PREP PREVIEW: Few changes greet high school teams as '21 season arrives
Last year’s coach Aubrey Blackwell and new coach Kirk Johnson celebrated Catholic’s trip to the Super 7 after the win over Montgomery Academy in the Class 3A semifinals. Can the Knights do it again in 2021? (Staff Photo)
By GRAHAM DUNN
ED. NOTE: Beginning today, River Region Sports begins coverage of high school football preseason heading towards the opening weekend of the 2021 season. Today, we look at where changes take place for ‘21 and how last year’s COVID-19 issues may affect this year.
It’s officially August.
It’s hot. It’s muggy.
It’s just right for the start of preseason practice for high school football.
With teams headed for the first weekend of games on Aug. 19-21 all teams, both AHSAA and AISA, open workouts on Monday. Eight months removed from the most unusual season in history, players and coaches are hopeful 2021 will be closer to normal.
“The start of last year was one I’d like to forget,” stated Park Crossing head coach LC Cole. “I had basically eight days to get ready and then we missed the first two weeks due to COVID. We had all sorts of interruptions and hopefully, we won’t have to deal with that this season.”
It was a great year for several teams including Montgomery Catholic, which made its first-ever trip to a state championship game in football. While the Knights came up short in the title game, the experience was enough to create enthusiasm for this year’s team.
“We don’t look at it as success as much as we feel like we should have won it,” new Catholic coach Kirk Johnson said. “It did give us motivation for the new season but while we were happy to make it, we were not satisfied.”
New AHSAA executive director Alvin Briggs takes over from Steve Savarese and expects his transition to be smooth despite last season.
“Our schools are doing what they need to do to prepare safely,” he said. “There were a lot of positives that came out and some negative. We came together and it’s more about the community instead of ‘I.’ We saw it last year and I think we’ll see the same this season.”
Last year’s season was filled with several postponements and cancellations. That means the 2021 schedule will be affected.
Both associations have put in place adjustments where if a team had to cancel (or forfeit) a road game, that team would have to make a return trip this season, even if it was scheduled to play the game at home.
Only a handful of games were affected but coaches understand the decision.
“I don’t think anybody had a problem with it then and I doubt anybody will this year,” Tallassee coach Mike Battles, Jr. said. “We were doing everything to keep the season moving and completing it was the goal. I thought our association did the right thing and it just makes sense to follow with these changes this year.”
Autaugaville lost the most games to COVID-19 of any team in the River Region last season but coach Javoris Jackson expects to play all 10 on his schedule this year.
“Our kids are itching to play,” Jackson said. “We got just five in last year so our guys are looking forward to a full season.”
There were few changes to the rules by the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) with the biggest being a change in the rules for blocks below the waist. All are illegal with the exception on initial contact at the line of scrimmage.
The state championships for the AHSAA will be held for in Birmingham for the first time since 2008 when the games were played at Legion Field. Alabama-Birmingham’s new Protective Life Stadium will be the host site for the first time beginning Dec. 1.
The AISA recently announced that the Tripleheader Championship will be held in Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl again this year due to COVID protocols at Troy’s Memorial Stadium. The championships are tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19.
But the biggest change from 2020 – (hopefully) COVID-19 will not be the menace as it was a year ago.
Key Dates for High School Football
Aug. 2 – First day of practice (shorts/helmets only)
Aug. 5 – First full contact practice allowed
Aug. 19/20 – First games scheduled AHSAA/AISA (Week 0)
Sept. 3 – Region play begins (AHSAA)
Oct. 28 – End regular season (AHSAA/AISA)
Nov. 5 – First round of AHSAA/AISA playoffs
Nov. 19 – AISA Tripleheader Championship (Cramton Bowl)
Dec. 1 – AHSAA Super 7 Championships (Birmingham)
TUESDAY – First day of practice takes place on Monday. A look around the River Region at several camps.