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all-starsEditor: lacie Pinyan, lpinyan@annistonstar.com • sunday, January 15, 2012 • Page 1E

The Anniston Star

C l a s s 1 a - 2 a , p a g e 2 e

POY: Teddre Williams, Donoho

C l a s s 3 a , p a g e 3 e

POY: Chris Strott, Piedmont

a l l - a r e a , p a g e 5 e

POY: Bradley Bozeman, Handley

C l a s s 4 a - 6 a , p a g e 4 e

POY: Troymaine Pope, Anniston

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Page 2E Sunday, January 15, 2012 The Anniston Star Class 1a-2a

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▶ player of the year | Teddre Williams, Donoho

▶ coach of the year | shannon Felder, Donoho

Bill Wilson/The Anniston Star/File

Donoho quarterback Teddre Williams tallied more than 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Dual ThreaTDonoho’s Williams gets it done on, off field

By NiCk BirdsoNgnbirdsong@annistonstar.com

Teddre Williams showed he was a leader before he ever played a game at Donoho.

he was forced to sit out what would’ve been his junior sea-son, due to the alabama high school athletic association’s rule governing transfers when he left oxford to enroll at the small prep school. Though he wasn’t allowed to participate, he still attended practices, gaining the respect and trust of his team-mates along the way.

once he did step on the field as a senior, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound quarterback led the Falcons to an 11-2 record and a trip to the Class 1a state quar-terfinals, matching the school’s deepest post-season run ever. he led the Falcons with more than 2,000 all-purpose yards.

For his efforts, Williams was named The star’s 2011 Class 1a-2a Calhoun County Player of the Year by respective coaches.

“i just try to be that leader,” he said. “Whatever the coaches need me to do, if they need me to make a play, i want to be that go-to guy.”

Williams rushed for 1,499 yards and 24 touchdowns while going 46-for-110 passing for 676

yards and eight scores. Williams said he’d done his

research on Donoho and even took a tour of the school’s Gold-en springs campus before telling his parents of his desire to seek a more challenging academic environment.

Things were going fairly well in the classroom for Wil-liams through one semester as he made the adjustment from public to private school. Then, things got real.

“(During the first semester of his junior year) things weren’t as bad people were saying they were going to be,” Williams said. “i was like, ‘oK, i just need to apply myself.’ Then in the second semester, we had a lot of projects due at the same time and home-work and tests on top of all that.”

Williams persevered and his coaches were understanding when he did have to miss a prac-tice here or there to give enough time to his studies.

and the time in the classroom has paid off. Williams plans to attend college next fall, be it for his academic aptitude or his ath-letic ability.

Williams said he plans to major in engineering wherever he attends school and is consid-ering colleges such as auburn, Clemson, Duke and howard

university in Washington, D.C. There also may be oppor-

tunities for him to continue to pursue his pigskin passions while working to become a pro-fessional. While he hasn’t been extended any formal offers, he has received interest from sev-eral small schools, including bir-mingham southern College.

Williams credited his success in the classroom to Donoho’s high scholastic standards and its faculty. he owes his success on the gridiron to coach shannon Felder.

“he knows what every posi-tion on the field is supposed to be doing, from the defensive line to the quarterbacks, and he helps us a lot,” Williams said. “i know he works hard, too. There’s a lot of nights where he doesn’t go to sleep until 2 or 3 a.m. because he’s watching film.”

looking back on the season Williams said it makes him and his teammates feel a little better, knowing they were defeated by the team that won it all.

“Teddre is a leader. he’s a smart football player,” Felder said. “Not only that, he’s also smart in the classroom.”

Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3575. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.

Felder’s formula pays offBy NiCk BirdsoNg

nbirdsong@annistonstar.com

in all of his years in the coaching profession, shannon Felder said he’s never witnessed a team make as much improve-ment as this year’s squad.

From this season’s summer camp to the Falcons’ 11-2 play-off finish, it was an impressive run as Donoho matched the 2006 squad for the deepest post-season run in school history.

For his efforts in leading them, Felder was chosen as The star’s 2011 Class 1a-2a Calhoun County Coach of the Year by local coaches.

“We exceeded a lot of peo-ples’ expectations,” he said.

The Falcons were coming off an 8-3 season in 2010, which was preceded by a 1-19 stretch, but they were losing, among others, last year’s County Player of the Year, former quarterback Will Nunnelley. To make mat-ters worse, two key starters sus-tained major injuries.

Nonetheless, the team perse-

vered, weath-ering that initial wave of setbacks and used their superior con-ditioning to outlast oppo-nents along the way.

Felder mas-terminded a training regiment consisting of tactics he learned from his days of playing at alabama in the ’80s while also adding elements from previous stints in his career. The blend of both old- and new-school tactics prepared his team to endure the rigors of rarely leaving the field.

The Falcons lifted weights and ran just about every day and kicked things into high gear dur-ing their week-long preseason camp in Pisgah where they endured four-a-day practices.

Felder admitted to holding back on unleashing the brunt of the demanding routine on

his players when he first arrived at Donoho. “it took a while for everyone to adjust to the con-ditioning in the beginning,” he said.

Donoho reaped the spoils of their toils throughout the season. usually near the end of the second quarter, the Falcons would notice their opponents heads hung low while grasping for breath.

“i’d look at them and say, ‘They don’t have as much gas in their tank as you,’” Felder said. “sometimes, i wouldn’t even say it. They’d look at me and say, ‘Coach, these guys are tired. We can see it.’”

Felder said despite the set-backs his team faced in the pre-season, he remained optimistic that they’d just be hitting their stride late in the season when most other squads had already reached their peak.

