Preseason Preview: Leeds Greenwave
Legendary Leeds coach Keith Etheredge has moved on down I-20 to his new home in Pell City, but the championship tradition of winning titles has not gone anywhere. It still resides deep in the fabric of Leeds High School, especially those players and coaches who are returning in 2016 determined to repeat the championship they won in the last two seasons.
Leeds has retained the services of Head Coach Lee Gibson, who compiled a 42-36 record coaching Tuscaloosa County High School over the past seven years; a coach who unflinchingly faced the most formidable teams in the toughest region in 7A football. Competing against the likes of Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Spain Park and Mountain Brook week in and week out successfully is a job that only a few dozen coaches in the entire state have the talent to pull off, and Coach Gibson stepped up and successfully competed with the likes of Buddy Anderson and Josh Niblett.
Gibson will be continuing the practice of relentless defensive football in Leeds out of a 3-4 base, and stay with the power-I offensive running attack that has paid off so handsomely in the last few years. The new face leading the offense will be junior Zach Roberts, stepping in to take the reins from Tadarryl Marshall, the two-time state champion who has left this year to play for the University of Tennessee. Roberts received a lot of game time in last year’s fifteen game season when nearly all of the Green Wave’s games were in hand, which gives the new quarterback more experience than most when taking over a team’s offense from a graduating starter. Last year Roberts proved to be trustworthy and efficient, managing a winning team effectively. Expect to see growth and success through the season.
Key Games of 2016: The Green Wave hosts only one regional game until week seven, which will be a formidable challenge to remain competitive until Leeds’ three game home stand late in the season. If Leeds stay healthy and avoid more than one or two losses before Holtville pays a visit on September 30, then the Green Wave will be positioned for a very deep run into the playoffs. After Holtville, Leeds hosts Childersburg on October 7th and Tallassee on the 14th. Look for the Green Wave, exploiting that home field advantage and staying off the road, taking down these three opponents and finishing the season as one of the top two teams in their region, earning them another home game for the first round of the AHSAA playoffs.
Preseason Notes – Gibson knows there are high expectations in Leeds for championship football and is relishing the opportunity to continue the success. “This town is expecting us to three-peat this year. Leeds loves its football and that is a realistic expectation because we have a lot of last year’s kids coming back and so that is the kids’ goal, which makes it our goal. We are here to live up to the tradition that has already been established here over the past few years – so that is our focus.”
Players to watch
This senior three time All-State defensive end returns to lead a Leeds defense that gave up slightly over eight points per game last season. It is easy to see why Perry is being recruited by schools like Jacksonville Sate and Gardner-Webb University. Tall and athletic, Perry blasts by offensive tackles with regularity, penetrating backfields with lightning speed. Perry is so fast at getting into backfields that blocking backs cannot adjust in time to protect the teammate with the ball. Accompanying that speed is an impressive core strength that he uses to drive back offensive lineman and skill players that he smothers and snuffs out.
Torrance Pollard will be entering his junior season as a cornerback who has played in 30 consecutive games and has earned two state championships. Pollard has started every game since his freshman year, with 2015 being exceptionally rewarding when he and teammate Jalen Washington combined for 10 interceptions in 2015. Pollard has blazing speed, having run a 4.4 – 40 yard dash this summer, and Pollard’s new head coach recognizes Pollard’s combination of speed and power. “(Pollard) is very explosive,” Gibson said. “He can bench 240 pounds and squat in the high 400s. A little guy with that kind of power and speed is not seen much in corners.”
Leeds Green Wave schedule
08/19/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Lincoln High School Keith Howard Memorial Stadium
08/26/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Cleburne County High School L.E. Bell Football Field
09/02/2016 7:00 PM CDT Elmore County High School Homer Smiles Stadium
09/09/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Dadeville High School Tiger Stadium
09/16/2016 7:00 PM CDT Handley High School Homer Smiles Stadium
09/23/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Piedmont High School Field of Champions
09/30/2016 7:00 PM CDT Holtville High School Homer Smiles Stadium
10/07/2016 7:00 PM CDT Childersburg High School Homer Smiles Stadium
10/14/2016 7:00 PM CDT Tallassee High School Homer Smiles Stadium
10/21/2016 7:00 PM CDT at Munford High School Munford Football Stadium