When they invited me to play football, I was the only Hispanic on the team, he said. The Defensive Headhunter Player of the Week award goes to Clayton Garrison. The 1975 season had an additional highlight. The Valley defense rose to the occasion and held them out of the end zone. It requires focus, precision and commitment., He shushed me numerous times at the first match I attended because I wanted to ask questions and cheer for him like I do in football, his mom said. Higginbotham had great success in his 22 years as the Shades Valley head coach, Higginbotham went 160-86-2. Shades Valley (Cahaba) fielded its first team in 1921. We are a small-stature team, Howard said. The defense, led by sophomore linebacker Nathan Lavender with 13 tackles, played much better than the previous week. This is an original press photo. The Bearcats were only able to produce 34 yards through the air. Last playoff appearance: 2014, Alabama7AFootball.com Thomas lives by 2 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. He was drafted in the third round by Philadelphia in 1987. The senior wide receiver had 209 yards rushing on eight carries and four touchdowns. The Mounties went 2-1 in 7-on-7 competition with a win over the Patriots and a win over the Bulldogs to avenge a loss earlier in the day to Anniston. While Steele has his priorities straight as a team leader, that doesnt mean he doesnt have personal goals. One contributor to the loss of momentum was a season-ending injury to senior lineman Caleb Price. Only fourteen coaches have won more games than him in Alabama. Mrs. Brown is a woman of great faith and believes in helping others. I love the hitting and tackling part the most, said Tolbert. Junior Camden Myers will hold down the center position. The important thing is to stay positive, keep a smile and try to improve your situation., Ford continued to be involved with the team anytime he had the chance. Kickoff is at 7 PM in Lions Pride Stadium on the campus of Briarwood Christian School. Wuilman is just phenomenal. He began playing with the A.G. Gaston Jaguars when he was five and is working hard to get the opportunity to play running back at the next level. I saw a coaching staff that remained respectful to officials despite questionable officiating. Defensively the Mounties played a solid first half against the Rockets. Senior Jacob Mahand blocked the Tiger punt, and fellow senior Malique Steele recovered it at Bessemers 26-yard line. The growth of the Mountie offense in 2021 has been slow for a multitude of reasons. The special Shades Valley community is what Tamburello remembers most. Coach Jamie Mitchell was extremely proud of his teams performance. Valley had an opportunity to run the clock out but was unable to and had to punt. A lot went right for us Friday night finally, said Mitchell. We have chosen to publish They are a very good team, and it will be a circus atmosphere, he said. A total of 21 players had at least one tackle assist. Pell City put together a 15-play drive and moved to the Valley two-yard line, but the Mountie defense, with the help of a Johnny Steele tackle for loss, held the Panthers out of the end zone. He scored touchdowns in every way possible: kick returns, interception returns, pass receptions, and rushing. Junior running back Jordan Pearson, who missed the Briarwood game due to an injury, had 191 rushing yard and three touchdowns. He went to Troy, West Alabama, Mississippi State and UAB for football camps. Principal Sarhaan has come in with the belief that success starts in the classroomacademics are first, said Nelson. Mahand expects to play defensive back in college. Dates: Friday, October 14, 2022. My personal goals are to have a 100-plus tackle season, 10-plus sacks, 5- plus interceptions, 20-plus tackles for loss, 5- plus touchdowns, and 15-plus receptions. UPDATED on 11/18/2014 at 7:40 P.M: The school's relationship with the Jefferson County IB school was clarified. I thank God that our fans have been as patient as fans can be, he said. Its gonna be a big one, but I believe in the Mounties, and we believe in each other, said Nelson. Because of Richardsons outstanding play as a defensive back at Laney College, he was inducted into the California Community College Football Coaches Associations (CCCFCA) Hall of Fame (Player-post 1975 category) in 2013. From the opening tip, it was apparent this was going to be a different game than the Cougars 73-49 win last month. I think our players played hard last night, he said. JaMarius Dismukes returns for his second year as the offensive line coach. The PAT was successful, and Stanhope Elmore held a 7-6 lead with 11:24 remaining in the half. Kaleb Tolbert, who