: Jeremy Sullivan (7th season)
2022 record: 4-7, first round loss
Region: Class 5A, Region 7
Preview: The Pirates have made the playoffs the last five seasons, losing in the first round each time. The hope is with 14 starters returning this can be the year they take the next step. It all starts with Tyler Pierce at QB who will have a host of targets, even after losing his top target from a season ago.
Cherokee County
Coach: Jacob Kelley
2022 record: 12-3, state runners up
Region: Class 4A, Region 6
Preview: Returning Jacob Cornejo, a 2,600-yard rusher is the icing on top for the Warriors. They return 18 players including three other first team All-state players and one who made the second team. The only major loss was at quarterback but with Cornejo and others the transition should be an easier one than most. On defense they return their three best players inside the front seven, Cornejo and Tristan Brown at linebacker and Tae Diamond at D-End.
Collinsville
Coach: Ernie Willingham (3rd season, 15 overall at school)
2022 record: 8-3, first round loss
Region: Class 2A, Region 7
Preview: After a move down from 3A, the Panthers finished third in their region last year while breaking in Mason McAteer, an eighth grader at quarterback. With another year in the system, McAteer looks to build off a 1,200 yard, 18 touchdown season in his freshman campaign. Defensively, the Panthers return Eli Griggs at outside linebacker.
Fort Payne
Coach: Chris Elmore (6th season)
2022 record: 8-3, first round loss
Region: Class 6A, Region 8
Preview: Fort Payne will be in a tough 6A region which they finished as runner ups last year, with Gadsden City being the reigning champion. They return eight players on each side of the ball that were significant contributors to last year's team. During media days he mentioned that some of the players were changing positions or roles.
Fyffe
Coach: Paul Benefield (27th season)
2022 record: 15-0, state champs
Region: Class 2A, Region 7
Preview: The Red Devils look to be strong again and ready to win the program's seventh state championship in 10 years, along with 12th region championship in 13 years. The offense will once again be led by 2A Back of the Year nominee Logan Anderson and Lineman of the Year Tucker Wilks. Anderson ran for 1,800 yards and 32 touchdowns before a knee injury took him out in the state semifinal game.
Geraldine
Coach: Michael Davis (3rd season)
2022 record: 9-4, third round loss
Region: Class 3A, Region 6
Preview: After a strong season that saw a deep playoff run, with some upsets, the expectations are high for the Bulldogs. They return 15 starters, seven on offense and eight on defense. The highlight is Carlos Mann at running back and defensive back, who accounted for more than 2,000 yards with 22 touchdowns and intercepted five passes. They bring back Kobe Hill (ILB) and quarterback/defensive end Jaxon Colvin.
Guntersville
Coach: Lance Reese (14th season)
2022 record: 9-3, second round loss
Region: Class 5A, Region 7
Preview: With Julyon Jordan, a Mississippi State offered running back and Royce Baucom, an offensive tackle who has racked up Group of 5 offers this summer, the outlook for the season is bright for the Wildcats. They return Eli Morrison who took over at quarterback at the end of the season. Defensively they return six players, including five starters from the front seven, which looks to be strong.
Jacksonville
Coach: Clint Smith (12th season)
2022 record: 8-4, second round loss
Region: Class 4A, Region 4
Preview: The offense is led by senior Jim Ogle, a Troy commit who was an All-State honorable mention last season after throwing for 2,523 yards and 28 touchdowns. Seventeen of those touchdowns went to Ky'Dric Fisher, who added 1,242 yards on 61 catches. Fisher was the top receiver in a rankings by the Gadsden Times.
Piedmont
Coach: Jonathan Miller (1st season)
2022 record: 12-3, state runner up
Region: Class 3A, Region 6
Preview: It'll be a year of firsts for the Bulldogs as coach Steve Smith (now at Westbrook Christian) and record setting quarterback Jack Hayes are out of the program. The good news is they still have Ishmael Bethel, the No. 3 pass catcher in the area by the Gadsden Times to help break in a new quarterback.
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Pisgah
Coach: Luke Pruitt (6th season)
2022 record: 11-3, semifinal appearance
Region: Class 2A, Region 7
Preview: After a strong season, that ended with a loss to region rival Fyffe, the Eagles return a lot of starters. On offense they return Mason Holcomb (2,000 yard passer), Legion McCrary (1,500 yard rusher) and Luke Gilbert (1,000 yard pass catcher) along with six other starters. Defensively the Eagles return nine starters, including six who were ranked by the Gadsden Times at their positions.
Plainview
Coach: Dale Pruitt (2nd season, 28th overall at school)
2022 record: 4-6
Region: Class 3A, Region 6
Preview: The Bears struggled a bit at the start of Pruitt's third tenure at his alma mater, going 0-3 to start last year. They will look to continue the momentum that had them in playoff contention.
Sand Rock
Coach: Alan Heath (4th season)
2022 record: 4-6, missed playoffs
Region: Class 2A, Region 7
Preview: The depth of the team rests in the trenches with two returning starters and several others who saw significant playing time last year. The Wildcats are in the midst of a quarterback battle, with one option being the younger brother of their former quarterback. Coach Heath is hoping that a healthy season can help Sand Rock reach the heights of 2021.
Spring Garden
Coach: Barrett Ragsdale (1st season)
2022 record: 10-2, second round loss
Region: Class 1A, Region 6
Preview: After winning five straight region championships coach Jason Howard after 18 seasons at the school across two stints, left during the summer. The Panthers turned to Ragsdale, an assistant in the program to try and keep the continuity and success.
Susan Moore
Coach: Wes Patterson (1st season)
2022 record: 3-7
Region: Class 3A, Region 7
Preview: For the second straight offseason, the Bulldogs made a coaching change this time turning to Wes Patterson. The Panthers looked more competitive in region play than their record showed, being one game out of the playoffs and outscoring region opponents.
Sylvania
Coach: Tyler Vann (3rd season)
2022 record: 10-4, semifinal appearance
Region: Class 3A, Region 6
Preview: After a semifinal run, with a loss to region rival Piedmont, the Rams return eight starters on either side of the ball. It is highlighted on defense with the Cooley twins anchoring the D-End positions. Ashdon earned All-state honors while Aspen joined him on All-Region and County teams. They bring back two receivers that missed significant time due to injuries last season, elevating an offense that scored more than 400 points.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden area high school football previews, non Etowah county teams
