Decatur High’s football team did just about everything it was supposed to do this year to set itself up nicely for the first round of the state playoffs.

But for finishing second in Class 6A, Region 8 and mounting a six-game winning streak late in the season to earn home-field advantage in the first round, what did the Red Raiders get?

A tough first-round opponent in Gadsden City, which got five touchdown passes from Bradley Clay to beat the Red Raiders 35-28 on Friday night at Ogle Stadium. Clay threw two scoring passes to Kendall Kelly, who is billed as one of the top wide receivers in the country.

“I think we got (as an opponent) one of the most talented football teams I’ve seen in a long time,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said.

“We didn’t see anything we didn’t expect. They had more Division I players on that field tonight than we’ve had around here in 10 years.”

Gadsden City (7-4) advanced to the second round to play Hewitt-Trussville (8-3). Hewitt-Trussville beat Austin 18-17 on Friday to advance. Decatur’s season ended at 7-4.

“Decatur’s as good as any team in our region. They’d fit in our region well,” said Gadsden City head coach Joe Billingsley, whose squad competes in Region 7.

The Titans’ reward for defeating Decatur is a re-match with Hewitt-Trussville. Gadsden City won the teams’ first meeting of the season 24-17.

“Hewitt means to beat us, and we don’t like that,” Billingsley said minutes after the game when hearing whom his team would face next.

But Gadsden City couldn’t start thinking about its next opponent until getting past Decatur. After the Titans broke a 7-7 tie with 26 seconds left in the first quarter, the Red Raiders trailed the rest of the contest, but never let the lead get out of reach.

Decatur needed just two plays to go up 7-0.

Quarterback Ben Neill broke free for a 40-yard run on the first play of the Red Raiders’ opening drive. After a face-mask penalty on the Titans, Chris Coffey took the ball in from the 3 to give Decatur a 7-0 lead.

Decatur’s defense forced two three-and-outs before Christopher Thornton caught a 16-yard pass from Clay.

Clay’s 24-yard pass to Kelly gave Gadsden City a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Daryl Collins caught a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 at halftime.

Coffey was quieted in the first half, but finally broke loose on a 48-yard touchdown run, pulling Decatur within 21-14 early in the third.

Coffey was held to 3 yards rushing in the second half, but found his groove in the second half to finish with a game-leading 89 yards and three touchdowns.

“I knew we were doing what we needed to do. We kept them off balance the whole second half,” Adcock said. “That’s the way I thought we’d play all night.”

The Titans’ Thornton increased Gadsden City’s lead to 28-14 with a 68-yard touchdown catch on third-and-24 from the 36, but Coffey’s 1-yard touchdown run kept the Red Raiders within a touchdown, 28-21.

Kelly added a 25-yard pass for a 35-21 Gadsden City lead and David Martin’s 8-yard touchdown catch from Neill kept it a one-touchdown game.

Neill intercepted a Titans pass at the 35 and ran it to the Titans’ 45, where Decatur took over with 5:12 with a chance to tie the game. But the Red Raiders couldn’t convert on fourth-and-five from the 25 and turned the ball over on downs. Another chance to tie with less than a minute remaining on fourth-and-five from the 28 also fell short.

“They covered us up really well. We had to come to our third receiver and we left it a little high,” Adcock said.

“But I think tonight our guys found out something about themselves we’ve been trying to make them see all year. They played the best football team they’ve played all year tonight and they came out down 14 at halftime and answered the bell. They just came up a play or two short.”

Playing against one of the best players in the country won’t be a new experience for Decatur High’s Cory Dodson.

The Red Raiders’ standout wide receiver used to get pushed around every day by former Decatur High all-state player Rolando McClain, now a starting linebacker at Alabama.

“When I used to practice against McClain, it was a big challenge,” Dodson said. “I was on the scout team then, and playing against the first-string defense made me a lot better.”

Dodson will get the chance to play against another top recruit Friday night when the Red Raiders (7-3) host Gadsden City (6-4) in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs at Ogle Stadium. Titans cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is widely considered as the nation’s top prospect at his position. Some online recruiting services list him as the third best player overall in the country.

Now that Dodson is more experienced and stronger than he was in his scout-team days, he’s eager to try to run past Kirkpatrick on a few routes Friday night.

“I like the challenge of going out there and playing against the best — not only the best in the state, but the best in country,” he said.

Gadsden City is in its third season of fielding a program. The school is a combination of old Gadsden, Litchfield and Emma Sansom high schools and has made the football playoffs all three years. The Titans advanced to the second round last year.

This year, they have allowed 17.7 points a game, and Kirkpatrick has 44 tackles, six interceptions and 10 pass break-ups. He could follow in the footsteps of McClain. Alabama is one of several schools that have courted the highly touted Kirkpatrick. Auburn, Florida, LSU and Texas are among others that are interested in the 6-foot-4, 185-pounder.

“You don’t see a lot of guys that height being able to play corner,” Decatur coach Jere Adcock said. “He can walk up and press the inside receiver and the outside receiver. He can sit back in deep coverage, see things happen and then break on the ball. Then you watch him return punts, and you know he’s the complete package.”

Kirkpatrick has returned three punts for an average of more than 30 yards. His only touchdown this season came on a 77-yard interception return against Oxford High.

But the thought of throwing against the nation’s top defensive back doesn’t intimidate Raiders quarterback Ben Neill.

“We plan on throwing the ball around a little bit,” he said. “Their secondary is obviously their strong point, so we’ll have to be able to throw it well. We plan on attacking them.”

Dale Trimble, who also plays cornerback for the Titans, has made 30 stops and intercepted three passes.

“Shoot, he may be more impressive to watch than Kirkpatrick,” Adcock said.

Kirkpatrick’s highlight reels are everywhere on the Internet, and some Decatur players have been logging extra film sessions in front of their computers at home.

“I haven’t watched anything on the Internet, but I know a lot of people on the team who have,” Neill said. “They’ve been talking about it a lot.”

Another thing the Red Raiders have talked about is their second-half offensive letdown in last week’s loss to Hartselle.

The Red Raiders jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but Hartselle’s defense held them scoreless for nearly three quarters on its way to a 19-16 win.

A late Decatur rally was stalled at the Hartselle 3-yard line after a failed fourth-down conversion attempt with fewer than three minutes remaining.

“We got up 14-0 and we just shut it down. They did a good job of stopping us, but we shot ourselves in the foot some,” Adcock said, “We’re not the type of offense that can come out and score a lot of points. We have to be productive by way of drives.”

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Red Raiders, and it gave county rival Hartselle its first undefeated regular season since 1979.

“This loss could be the best thing to happen to us,” Neill said. “Everybody is still pretty bitter about it, so we’re not going down without a fight. I’m glad we’re bitter because it’s better than being comfortable. When you’re bitter, you tend to play a lot harder.”

Prep football state playoffs

Schedule of first-round games involving area teams. Kickoffs are 7 p.m.

Friday

Class 6A: Austin (5-5) at Hewitt-Trussville (7-3), Gadsden City (6-4) at Decatur (7-3).

Hartselle High quarterback Luke Bole thought he’d never be asked to take a safety to keep his team’s perfect season intact.

“I always figured I would take a knee instead of a safety,” the senior said, “but it’s whatever works, man.”

The latter worked just fine Thursday night in the Tigers’ 19-16 win at Decatur, marking the first time since 1979 Hartselle has finished the regular season with a 10-0 record.

Facing a fourth-and-4 from his own 10-yard line with two seconds left, Bole — lined up as the punter — took the snap and ran out of the side of the end zone as time expired, not allowing Decatur another possession.

“You dream of a long touchdown pass or a long touchdown run,” Hartselle head coach Bob Godsey said. “Not a safety.”

Class 5A No. 2 Hartselle (10-0) ran out the final 21/2 minutes of the game after Decatur’s previous drive stalled at the 3-yard line.

Trailing 19-14, Class 6A Decatur (7-3) had a chance to take the lead with fewer than three minutes left. But on fourth-and-goal from the Hartselle 3-yard line, Ben Neill’s pass for Cory Dodson fell incomplete. Neill threw a bullet to Dodson on a slant route out of the Red Raiders’ spread formation, but Hartselle’s Jackson Reeves broke up the pass.

Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said Dodson was the go-to-guy on the play, although tight end Brooks Johnson had several key catches earlier in the half.

“Honestly, I thought it was going to Brooks since I was man-to-man on him,” Bole said. “I covered him up, and Jackson Reeves made a spectacular play.”

Decatur jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but Hartselle’s defense kept the Red Raiders out of the end zone for nearly three quarters.

“The defense has been excellent all year long, and they were again tonight,” Godsey said.

Chris Coffey scored on an 82-yard run on Decatur’s first play from scrimmage, and David Martin caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

“That’s not very good when you have a 14-0 lead and get beat,” Adcock said. “I’m real disappointed. I did a poor job of getting the kids ready to play.”

Hartselle’s Marquez Jones ran 64 yards for a score, and he added a 1-yard touchdown run with less than a minute left in the first half.

Dylan Stephenson missed the extra point, and Decatur led 14-13 at the half.

Jones scored his third and final touchdown midway through the third quarter on another 1-yard run to give Hartselle a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

“When you play a team like Decatur, it always comes down to three or four plays. And we were fortunate to make those three or four plays,” Godsey said.

Jones rushed for 119 yards on 17 carries, and Coffey gained 186 yards — 132 in the first half — on 24 carries.

“We beat some good teams along the way, and Decatur was probably the best one of them,” Godsey said. “It all goes back to these seniors are very focused, and they’ve been through the wars. Their leadership means a lot.”

Both teams will host first-round playoff games next week.

“This will definitely leave a bad taste in our mouths,” Adcock said.

“Blowing a 14-0 lead doesn’t speak very well for us. After tomorrow night, everybody will have a 0-0 record. Hopefully, this will make us hungry.”

As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Decatur High’s 38-0 win against Grissom on Thursday night, a steady rain began to fall at Ogle Stadium.

“We knew there was a chance of rain, and we wanted it to hold off,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “That worked out well.”

It was just another thing that went the Red Raiders’ way in the victory. Decatur (7-2, 6-2 Class 6A, Region 8) controlled every aspect of the game on the way to its sixth straight win.

The Red Raiders limited Grissom (2-7, 1-7) to 28 yards — minus-37 in the first half — and scored all 38 points before halftime. Other than a stalled drive in the first quarter and a fumble late in the game, it was a near flawless performance for Decatur, which finished as the region runner-up. The victory ensures the Red Raiders home-field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs.

“It’s going to be real good to have the home crowd behind us,” defensive end Pierre Key said.

Key and fellow defensive end Dewan Troupe led a defense that recorded eight sacks.

“We were relentless tonight,” Troupe said. “Just relentless.”

Before Thursday’s game, Adcock challenged his defense to not allow Grissom a first down.

“I thought we had a good chance at doing it,” Troupe said.

The Red Raiders nearly answered the challenge. Grissom didn’t earn a first down until 21/2 minutes before halftime.

“I thought our defense did a really good job. We challenged them this week to play with excellence,” Adcock said. “Our front four played really well. The defense was the story of the night.”

Decatur’s opening possession of the game stalled at the Grissom 26-yard line, but the defense managed to put the ball in the end zone three plays later. Grissom quarterback Dillon Ortman was blindsided by Troupe, who forced the ball loose. Garrett Teague then scooped up the fumble and raced 15 yards for the Red Raiders’ first score.