started playing football when he was five years old, is one of those guys. Shades Valley travels to Bessemer City this Friday for a non-region game. regular season opponent time/result W-L (League) game type; regular season result; Aug. 20, 2022: Aug. 20 @ Still, at 62 and a little more than 200 pounds, he was considered undersized for a lineman and received not a single offer to play at the collegiate level. Hes going to go pre-med wherever he decides to go, Barnfield says. Nelson is looking forward to the game against Mountain Brook. The Vikings were not done, though. The PAT failed again, and the Cougars extended the lead to 19-0. Im going to need about twelve receiving touchdowns this year, Steele joked. Your Shades Valley High School football team desperately needs funds to upgrade its program. The other will take care of itself, said Mitchell. This will be the schools first appearance in the playoffs since 2017 and only their fifth appearance since 2000. They have become the de facto sources for information when local media needs news about Shades Valley athletics. We would have died for him and the red and black!, As good as Higginbotham was with the Xs and Os of the game, his true strength may have been in getting players to buy in and believe in themselves. Brown connected with senior Roderick Craig on a 25-yard completion to the Bessemer 11-yard line. Hes a guy with a winning pedigree, but also a true motivator and disciplinarian. Kendarius stepped up, Howard said. He taught me to work hard and pay attention to the little things.. The Rebels entered halftime with a 3-0 lead over the Mounties. After the two teams traded punts, Shades Valley extended the lead to 21-3 on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Kordae Harper with 6:19 to play in the 3rd quarter. In 1996, the new Shades Valley was ready to house more than two thousand students and teachers. The Hornets then kicked a field goal on their next series to extend their lead to 17 6. Coach Rueben Nelson was very pleased with the event. Wes Ellison, Russ Lachina, Jacob Mullinax and Garrett Yokeley scored points with Teer. They have a D1 tailback that has committed to Virginia Tech. The decision to give football another shot paid off big time. The Vikings took an early lead on their first possession with a 35-yard touchdown pass. Morris would like the opportunity to play football again. Tamburellos childhood hero offered him a scholarship that night. Wide receiver coach Jarvis Houston summed the season up. I was very blessed to learn from my dad, Higginbotham said. Defensive back Erin Callens came up with the interception for the Mounties with 3:19 remaining before the break. For Jacob Mahand, his senior football season is extra special. After Richardson graduated in 1987, he enlisted in the Navy for four years and was stationed in California. He is a competitor and a great player. Hines had one fumble recovery Friday night. Nelson saw the opportunity to add the veteran coach to his staff and convinced Mahand to roam the Alabama sidelines for one more season. The elder Higginbotham coached for 25 years and won multiple mythical state championships at West Blocton and Enterprise. Sports is nothing new to NyDarius. As much as Tamburello had loved Alabama and looked up to Coach Bryant as a kid, he could see that the end was drawing near in Tuscaloosa. The Mounties held Cullmans option running attack in check for most of the night. I am thankful that the Irondale Chamber of Commerce is willing to partner with the school. However, the once successful Mountie program fell on hard times over the last two decades. I have talked to coaches in the metro area, and Rueben Nelson has a reputation as an exceptional coach with a heart for his players. Without the confidence, encouragement, and letting me know about the TMI opportunity, none of the other things would have happened., Patrick Hampton, a standout player on the 1987 team, said, I have the utmost respect for him; he was a great coach. Thomas is off to a fast start in accomplishing those goals. 