By Erik Harris
CLAY – Following the first losing effort of the last two years at Clay-Chalkville, T.J. Simmons delivered some truth in the Super 7 championship postgame interview. The senior’s words put everything in perspective.
Clay-Chalkville seventh-year head coach Jerry Hood looks on in Bryant-Denny Stadium last Friday night. Photo by Ron Burkett
“The loss is not as bad because we played out heart out. The loss is good for the underclassmen because they won’t be expecting to win,” said Simmons following a, 31-28, loss to No. 2 Spanish Fort in the Class 6A state finals.
“Here’s what we preach: Football is a game and we hope to learn some lessons that they (the players) carry on for their life,” said Clay-Chalkville seventh-year head coach Jerry Hood, following the loss. “So when we do lose, I have to prove that I love them. I’ve got an incredible staff and I love these young men. We are on a higher purpose mission to let a state championship loss effect us.”
Simmons has been a vital key to the Cougar’s dominance in Alabama high school football over the recent past. He and the Cougars beat Saraland, 36-31, in the 2015 Super 7.
The championship game loss to Spanish Fort broke a 29-game winning streak that saw Clay-Chalkville win back-to-back Region 6 championships and fall one step shy of two consecutive 6A state championships.
According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society, the Cougars’ march to 29 consecutive wins is tied for 14th in state history. During that two-year run, Hood and his team averaged 49.4 points per game.
Over the past five seasons, Hood has amassed a 61-5 record on the field with Clay-Chalkville.
Those five losses have come by a combined 38 points, including a 24-point defeat at Hoover in the 2012 playoffs.
Hood took over the program in 2009, going 8-3 with a first round exit at Florence to begin his days as a Cougar. Since then, he has constructed a 78-12 overall record on the field while dominating Hewitt-Trussville – his fiercest rival – to the tune of a 7-0 mark.
Erik Harris is the Sports Editor for the Trussville Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @jeharris2 or email him at jmseharris2@gmail.com.