“i thought we had a chance to make it to Tuscaloosa,” he said.

Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.

Dayton Boozer Pleasant Valley Sr. 5-11, 140 K Parents: Randy and Donna BoozerTHE sTaTsBoozer boomed the ball all season long for the Raiders, averag-ing 43.6 yards per punt, 37.1 net, on 52 attempts.

Zack Mitchell Ohatchee Sr. 5-11, 185 DL Parents: Shane and Tammy Mitchell THE sTaTsMitchell tallied 51 tackles, including a team-best seven for loss and 5.5 sacks.

tristan allen Ohatchee So. 5-8, 160 RB Parents: Tasha Al-len and Jeremy AllenTHE sTaTsAllen was the Indi-ans leading rusher with 583 yards and eight touchdowns on eight carries.

Jon averetteJCA Sr. 6-3, 265 DLParents: Eric and Stacy AveretteTHE sTaTsAverette finished the sea-son with 48 solo tackles, five sacks and recovered two fumbles.

teddre Williams Donoho Sr. 5-8, 165 QB Parents: Aun-drea SwainTHE sTaTsWilliams rushed for 1,499 yards and 24 TDs and was 46 of 110 passing.

christopher carr Donoho So. 5-8, 155 DB Parents: Christopher and Lashundra Carr THE sTaTsCarr had 49 tackles and an interception.

Daylon Brackett JCA Fr. 6-3, 170 DBParents: Joelle and Michelle Brackett THE sTaTsBrackett showed promise with 22 solo tackles, six pass breakups and an INT.

evan ontiverosJCA Sr. 6-0, 225 OL Parents: Jeff and Daphne Wilson, Rudy OntiverosTHE sTaTsOntiveros com-manded the ac-tion, making all the calls up front for the Thunder.

camron Bryant JCA Sr. 5-11, 174 RBParents: Echols and Gina Bryant THE sTaTsHad nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards, including 758 rushing and and eight TDs.

tyler Morales JCA So. 5-10, 140 LBParents: Sheila Murray and Vic-tor MoralesTHE sTaTsMorales had 29 tackles and a sack.

Damien christen Donoho Sr. 6-4, 200 DL Parents: Neil and Tracy Christen THE sTaTsChristen was a force with 75 tackles.

Matthew overtonDonoho Sr. 5-10, 205 OL Parents: Dyron OvertonTHE sTaTsAs a senior, Overton was the best OL on an offense that scored more than 50 TDs.

George McMillan Donoho Jr. 6-2, 160 WR Parents: Ken and Priscilla McMillanTHE sTaTsMcMillan aver-aged more than 12 yards per catch with 15 receptions for 194 yards and two TDs.

Walker MasonDonoho Sr. 5-9, 158 RBParents: Jeff and Jamie MasonTHE sTaTsMason gained 667 yards and scored 12 TDs on 126 carries.

tate thomas Donoho Sr. 6-0, 200 LB Parents: Julia Segars, Frank Segars, Joe ThomasTHE sTaTs Thomas led the Falcons with 151 tackles.

Jackson hodges Donoho Sr. 6-0, 166 LB Parents: Tim and Melissa Hodges THE sTaTsHodges logged 117 tackles while forcing a fumble and recording an interception.

Jonathan poole Ohatchee Jr. 5-11, 155 ATH Parents: Gregg and Lucretia Poole THE sTaTsPoole made his biggest impact at WR where he caught 15 balls for 259 yards and three TDs.

Justin arenoOhatchee Sr. 5-11, 185 LB Parents: Michael and Julia Areno THE sTaTsAreno led the Indians with 71 stops.

Brady Kelley Ohatchee Sr. 5-10, 230 OL Parents: Jeff and Rita Kelley THE sTaTsKelley graded out at a respect-able 74 percent.

riley allen Ohatchee Jr. 5-7, 175 QB Parents: Jeremy and Tasha Allen THE sTaTsAllen completed 36 of 79 passes, for 500 yards.

Marshall Ghee Donoho Jr. 6-2, 185 K Parents: Doug and Brenda Ghee THE sTaTsGhee nailed 41 of 51 attempts.

chris Deerman Pleasant Valley Sr. 5-10, 175 DBParents: Anna HollidayTHE sTaTsDeerman was one of the Raiders’ leading tacklers.

eddie roePleasant Valley Jr. 5-11, 165 WR Parents: Ed and Cerilla Roe THE sTaTsLed the Raiders in receiving, scoring four touchdowns.

Michael roe Pleasant Valley Sr. 6-0, 170 TEParents: Ed and Cerilla Roe THE sTaTsNoted as an “outsanding leader” by coach Jeff Davis. Roe also came up with three interceptions.

Will hamby Pleasant Valley Sr. 5-11, 155 DBParents: Darren and LeAnne HambyTHE sTaTsHamby led Pleasant Valley in rushing while playing on both sides of the ball.

Jonah harmonPleasant Valley Sr. 5-11, 185 DL Parents: David and Melanie Harmon THE sTaTsLogged 15 tack-les for loss.

landon Gilmer Pleasant Valley Sr. 6-1, 230 OL THE sTaTsGilmore’s size and athleticism made him a key component of the Raiders of-fense.