2015-2016. This group of seniors are some of the best kids I have ever been around, he said. Shades Valley mounted two more drives to the 36-yard line and inside the 10-yard line but could not score. I gave him about a week and a half at quarterback before I moved him to running back, said Higginbotham. Blankenship said the matter involved a personnel decision and she declined to comment specifically as to why the decision was made with Shades Valley's head football coaching position. The Mounties strong ground game allowed the play-action pass to have some success. Higginbotham quickly parlayed his success as an assistant at Banks into becoming the head coach of Mountain Brook High School for the 1973 season. The Yellow Jackets opened the second half with a bang. Homewood didnt give us many opportunities, Dickerson said. Bryant added ten rebounds and two blocks. With the Chelsea loss, the Homewood Patriots advance to the playoffs instead. During my recruitment, I went to a bank opening ceremony on Highway 280. The Mounties got an up-close look at one of the best teams in the state last Friday night. Volunteer Help the coach manage this team. Thomas tallied over 200 yards rushing on laterals and direct snaps and scored four rushing touchdowns for Valley. But that didnt change his mind about his decision to sign with Auburn and play for Pat Dye. Since the 2000 season, the program has made the playoffs only four times and won 68 games. The Mounties are growing in character. I was just 17 when I graduated, he said. Even though we didnt win a lot of games, I saw some boys grow into young men this season, and that whats this is all about. Mr. The Mounties could not move the ball, and the two teams headed to overtime. We are going to have to be ready to play Mountie football this Friday night, said Nelson. William Sexton and Robert Nelson, Jr. coach the defensive line. The Mustangs struck quickly on a 48-yard strike from Jacob Bryant to Jackson Thomas. Herring scored on a 28-yard pass from Gross to again pull within six with 2:16 remaining. Little did he know that almost a decade later, he would be playing on the west coast as a University of California Golden Bear. Stream: Shades Valley vs Clay-Chalkville Live On Demand (Free Trial) the Clay-Chalkville vs Shades Valley 2022 seasonal Game Live scores Up Date. Its not just a cliche that a team has to play well in all three phases of the game to win. Going from A.G. Gaston to Valley was a significant change in Moores life. Shades Valley HS gearing up for football season, Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley report to prison, Huffman HS girls basketball coach collapses during game Saturday, Sideline - Week 15 - Defensive Player of the Year - Kelby Collins, Sideline - Week 15 - Offensive Player of the Year - Fluff Bothwell. Six months before he was scheduled to leave the military, the itch to play football returned when he saw a junior college team, Laney College, practicing. Senior cornerback Jacob Mahand will lead the secondary from one corner while Erin Callens will man the other corner. High school booster club.. Events, football games, fundraiser Summer 2022 ELA Reading Assignments Class of 2023 Shades Valley High School 6100 Old Leeds Rd. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Steele is a talented athlete that plays football, wrestles, and runs track. Moore changed career directions after the ad agency he worked for was bought out. The Mountie defense rose to the occasion and held the Tigers out of the endzone on their next possession. I was ready on day one because of it. With 1:45 remaining in the third period, Allan Cotton capped off a Cougar driven with a one-yard touchdown drive. Senior Kendarius Irvin added 11 points and 4 rebounds. After the successful PAT by Aguilar, the Mounties led 35-12 with 7:27 remaining in the contest. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone that loves or knows more about the history of Shades Valley than Irondales Shane Paschal. The junior defensive end had 5 total tackles (3.5 tackles for loss), 3 quarterback pressures and 1 sack. We were very aware that if Huffman won out, and we ended up 3-3, we wouldnt get in, said Mitchell. It feels good to be able to do it. However, Coach Rueben Nelson is not deterred in his mission. Football is history; thats behind me. Learn More Menus Powerschool Registration 2022 - 2023 School Year Announcements Click to Pay School Fees Online! I started attending Shades Valley games when I was a freshman in 1982. Huffman then drove the ball 87 yards and scored on a 20-yard run. The Mounties dropped a key region game this past Friday night to the Briarwood Christian Lions, 5-2. Vizzina rushed for two touchdowns and threw for 231 yards and two more scores. Fairfield ripped off an 80-yard run, but a penalty backed the Tigers up to the Valley 40-yard line. apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The game will be televised this Friday, October 15, on the NFHS Network at 7 PM. He always coached in hunting boots. The football program has achieved just one winning season in the previous 10 years before his arrival. Irondale - A large group of Shades Valley alumni gathered at Shades Valley on Saturday, November 12 for a fundraising barbeque to raise funds for new helmets for the