Spencer Walraven added the first of five extra points, and Decatur led by seven midway through the first quarter. The Red Raiders scored again when quarterback Ben Neill ran in from 4 yards out to cap a 10-play drive that lasted nearly five minutes. It was Decatur’s longest drive of the night.

“Our offense wasn’t on the field a lot in the first half, and we would have liked for the offense to work a lot more than that. We needed that to happen,” Adcock said.

On Decatur’s next possession, Brooks Johnson hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass from Neill. After Walraven’s kick, the Red Raiders led 21-0.

Grissom was forced to punt from its own 29 after a three-and-out on the ensuing possession. Tigers punter James Taylor couldn’t handle the low snap and sprinted toward the end zone to secure the loose ball before a host of tacklers brought him down at the 1-yard line.

Decatur’s David Martin punched the ball in on the next play to give the Red Raiders a four-touchdown lead.

Levi Cook blocked Taylor’s punt on the Tigers’ next possession, recovered it at the 1-yard line and stepped across the goal line for Decatur’s next score.

Walraven added a 28-yard field goal with 3:14 remaining in the first half to cap the scoring.

Most of Decatur’s starters, including Neill and running back Chris Coffey, did not play in the second half.

The Red Raiders host undefeated Hartselle, the second-ranked team in Class 5A, Thursday night at Ogle Stadium.

“I feel like they’ll be 9-0 when they walk in here next week,” Adcock said. “They’re playing extremely well, and it should be a good old-fashioned Hartselle and Decatur battle.”

For one half in this past Friday night’s Decatur-Florence game, you would’ve thought Houston Nutt was on the opposing sideline at Ogle Stadium.

Much like the Ole Miss coach, second-year Florence coach Alvin Briggs relied on his “Wild Falcon” offense, which had star running back Shawn Southward taking direct snaps from the shotgun. Briggs actually calls his formation “Heavy,” but there are many similarities to Nutt’s “Wildcat” package.

Decatur won 28-26, but Florence outscored the Red Raiders 20-7 in the second half, with the help of a pair of Southward touchdown runs late in the fourth quarter.

Sound familiar? It happened again Saturday, as second-ranked Alabama hung on 24-20 against Ole Miss and Nutt’s bag of trick plays.

But a win is a win, whether you’re playing in the Southeastern Conference or Class 6A, Region 8. Decatur’s victory, which was also career win No. 100 for Decatur head coach Jere Adcock, puts it in position to claim second place in the region with a victory over Grissom on Thursday night.

That’s quite an accomplishment for a team that started 1-2 in region play. But a five-game winning streak has the Red Raiders in the postseason.

Decatur’s depth has been the key in the past five games. The Red Raiders have had as many as eight starters miss time this season because of injury, but their reserves have stepped up and played just as well.

Running back Chris Coffey missed the game against Buckhorn two weeks ago with a sore hamstring, but backup Desmond Lavelle rushed for more than 100 yards against the Bucks. In limited action the following week against Hazel Green, Coffey still managed to rush for 112 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. In the same game, Rodney Williams added 91 yards on the ground in a reserve role.

The Red Raiders’ backfield is even more dangerous with Coffey at 100 percent. Against Florence, Coffey rushed for 202 yards and four touchdowns on runs of 17, 4, 1 and 71.

Credit goes to the Decatur coaching staff, as well. Because of injuries, Adcock has been forced to play some of his offensive starters on defense, including quarterback Ben Neill, who also plays safety. Most Class 6A coaches have the luxury of not having to play guys on both sides of the ball, but Adcock has used his personnel as needed to build the win streak.

Decatur’s only weakness against the Falcons was the offense’s inability to create some kind of rhythm. Florence won the possession battle by six minutes in the second half. Other than Coffey’s 71-yard touchdown run at the 3:46 mark of the fourth quarter, the Red Raiders punted three times in the second half, including after two three-and-outs.

“We kept them on the field too much in the second half because we weren’t able to do anything offensively,” Adcock said after the win. “Our guys were tired, and we just could not make the plays. We were worn out.”

But even though the Red Raiders’ defense was tiring, it still was good enough to preserve the win. Twice Florence drove inside the Red Raiders’ 25-yard line, and twice it came away with nothing. The Red Raiders’ special teams also came up big Friday night, stopping three Florence 2-point conversions that ultimately would have made the difference in the game.

The Red Raiders are peaking at the right time with two regular-season games remaining. After Thursday’s date with Grissom, the Red Raiders will try to spoil Class 5A No. 2 Hartselle’s bid for a perfect season.

But the last game of the regular season is where Decatur and Alabama differ. Decatur has a tougher opponent.

Decatur High football coach Jere Adcock would be appalled to have his record mentioned in the same sentence with those of three of his predecessors.

Yet, coach Adcock reached a coveted milestone Friday night when his Red Raiders handed him his 100th victory — all as Decatur’s head coach. The win over Florence wasn’t an easy one, but it fit the pattern of hard-nosed football that is a handed-down Decatur trademark.

Coach Adcock took over the Raiders in 1996 after serving as assistant coach for Steve Rivers for two years. Since that time, his teams posted only two losing season, two 11-win records and made the state playoffs 10 times.

He has a way to go, of course, before catching the revered late H.L. “Shorty” Ogle, who won 253 career games, or the equally revered late coach Earl Webb, who led teams to 203 wins, or coach Rivers, who amassed 188 wins.

But he’s in the company of good men who were more than coaches as they built their records.

A special, well-deserved post-game ceremony honored the coach’s achievement.

Austin High head coach David Norwood doesn’t like it.

Neither does Decatur head coach Jere Adcock.

Like it or not, both of the city’s major high schools are hosting football games at Ogle Stadium this week. Decatur takes on Grissom on Thursday night, and Austin faces Buckhorn on Friday in a pair of Class 6A, Region 8 games.

“It doesn’t happen very often.” Norwood said, “but we try to avoid it as much as possible.”

It’s the second time in the past five years the schools have played at home in the same week. In the opening week of the 2006 season, Austin hosted Hartselle on Thursday, and Decatur played Huntsville the following day.

“We work hard at not letting that happen,” Adcock said. “It’s just something we have to get used to.”

From 2001 to 2003, they hosted games during the same week once each season. In 1999, it happened twice — in the fifth week of the regular season and again in the first round of the playoffs.

Both games this week carry playoff implications. Decatur (6-2, 5-2 in the region) can wrap up second place in the region with a win Thursday, and Austin (4-4, 4-3) must win Friday to clinch the fourth and final seed in the region.

“You don’t want to ever put yourself in a situation where you come down to one game that decides whether you make the playoffs or not,” Norwood said. “In a perfect world, you want to take care of those things earlier in the season, but this is where we are.”

Decatur already has clinched a berth in the postseason, but a win against Grissom would ensure a first-round playoff game at Ogle Stadium.

“Being able to play at home in the first round means a lot,” Adcock said. “That makes these guys determined.”

Buckhorn (4-4, 4-3) must also win to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“They’re in the exact same situation we’re in,” Norwood said, “and our outcome affects two other teams. If we win, Bob Jones is in. If we lose, Bob Jones is out. If Buckhorn wins, Florence wins. If Buckhorn loses, Florence is out.”

Grissom (2-6, 1-6), Decatur’s opponent, already has been eliminated from making the postseason.

A pair of wins this week would be special for the senior classes at both schools.

“We had a meeting after practice Monday, and we stressed the point that this is our last chance to go to the playoffs,” Austin senior defensive tackle Prentice Taylor said.

“When we were juniors last year, we said we’d make it the next year. Now the time has come, and we are in the same position.”

At Decatur, the seniors are playing for their spot in school history. Every senior class that wins at least seven games in a season has its picture framed inside the Earl Webb field house. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1969, Adcock said.

“That’s real special to us because we see all those pictures in the field house all the time,” Decatur senior Brooks Johnson said. “We want ours up there so people can see us and know what we did. We don’t want to miss out on that.”

Austin, fighting for its first playoff berth in five years, is coming off a 24-6 loss to Bob Jones. Despite 318 yards of total offense and no turnovers, the Black Bears’ offense couldn’t manage to score against the Patriots. Austin’s lone touchdown came on a fake field goal in the first quarter.

“Defensively, we’ve been very consistent all year long. Our inconsistencies have come on offense,” Norwood said. “I think we will be fine defensively.”

Decatur is fresh off its 28-26 nail-biting decision over Florence for a fifth straight win.

“We’re playing the best we’ve played this year, but we’re not even close to tapping in on what we’re potentially able to do,” Adcock said. “I think we’re a long way from being as good as we can be.”

Ogle Stadium games

Who: Grissom (2-6, 1-6 in Class 6A, Region 8) at Decatur (6-2, 5-2)

When: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Stakes: With a win, Decatur can clinch second place in the region and ensure home-field advantage in the first round of the state playoffs.

Who: Buckhorn (4-4, 4-3) at Austin (4-4, 4-3)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Stakes: Austin must win this one to break into the postseason for the first time since 2003. Buckhorn also faces a must-win situation to keep its playoff hopes alive. This game will decide the fourth and final playoff spot in the region.

- CODY WHITLOCK

Chris Coffey and Decatur High head coach Jere Adcock embraced inside the Earl Webb fieldhouse Friday night at Ogle Stadium, congratulating each other on their 28-26 win against Florence.

“Hey, you got 100, and I got 100,” Adcock said to his star running back.

Coffey eclipsed the 100-yard mark, rushing for 202 yards and four touchdowns, and Adcock got career win No. 100 on homecoming night.

“Who would’ve thought I would have been in the position to help Coach Adcock get that win?” Coffey asked. “I’ve been around him for a long time, but I never knew I would be one of the players to help him get his 100th win.”

Adcock was presented with a red No. 100 Decatur jersey, which was signed by all his players, during a special ceremony immediately after the game.

“The most special thing about this is winning with these players,” said Adcock, who is 100-48 for his high school varsity head coaching career. “They have put me in the position to accomplish this.”

But before Adcock hit the century mark in wins, Decatur (6-2, 5-2 in Class 6A, Region 8) had to hold off a late Florence rally. Trailing 28-12 late in the fourth quarter, the Falcons (5-3, 5-3) scored twice to threaten Decatur’s five-game winning streak.

With fewer than three minutes remaining, Florence’s Shawn Southward hauled in an acrobatic 38-yard catch that set up his 2-yard touchdown run on the next play. On the 2-point conversion, Southward took a direct snap, but was stopped short of the goal line.

Behind by 10, Florence recovered an onsides kick and marched six plays for another score. Damien Simmons capped the drive with his 9-yard touchdown reception and then hauled in the pass from quarterback Bryce Curtis for the 2-point conversion.

The Falcons attempted another onsides kick, but Decatur’s David Martin recovered with a little more than a minute remaining. Red Raiders quarterback Ben Neill took a knee on the next two snaps to run out the clock.

“I thought we played really well defensively. The biggest problem we had was that we kept putting our defense in a bad situation,” Adcock said. “We kept them on the field too much in the second half because we weren’t able to do anything offensively. Our guys were tired, and we just could not make the plays. We were worn out.”

The win puts Decatur in position to clinch second place in the region with a victory over Grissom next week.

“That’s big,” Adcock said, “especially after starting out 1-2 in the region.”