Jared colvinPleasant Valley So. 5-11, 290 OLParents: Nancy Colvin and Steve LamonsTHE sTaTsA sophomore, he’s already started 31 games in his career.

austin tate Pleasant Valley Jr. 6-4, 165 ATH Parents: Scott and Tammie TateTHE sTaTsA great edge rusher, Tate led the Raiders with eight quarter-back sacks. Honorable Mentions: Alec McCormack, Justin Foster, Zack Stelair (Donoho); Ethan Lamber, Dustin Andrews (Pleasant Valley);

Hunter Longoria, Quinn Williams (Ohatchee); Cody Blum and Paul Cauldren (Jacksonville Christian).

fEldEr

The Anniston Star Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 3EClass 3a

By al MuskEwitzamuskewitz@annistonstar.com

Chris Strott had no problems being the next in line.

When it comes to the rites of succession in sports, it has often been said that it’s better to be the man who follows the man who follows The Man than be the one who immediately follows great success.

Strott, Piedmont’s senior quarterback, did just fine as the man who followed The Man.

Tasked with keeping the Bull-dogs on track after the gradu-ation of the winningest quar-terback in school history, Strott didn’t miss a beat.

Playing through pain and injury, he produced nearly 2,000 yards of offense and managed the team to a 12-win season for the second year in a row in his second year as the starting quar-terback.

For all that, he is The Star’s Calhoun County Class 3A Player of the Year.

“He had some big shoes to fill, but like so many kids we have at Piedmont every year, I’m impressed with their work ethic and their ability to step in,” Bulldogs coach Steve Smith said. “They all know there’s an expectation when their number is called. They’re expected to produce and we have confidence in them.”

Strott replaced three-year starter Chase Childers, who won 33 games and the school’s first-ever state championship in 2009, but continued the line of under-sized but effective signal-callers who have punctuated Smith’s tenure at Piedmont.

It wasn’t as if Strott was just thrown in and had to learn to swim. He went into games as a sophomore once the Bull-dogs had them in hand, and he learned well under Childers.

In his first year as the starter, Strott led the Bulldogs to a 12-2 season that ended in the state semifinals and felt like a letdown after wining it all the year before. But taking those lessons, he took Piedmont to 12 straight wins this season before a run that was expected to end in a state

title matchup with Handley was abruptly halted in the quarterfi-nals at Rogers.

“I learned from a good quar-terback,” Strott said. “Through-out my years at Piedmont, I got to watch some good athletes come through. I stood there and learned what they were doing and listened to coach when he talked to Chase.

“Going into my (junior) year, I was just thinking coach counts on me, I have to perform. In the beginning I didn’t have confidence. I was overwhelmed having all I had to learn; it was a shock. But once I settled in, I just kicked back and it was like, ‘Wow, it’s not what I thought it’d be.’ ... I tried my best to win all the games I could. Unfortunate-ly, we didn’t win a state champi-onship.”

But he always gave the Bull-dogs a chance. For the season, he

completed 72 of 122 passes for 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 834 yards and six touchdowns on 112 carries.

It wasn’t without a toll, how-ever. He played the first two games with a broken pinky on his throwing hand that he sustained in the jamboree — “the ball felt like it had a lump in it,” he said — and later in the year played through a high-ankle sprain.

“He’s a tough kid, one of those guys you pick first if you need someone to go with you in a battle,” Smith said. “He’s a competitor and that’s one of those traits we look for in a guy to lead our team. He may not be the most impressive kid when you see him walk off the bus, but there’s not anybody I’d trade him for.”

Al Muskewitz is a sports writer for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3577.

11A

Chris StrottPiedmontSr. 5-9, 170 QB Parents: Grace and George StrotttHE statsStrott threw for 1,059 yards and rushed for 834.

Justin GrierSaksSr. 5-11, 172 RB Parents: Rocky Grier and Monique GriertHE statsGrier led Saks with 898 yards and eight TDs on 134 carries.

Logan GiddensWhite PlainsSr. 6-0, 190 LB Parents: Dawn and Michael Giddens tHE statsThe lone first-team selection for a White Plains team that didn’t pick up its first win until Week 8.

Chandler FallWeaverSr. 6-1, 195 OL Parents: Timothy Fall and Angel MorgantHE statsFall was third on the team with 65 tackles and seven sacks.

Brandell Massey Weaver Jr. 5-11, 203 RB Parents: Ninia Massey and Adrain SturkietHE statsMassey led the Bearcats with 823 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns on 101 carries.

Timothy Hawkins Weaver So. 6-2, 165 WR Parents: Tim Hawkins and Stalitha Hawkins tHE statsHawkins tallied nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards.

Chris EnglishWeaver So. 5-9, 155 ATH Parents: Eurica Perkins and De-juan Perkins tHE statsEnglish racked up 1,727 all-pur-pose yards and had 24 TDs.

Clay DentPiedmont 5-11, 195 LBParents: Ira and Samantha DenttHE statsDent led the Bulldogs with 164 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and nine sacks.

Dejuan Traylor Wellborn Sr. 6-2, 250 TEParents: Felecia Traylor and Steve English tHE statsTraylor was a great blocking tight end and had 64 tackles and three sacks on defense.

Derek KeyWellborn Sr. 5-10, 190 DBParents: Mike and Cansi Key tHE statsLogged 34 starts in his career and had 69 tackles, two sacks and two INTs.

Mikey Scoggins Saks Sr. 6-3, 250 OL Parents: Gerri Scoggins and George Scoggins tHE statsScoggins graded out at 88 percent and registered a beasty 48 pancakes.

Jameson TrammellPiedmont Sr. 6-3, 285 OL Parents: Jimmy and Susan TrammelltHE stats Trammell helped pave the way for a Piedmont team that compiled nearly 4,700 yards of offense, grading out a 88 percent and tallying 58 pancake blocks.

