Last season’s Leeds Green Wave joined the ranks of two other Leeds teams by reaching the top of the mountain as State Champions. After losing a very controversial game at Dadeville, Leeds went on a tear the rest of the way that included three shut out wins in the playoffs and a 29-0 win over Deshler in the state championship game in Auburn.

Like the other two state championship teams, this team won it their way. They only gave up a school-record 14 points in the playoffs. Now they put their focus on doing something that has never been done by either of the former title teams at Leeds: repeating.

What to look forward to in 2015:

Leeds Head Coach Keith Etherege and the Green Wave has its eyes focused on a trip to Tuscaloosa in December, but a tough schedule and a new bulls-eye on their back stand in the way. Plenty of teams across the state and nation would not mind having that problem.

Leeds lost great players to graduation, but the team returns a lot including a few new horses that have been waiting their turns. The expectations are the same every year for us said Leeds Coach Keith Etherege

“We want to go 15-0,” he said. “We set the bar high to be the best.”

Juniors Tyler Rose and sophomores Torrence Pollard and Miles Evans made their presence known in the spring game against Anniston. Marshall will be passing the ball to fellow senior Koi Freeman, who is a phenomenal athlete with speed, height, and leaping ability.

Junior Chandler Teems will be another receiving threat for the Green Wave. Teems has worked hard and waited his turn and stepped up and became a started towards the end of last season. Other players to watch on offense include Clark Smith, Jermaine Williams, Jaylon Washington, Keonte Jackson, Wesley Alexander, Jacob Flowers and Gadarious Rogers.

The defense led the way for the Green Wave last season, and players on that side of the ball look to do the same this season. Seniors Mike Rankins and Josephous Smith and junior Isaiah-Sharp Perry and senior Antwan Nation will be mainstays on the defensive front.

Smith led the Green Wave last season with 145 tackles, with 47 tackles for loss and 22 sacks. He finished runner-up as defensive player of the year. Isaiah-Sharp Perry followed Smith with 111 tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 12½ sacks.

Mike Rankins also had a stellar season with 109 tackles, 26 for loss and 11 sacks. Senior Alex Nichols will be one of the main linebackers for the Green Wave. Nichols also plays a vital role on offense for Leeds, including stepping in and driving the Green Wave down the field for a game-winning field goal at Madison Academy on national TV last season. Tre Nation will play his fair share on defense as well. Other defensive players to watch are Author Patton, Colton Williams, and Antwan Nation.

The secondary will include sophomore Torrence Pollard, who started every game as a freshman last season. Tyler Rose and TaDarryl Marshall will join Pollard in the secondary.

Senior kicker Morgan Coston will return for the Green Wave. Coston has a field goal range of more than 45 yards and has flipped field position for the Green Wave many times during his career as punter. Auburn commit Clark Smith will also be one to watch for special teams as long snapper.

The Green Wave will also feature a little brotherly love with bothers Torrence and Toren Pollard on offence and defense. Each scored a touchdown in the Green and White game last Friday night. They both have huge roles to play on offense and defense.

Key Games to watch for in 2015:

As always the Green Waves schedule is very challenging, with only four home games again. Leeds will open on the road at a neutral site game and a rematch from last seasons’ ESPN game with 3A defending champion Madison Academy. Leeds will meet the Mustangs in Montgomery’s Crampton Bowl.

“They will have lots of good players as always and are always well coached,” said Etherege about the match up with the Mustangs.

Leeds won the last meeting 24-21.

Leeds will host Trinity Presbyterian in week two. The Wildcats won their only trip to Leeds two seasons ago 29-21. A trip to Munford will open region play. Leeds won both meetings against the Lions last season. Central Clay on the road in week four and Piedmont on a Thursday in week six close out the tough non-region schedule for Leeds.

The last four games of the season will all be region games, including a home revenge match up with Dadeville. Leeds ended the game with 19 penalties for 178 yards and two touchdowns called back. Leeds lost that game 20-14.

 “The schedule is tough as always, but that is what we have worked for over the years here at Leeds,” Etherege said.

Leeds has three state title in seven seasons but has never repeated. The Green Wave has also won in every big stadium they have played in over the years — except for Bryant-Denny. Leeds lost 31-14 to the Mustangs in 2013. The Green Wave season gets under way August 21 at 7 p.m. in Montgomery’s Crampton Bowl.

Offensively, Leeds will return two main horses to pull the carriage in Tennessee Volunteer commit TaDarryl Marshall and future college commit in running back Tre Nation. Marshall threw and ran for over 1,000 yards each. He is the first quarterback in Leeds school history to do this. Nation rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season as well. The Green Wave’s ground-and-pound, fast-paced offense will not just feature these two.

See more preseason coverage of eight local teams in this week’s issue of the St. Clair News-Aegis, available now in local newsstands. And visit us online at newsaegis.com.

Players to Watch

Tadarryl Marshall Senior QB Marshall has been the starting quarterback for the Leeds Green Wave since his freshman year in 2012. As a sophomore in 2013, he helped lead the Green Wave to the Class 3A State title game in Tuscaloosa. Last year, he returned and won it. In 2014, Marshall passed for 1,252 yards with 11 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also rushed for 1,368 yards. He is the first quarterback in Leeds school history both pass and rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season. Marshall has committed to the 2016 class of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Tre Nation Senior RB The second main offensive horse Leeds is returning in 2015 to pull the carriage is future college commit Tre Nation. Nation rushed for more than 1,500 yards last season as the team’s primary back. He finished last year’s title season with career stats of 5,681 yards rushing and 73 touchdowns in three years. Look for him to push that number much higher in his senior year.

Leeds Green Wave Roster

Flowers, Jailen  11th

Jackson, Keyante   12th

Mounticure, Dexter  10th

1 Marshall, Tadarryl, Jr. 12th

2 Nickell, Alexander  12th

3 Rose, Tyler   11th

4 Pollard, Toren  12th

5 Patton, Arthur  12th

6 Knox, Marquintis  12th

7 Nation, Ellis III  12th

8 Evans, Miles   10th

9 Anderson, Gray  11th

10 Freeman, Koi   12th

11 Franklin, Brandon  11th

12 Williams, Colton  11th

13 Porter, Alante   9th

14 Sharp-Perry, Isaiah  11th

17 Roberts, Zachary  10th

18 Teems, Chandler  11th

19 Washington, Jaylen  10th

20 Rogers, Gyderious  11th

21 Roberson, Gaitlin  10th

22 Kennedy, Ethan  10th

23 Pollard, Ethan  10th

24 Williams, Jermaine  10th

33 Hill, Jacorey   10th

40 Hopson, Alphoncie, Jr. 9th

41 Nation, Antwan  12th

43 Richey, Johnny  12th

44 Smith, Josephus  12th

50 Ragland, Jonathan  12th

51 Rankins, Michael    12th

52 Brown, Jackson  11th

53 Smith, Philip (Clarke) 12th

54 Alexnder, Wesley  12th

62 O’Neill, Patrick  12th

65 Gillepsie, Bradley  11th

72  Hines, Tucker    10th

73  Knox, Malcolm   10th

74  Cox, Tyler    9th

75  Towery, Samuel  10th

77  Herlong, Vincent   11th

78  Abernathy, Zachary  9th

8/21 vs Madison Academy (Montgomery)

8/28 vs Trinity Presbyterian

9/4 @ Munford*

9/11 @ Central Clay County

9/18 vs Elmore County*

9/24 vs Piedmont (Thursday)

10/2 @ Handley*

10/9 vs Dadeville*

10/16 @ Childersburg*

10/23 vs Holtville*

*(Region Games)