Coffey scored on runs of 17 and 4 to give Decatur a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter.

After Southward ran in from 6 yards out in the second quarter for Florence’s first score, Coffey scored on a 1-yard run just before halftime. Spencer Walraven added one of his four extra points, and the Red Raiders led 21-6 at the half.

“This whole week, the coaches had been talking us up about how good Florence was and how many weapons they had,” Coffey said. “We had to step our game up, so we needed to answer their big plays.”

After a scoreless third quarter, Southward scored on a 21-yard run with 4:08 left in the fourth, but he fumbled the direct snap on the two-point conversion. Southward finished with 144 yards on 26 carries.

“Florence has a lot of weapons, and we knew it was a matter of time that they would find a chink in our armor. They did and took advantage of it,” Adcock said.

Coffey answered the score with a 71-yard touchdown run on Decatur’s first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive. Coffey sat out the game against Buckhorn two weeks ago with a sore hamstring, and saw limited action in last week’s game against Hazel Green.

“Chris took it upon himself that he had to have a big game,” Adcock said. “The offensive line did a great job. We did some things really well offensively. Everybody played well tonight.”

Jere Adcock year-by-year

Jere Adcock’s record as a varsity high school head football coach:

Year, school Record

1996, Decatur 4-6

1997, Decatur 7-4

1998, Decatur 8-4

1999, Decatur 11-1

2000, Decatur 10-2

2001, Decatur 5-6

2002, Decatur 8-5

2003, Decatur 7-5

2004, Decatur 9-3

2005, Decatur 10-2

2006, Decatur 4-6

2007, Decatur 11-2

2008, Decatur 6-2

Total 100-48

Elizabeth Petty is crowned 2008 Decatur High homecoming queen during halftime of Friday night’s game with Florence at Ogle Stadium.

Crowning Elizabeth, who is escorted by her father, Chris Pettey, is Anna Walraven, last year’s homecoming queen.

Forgive Decatur High head coach Jere Adcock if he’s more concerned with scouting reports and practice time than the bonfire and parade this week. It’s not exactly the homecoming that Adcock had pictured. When it came time to pick a week for the annual festivities, Decatur came up with the defending Class 6A, Region 8 champion Florence.

“I sure didn’t think it would be easy,” Adcock said, letting out a sigh.

“We don’t have the ability that colleges do to go out and buy us a homecoming game.”

As if the tag of defending region champions isn’t enough to worry the Red Raiders, Florence (5-2, 5-2 in the region) is also one win ahead of Decatur (5-2, 4-2) in the region standings with the ability to complicate the Red Raiders’ postseason chances.

Kickoff at Ogle Stadium on Friday is 7 p.m.

“Florence is as well-balanced a football team offensively and defensively as we’ve seen,” Adcock said. “I really don’t see a real weakness.”

There seemed to be no easy choice for a homecoming opponent in a region with the depth of Class 6A, Region 8, and Decatur’s nonregion games were on the road against Parker and a Week 10 contest against local rival Hartselle, which is undefeated and ranked No. 2 in 5A.

Next week’s home game against Grissom (2-5) is a Thursday night contest, canceling out another choice.

“It’s just the way our schedule fell,” Adcock said. “You don’t want something too early in the season. You’d rather have it around this time of year. It makes it feel more like homecoming’s supposed to be during football season.”

After winning four games in a row, the Red Raiders hope to extend their streak at least two more weeks with region games against Florence and Grissom left to play.

“If we can win these next two, from what I can decipher, we could go 6-2 in the region and that should place us second,” Adcock said.

Florence is thinking the same thing.

Florence’s two losses are to Austin (4-3) and Bob Jones (3-4), both teams that Decatur has beaten.

Count it as a toss-up, since Decatur’s two losses are to Sparkman (2-5) and region leader Huntsville (5-2), both teams Florence has defeated this season.

Adcock said it’s typical of the parity in the region.

“I don’t think you can look at the wins and losses — who beat who in the region — and say what team has the upper hand,” Adcock said.

The Falcons drew a brutal schedule, with eight straight region games to start the season.

Florence will play its nonregion games against last year’s 5A state runner-up Briarwood Christian and currently undefeated 6A Minor to finish the regular season.

But don’t think the Falcons are wearing down. Just last week they put a 37-6 beating on Grissom, scoring on their first five drives of the game to pull away early.

Florence already has a marquee win this season, beating Huntsville 41-35 in overtime in the fourth week of the season.

One of the keys to Decatur’s game plan will be trying to contain Florence running back Shawn Southward.

It’s something no other team has been able to do this season.

A heavily recruited college prospect, Southward has rushed for more than 100 yards in every game this season he’s played healthy. He also plays defensive back for the Falcons.

“They’ve got a lot of good players, but Southward is definitely one of the best football players I’ve seen this year,” Adcock said.

Southward has 866 yards on 91 carries, averaging 9.5 yards a carry.

He has scored 12 touchdowns, including in three games early in the season, when that he was slowed by a sprained ankle and used sparingly.

Decatur will answer with senior Chris Coffey.

The tailback also has averaged more than 100 yards rushing a game.

Florence has scored 28.3 points a game but given up nearly as many, allowing 23.3 a contest.

Decatur has scored 34 points a game, while allowing 17.6, including a shutout of Buckhorn two weeks ago.

“They’ve got athletes, a lot of athletes, on both sides of the ball,” Adcock said. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”

Ogle Stadium game

Who: Florence (5-2, 5-2 in Class 6A, Region 8) at Decatur (5-2, 4-2).

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Stakes: It’s homecoming for Decatur, and the Red Raiders are up against defending Class 6A, Region 8 champion Florence. Both teams have two region losses and are battling for a playoff spot, ideally to host in the first round. Whichever team loses Friday night will likely have to travel in the first round of the playoffs and risks missing the postseason.

BROOKE MILAM

Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam ranks the area’s top five teams in both Class 4A-6A and 1A-3A:

Class 4A-6A Top Five

1. Hartselle (7-0): Undefeated Class 5A No. 2 Hartselle has mowed down a pair of top-ranked teams and everyone else in its way to what has been a dream season so far. An undefeated regular season is a realistic goal for the Tigers, who won’t face another team with a winning record until playing Decatur in the last game of the regular season.

2. Decatur (5-2): The Red Raiders have won four games in a row and come up against the defending Class 6A, Region 8 champion Florence this week. It’s homecoming at Decatur, and the Red Raiders look to extend their winning streak and ensure a spot in the playoffs.

3. Austin (4-3): Winning four of its past five has kept Austin in the hunt for a playoff spot in Class 6A, Region 8. It would be a first for the Black Bears since 2003. Austin has the extra motivation Friday of trying to play spoiler at Bob Jones, which is celebrating homecoming.

4. Athens (4-3): With two more region games left, Athens is in position to return to the postseason after missing out last year for just the second time in 18 years.

The Golden Eagles’ only Class 5A, Region 8 loss is to region leader Hartselle.

5. East Limestone: (3-4): The Indians have a 3-2 record against region opponents in their first year in Class 5A. A playoff berth is still a possibility, but East Limestone will face a tall order this week at 5A powerhouse No. 5-ranked Russellville.

HAZEL GREEN — In the thick of the Class 6A, Region 8 race, Decatur High wasted no time disposing of region foe Hazel Green on Friday night.

Decatur put up its highest point total this season with six Red Raiders reaching the end zone in a 59-12 drubbing of Hazel Green on the road.

“I think it was a good morale booster for a lot of the guys,” said Decatur head coach Jere Adcock, whose team has twon four straight. “It’s always good to have a night like this.”

Decatur (5-2, 4-2 in the region) was favored in the contest, but had been battling injuries and used every player on its roster in securing the win over Hazel Green (0-7, 0-7).

“It shows we have depth and didn’t come out here and goof around,” starting quarterback Ben Neill said. “We did what we needed to do.”

Despite limited action, Decatur running back Chris Coffey compiled 112 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries, mostly in the first half. Rodney Williams chipped in 91 yards in a reserve role.

Decatur’s defense was highlighted by three interceptions. Will Dennis, Levi Cook and Cortez Elliott each cashed in with one. Decatur punted just once in the contest and piled up 454 yards.

Adcock said the only setback of the night was 70 yards of penalties by the Red Raiders.

“I thought we were sloppy. We had too many penalties,” Adcock said.

Adcock added: “But we came through in the second half and cut down on mistakes. We were methodical in a lot of stuff we did.”

Cory Dodson started the scoring barrage with a 17-yard touchdown catch from Neill on the Red Raiders’ first possession of the game. Coffey added a 5-yard touchdown run before the opening period was over, and Decatur led 14-0.

Dodson hauled in another 5-yard touchdown pass from Neill to open the second quarter, and after an 8-yard touchdown run by David Martin and a 32-yard field goal by Spencer Walraven, the Red Raiders were ahead 31-0.

The only blemish on Decatur’s potential first-half shutout was a 16-yard touchdown catch by Hazel Green’s Gabriel White from Brandon Branner on the final play before halftime.

Martin delivered another 15-yard touchdown run in the third, and defensive end Pierre Key scooped up one of five Hazel Green fumbles and took it 64 yards for a touchdown, bringing Decatur’s lead to 45-6.

Neill gave way to Torin Dupper and later William Jackson at quarterback in the second half. Both continued to lead a productive offense.

Jackson scored on a 4-yard run with 4:38 to play, and Matthew Luckett scored Decatur’s final points on a 15-yard run with 2:08 left.

Hazel Green’s Rhett Bates’ 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth were the only other points for the Trojans.

The landslide win sets up a high-stakes game with Florence next week. Decatur will need a Homecoming win over the Falcons at Ogle Stadium on Friday to ensure its good standing in the region, and the Red Raiders have a strong performance to build on.

“It’s a lot of fun getting to see other people out there doing stuff,” Neill said. “That’s always exciting.”

NEW MARKET — Desmond Lavelle wanted to score one more time for Decatur High teammate Tucker Rainey on Friday night against Buckhorn High.

Three plays before Lavelle’s second touchdown run of the night put the finishing touches on the Red Raiders’ 20-0 victory, Rainey went down with a leg injury that hushed the entire stadium.

After Rainey spent several minutes motionless on the Buckhorn sideline, emergency personnel carted him off the field amidst chants of “Tuck-er, Tuck-er” from the Red Raiders’ fans.

Tucker acknowledged the visiting crowd, lifting one finger toward the sky.

“That was good to see,” Lavelle said. “That showed what Decatur football was all about.”

Lavelle ran in from 13 yards out later in the drive, stretching the football across the goal line in a last effort for Rainey.

“We had to get in,” Lavelle said. “We had to get that touchdown.”

Lavelle rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries, and quarterback Ben Neill completed 17 of 26 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown as Decatur (4-2, 3-2 in Class 6A Region 8) extended its winning streak to three games.

“This week, I saw out kids practice better technique than they have all year,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “It’s almost like a switch went on. The technique got better, and we were very focused all week.”

Lavelle filled in for injured running back Chris Coffey and scored the Red Raiders’ first points on a 3-yard run with 1:09 remaining in the first quarter. The score capped an eight-play drive that was sparked by completions of 18 and 6 yards to Brooks Johnson, who finished with seven receptions for 111 yards.

Buckhorns next possession ended quickly, as Josh Busby recorded the first of his three interceptions three plays into the drive. Busby led a defense that allowed only 134 total yards in recording its first shutout of the season.