Mounties football. Senior Micah Thomas heads up an extremely deep stable of running backs. As a unit, the defense has to swarm to the ball, play as a unit,Nelson said. He was the one that suggested I go to Tennessee Military Institute, Tamburello said. We never won a championship or went to the playoffs while I was there, but more than anything, the friendships are what I remember. The PAT was successful, and Valley held a 14-6 lead with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter. Copyright All rights reserved. Anna recently graduated from Appalachian State with a degree in Music Therapy and is pursuing a Masters Degree in Counseling. He knows that the Spartans will be a big test for his team. Please contact Belmont studios at 205-403-4020 orwww.belmontstudios.com to book your Senior Portrait! Wedgeworth competed 6 of 11 passes for 58 yards. One thing is for sure, the Mountie football team will miss Rashad Morris and that big smile. on Will You Please Consider Helping Mountie Football? He added 76 receiving yards as well. The Mounties will host Bob Jones of Madison Monday at Frank Nix Stadium. The Mounties will find themselves headed to postseason play with wins over Chelsea and Woodlawn. Get out there and work hard, and believe in yourself, he said. Shades Valley had not qualified more than three runners in a season since 1997. The Mustangs put together an impressive drive and moved inside Valleys 10-yard line. Russell Bradt, ATC, of ATI will serve as the Mounties athletic trainer. Darius has been here with the group cheering them on each week, said defensive line coach Robert Nelson, Jr. He was having a good off-season in the weight room before his injury.. The offensive line did an incredible job Friday night, said Mitchell. It was a tough loss. Although the neck injury has kept him from playing so far this year, Whetstone remains positive. an out-of-state game with the defending state champion from Louisiana's largest classification, John Beverly resigns at St. Luke's in Mobile, According to the school's website, there are 1,400 total students, off-the-field controversy over the last two weeks, which resulted in the suspension of three-year starting quarterback RaShad Louie for a violation of school rules, eliminated the Mounties in the second round last week by a 43-21 margin, Rare honesty from coach Bill Smith sparked the team's biggest win this season in Louisiana. A visit with a college football legend cemented his decision to attend Samford instead of UTC. James Lucas cut the Valley lead to 28-15 on a five-yard run with 9 seconds remaining in the period. He was close to signing with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Due to a penalty, a 50-yard Christian Thomas touchdown was taken off the board. Coach Nelson knows that hes ultimately judged by what the scoreboard says. Pell City once again forced a punt and drew within six points on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Gross to Herring. For my first three years at Alabama, I was sure I wasnt going to be a coach, said Higginbotham. Christian Thomas took a pitch and raced 63 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. This was the first step in mobilizing the alumni base, possibly the largest in the city, to support Coach Nelsons program. 11 talking about this. Richard Richardson, on Mounties Get Homecoming and Region Win, on Playoffs Still Within Reach For Mounties, on Mounties Eye Playoffs After Critical Region Win, on From El Salvador To Irondale: A Kickers Journey, on Mounties Show Improvement Despite Loss, on Mounties Look To Lions After Loss To Gardendale, on Mounties Fall To Mountain Brook In Region Game, on Mounties Face Tough Challenge In Spartans. NyDarius Whetstone decided he didnt want his high school experience to end without giving football a shot. Valleys Clayton Garrison tracked him down and tackled him short of the first down marker, and the Panthers were forced to punt. He currently has interest from UCF, Austin Peay, Shorter, and Faulkner. Shades Valley faces the Rebels of Vestavia Hills for the 49th time tonight at Frank Nix Stadium at 7 PM. He also played basketball, baseball, and Newcomb ball for Irondale Middle School.. You dont have to compromise either one. Holifield is also part of the Engineering Academy. While Coach Chris Yeagers Spartans played extremely well, they were aided by four Mountie turnovers. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Reuben Nelson is exactly what Shades Valley High School needed for its football program. Quarterback JCaius Moore hit Pearson on a 47-yard scoring strike to cut the Hornet lead to 14-6.

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