BIoS

Dillon TerryPiedmont Jr. 6-0, 165 KParents: Greg and Vanessa Terry tHE statsTerry nailed 42 of 46 ex-tra-point attempts and connected on 5 of 8 field goals, including a long of 35 yards.

Landon PruittPiedmont Sr. 5-9, 165 DBParents: Tim and Revonda PruitttHE statsPruitt had eight pass break-ups, two INTs and 64 tackles.

Jamie Major Piedmont Jr. 6-1, 212 DBParents: Marie WebbtHE statsMajor, already a two-time Max-Preps All-American, was third on the team with 98 tackles. He had 760 yards rushing.

Sloan GarnerPiedmont Sr. 6-7, 185 WRParents: April Doss and Dewayne Garner tHE statsGarner pulled in 36 catches for 597 yards and 10 touch-downs.

Chantz GoodmanWellborn So. 5-5, 160 RBParents: Chris Goodman and Pam GoodmantHE statsGoodman rushed for 1,078 yards and 19 TDs on 170 carries.

Quinton Thomas Saks Sr. 6-3, 350 DLParents: Brenda and Antonio AlexandertHE statsThe big man had 40 tackles, including four for loss.

Judd SmithWellborn Jr. 5-8, 150 ATHParents: Jeff and Lisa SmithtHE statsSmith completed 40 of 68 passing attempts for 706 yards and 14 TDs.

Chase ArnoldWeaver Jr. 5-7, 150 PParents: Mona Hardy and Darren HardytHE statsArnold aided Weaver’s defense by aver-aging 41.4 yards per punt.

Adam O’Bryen Wellborn Sr. 5-11, 240 OL Parents: John and Teresa O’BryentHE statsThe three-year starter graded out at 82 percent.

Malik Anderson Weaver Sr. 6-5, 220 DL Parents: Brian RagtHE statsAnderson registered a team-high 17 QB hurries to go along with 28 tackles.

Joshua Reynolds Saks Sr. 5-9, 180 LBParents: Tara and Tony HunleytHE statsReynolds led the Wildcats with 102 tackles, 11 for loss.

Chase JohnsonSaks Jr. 6-0, 180 QB Parents: Diane and Tim JohnsontHE statsJohnson com-pleted 112 of 215 attempts for 15 TDs.

Austin BishopPiedmont Jr. 6-4, 260 OL Parents: Gayle and Ray Bishop tHE statsBishop graded out at 85 percent while adding 51 pancake blocks.

Marquez Gamble Piedmont Jr. 5-11, 280 DLParents: JoAnna Gamble tHE statsGamble finished with 68 tackles, including seven for loss.

Quadree WoodsPiedmont Sr. 5-11, 237 DLParents: April Prater and Darious Woods tHE statsWoods was fourth on the team with 78 tackles.

Dalton Screws Wellborn Sr. 5-11, 175 DBParents: Keith and Kim ScrewstHE statsScrews had 109 tackles and four INTs.

Bobby WhiteWellborn Sr. 6-0, 210 LB Parents: Bobby and Cher White tHE statsWhite finished the season with 130 tackles.

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▶ PLAyER OF THE yEAR | Chris Strott, Piedmont

▶ COACH OF THE yEAR | Jeff Smith, Wellborn

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star/File

Piedmont quarterback Chris Strott passed for 1,059 yards and rushed for 834 more as the Bulldogs won 12 games.

Torch passedStrott takes over, shines in his time

Smith fixes yet anotherBy NiCk BiRDsONG

nbirdsong@annistonstar.com

Jeff Smith had played the role of Mr. Fix-It before.

In 2001, he guided ohatchee to its first 10-win season in 21 years after going .500 in his first season at the helm four seasons prior.

He led Class 5A Hueytown to a 10-2 record in 2002. The Gophers had gone winless two years in a row, including his first year on their sidelines in 2003.

The rebuilding project he decided to embark upon when he left the suburbs of Birming-ham and came back to Calhoun County to take the head coach-ing position at Wellborn in 2009 was nearer and dearer to his heart. The Hill was home for the 1986 Wellborn alum, and the Panthers were coming off back-to-back 1-9 finishes.

Three seasons later, he’s pulled off yet another extreme makeover, high school football edition. Following an 8-4 season

this past fall during which the Panthers won their first playoff game since 1995 while coping with the tragic death of senior Aaron “Too-tie” Harris, local coaches named Smith The Star’s Class 3A Calhoun County Coach of the Year.

“I just wanted our former players to be proud of our team,” Smith said. “When they come out every Friday night, I wanted them to be proud of the team coming out on the field. Putting on that black helmet and black jersey meant a lot to me, and I’m sure it does to them.”

Progress has been steady since Smith arrived. In his first season, the Panthers had a losing record but reached the playoffs with four region victo-ries. The past two years, they’ve

defeated Marbury in their Class 3A, Region 3 finale to reach the playoffs. Their 6-5 finish in 2010 marked the first time they’d posted a winning record since 2006. This year’s senior class finished with an 18-16 record in three seasons.

“We went to work getting them to work hard, to be disci-plined and to be accountable,” Smith said. “Those things, along with getting them to be high-character guys, happened at Wellborn faster than it did at ohatchee and Hueytown.”

Next season, the Panthers will drop down to Class 2A, escap-ing a brutal region schedule that included Handley and Leeds, state champions three of the past four seasons, and perennial power Clay County.

“It might not happen next year or in two years,” Smith said “But our next goal is to play for a state championship.”

Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.