“We had an all-around good effort on defense,” Busby said. “We were able to put some pressure on the quarterback, and the front eight did a great job of stopping the run.”

The Red Raiders scored just before the half when Neill threw over the middle to Cory Dodson for a 37-yard touchdown on fourth-and-12 with fewer than two minutes left.

Neill, who had previously overthrown several passes, hit Dodson in stride after two Decatur timeouts to discuss the play.

“We knew what we wanted to do, but we wanted to see how they were going to line up,” Adcock said. “Dodson was actually the second choice on that play. The first receiver was covered, but Dodson made a nice play.”

Spencer Walraven missed the extra point, but the Red Raiders led 13-0.

Buckhorn (4-2, 4-2) threatened to score on the next possession, driving to the Decatur 14-yard line. But Robert Key sacked Buckhorn quarterback Matt Broady as time expired to keep the shutout intact.

“When you start looking at plays that changed the game, that sack right there was one of them,” Adcock said.

After a scoreless third quarter, Lavelle capped the scoring with his 13-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Walraven added the extra point to bring the score to 20-0.

“It’s always good to get a win,” Busby said, “but this puts us in a good position in the region, which is exactly where we need to be.”

Every week during football season, Ogle Stadium hosts at least one varsity game a week.

But not this week. Ogle Stadium goes dark as Decatur and Austin both head east for Class 6A, Region 8 games.

Not since Sept. 17, 2004, has Ogle Stadium gone empty on a Friday night in the fall. That year, the Alabama High School Athletic Association postponed the state’s entire schedule because of weather.

This week will be another exception with Austin (3-2, 3-1 in region) playing Huntsville (3-2, 3-1) at Milton Frank Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m., while Decatur (3-2, 2-2) travels to Buckhorn (4-1, 4-1) on Friday.

“For playoff purposes, this is a very important week,” Austin head coach David Norwood said. “It’s always good to win and especially at this point.”

The Red Raiders and Black Bears have given their fans plenty of reason to hit the road to watch their favorite teams play this week.

Decatur is on a two-game win streak, while Austin has put together three straight victories. Both are facing pivotal region games, with a chance to solidify themselves in the top tier of Region 8.

“We’ve said all along this region is like the SEC,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “It’s hard for anyone to run the table, and we’ve already seen that’s not going to happen.”

No one remains undefeated in 6A, Region 8. Decatur’s opponent, Buckhorn, sits alone atop the region standings. Austin, Florence and Huntsville are a half-game behind in a three-way tie for second place.

Bob Jones holds fifth place with a 3-2 region mark, while Decatur and Sparkman are tied for sixth at 2-2. Grissom (0-4 in region) and Hazel Green (0-5) round out the region standings.

“We’ve played four exceptionally good football teams (in the region), and their records speak for themselves,” Adcock said. “Buckhorn is in the driver’s seat. So this is very important when you look at how this region is going to shape up. You can’t over emphasize what we’re about to get into. It’s that big.”

Decatur and Buckhorn have never met on the football field in the history of the programs, but Adcock said it’s easy to sum up the program under seventh-year head coach Michael Jackson, who coached Ardmore for two seasons in the 1990s.

“They’re very physical, old-fashioned,” Adcock said. “They line up and try to beat you physically on offense and defense. Everybody we’ve played this year has been physical, but this will be the most physical team we’ve played.”

Buckhorn’s lone region loss came to Florence 35-13 in the second week of the season, and the Bucks have won three region games since.

Buckhorn hasn’t scored more than 24 points in any one game this season, but its offense has produced enough points to win nearly every week. Running backs Marquis Smith and Meco Miller are prime examples of the Bucks’ smash mouth style. At least one of the pair has rushed for over 100 yards in each contest this season.

On the flipside, the Bucks have given up more than 14 points only once this season, and that was in the loss to Florence.

Buckhorn isn’t the only team in the region trying to protect a winning streak. Stringing together three wins for the first time since 2006, this week means just as much to Austin.

Decatur High head coach Jere Adcock isn’t usually a fan of too much hype surrounding his football team.

But with the Decatur crowd “blacking out” Ogle Stadium on Friday night and his team opting for its seldom worn black jersey over its traditional home red, even Adcock had to admit a little extra buildup played huge dividends in an important 27-23 win over Bob Jones.

“I thought we played harder than we had all year, and we had to. Our guys knew we had to.” Adcock said.

The 14th annual Great Raider tailgate party took place before kickoff.

Bob Jones (3-2, 3-2 in Region 8) hadn’t lost since the opening week and looked to be one of the favorites in Class 6A, Region 8 until meeting the Red Raiders. Coming from the largest school in the state, the Patriots roster featured No. 1 through 99 with several duplicate numbers, but even with two starters out on both sides of the ball, Decatur (3-2, 2-2), smaller than all but 10 of the 64 schools in 6A, held its own.

“I kind of felt like it was going to be decided in the last four or five minutes of the ballgame,” Adcock said.

Decatur hung with Bob Jones through five lead changes before breaking through for the final lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by senior running back Chris Coffey with 36 seconds left in the game.

Playing at home for the first time since the opening week of the season, the Red Raiders now hit the road again for the next two weeks, playing at Buckhorn and Hazel Green before returning home to play Florence on Oct. 17 for homecoming.

Decatur High seniors Chris Coffey and Brooks Johnson jogged to the sidelines with their arms wrapped around each other and were greeted by cheers from the home crowd on their feet at Ogle Stadium.

The Red Raiders had just engineered a game-winning drive with a little more than four minutes to play, knocking off Bob Jones 27-23 and Coffey, a running back, and Johnson, a tight end, were key elements in the game-winning drive.

“I thought that last drive Chris (Coffey), Brooks (Johnson), David (Martin) and Ben (Neill) — they really did some big things,” Dectur coach Jere Adcock said.

“They had some guys helping them — our offensive line did a super job. It was very big. This keeps us in the hunt. We play some good football teams in this region.”

Decatur (3-2, 2-2 in Class 6A, Region 8) kept pace with a team that had averaged 45.3 points a game in three straight region wins, while its defense kept the Patriots at bay.

“They physically beat us. They just physically out played us. It’s Decatur football,” said Bob Jones head coach Shannon Brown, whose team is now 3-2, including 3-2 in the region. “Their bread and butter is smash-mouth football and they lined up and hey, they won it.”

Adcock said there was more to the story than just a win.

“The biggest thing about this was the way we won it,” Adcock said. “It wouldn’t have mattered who we played — we overcame a lot of things out there, and I thought we showed a lot of character.”

It took Bob Jones just 1:50 and six plays to score.

Nick Acosta reached the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to put the Patriots ahead 6-0 on the opening possession of the game, but it sparked a response from the Red Raiders’ defense.

“You take away that first drive when we looked like we were asleep and they executed to perfection, and I was real pleased with our defense the rest of the game,” Adcock said. “I thought we did as good a job on defense against them as I’d seen anyone do.”

The Red Raiders managed to stop Bob Jones on its next two possessions, but still hadn’t scored any points of their own.

Coffey broke loose for first down yardage twice early in the second quarter with runs of 16 and 44 yards before Martin took the ball the rest of the way on a 10-yard scoring run. Spencer Walraven’s extra point gave Decatur a 7-6 lead.

From there, Decatur’s defense forced Bob Jones to settle for field goals three times, while the Red Raiders’ offense put up three more touchdowns.

Bob Jones led 9-7 at halftime after a 32-yard field goal by Braden Hager.

Decatur regained the lead when Desmond Lavelle blocked a punt recovered by Garrett Teague in the endzone for a touchdown that put the Red Raiders up 13-9 with 8:06 left in the third.

Bob Jones settled for another 27-yard field goal by Hager to pull within 13-12, but a Decatur fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave Bob Jones the ball back on the 15. It turned into eight points for Bob Jones when Trai Ragland scored on a 5-yard run and Acosta hit Richard Fernandez for the 2-point conversion.

The third quarter ended with the Patriots ahead 20-13 and Decatur driving.

Johnson caught a 17-yard pass from Neill to tie the game at 20 less than a minute into the fourth.

Hager’s final field goal was a 29-yarder that put Bob Jones ahead 23-20 with 4:41 left to play.

Decatur’s offense answered with a 56-yard, 11-play drive capped by Coffey’s 4-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds for the winning points.

Johnson caught a pair of critical passes of 15 and 4 yards for first downs to keep the drive alive.

“Brooks had some really big catches,” Adcock said.

Bob Jones had 30 seconds to go 68 yards, but Lavelle intercepted a Patriots’ pass on the 40 and ran it back to the 11 to seal the win.

“Our defense, especially our defensive front, played the best they’d played all year,” Adcock said. “I thought our defense rose up. Everyone did what we asked of them. There was a tremendous amount of pressure on us, and I thought we played really well.”

For Jere Adcock, it’s always better to be good than lucky.

“There is no such thing as luck,” the Decatur High football coach said. “It’s something you have to create. We’re going to need to be good Friday night.”

And a little bit of luck certainly wouldn’t hurt, as the Red Raiders (2-2, 1-2) host Bob Jones at Ogle Stadium on Friday in a key Class 6A, Region 8 showdown. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Patriots, 3-1 overall and in the region, will likely present Decatur with its toughest challenge to date.

“They have a very productive offense,” Adcock said. “We haven’t seen anyone get to their quarterback yet. This team brings a lot more challenges, mainly because we haven’t seen them falter.”

Nick Acosta, Bob Jones’ quarterback, completed 22 of 28 passes for 271 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Patriots’ 31-7 win against Grissom last week. Acosta, who played in only three quarters against Grissom, has thrown nine touchdown passes this season.

“He’s had an outstanding year so far,” Adcock said of Acosta, “but he’s not the only one we’re going to have to stop. They’ve got some guys who can fly.”

Running back Trai Ragland has rushed for seven touchdowns, and receivers Arthur Brackett and Aaron Sherrill are threats.

So, it’s no surprise Decatur has spent the week preparing for the Patriots’ potent offense, which is averaging 45 points a game in three straight wins. Bob Jones’ lone loss came in the season opener against Buckhorn.

“We’re just trying to make sure our guys get in the right places to make plays,” Adcock said. “We need to be able to recognize play fakes and know where the ball is going.”

The Red Raiders are coming off a stellar performance in a 56-28 victory over Class 5A Parker last week.

Quarterback Ben Neill threw for three touchdowns, and Chris Coffey rushed for 164 yards as everything seemed to go right for the Red Raiders. The defense forced four turnovers and special teams blocked two punts.

Parker scored twice late in the fourth quarter — once on a kickoff return and again with less than 20 seconds remaining — to shorten Decatur’s lead. One of the Herd’s other scores came on a fake-punt attempt.

“We were fortunate to have some big plays last week, especially against a quick team like Parker,” Adcock said. “They’re athleticism scared us.”

Decatur’s defense bent several times against Parker but refused to break. The Herd drove deep into Decatur territory twice, and the Red Raiders came away with an interception and a fumble, ending the scoring threats.

Decatur will need the same kind of stands against Bob Jones, which hasn’t beaten Decatur since 1996.

“They’re really smart offensively, and they execute really well,” senior defensive back Josh Busby said.

“We expect to see a lot of screens. We’re just going to have to know our assignments because this is a crucial game.”

