By Joshua Huff, sports editor
PINSON – The Pinson Valley football team released its schedule for the upcoming football season on Feb. 10 in tandem with the introduction of new head coach Sam Shade.
The new schedule was unveiled on the same day that the Indians announced that Sam Shade will be handed the reigns of the two-time Class 6A state champions. The news is one of many first steps into unknown territory for a program that must now pivot from previous head coach Patrick Nix’s successful tenure to a man well-versed in all levels of football but who has never held the role of head coach in any capacity.
In addition, Pinson Valley heads into next season following the bi-annual AHSAA reclassification. The shift keeps the Indians within Class 6A, Region 6, but several teams have now come and gone. Remaining with Pinson Valley will be rival Clay-Chalkville and a Gardendale team that finished the 2019 season 8-4. The region lost 2019 Class 6A state champion Oxford, Shades Valley, Huffman and Pell City. In their stead, the region welcomes former Class 5A Mortimer Jordan, Jasper, Class 5A Minor and Jackson-Olin.
Pinson Valley has called Region 6 home for the past six seasons. The Indians moved up from Class 5A in 2013.
Class 6A, Region 6
- Clay-Chalkville (10-3, Class 6A, Region 6)
- Gardendale (8-4, Class 6A, Region 6)
- Jasper (11-1, Class 5A, Region 7)
- Minor (6-5, Class 6A, Region 5)
- Mortimer Jordan (11-3, Class 5A, Region 5)
- Jackson-Olin (3-7, Class 6A, Region 5)
- Pinson Valley (10-3, Class 6A, Region 6)
The four teams reclassified into Region 6 had a combined 2019 record of 31-16. The two other teams that remained in the region are perennial playoff teams.
The region is now the home of teams with a combined four state championships (Clay-Chalkville, 2; Pinson Valley, 2).
In 2020, Pinson Valley will once again open the season against Class 7A Hewitt-Trussville. The two teams played each other in 2019 with the Huskies defeating the then-reigning state champion, 40-33. In 2019, Pinson Valley went 3-1 against four of the 10 teams scheduled this season with victories over Shades Valley, Gardendale, Clay-Chalkville and with its lone loss to Hewitt-Trussville.
2020 Schedule
- Aug. 21 vs. Hewitt-Trussville (HT leads the series, 23-7)
- Aug. 28 at Shades Valley (Pinson Valley leads the series, 9-4)
- Sept. 4 vs. Gardendale (Gardendale leads the series, 19-8)
- Sept. 11 at Minor (Minor leads the series, 3-1)
- Sept. 18 vs. Jackson-Olin (Pinson Valley leads the series, 2-1)
- Sept. 25 at Park Crossing (This will be the first meeting)
- Oct. 2 vs. Mortimer Jordan (Pinson Valley leads the series, 23-8)
- Oct. 9 OPEN
- Oct. 16 at Clay-Chalkville (Clay-Chalkville leads the series, 10-6)
- Oct. 23 at Jasper (Pinson Valley leads the series, 1-0)
- Oct. 30 vs. Robert E. Lee (This will be the first meeting)
— Pinson Valley Football (@Pinson_Football) February 10, 2020