Honorable Mentions: Wellborn-Landon McChristie, Kevin Mixon, O.J. Pilot, James Dunn, A.J. Files, Jeramiah Farmer, Deon-tae Sturkie; Weaver-Tray Moore, Kalem Lawrence, Daniel Wilson, Jonathon Jones, Chris Troge, Phillip Peavy; White Plains-Zach Burgess, David Gomez, Roderick Young, Dale Reddick; Piedmont-Chazz Gamble, Casey Moore, Collin Bradley, Laphonso Burroughs, Cade Bradley, Jaylan Johnson, Exavyer Johnson; Saks-Xavier Morgan, Marquis Townsend, Cordarius Cooper, Tre Smith, Josh Wilson, Mason McCune, Rashard Wiliams, Xavier Dennard.

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Page 4E Sunday, January 15, 2012 The Anniston Star class 4a-6a

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▶ player of the year | Troymaine Pope, Anniston

▶ coach of the year | John Grass, oxford

Trent Penny/The Anniston Star/File

Anniston running back Troymaine Pope runs through the Jacksonville defense on his way to a long touchdown run against the Golden Eagles.

dynomiTeAnniston’s Pope leads state with 2,500 yards

By Bran stricklandbstrickland@annistonstar.com

it was about the shoes. it’s always about the shoes.

but as Troymaine Pope looked at that perfect pair of kicks on nike.com, the Anniston running back found something not even the rarest pair of Air Jordan could do for his game: serve as a perfect punctuation mark.

“i saw them gloves, and i just had to have them,” he said.

Playing off a pose Alabama Heisman Trophy-winning run-ning back mark ingram made famous (with a different design) — hands together, outstretched with palms out — the mitts made the statement Pope had been made all last season with 30 touchdowns.

Right hand: B-OLeft hand: O-MPope went BOOM alright.

The Anniston senior led the state in rushing with 2,539 yards and 31 touchdowns on 241 carries (10.5 yards per carry).

For his efforts, he was voted The star’s Class 4A-6A Player of the year. His efforts have also

garnered him a scholarship offer from Jacksonville state with a host of other schools interested in his services.

For Pope, he said, the gloves were fate with fingers. Playing around while running the ball at practice, he’d always say ‘boom’ whenever contact was made. but more than that, Pope said of his style of running, he always strives to be the person that brings the boom.

“i don’t want to take contact,” he said. “When i have to hit somebody, i want to be the one giving the contact.”

At 5-foot-9 and a hair more than 200 pounds, Pope’s stocky build and low center of grav-ity makes him a handful for would-be tacklers — being quick enough to get to him and then quick enough to get low enough in the process.

but his natural build isn’t the “God-given ability” that he attri-butes as the key to his success. He calls it his vision.

“you have to see the hole and the field,” he said, “and trust your line and be patient enough to wait for it open up.”

And when it does, that’s when Pope becomes the most deadly. He doesn’t always need a hole to break off a big gain — his ability to change direction gives him that. When the big hole does come, it basically turns into a footrace. And being electronical-ly timed at a summer combine with 4.6-second, 40-yard dash speed, there were few instances where Pope was run down.

none of those came against Cleburne County on sept. 2. Pope finished with 19 carries for 326 yards and all seven of the bulldogs’ touchdown in a 49-35 win. He scored on runs of 85, 56, 5, 46, 18 and 13 yards. His first touchdown came on a wide-open 30-yard reception.

While Pope found the gloves in the summer and had them in hand for the season opener, he didn’t debut them until that night: the region opener against rival Cleburne County.

“i guess it worked out,” he said. “i was pretty explosive.”

Bran Strickland is the Assis-tant Managing Editor for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @bran_strickland.

Grass planting place in 6ABy nick BirdsOnG

nbirdsong@annistonstar.com

oXforD — The pecking order to Alabama’s Class 6A football is no secret: Hoover and Prattville sit atop the list.

Those schoolshave combined to win 10 state titles since 2000. Prattville owns four state titles and Hoover has six in that span.

but oxford coach John Grass is trying to breakup the monotonous monopoly. He led the yellow Jackets to a magical 12-2 run and a berth in the state semifinals this past season and was named The star’s Class 4A-6A Calhoun County Coach of the year.

“We just want to be one of those teams that you’re going to have to go through year in and year out in the playoffs to make it through north Alabama,” he said.

in his fourth season at the helm, the 16-year veteran coach guided the yellow Jackets to their most successful season ever, playing big-boy football. They captured their first Region

7 title after then-regular season leader Clay-Chalkville was forced to forfeit nine games for play-ing an ineli-gible player. They garnered playoff victo-ries against spain Park, northridge and then top-ranked mountain brook, in triple overtime all at home.

in the semifinals, they held a 9-0 lead against Hoover before falling 32-22 on the road to end the season.

And they did all this after one of the toughest regular-season schedules in the state.

Grass said the confidence gained from winning a playoff game in 2010 and their tough non-region schedule primed his team to go deep in the playoffs in 2011.

“you’re playing very athletic teams, very talented teams,” he said. “i think it helps you in a playoff setting to get to that level

that you want to play with the Prattvilles and the Hoovers.

oxford also overcame a mid-season injury to star linebacker Kwon Alexander, rated as the nation’s best at his position by esPn. The Under Armour All-American went out for the sea-son with a torn ACL in a Week 4.

“you can’t replace a guy like that with one person,” Grass said. “ ... When you lose a guy like that, everyone’s got to step up. you’re offensive production has got to step up. you’re kicking game has got to step up.”

The yellow Jackets will lose a slew of players from a talented senior class filled with All-Amer-ican and All-state players. How-ever, Grass said, making their way into the upper-echelon of elite football programs in Class 6A is still within their grasp.