The Red Raiders are back on the winning track after losing two straight road games at Sparkman and Huntsville. Neill hopes returning to Ogle Stadium, the site of its season-opening win against Austin, will spark two straight victories.

“Now, it feels right around here. We’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” he said. “We’ve been more upbeat and focused. It would be everything for us to win Friday night.”

Ogle Stadium game

Who: Bob Jones (3-1, 3-1 in Class 6A, Region 8) at Decatur (2-2, 1-2)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Stakes: Decatur can join the upper echelon of teams in Class 6A with a victory over Bob Jones. But the Patriots’ high-powered offense, led by quarterback Nick Acosta, presents a tough challenge. Bob Jones has averaged 45 points a game in three straight wins. Decatur turned in a solid defensive performance against Class 5A Parker last week, and it’ll need an even better one to stop Bob Jones.

- CODY WHITLOCK

Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam ranks the area’s top five football teams in both Class 4A-6A and 1A-3A:

Class 4A-6A Top Five

1. Hartselle (4-0): Class 5A No. 3 Hartselle hasn’t been ranked this high since 1989, when it spent time at No. 1 and 2 in the state polls. Still undefeated and coming off a 24-14 win over then-No. 1 Russellville last week, the Tigers face another No. 1 team Friday, traveling to play 3A defending state champion Cordova.

2. Athens (3-1): The Class 5A Golden Eagles already have equaled their win total from last season and are preparing to face 4A undefeated Brooks this week. Athens has scored more than 30 points in each of its past three games, while allowing no more than eight in any one contest.

3. Decatur (2-2): Decatur is finally back at home this week after three weeks on the road that produced one win. The Red Raiders have a chance to even their record in Class 6A, Region 8 this week against Bob Jones at Ogle Stadium. They’re 1-2 so far in the region. Bob Jones hasn’t beaten the Red Raiders since 1996.

4. Austin (2-2): Two wins in a row for Austin has the Black Bears in the middle of the Class 6A, Region 8 standings. Austin faces a pivotal game this week, traveling to Florence with a chance to move into the top-tier in the region.

5. East Lawrence (3-1): The Class 4A Eagles already have more wins than they’ve had in any one season in a decade. A win this week against 3A No. 7 West Morgan won’t have any effect on the region standings, but could still be a huge boost of confidence for the soaring Eagles.

BIRMINGHAM — It took Decatur High nearly two hours to travel to Legion Field on Friday but fewer than 30 minutes to finish off homestanding Parker High.

The Red Raiders scored four times in the first half on their way to a 56-21 Class 6A, Region 8 victory over the Thundering Herd.

“For the last two weeks, we haven’t had anything good happen to us early,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “Those early scores really made the difference. It gave us some momentum.”

Decatur (2-2, 1-2), led by Chris Coffey’s 164 rushing yards, rebounded from two straight region losses to Sparkman and Huntsville by dominating Parker (0-4, 0-3) in all phases of Friday’s game.

“We challenged the offensive line this week. We put them through a tough week of practice, and we finally were able to get back on track running the football tonight,” said Adcock, whose team rushed for 273 yards.

Decatur blocked two punts in the first quarter, one leading to a score. After Parker went three-and-out on the first possession of the game, the Red Raiders’ Jacquan Swoopes blocked the ensuing punt. William Dennis scooped up the loose ball and raced 20 yards for the score. Spencer Walraven added the extra point, and Decatur led 7-0 fewer than three minutes into the game.

Defensive tackle John Alexander sparked Decatur’s second touchdown with an interception deep in Parker territory. Resembling elusive NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb more than a Parker High quarterback, Joshua Smith rolled to his right only to be met by a host of Decatur tacklers.

Inside the Red Raiders’ 30-yard line, Smith broke a tackle and ran back to his left but was hit as he threw for the end zone. His wobbly pass landed in the hands of Alexander, who had drifted back to the middle of the field.

A few plays after his big play on defense, Alexander — who also doubles as a tight end — caught a 17-yard pass in the flats from quarterback Ben Neill and raced down the Decatur sideline, but a block in the back pushed Decatur back to near midfield. But Coffey had runs runs of 35 and 11 yards to put the Red Raiders inside the Parker 10, and David Martin capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown grab. The extra point kick missed, but the Red Raiders led 13-0.

“I was just in the right place at the right time on the interception,” Alexander said. “It’s a dream come true because it’s my first career interception.”

Decatur recovered a Parker fumble on the second play of the second quarter. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Neill connected with Daniel Deffenbaugh for a 28-yard completion to the Parker 8-yard line.

Neill then found Brooks Johnson for an 8-yard scoring strike. Neill ran in the 2-point conversion, and the Red Raiders led 21-0 with 11:21 remaining in the half.

Parker scored the next two touchdowns on Christopher Evans’ 5-yard run and Smith’s 69-yard run on a fake punt, but the Thundering Herd was never a threat.

The Red Raiders scored again before the half when Coffey capped a seven-play drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with 1:14 to play. Walraven was good on the extra point, giving the Red Raiders a 28-14 lead at the half.

“We needed to come out strong in the first half and make a statement,” Adcock said. “I was pleased with the effort we gave tonight.”

It only took Decatur eight plays into the second half to score again. Martin ran in from 7 yards out, and Walraven added the third of his six extra points on the night to put Decatur up by three scores early in the second half.

After Parker fumbled on its first play on the next possession, Neill threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Cory Dodson. The extra point made the score 42-14 fewer than four minutes into the second half.

Decatur scored two more times in the fourth on runs of 10 by Neill and 19 by Torin Dupper. The Thundering Herd added two late scores, including a 29-yard touchdown catch by Lawrence James with 19 seconds left.

“Parker had some tremendous athletes, and I’m just happy to come away with a win in this one,” Adcock said.

The Decatur High Red Raiders want back on the winning track. After dropping two straight Class 6A, Region 8 games, the Red Raiders made that clear, calling a players-only meeting Sunday afternoon to establish a new focus before traveling to play Parker at Birmingham’s Legion Field on Friday.

“Friday night after we lost to Huntsville, I knew after that loss the season was going to go one of two ways: We’d basically pull together or split apart,” said senior Levi Cook, at whose house the meeting took place.

“We were upset after two losses, but by the time everybody was leaving Sunday night, I could tell that on Monday we were going to get after it.”

Cook’s instincts were right. The result of the meeting has been a new energy in practice that the Red Raiders had been lacking the previous two weeks.

“The intensity level this week has been higher this week than it’s been since the beginning of the summer,” Cook said.

Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said to spur the efforts, his team has practiced in full pads three days this week, up from the usual two. He added that the initiative his players took has had a positive effect.

“It lets us know that they realize there’s a need to be met and they’re willing to make the necessary steps to get things accomplished,” Adcock said. “It shows some leadership and it shows they care.”

The Red Raiders came out of a three-game region stretch to open the season with a 1-2 record. After beating rival Austin 41-14 in the season opener, Decatur dropped games to Sparkman and Huntsville.

This week’s opponent, Parker, is a region off-week for Decatur and a good time to regroup.

Parker is 0-3 with losses to McAdory, Fairfield and Woodlawn. In a 7-0 loss to Woodlawn last week, the Thundering Herd drove inside Woodlawn territory on all three of its second-half drives but never scored.

Parker suffered through two fumbles and three interceptions. In addition, the Herd turned over the ball on downs five times.

Parker quarterback Demetric Price completed 15 of 31 passes for 162 yards.

Adcock said his team got beat on several long-ball plays last week, and that has been a point of emphasis in practice this week, placing a lot of responsibility on a rebuilt secondary that is dealing with injury setbacks.

Decatur defensive back Detrick Miland and wide receiver/defensive back Ryan Watson both suffered broken legs in the past two weeks, leaving the Red Raiders shorthanded in the secondary and facing one of the fastest offenses it has seen this season.

“It’s tough, but we tell every one of them that they’re one play from starting,” Adcock said. “These guys have been doing everything the starters have, and now it’s their time to step up and do it. (Parker) is going to have more speed than anybody we’ve seen.

“They’re very athletic and capable of making a big play on any down.”

Decatur hasn’t played Parker since 2003, beating the Thundering Herd 28-0 in the first round of the state playoffs.

While it’s not even midseason yet and a non-region contest, Decatur players and coaches said this game holds as much importance as any has all season.

“We’re approaching this game just like any other game, but if we win it could turn our season around for sure,” Cook said. “To win this would be huge.”

Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam ranks the area’s top five teams in both Class 4A-6A and 1A-3A:

Class 4A-6A Top Five

1. Hartselle (3-0): This week’s showdown of top 10 teams pits the 5A No. 7 Hartselle Tigers against the top-ranked Golden Tigers of Russellville.

Hartselle has not won this matchup since 1981 but has shown no weak link this season, averaging 29 points a game, while holding opponents to a total of 13, including two shutouts.

2. Athens (2-1): A rivalry win against East Limestone this week would put the Golden Eagles at 3-0 in 5A, Region 8 play as they approach midseason and the hardest part of their schedule.

It’s the kind of start Athens will need to hold up late in the season.

3. Decatur (1-2): Two straight defeats have put the 6A Red Raiders in an early
hole. They'll try to correct early-season problems in a non-region game this week at 5A Parker of Birmingham.

4. Austin (1-2): After beating 6A, Region 8 foe Grissom handily last week, Austin looks to make it two in a row.

A win this week against struggling Hazel Green would give the Black Bears a huge boost.

HUNTSVILLE — With a haggard look on his sweat-soaked face, Decatur High quarterback Ben Neill ran his hand through his blond hair and shook his head.

After Decatur High’s 23-13 loss at Huntsville, Neill indeed sounded like a player on a team that had just suffered its second-straight defeat.

“We have to get up,” Neill said. “Every time we get knocked down, we have to get up. We need someone to pull us up.”

How Decatur will accomplish this is an interesting question as the Red Raiders (1-2) travel to Parker next week. But one fact is for certain, coach Jere Adcock didn’t like what he saw Friday night, but he’s not about sound an alarm.

“You do what you always do. We are the winningest Class 6A program in North Alabama, and we hit a stumbling block,” Adcock said. “We need to stay the course. There is no need to hit the panic button. We’re just trying to play better.”

Against the Crimson Panthers (3-0), the Red Raiders got off to a sloppy start, played better in the second half, but ultimately couldn’t climb out of an early hole created by consecutive turnovers.

With the Red Raiders down 3-0 entering their first offensive possession, Huntsville defensive back Jay Emerson intercepted a pass on the Decatur 48-yard line. Six plays later, Crimson Panthers running back Darryl Martin scored on a 2-yard rush to the left side of the end zone to put Huntsville ahead 10-0.

On Decatur’s next possession, Emerson picked off a tipped pass, this time on Decatur’s 17.

He then found open field and ran in for the touchdown, putting the Crimson Panthers ahead 16-0 after the missed extra point.

“I made bad decisions that cost us late in the game,” Neill said.

“It put our offense in a slump.”

When asked if he was being too hard on himself Neill looked up and said, “It’s the truth.”

In the second half, Decatur’s offense found some of its rhythm.

After Huntsville went ahead 23-0 with a touchdown at 8:01 of the third quarter, Neill hit Cory Dodson streaking down the right sideline for a 46-yard gain that put Decatur on the Huntsville 26.

Neill hooked up with Dodson again on an 11-yard touchdown strike to cut the Huntsville lead to 23-6 after Decatur missed the 2-point conversion.

