Hey, everybody — I’m back!

It is football season in Leeds,  and this will be my 20th football season as the voice of the Green Wave.  

I have definitely missed football, especially since we missed our third state title in five years with a loss to Madison Academy in the 3A title game in Tuscaloosa last season.

The Green Wave had a great season last year, finishing 12 – 3 and 3A State runnerr-up to Madison Academy.  The Green Wave’s other two losses came to Trinity Presbyterian in Week 2.  

Ironically, Leeds will face both of these teams in Week 1 and and Week 2.  The other loss came to Piedmont in Week 5.  The Bulldogs are also on the schedule.

THE SCHEDULE

Ah, yes. The schedule.  Leeds will be playing one of the toughest schedules they’ve had over the years.  They start off with a long road trip to Huntsville to open the season against 3A two-time defending state champion Madison Academy.  

This will be the fifth overall meeting between the two schools with Leeds winning the first three including the first two in Huntsville.  

The Mustangs got some revenge in last season’s title game in Bryant Denny with a 31 – 14 win.  The game will be televised on nation TV on ESPNU.  The game was originally scheduled to play at Homer Smiles Field, but the stadium was not up to the standard needed, so it was moved to Huntsville.  

Leeds will travel a long way once again in Week 2, this time South to Montgomery to Trinity Presbyterian.  

The Wildcats won in Leeds last season 29 – 21 and took the region title along with it.  Leeds won their last trip to Trinity two seasons ago 15 – 13.  Of the 10 games on the Green Wave’s schedule eight of the teams are currently ranked in the top 15 in the state.  

Madison Academy is ranked number one in 3A, while Trinity is ranked in the top 10 in 4A. Munford and Childersburg, who are region games, are both ranked in the top 15.  Central of Clay County is ranked in the top 5 in class 5A.  

Piedmont, who Leeds will face in week six is ranked number two in class 3A behind Madison Academy.  

Dadeville, also a region game, is ranked number three in Class 4A behind top-ranked Leeds and number-two ranked UMS Wright out of Mobile.  

Oh, and add the fact that Handley is back in the region and will visit Leeds in week seven before the big clash in Dadeville in week eight.  

Handley gave the Green Wave the worst defeat in many years, 46 – 0, three seasons ago. Leeds also has long road trips to Elmore County and Holtville and will only have four regular season home games to go along with traveling many long miles on their road trips.

SEASON OUTLOOK

The Green Wave returns the majority of their team on both sides of the ball.  

Quarterback TaDarryl Marshall and running back Tre Nation both who are juniors return.  Seniors Tyler Wright, Demontrez Clark, Adam Mitchell, Jeremy Clark, Jermain Johnson, Jacoby Lockhart and Adam Brown highlight the returning seniors for the Green Wave.  

This experience will be needed for such a brutal schedule.  Leeds will travel many miles on the road, but hope their final road trip of the season is a trip down Highway 280 to Jordan Hare Stadium to play of the 4A state title in December.  

MY THOUGHTS

I am more that happy to see football season arrive once again.  

If the Green Wave can go on and win the state title this season, there will be a common factor.

In the first two state title seasons, Leeds only had four home games and had to travel to a lot of far off places to play.  

This season Leeds has four home games and has to travel a lot of miles once again.  

Before I close, I could not go without giving a shout out to a few former athletes from this area.  Congratulations to Trevon Strickland, and Ronald Woods who both are walk-ons at UAB.  

Congratulations to C.J. Rose ,and Jonathon Hagler who will be playing football at a junior college in California. All of these guys are former Green Waves.  

Also give congrats to former St. Clair County Saints James Shaw who plays for the Pittsburg arena football league and recently signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a huge congrats to Dee Ford for being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.  

It’s a blessing to see these guys working hard to go far in their life after high school.  

The last thoughts I have on this first of many columns is this:  I do not understand why Leeds did not get a new stadium that was in the plans during the building of the new high school and cannot not get one build now or even get the old one renovated.  

Come on, now.  Our kids have worked extremely hard in football, baseball and softball over the years and they deserve it.

The community of Leeds had to miss out on an opportunity of a lifetime having a chance to play a home game in national television.     

I’m looking forward to what should be another fun and exciting season of Leeds Green Wave football.  

I hope to see you all in Huntsville tomorrow night.  Roll Green Wave Roll!