“We’ve just got to continue to do the things we’re doing and building,” he said. “i think our program’s on a solid foundation. We’re going to be competitive.”

Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.

troymaine popeAnniston Sr. 5-9, 201 RBParents: Tracey Pope and Fredrick Pope tHE statsPope led the state in rushing with 2,539 yards and 31 TD on 241 carries.

Dontavius Blair Anniston Sr. 6-7, 280 OLParents: Kim Blair and Lorenzo Swink tHE statsThe big left tackle had a nearly flawless senior season, grading out at 93 percent on the year.

trae elstonOxford Sr. 6-0, 187 ATHParents: Shellah ElstontHE statsElston hauled in 756 yards and 10 TDs while log-ging 106 tackles and seven INTs.

Josh Staples Jacksonville Sr. 5-8, 150 PParents: Derek and Julie StaplestHE statsStaples excelled when taking over punting midseason.

coty SpurlingOxford Sr. 5-11, 180 WRParents: Debo-rah SpurlingtHE statsSpurling led Oxford with 55 catches for 909 yards and nine touchdowns.

Jackson Stephens Oxford Sr. 6-4, 200 QBParents: Jay and Tara StephenstHE statsStephens completing 185 of 347 passing attempts for 2,986 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Monte BassOxford Sr. 5-8, 168 DB Parents: Erica Chaney and Ramone BasstHE statsBass ended up with 52 tackles and four INTs.

Jarline leeAlexandria Jr. 5-7, 175 RBParents: John Lee, Tangie Harris, Will HarristHE stats Lee rushed for 1,945 yards and 27 TDs on 304 carries.

taylor Watts Alexandria Jr. 6-2, 245 OLParents: Steve Watts and An-gela Rogers tHE stats The two-year starter graded out at 92 per-cent.

Dominique Williams Oxford Sr. 6-2, 189 WR Parents: Kelvin and Soretta Williams tHE stats Williams had 39 catches for 515 yards and four TDs.

Ulric Jones Oxford Jr. 6-7, 256 DL Parents: Sheldon and Shakira Jones tHE stats Jones had a breakout season with 51 tackles, five for loss and three sacks.

trent SimpsonOxford Jr. 6-5, 240 DL Parents: Mike and Dawn SimpsontHE stats Simpson was the Yellow Jackets’ most productive de-fensive lineman with 52 tackles, including nine for loss. and seven sacks.

cordero little Jacksonville Sr. 6-0, 198 RBParents: Kim-berly LittletHE statsLittle played in nine games but still managed to rush for 938 yards and 11 TDs.

coryell elstonJacksonville Sr. 5-11, 220 DL Parents: Shujuanna Elston tHE statsElston had 63 tackles and two sacks.

tyler ross Jacksonville Sr. 6-2, 185 WR Parents: Willie and Caroline RosstHE statsRoss used his speed to aver-age more than 13 yards per catch.

chance Smitherman Alexandria Jr. 6-1, 170 LB Parents: Rhonda and Rodney Smitherman tHE statsSmitherman had 74.5 tackles to lead all Valley Cub linebackers.

Wes caldwellOxford So. 5-8, 185 LB Parents: Wayne and Sharon Caldwell tHE statsCaldwell made a name for himself with 119 tackles.

calvin Baker Oxford Sr. 6-3, 285 OLParents: Wesley and Angie Baker tHE statsBaker graded out at 84 percent to go along with 36 pancakes.

roderick BurkeAnniston Jr. 5-9, 230 DL Parents: Tawa-nda Jackson and Roderick Burke tHE statsBurke finished with 102 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks.

chadrick anderson Anniston Sr. 6-0, 238 OL Parents: Contina AndersontHE statsAnderson pro-vided solidarity and graded out at 89 percent for the season.

Jamar Jones Anniston Jr. 5-11, 160 DBParents: Johnny Smith tHE statsJones led the Bulldogs with seven INTs.

tyler Burr Alexandria Sr. 6-1, 170 DBParents: Kristi Stillwell and Keith Burr tHE statsBurr led the Cubs with 81 tackles, five forced fumbles and three INTs.

frederick Jordan Anniston Sr. 6-1, 197 LB Parents: Ladreaka Moore and Frederick Jordan, Sr. tHE stats Jordan posted 103 tackles, six for loss.

Denzel roberts Anniston Sr. 6-2, 195 DBParents: Cas-sandra Roberts and Demetric RobertstHE stats Roberts logged 109 tackles from his free safety slot.

Sean pettus Oxford Sr. 6-2, 155 K Parents: Neal Pettus tHE stats Connected on 35 extra-point attempts.

Deangelo thompson Oxford Jr. 5-8, 195 LBParents: Danielle Thompson tHE stats Thomp-son was tied with Elston for second on the team in tackles with 106 stops. Also added five tackles for loss and a sack.

Justice owens Alexandria Jr. 5-10, 165 ATHParents: April Owens and John MooretHE stats The speedy Owens rushed for 573 yards and 11 touchdowns on 87 carries and added 18 catches for 267 yards.

racean thomas Oxford So. 5-11, 195 RBParents:Frank and Ione ThomastHE stats Thomas led the Yellow Jackets with 1,535 yards rushing and 20 touch-downs on 200 carries.

Michael flint Oxford Sr. 6-3, 297 OLParents: Trisha Fowler and Roger Flint tHE statsFlint graded out at 85 percent, had 48 pancake blocks and allowed one sack.