The Red Raiders’ second touchdown came with 39 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Torin Dupper found Adam Ferguson in the middle of the end zone for a 10-yard score.

Afterward, Adcock said of Huntsville: “That’s a good football team, and they did some good stuff. We just can’t seem to make breaks for ourselves.”

Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam ranks the area’s top five teams in both Class 4A-6A and 1A-3A:

Class 4A-6A Top Five

1. Hartselle (2-0): The Tigers rolled over J.O. Johnson last week and solidified themselves as a favorite in 5A, Region 8. Ranked ninth in the state, Hartselle has proven a true contender and faces another region opponent this week, hosting East Limestone.

2. Decatur (1-1): The road doesn’t get any easier for the 6A Red Raiders after being upset by Sparkman on the road last week. On Friday, Decatur travels to Huntsville, which has not given up a point all season.

3. Athens (1-1): On a mission to regain respect as a top team in 5A, Region 8, the Golden Eagles started off right with a shutout of Muscle Shoals last week. This week’s date is with J.O. Johnson — a team that Athens has had several classic showdowns with the past few years in both the regular season and playoffs.

4. Austin (0-2): The 6A Black Bears played one good half of football last week in a nonregion loss to Thompson. Playing consistent for four quarters this week should provide a homecoming win over Grissom.

5. East Limestone (1-1): The Indians got their first 5A, Region 8 win over Butler last week. East Limestone gets a strong mental and physical test this week at Hartselle.

Decatur High’s football team knows exactly what it’s up against when it faces Huntsville High at Milton Frank Stadium on Friday.

Brooke Milam Sports Writer

“There’s no question our kids are aware of Huntsville’s ability to score and the fact that nobody’s scored on them,” Adcock said. “We have to play much better this week.”

Adcock said he’s not surprised Huntsville (2-0) has dominated its first two games, and that the Crimson Panthers were one of the teams he picked in the preseason to be near the top of the Class 6A, Region 8 standings.

Huntsville set itself up for a strong season, shutting out defending two-time state champion Prattville in a two-quarter practice game last spring.

“They’re playing real sound and not beating themselves,” Adcock said.

Decatur (1-1) was also one of the early favorites, but after taking a convincing win against Austin in its opener, the Red Raiders stumbled last week in a 23-22 loss at Sparkman.

Meanwhile, Huntsville beat Grissom 28-0 last week as defensive end Jimmy Eye had 11 tackles and two sacks.

Huntsville blanked Sparkman 20-0 in the season opener.

For now, Decatur will try to correct last week’s mistakes from a game where it lost a 13-point lead in the second half.

“We’ve got to see if we’ve grown up over the past two weeks, and it’s tough when you’re trying to do that facing one of the toughest teams on your schedule,” Adcock said. “Last week could be a great lesson for us. It might be one of the best lessons we take from this year if we handle it right.”

HARVEST — Decatur High’s football team has seen good nights and bad nights in Sparkman’s Senators Stadium.

Friday night’s Class 6A, Region 8 contest was one that the Red Raiders would like to forget.

“We played just like we practiced all week,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said after his Red Raiders lost 23-22 to Sparkman.

Decatur lost a back-and-forth contest in which the Red Raiders found the lead, but could never fully gain control.

Offensively, Decatur (1-1) struggled early to move the ball.

The Red Raiders didn’t earn a first down until the last 30 seconds of the first quarter.

Zach Hinson hit an 18-yard field goal for the Senators to put the home team up 3-0 at the end of the first period.

A 59-yard touchdown pass from Decatur quarterback Ben Neill to Cory Dodson early in the second quarter gave the Red Raiders a 7-3 lead after the extra point by Spencer Walraven.

Sparkman (1-1) regained the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Antwon Thurman and missed a 2-point conversion, but still led 9-7 at halftime.

Decatur had just three first downs at halftime to Sparkman’s 13, and the half ended with the ball in the Senators’ hands.

“I didn’t think we’d shown anything offensively or defensively before halftime,” Adcock said.

“They controlled the first half, and we were just lucky to only be down 9-7.”

As the rain poured down in a penalty-ridden second half, the Red Raiders took the lead on two touchdowns by Chris Coffey in the third quarter.

Coffey scored on touchdown runs of 5 and 30 yards to put Decatur ahead.

He finished with 128 yards rushing on 18 carries.

“I thought we had a better effort in the second half,” Adcock said.

“We had a chance to put it away, and we shot ourselves in the foot.”

Decatur was up 22-9 and driving before penalties on five straight plays forced the Red Raiders to punt late in the third.

Sparkman quarterback Matt Bradford’s 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter and a failed 2-point conversion brought Sparkman within seven at 22-15.

Bradford struck again from 1 yard out for a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining, and the ensuing 2-point conversion by Justin Pearson on the run made it 23-22 Sparkman.

Decatur had one last shot at the win, but its offense faced a long field, starting on its own 20 with 48 seconds.

After three pass plays, another penalty and a short run, the Red Raiders made one last-chance throw downfield before time ran out.

Both Decatur and Sparkman are now 1-1 in the Class 6A, Region 8 standings.

Decatur travels to play Huntsville at Milton Frank Stadium on Friday, while Sparkman travels to play a non-region game at Fort Walton Beach (Fla.).

“We knew we were going to get Sparkman’s best effort,” Adcock said.

“Their coaching staff had them very well prepared. We rallied back and controlled the third quarter and then the wheels came off in the fourth.”

In Decatur High’s football practices this week, more emphasis has been placed on the Red Raiders instead of Friday night’s opponent, Sparkman.

Head coach Jere Adcock said the Red Raiders have enjoyed their success from last week’s 41-14 victory over rival Austin so much that it’s been difficult to shift their attention to the Senators.

“The kids have to understand how to get over a big win and get their focus on another game. That process is all about teaching our kids how yesterday’s successes are today’s failures,” Adcock said.

“One of the major concerns after a big win is if you’re still living off Friday night on Monday and Tuesday. I haven’t been very pleased with our focus. Coming off of a big game, I didn’t see that sharpness Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that we have to have.”

Senior linebacker Antonio Miland, who intercepted a pass in last week’s win, said it’s hard to contain his excitement.

“Austin is our rival and everything, and it’s usually the last game of the year. Being the first game of the year, we got so excited about it and even more excited after we won. It’s hard for that excitement to go away,” he said.

On the flipside, Decatur has been trying to turn that excitement into momentum heading into Friday’s region showdown at Sparkman.

“They are still in a maturation stage. They still haven’t learned how to take the lessons they have learned and apply them,” Adcock said. “We won’t know if they’ve done that until about the third or fourth week.”

Decatur (1-0) seemed to be in midseason form offensively as it jumped out to a five-touchdown lead at halftime, but Adcock said he expects better play along the offensive line, despite seeing that group pave the way for running back Chris Coffey’s 118 yards and three scores.

“We weren’t extremely pleased with how our offensive line played. They didn’t do as well as everybody felt like they did,” Adcock said.

The Red Raiders will face a balanced Sparkman offensive attack, which Adcock compared to West Virginia and versatile quarterback Pat White.

“Their quarterback will throw the ball, and he can tuck it and run too,” he said.

While the concern has been mostly an internal one this week, Sparkman still poses a threat. Decatur, which competed in Class 5A last season, earned a 19-13 decision against Sparkman a year ago. The Senators were shut out in last week’s season opener at Huntsville, 20-0.

“We enjoyed our success, but we can’t dwell on that game forever,” Miland said, “We just have to focus on Sparkman, and get it done this week.”

Kickoff in Harvest is 7 p.m.

Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam ranks the area’s top five teams in both Class 4A-6A and 1A-3A:

Class 4A-6A Top Five

1. Decatur (1-0): The Red Raiders looked sharp in a 41-14 opening-week win over rival Austin. This week Decatur has a chance to get another notch up in the Class 6A, Region 8 race, playing at Sparkman.

2. Hartselle (1-0): The Tigers’ experience is paying off. Ranked No. 10 in 5A, Hartselle plays at 5A, Region 8 foe J.O. Johnson on Thursday night in another contest where the Tigers’ experience should win out.

3. Austin (0-1): The 6A Black Bears look to get back on track after a region loss to rival Decatur in the season opener. A non-region contest with Thompson at Ogle Stadium should see Austin as the favorite.

4. Athens (0-1): The 5A Golden Eagles looked impressive even in a 14-12 defeat to 6A Clay-Chalkville in its season opener. Count Athens an overwhelming favorite against 5A, Region 8 opponent Muscle Shoals this week — a team that won just two region contests last year.

5. East Limestone (0-1): There’s no shame in losing to 3A No. 5 West Morgan in its season opener. The Indians should improve every week and be competitive in 5A, and have a chance to prove that this week against 5A, Region 8 foe Butler.

A packed house at Ogle Stadium isn’t unusual when Decatur High and Austin meet in football.

Tickets were sold all week at the schools, but even so, hundreds waited outside Friday night when the game kicked off. The line didn’t disappear until almost halftime of Decatur’s 41-14 victory.

“It was a great crowd. Great community support,” Austin head coach David Norwood said.

But it wasn’t just Decatur residents who were interested in the River City rivalry game.

At least three radio stations were there to broadcast the game.

Also, the Great American Rivalry Series chose Decatur and Austin for its featured game of the week, partnering with the U.S. Air Force to broadcast the game on iHigh.com, making it available to troops overseas.

With all the outside interest, Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said he hoped the distractions wouldn’t get to his team. Instead, the effects turned out to be entirely positive.

“That was big to me and for us,” Adcock said. “I was a bit reluctant at first, but those people with Great American Rivalry were a first-class organization.”

The Red Raiders looked liked they’d won the Super Bowl, filing out of the fieldhouse after the big win in their new black caps embroidered with the Great American Rivalry Series logo.

Air Force personnel addressed the winning team afterward to congratulate them. Other souvenirs of the victory included a trophy that will reside in Decatur’s Earl Webb Fieldhouse.

Decatur’s junior quarterback Ben Neill was named the game’s most valuable player, voted upon by broadcasters, newspaper reporters and press box personnel. Neill completed 11 of 15 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 39 yards in the win.

The ticket lines wrapped around the sides of Ogle Stadium on a muggy Friday night more than an hour before the game started. As fans piled in to see River City rivals Decatur and Austin play, the gates weren’t clear until nearly halftime of the season opener.

“That’s the biggest Decatur/Austin game I’ve seen since I was a little boy,” Decatur senior Chris Coffey said. “People think it’s a big deal. It was fun. Real fun.”

With capacity listed at 9,000, the turnout had the bleachers full and then some.

Coffey didn’t just witness it. He was a major part of Decatur’s 41-14 win over rival Austin.

After junior quarterback Ben Neill tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter, Coffey posted three touchdowns in the second period for a 34-0 Red Raiders lead.

In a game that pitted Decatur’s experienced skill-position players against Austin’s seasoned defense, the high-scoring effort was more than either side expected.

“No. 7 (Coffey) played a heck of a ballgame, and we had too many let downs,” Austin head coach David Norwood said.

Coffey rushed seven times for 118 yards and three touchdowns.

Neill completed 11 of 15 passes for 165 yards and rushed seven times for 39 yards.

He tossed a 45-yard touchdown pass to senior Pete Brown with 4:02 to go in the first quarter and a
35-yard scoring strike to Ryan Watson on the Red Raiders’ next possession.

