Editor’s note: This is an opinion column.
By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
Every year in high school football brings a season of change. Sometimes you have a team like Clay-Chalkville last season, where a team matured over the course of several seasons into a state champion.
And then you have seasons like the one coming, where new personnel or new coaches are going to have to step up to make an impact for their teams to succeed.
Hewitt-Trussville lost a lot of talent on both sides of the ball to graduation, but several experienced returning players as well as a transfer student are going to have a huge impact for the Huskies on defense. The defense is going to be have to come up big for Hewitt-Trussville as offensively they replace their starting quarterback, starting H-back, starting wide receiver and starting running back.
First, the returning players: Hunter Jones was a stud at linebacker for Hewitt-Trussville in 2021, teaming with Bam White on a linebacking corps that could knock to want-to out of most running backs. Rickey Gibson, who’s got great coverage skills and a tremendous vertical, will be key in the defensive backfield.
And then there’s Hunter Osborne, a highly recruited defensive lineman, who will anchor the D line on one side. Osborne is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches, and he’s going to get some help up front: Pinson Valley transfer Connor Knight, who was a stalwart for the Indians last season, will be an impact player. Knight, 6-3, 275 pounds, can stop the run and get after the passer. He was recently offered a scholarship to Liberty University and is currently classed as a three-star prospect.
I think he’s undervalued. On film, the kid looks like a workhorse, and he’ll be bad news for whoever he lines up against.
And hey, as long as we’re talking Pinson Valley, let’s mention wide receiver Amare Thomas, who recently committed to The University of Virginia.
Thomas, a rising senior, will again be dangerous for the Indians. He’s a key reason Pinson Valley again made the playoffs in 2021, playing well even when his quarterback was out multiple weeks due to injury. One of the things people in the know tell me they like about Thomas is his dependability and consistency. That’s going to be key for Pinson Valley this season as they start new head coach Lee Guess’s first season.
Speaking of wide receivers: Davion Dozier at Moody proved that he was explosive last season, and he’s fielded a boatload of scholarship offers during the offseason. He’s narrowed down his choices to a top five — Tennessee, Duke, South Carolina, Arkansas and Miami (Ohio) — and is scheduled to announce his commitment at the Moody High School gym on July 13 at 1 p.m.
Kolby Seymour is a different kind of receiver, though he can be extremely productive for the Blue Devils as well. He’s sure-handed and a high-I.Q. player with a lot of potential to make plays as defenses key on the lanky, 6-4 Dozier. Seymour is just an all-around athlete, and anytime he gets the ball in his hands, good things happen.
Regardless of how things shake out, it’s going to be a year of change and growth for all the teams in The Tribune’s coverage area.
Bobby Mathews is sports editor of The Tribune and the author of the novel Living the Gimmick. Reach him at bobby.mathews@trussvilletribune.com or on Twitter: @bobbymathews.