Honorable Mentions: Anniston-Shaquale Ashford, Lafayette Ragland, Isaiah Riggins; Alexandria- Chance Heath, Zach Harper

Grass

The Anniston Star Sunday, January 15, 2012 Page 5Eall-arEa

By roBErt BozEmanrbozeman@annistonstar.com

Handley lineman Bradley Bozeman has a list of accom-plishments as long as his arm.

And that’s an even more considerable achievement given his massive size. Now it’s time to add another: The Star’s 2011 Area Football Player of the Year.

“Brad is a team player, make no mistake about that,” said Handley coach Mike Battles. “Any individual honor he got, he knows that the whole team had a part in it.

“He’s anchored our offensive line even since playing for us as a ninth-grader, a 10th-grader and a junior, and we’ve still got another year to go. He’s really been just a rock out there on offense.”

Bozeman, the 6-foot-4 line-man, was the first 2013 commit-ment to Alabama, in addition to helping Handley win its first state championship, finishing with an undefeated 15-0 record. He recorded more than 60 pan-cake blocks this year and added 51 tackles and three sacks on defense. He was one of 24 final-ists nominated for the state’s Mr. Football award.

Oh, and he’s still only a junior. “It’s pretty amazing,” Boze-

man said about winning The Star’s 2011 Area Football Player of the Year. “Hopefully, things will follow in that path.”

Bozeman said he’s still working hard and focusing on high school life, despite all his accomplishments and acco-lades so far.

“If you want to be the best, you got to keep working like the best,” he said. “Keep working and running and doing your agilities.”

Battles, a veteran coach of 38 years, seconded that thought, citing Bozeman’s work ethic.

“He’s one of those guys that is the first one to practice, last one to leave,” he said. “He goes his hardest. Every drill, every-thing, he just thinks everything is important.”

Battles led Handley to its first state title this year, beat-ing Madison Academy 20-14 in the AHSAA Class 3A state final at the Super 6. Battles won his first state title with Irwin County (Ga.) in 1975.

Bozeman had eight tackles in the Super 6 against Madison Academy.

Handley’s last opportunity came in 1977 in a 17-16 loss

to Stevenson. Bozeman’s dad, Barry, was a lineman on that Handley team.

“My dad, he’s on the sidelines every game,” Bradley Bozeman said. “If I’m not doing it right, I’m going to hear about it, no doubt about it. And if I do good, I’ll hear it, too. He’s been a big push in my life.”

Bozeman said he first realized he could be a college football player after his ninth-grade year when he got invited to attend the ’09 A-Day game in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s been a really big dream in my life, and I always wanted to do it,” Bozeman said of playing for Alabama. “My dream came true. I’m very blessed.”

This past year, the Tigers averaged 310.4 rushing yards per game. Bozeman’s hard work up front at right tackle helped open

up the holes necessary to power Handley’s running attack. Hand-ley featured two 1,000-plus-yard rushers in Quay Hunter and Breyon Deberry.

Battles called Bozeman one of the best offensive linemen he’s coached in his long career.

“With practice, we demand a lot, and he knows what’s expect-ed,” said Battles. “It’s one of those things where he’s going to go out there and do the absolute best job that he can do, because he expects it of himself and we expect it of him.

“He’s got all the tools. He’s got the size, he’s got the feet, he’s got the desire, he’s got the aggression already built in, and he’s very smart. ... You can’t fool him.”

Bobby Bozeman is a staff writer for the Star.

11A

BIOS ▶ player of the year | Bradley Bozeman, Handley

▶ coach of the year | Charlie Dampeer, Lincoln

Stephen Gross/The Anniston Star/File

Bradley Bozeman (78) has used his large frame to anchor Handley’s offensive line since his ninth-grade season.

Even bigger

Dampeer turns it aroundBy nICK BIrDSonG

nbirdsong@annistonstar.com

Everyone knows the choice four and five-letter words that shouldn’t be a part of their pro-fessional vocabulary.

Charlie Dampeer has a 10-letter word that he prefers not to utter — rebuilding.

The 29-year veteran doesn’t believe in the term and his track record is proof he doesn’t live it either.

A year after winning only one game, the Mississippi native led Lincoln to a 7-5 record and an appearance in the second-round of the playoffs a year after the Golden Bears posted an abysmal 1-9 mark. Dampeer, brought in last June, did so without the ben-efit of guiding his team through spring training like most new hires.

For his efforts, Dampeer has been named The Star’s 2011 Area Football Coach of the Year.

“I don’t think anybody even likes that when they say it,” Dampeer said of the dreaded

“R” word. “I don’t know what you’re supposed to rebuild — the players? Seniors want to win right now. They can’t wait until next year. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

But Dampeer didn’t take the Golden Bears from ashy to classy in a matter of months with pop psychology or Knute Rockness pep talks about pride and pas-sion.

“Understanding scheme and getting players in the right posi-tion is 95 percent of it,” Dampeer said. “I think that motivation stuff is overrated. The lights come on, people are in the stands and the band’s playing every Friday night. If that doesn’t motivate them, what can I do?”

But there will be no curtain call for Dampeer. He resigned from his position this past Mon-

day to move back to his home state to tend to his aging father, also named Charles, who’s Alzheimer’s has worsened in recent months.

It’s a decision he’d been con-templating for months and had spoken with Lincoln principal Terry Roller before Christmas.

“I’m the only male in my fam-ily,” he said. “He lives in a nursing home. My sister’s live far away. I’ve got to be there. It’s just the right thing to do.”

Dampeer made the decision to come to Alabama to be closer to his son Brooks, an assistant at Pell City. Family drove him back to northeast Mississippi. Coach-ing football again came along afterward.