With Decatur up 14-0 heading into the second quarter, Coffey scored on runs of 10, 27 and 6 yards to put the Red Raiders ahead 34-0 at halftime.

“The whole thing — I almost want to say it was a blur,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “We did some good things offensively and we also tackled a lot better than I expected for a first game.

“I was real pleased.”

While Decatur’s offense attacked, the Black Bears hurt themselves the most.

Austin fumbled five times, but didn’t lose any of them. Still, it appeared to shake the Black Bears confidence.

Six penalties resulted in 60 lost yards as well.

Levi Cook and Antonio Miland each had interceptions in the first half that led to Decatur touchdowns. With Austin threatening on the Decatur 20 early in the fourth, Josh Busby intercepted a pass to ruin another Black Bears scoring drive.

“Just about anything and everything that could go wrong did,” Norwood said. “We dug ourselves a deep hole.”

Austin came alive in the third quarter. D.T. Shackelford fell on a blocked punt on Austin’s 20-yard line on the first possession of the third, and Black Bears quarterback Stephen Rivers hit Riley Howard for a 20-yard touchdown pass on the next play.

It was the first of two quick scores for Austin. Rivers found Freddie Moore for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 5:45 left in the third, pulling Austin within 34-14 at the end of the third quarter.

“Our leaders tried to step up and lead in the second half,” Norwood said. “We talked at halftime about trying to win the second half.”

But Decatur wasn’t done. Fullback David Martin’s 11-yard touchdown run with 2:23 left put the lead out of reach.

The Red Raiders won’t play at home again until Sept. 29. Decatur hits the road for three straight weeks beginning Friday at Sparkman in a 6A, Region 8 contest.

Austin hosts non-region opponent Thompson at Ogle Stadium on Friday.

“Our coaches were confident in us, but I think we proved a lot to them,” Coffey said. “We’ve still got a lot of room to improve. It’s just one game in our season.”

Unlikely heroes. The thrill of victory. Battling through adversity. Pride.

That’s how Decatur High head coach Jere Adcock and Austin head coach David Norwood think of the River City rivalry game, a contest with a rich 43-year tradition.

Adcock remembers 2000 when Drew Ward took a bootleg pass from Cole Barthel and broke several tackles before stretching out into the endzone. It was the first touchdown of a 31-7 win over rival Austin that season and one that still stands out in Adcock’s mind.

“Drew had knee surgery and couldn’t even sprint before we started practice,” Adcock said. “To see him fight through all that in a game of that magnitude — that picture and that action will always be one of the most vivid memories to me about this game.”

The Austin “A” flag flew high after the Black Bears beat Decatur 17-14 in 2006.

Proudly waving their school’s flag, players were still on the field celebrating nearly 30 minutes after the game ended.

“It was a little more special, a little sweeter because it’s the rival on your schedule. Everyone has one,” Norwood said.

It’s time to make some more memories.

What’s next for the River City rivals? A Friday date in Ogle Stadium at 7 p.m.

Decatur will be the home team on the scoreboard in the stadium the two teams share. It’s just the first week of the season, but the memories made in this game will last a lifetime.

The opening game is always a tough challenge. Insert a rivalry game in the first slot and it’s even tougher. Since 1975, the River City rivals have played on either the next-to-last regular-season date or the final one, making it one of most storied late-season matchups in the state.

It’s the first time in history Decatur and Austin have played each other in a season opener. The Red Raiders lead the overall series 31-14.

After losing to the Black Bears 17-14 in 2006, the Red Raiders reclaimed their hold on the rivalry with a 10-7 win last year. Both teams are on the radar this season, receiving votes in the Alabama Sports Writers Association preseason poll.

Decatur brings the experience of quarterback Ben Neill, running back Chris Coffey and fullback David Martin to the backfield. Defensive ends Pierre Key and Dewan Troupe are impact players for the Red Raiders on defense.

For Austin, Tennessee recruit D.T. Shackelford at linebacker, Marshall recruit Freddie Moore at wide receiver, running back Nico Best and safety Jerone White are a few seniors who will shoulder much of the load.

Shackelford and White are part of an Austin defense that has eight returning starters. Moore comes back as the Black Bears’ leading receiver and Best is a key component in their running game.

In addition to the rivalry heat, the contest is a region game for the first time since 2005. Both teams are predicted to be contenders in 6A, Region 8.

“When it’s Decatur-Austin, it’s going to be important no matter what other ties you put with it,” Norwood said. “It’s always competitive. You take all the outside factors and throw them out the window when Austin and Decatur play.”

Teams and coaches turned out en masse to see their first-week opponent play in jamboree games last week. Most of the Red Raiders saw Austin top Hartselle on Thursday and the Black Bears saw Athens edge Decatur on Friday.

Both were competitive contests that left little doubt that this week’s game will be as unpredictable as ever.

“I watched them the other night and I think truthfully, (Austin-Decatur) is probably a tossup,” Adcock said.

Emotions will be high Friday at Ogle Stadium, and one team will come out with a region win, taking the first step toward the playoffs with the season still young.

“Our kids know what an important game this is,” Norwood said. “It’s the first game and the first region game, and we hope to have ourselves in a position for a playoff berth.”

Austin-Decatur series history

1965: Decatur 27-7

1966: Austin 20-19

1967: Decatur 33-0

1968: Austin 14-0

1969: Decatur 16-6

1970: Decatur 18-13

1971: Decatur 32-0

1972: Decatur 28-0

1973: Austin 20-14

1974: Decatur 7-0

1975: Decatur 21-6

1976: Decatur 27-7

1977: Decatur 21-0

1978: Decatur 14-10

1979: Decatur 15-6

1980: Decatur 15-14

1981: Austin 7-0

1982: Austin 39-8

1983: Austin 15-12

1984: Austin 17-14

1984: Decatur 13-3 (playoffs)

1985: Austin 10-0

1985: Austin 25-14 (playoffs)

1986: Decatur 16-13

1987: Decatur 17-14

1988: Decatur 20-6

1989: Decatur 31-9

1990: Decatur 7-6

1991: Austin 17-14, OT

1992: Decatur 20-10

1993: Decatur 21-7

1994: Austin 9-6

1995: Decatur 14-3

1996: Austin 13-10

1997: Decatur 41-10

1998: Decatur 22-0

1999: Decatur 25-20

2000: Decatur 31-7

2001: Austin 21-17

2002: Decatur 13-6

2003: Decatur 28-7

2004: Decatur 14-0

2005: Decatur 31-6

2006: Austin 17-14

2007: Decatur 10-7

Decatur High’s offensive linemen have heard how important their job is since the first day they stepped foot on the Red Raiders’ practice field.

“We tell our guys the closer you line up to the football, the more important your job is on this team,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said. “For linemen, they have to fight through and overcome so much. It’s grunt work. Every day, it’s the same thing. I think they’re the most resilient of anybody.”

Center Lawson Hahn, left guard Tory Pelzer, left tackle Christian Smith, right guard Andrew Cross and right tackle Chris Steeples make up an entire offensive front of seniors.

Center/guard Jacob Tutwiler and tackle Jordan Landers are two more seniors who will contribute on the line this season.

“We don’t have that very often,” offensive line coach Richard Armstrong said.

In fact, Armstrong said that in his 12 previous seasons as Decatur’s offensive line coach, he has an all-senior offensive front to begin the season only two other times — in 1997 and ’99.

Pelzer and Smith are the only two returning starters on the line, and Adcock said it’s good that his team has so many seniors available to rebuild the unit this season.

“As an offensive lineman, you’re probably the guy that sits there and bides your time. Now for them, it’s like, ‘I’m a senior. I’ve done the work. Now it’s time.’ ” Adcock said. “This is their shot, and they really get after it.”

Added Armstrong: “Most of the time, by the time they are seniors they know the routine. They know what I expect.”

Armstrong is a former lineman at Mississippi College and the former Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), and on top of that, he has spent 28 years in coaching. That total includes 13 as Decatur’s offensive line coach. He’s also the Red Raiders’ strength coach.

“He’s in the weight room with these guys 12 months out of the year,” Adcock said.

Adcock added, “He’s consistent. He’s the same every day. He handles them the same from day one to the day they leave here.”

Armstrong was the first hire Adcock made when he was named head coach in 1996.

Adcock said the continuity Armstrong has provided as the Red Raiders’ offensive line coach has played a major role in Decatur’s 10 playoff appearances during Adcock’s tenure as head coach.

“We’ve had some good lineman, but we haven’t been blessed with a bunch of SEC linemen,” Adcock said. “(Armstrong) has taken these kids and he’s given us the opportunity to be successful the past 12 years.”

At 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds, Pelzer is the biggest Decatur offensive lineman this season.

Adcock calls Armstrong “the keel on the boat of this football program.”

“He’s the guy that keeps everything steady. He’s the steadiest guy I know,” Adcock said.

The Red Raiders count on Armstrong’s lineman for much of the same.

Decatur’s offense has a high standard to uphold. The Red Raiders averaged 30 points a game last season, including 32.3 points a game in three playoff games, and don’t hesitate to give credit for that performance to its line

“I think it’s just as important the offensive line that we have as our running backs,” senior tailback Chris Coffey said in the preseason.

An offensive lineman’s is a unique role. So is the role of a senior. The closest ones to the ball at the beginning of every offensive play, Adcock said he thinks his team is in good hands with his senior linemen.

“With linemen, this is this position they play,” Adcock said. “They’re not going to do any switching around. These guys say, “ ‘This is my position and this is it. This is what I do.’ They really take ownership of that.”

River City rivalry

Who: Austin (0-0) vs. Decatur (0-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Ogle Stadium.

Stakes: They’re both in Class 6A, Region 8, so the winner not only gets bragging rights but a head start in the region race.

Wednesday’s story: Austin’s improved defense.

Thursday’s story: Decatur’s senior-dominated offensive line.

Friday’s story: A look at the showdown.

Saturday’s story: Complete game coverage.

As far as motivation goes, David Norwood’s job is pretty easy this week.

“I’m not going to have to give the ‘Win One for the Gipper’ speech this week,” the Austin High football coach said Monday, four days away from his team’s season-opening showdown with Decatur.

It’s the preparation that makes Norwood’s job tough this week.

On Monday, the Black Bears’ defense began prepping for Decatur’s rushing attack, led by 1,000-yard rusher Chris Coffey.

“We definitely respect the fact that we have a lot of respect for Decatur. We understand that Decatur is a very good football team, and we also understand that Chris Coffey is a very good running back,” Norwood said.

“We have to know where he is at because we know what his capabilities are.”

Because of heavy rain, the Black Bears spent Monday’s practice indoors, where they worked heavily on conditioning drills.

“We’re spending a lot of time doing feet drills and more conditioning so we can be in the right position to make plays,” said junior linebacker Antavious Birdsong.

Austin’s biggest challenge may be an internal one.

The Black Bears will have to improve a defense that allowed nearly 25 points per game during five consecutive losses a year ago.

“We had high expectations, and we started feeling sorry for ourselves after we got roughed up a little bit,” second-year defensive coordinator Rich Dutton said.

“That’s one of the things we’re trying to fix. We want to fight all the way through to that goal. It’s been a problem.”

Austin started strong last season, limiting Hartselle to only seven points in a season-opening victory. After a Week 2 loss to Huntsville, the defense buckled, allowing a combined 107 points in losses to Florence, Sparkman, Russellville and Bob Jones.

Norwood cited inexperienced players as the reason for the defensive decline.

“Now, they’re a lot more comfortable with their positions, and they won’t be making a lot of freshman or sophomore mistakes,” he said.

The defensive unit has spent the off-season becoming more familiar with Dutton’s scheme.

“This team doesn’t need a defensive coach. As you can see in practice, they’re teaching themselves now,” Dutton said humbly. “It makes the job easy for us.”

The group’s maturity was obvious in Friday night’s jamboree win over Hartselle. After the Tigers built a 13-0 lead at the half, Austin scored twice in the third quarter and held on for a 21-19 triumph. A key stop on Hartselle’s 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter showed the Black Bears’ ability to finish in close games — an almost impossible feat last season.

“Instead of in the past when we gave up when we got down, we said we were going to keep going hard. Their two touchdowns wasn’t that big. We knew that we could do the same,” said Jerone White, a senior defensive back.

“And then when our offense scored twice, we knew we didn’t have any excuses. It’s going to have to be the same way this week. We’ve got to do our jobs and get it done.”

River City rivalry

Who: Austin (0-0) vs. Decatur (0-0)

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: Ogle Stadium.

Stakes: They’re both in Class 6A, Region 8, so the winner not only gets bragging rights but a head start in the region race.

Wednesday’s story: Austin’s improved defense.

Thursday’s story: Decatur’s senior-dominated offensive line.

Friday’s story: A look at the showdown.

Saturday’s story: Complete game coverage.

Ask any high school football coach what the key games on the schedule are and you’ll get two straightforward answers nearly every time: Region games and rivalry games.

For schools in the Morgan, Limestone, Lawrence County and Addison area, there are opponents that fit both bills, making for some high-intensity matchups.

Most local schools have at least one opponent on their schedule that players could ride their bicycles to, and many of their fathers grew up with some of the same rivals.

Local rivalry games will again play a big role in the region standings, deciding who will see the postseason and who will stay home: 8

Class 6A, Region

Pick to win region: Decatur.

Region breakdown: Ogle Stadium could host two playoff games in the first round of the playoffs. Decatur and Austin both look primed to take a playoff spot, and one will have the upper hand after the city rivals face off the first week of the season.

Look for Florence to be up there in the region race as well, as it tries to defend its undefeated 6A, Region 8 championship.

Decatur was undefeated in 5A, Region 8 and undefeated in 6A, Region 8 the last season it played that classification in 2005.

Grissom and Hazel Green likely will struggle for wins in the hotly contested region, while Bob Jones, Buckhorn and Sparkman should be in a battle for the fourth playoff spot.

Decatur High senior Brooks Johnson has committed to play football for NCAA Division I Memphis next year, making the decision just before beginning his final season with the Red Raiders.

“We’re proud for him and the biggest thing he’s got to do now is go out there and lead his team — make us the best we can be,” Decatur head coach Jere Adcock said.

A 6-foot-2, 225-pound tight end, Johnson caught 17 passes for 192 yards and five touchdowns last season as Decatur went 11-2 and advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals.

Adcock said he knew Johnson had the potential to be the next in the line of Red Raiders to sign Division I football scholarships — most recently 2007 Decatur graduates Rolando McClain at Alabama and Caleb Thomas at UAB.

“The upside of Brooks is his ball skills,” Adcock said. “He’s already got great ball skills and he’s still growing. He’s going to get even better.”

Johnson drew interest from several schools, including Auburn, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky. He chose Memphis after also being offered a scholarship by UAB.

The Tigers went 7-6 last season, including 6-2 in Conference USA, and lost to Florida Atlantic 44-27 in the New Orleans Bowl.

Memphis has appeared in four bowl games in the past five years.

Decatur High football coach Jere Adcock, left, and Austin’s David Norwood both have high expectations of their teams as the season kicks off Aug. 29 with the two River City rivals facing each other. The coaches told the Rotary Club of Decatur at its regular meeting Monday that they expect their teams to be playing in the Class 6A playoffs

Twelfth in a series.

After a two-year tenure in Class 5A, some of the opponents on Decatur High’s football schedule have changed, but the goals remain the same as the Red Raiders step back up to 6A play this season.

“Nothing’s different,” head coach Jere Adcock said emphatically. “We want to win the region and go deep in the playoffs.

“You try to prepare to win and it doesn’t matter what level you’re on. There’s no way to take a different approach.”

And why would they?

The Red Raiders have made the playoffs 10 of the past 12 seasons under Adcock while winning eight region championships, including seven in 6A.

“All that matters to our players is that they’re playing for Decatur High School and there’s a scoreboard at the end,” Adcock said.

The Red Raiders went 11-2 last year, advancing to the state quarterfinals in 5A. It capped the only two years in the program’s history that Decatur hasn’t been in the state’s largest classification.

Junior Ben Neill gives Decatur a good head start as the only returning starting quarterback in 6A, Region 8, which also includes rival Austin, Sparkman, Bob Jones, Huntsville, Grissom, Buckhorn, Florence and Hazel Green.

And he’s not alone.

The Red Raiders’ entire starting backfield is intact from last season, including leading rusher Chris Coffey and fullback David Martin.

Neill shared duties as a freshman before passing for more than 1,600 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Coffey, a senior tailback, rushed for 1,326 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. He was also Decatur’s second-leading receiver with 321 yards and three touchdowns.

Coffey said the move back to 6A won’t make a difference to him and his teammates after battling in a tough 5A region.

“We had the hardest region in 5A, and I believe we’ve got the hardest (6A) region now,” Coffey said. “My expectations are, of course, to get back where we were last year, but really to get farther. We did great, but I really think we can do even better.”

Decatur will have five seniors on its front line.

Tory Pelzer at guard and Christian Smith at tackle are returning starters. They will be joined by center Lawson Hahn, guard Andrew Cross and Jordan Landers and Chris Steeples will take the other tackle position. Jacob Tutwiler and Austin Wofford offer depth on the Red Raiders’ offensive line.

“We know our job is important,” Hahn said. “We communicate with each other and we’re very close. We’re pretty much one unit.”

Seniors Cory Dodson and Pete Brown headline the receiving corps. Dodson is the Red Raiders’ leading returning receiver, grabbing eight touchdowns last season. Senior tight end Brooks Johnson, who has committed to Division I Memphis, also highlights Decatur’s passing game. At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, Johnson caught 17 passes for 192 yards and five touchdowns last year.

Defensively, several players have a chance to shine.

All-state honorable mention selection Dewan Troupe (6-0, 240 pound) is at one defensive end spot, while Pierre Key (6-2, 250 pounds) anchors the other end position.

“They’re going to have to be a bigger impact than anything this year,” Adcock said. “They’re going to have to be key feature of our defense.”

Senior Levi Cook is a returning starter and will chip in at outside linebacker and safety.

A potent schedule has the Red Raiders opening the season with a pivotal three-game region stretch. Kicking off the season with rival Austin, Decatur will play at Sparkman and then at Huntsville. After the opener at Ogle Stadium, the Red Raiders won’t play at home again until hosting Bob Jones on Sept. 29.

“You can’t win the region in the first three games, but you sure can lose it in the first three,” Adcock said. “So those first ones are going to be really important for us.”

Adcock said last year’s group “matured a lot” into a state quarterfinalist, and he hopes to see this year’s squad do the same.

A strong tradition in 6A is on the side of Decatur, but tradition isn’t always enough.

“You don’t have to shout it out — all you have to do is show,” Hahn said. “Gameday is where we’ve got to show that we’re something.”

Decatur High at a glance

Last year: 11-2. Advanced to the Class 5A state quarterfinals before losing to Cullman 42-32.

Head coach: Jere Adcock (94-44 in 12 seasons as head coach at Decatur).

Noteworthy: On Sept. 19, Decatur travels to play the Parker Thundering Herd, who play their home games at Birmingham’s Legion Field. Decatur’s other non-region opponent is local rival Hartselle to cap the regular season Oct. 30. ... A critical loss was Daily 4A-6A player of the year Michael Schuster, who handled all the Red Raiders kicking chores. With Schuster now kicking for North Alabama, sophomore soccer transplant Spencer Walraven will take up extra points and field goals, while junior quarterback Ben Neill will punt and kick off. ... Decatur returns a nucleus of eight starters on offense and five on defense, including several key players from last season’s quarterfinal run in 5A. “They’re battle tested and I want them to build on that,” Adcock said.

Brooke Milam

Decatur and Austin High football teams took time out from preseason practices and combed their hair and smiled for cameras. Above, Decatur High coach Jere Adcock, right, lines up ball boy Cameron Morson moments before the team photograph was captured at Ogle Stadium. Cameron is the son of Decatur’s offensive coordinator, Kenny Morson. Below, Austin running back Nico Best rests in front of an inflatable tunnel at the Austin practice field. After the photos were made, the players don’t have to return to the field until Monday afternoon. Both Class 6A teams meet in the season opener at Ogle Stadium on Aug. 29.

Even the cold air inside the Ogle Stadium fieldhouse couldn’t cool down Chris Coffey.

Evidence from a hard day’s work, sweat streamed down the senior running back’s face as he reflected on the first day of practice Monday.

“I can’t ever remember a practice this hot,” he said. “But right now is when it counts. This is when everything is won.”

Area players, wearing helmets and shorts, began practice Monday with temperatures reaching the high 90s.

Players will be allowed to practice in full gear beginning Thursday, as mandated by the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

“It’s not going to get cooler soon,” Coffey said, “because it’ll seem twice as hot Thursday with all the pads on.”

Coffey doesn’t seem to mind the heat, though, as motivation from last season’s third-round playoff loss to Cullman bleeds over into this year.

“That makes us want to get out there and work harder and get to that next step. Losing in the third round when we know we had a team that could win it all makes everybody fight even harder,” he said.

Decatur, which moves back to Class 6A this season, spent its two afternoon practice sessions running high-tempo drills.

“We’ve had a pretty intense summer with good participation, so we expected our players to handle the first day pretty well. We pushed them pretty hard,” Decatur coach Jere Adcock said.

“This wasn’t by any means the best first day we’ve ever had, but I thought we had a really good tempo. We had a really good practice plan that kept them moving.”

Added Coffey, “We have never run this many plays on the first day since I’ve been here. In one drill, we ran 20 or 25 plays in a five-minute span. We got a lot of work done.”

Austin coach David Norwood, who practiced his Black Bears only once Monday, believes many teams experience limited progress when practicing in helmets and shorts.

“What we did out there today is what we’ve been doing all summer long because the rules now say that you can wear helmets throughout the summer,” he said.

For Tanner coach Laron White, practicing in helmets and shorts allows his Class 2A Rattlers to work out any kinks before full-contact practice.

“It allows you to work on the little stuff you might not notice in full pads, but I don’t think our kids are ready for pads in the first few days anyways. It would be tough,” he said.

But the heat seemed to be the coaches’ main concern Monday.

“You always have to expect temperatures in the triple digits the first of August, and most of our kids struggled through practice,” Norwood said. “But they did pull through it, and I was pleased. We didn’t have a single kid complain about a cramp.

“We also took 15 coolers of water out, and our kids drank 13 of them. Our players can drink water any time they want it. As long as they’re not in the middle of a drill, they can be right next to the cooler.”