He’s accepted a position McNairy Central. Coincidentally, the Bobcats went 2-8 last season.

“I had to take on this respon-sibility,” he said. “That came before the job.”

Nick Birdsong covers prep sports for The Star. He can be reached at 256-235-3575. Follow him on Twitter @birds_word.

Bradley BozemanHandley Jr. 6-4, 325 OL Parents: Barry and JoeAnne BozemantHE StatSBozeman led his team to a 15-0 re-cord and a Class 3A state title.

curt Brown Woodland Sr. 5-10, 180 WR Parents: Chad and Debi Brown tHE StatSHad 37 catches for 758 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Deandre Wills Clay County So. 6-3, 220 DL Parents: James Wills and Angela Simmons tHE StatSHad 55 tackles, 10 for loss, and one sack.

Joseph Meek Clay County Sr. 6-1, 210 OL Parents: Terry and Caroline Meek tHE StatSAnchored the Panthers’ line for the past two seasons.

Jamari StaplesClay County Jr. 6-4, 175 DB Parents: Dedrick and Jeanene KeithtHE StatSHad a team-best nine intercep-tions and four pass breakups.

Demetrius lindsey Lineville Sr. 5-11, 170 QB Parents: Darlene and Regis LindseytHE StatSWas 98 of 172 in passing at-tempts for 1,391 yards and 12 TDs. He also rushed for 1,047 yards.

Steven henry Lineville Sr. 6-5, 214 DL Parents: Dainne Henry and James Henry tHE StatSHenry had 63 tackles, includ-ing 56 solo, 16 for loss.

trevon Bell Lineville Sr. 5-10, 200 OL Parents: Bobby Carter and Raquel Carter tHE StatSHad 68 tackles, including 62 so-los, nine for loss and four sacks.

Jamario lyles Lineville Jr. 5-9, 175 LB Parents: Pamela Lyles tHE StatSLineville’s lead-ing tackler with 88 stops, includ-ing 78 solos and four for loss.

lamar Jones Clay County Sr. 5-11, 177 RBParents: Lamarcus and Rita Jones tHE StatSJones rushed for 1,304 yards and 16 touchdowns on 143 carries.

al Davis Woodland Jr. 6-5, 250 OL Parents: Dan Davis and Carrie Davis tHE StatS Davis could be a college signee next year, having already received interest from several schools.

alan taylor Cleburne County Jr. 6-5, 245 OLParents: Johnnie and Sharon TaylortHE StatSTaylor graded out at around 88 percent.

Shawncey Simmons Clay County Sr. 6-1, 175 ATH Parents: Bessie Simmons and Jarry Garrett tHE StatSSimmons had 17 rushing touchdowns and 1,086 yards on 151 carries. He also completed 49 of 106 passes for 889 yards 10 TDs.

Jayland ackles Clay County Sr. 6-1, 278 OL Parents: Martin Ackles and Regina Thomas tHE StatSThe big burly lineman helped pave the way for Clay County’s offense.

Devin Gaddis Clay County Jr. 5-8, 165 DB Parents: Sonia and Anthony Gaddis tHE StatSGaddis held his own with five in-terceptions and two pass breakups to go along with 34 tackles and a forced fumble.

Breyon DeberryHandley Sr. 5-8, 185 RB Parents: Wilma Williams tHE StatSLed the Tigers with an 8.17 yards per carry average. Gained 1,144 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on 140 carries.

chris DillardHandley Sr. 5-8, 190 LBParents: William and Daffie DillardtHE StatSDillard led the Tigers with 192 tackles.

Quay hunterHandley Sr. 5-10, 175 DB Parents: Beverly HuntertHE StatSHunter was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns on 168 carries.

alex lee Cleburne County Sr. 6-3, 200 TE Parents: Eric and Rebecca LeetHE StatSThe big target caught 18 passes for 305 yards and four touch-downs.

rocky hayes Cleburne County Sr. 6-0, 173 ATH Parents: Willie Hayes and Renee Hayes tHE StatSHayes rushed for 1,312 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 11 passes for 217 yards.

tyrone cosby Lineville Jr. 5-10, 171 WR Parents: Adrian and Vicky Odem tHE StatSCosby snagged 45 passes for 850 yards and nine TDs.

Michael howard Woodland Jr. 5-10, 210 RB Parents: Mary Jane and David Howard tHE StatSHoward, a transfer from Clay County, had 1,602 yards and 19 touchdowns

t.J. truss Lincoln Sr. 6-1, 180 DB Parents: Shen-evelyn Truss tHE StatSTruss nabbed one intercep-tion and was a decent run stopper as well with 34 tackles.

David Dake Ranburne Sr. 5-9, 205 DL Parents: Hollie and Robbie ChartHE StatSDake had 61 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.

colton McManus Woodland Sr. 6-0, 163 K Parents: Gayle and Allen Mc-ManustHE StatSMcManus nailed 37 of 38 point after tries and all three of his field goal attempts.

Handley’s Bozeman takes home another

accolade

DamPEEr

“he’s one of those guys that is the first one to practice, last one to leave.”

— Handley coach Mike Battles on lineman Bradley Bozeman

Page 6E Sunday, January 15, 2012 The Anniston Star

Bradley BozemanHandley

Coty SpurlingOxford

Troymaine PopeAnniston

Trae ElstonOxford

Shawncey SimmonsClay County

Dandy DozenThe Star’s 2011

Dontavious BlairAnniston

Jackson StephensOxford

Rocky HayesCleburne County

Chris DillardHandley

Michael FlintOxford

Jamie MajorPiedmont

Jarline LeeAlexandria