By Loyd McIntosh, Sports Editor
CENTER POINT — They’ve made it look easy.
In their first year promoted back to 6A since 2016, the Center Point Eagles have been one the best surprises in the state. Before the start of the 2022 high school football season, few people thought the Eagles would be sitting in second place in one of, if not the, toughest region in Alabama.
Now in his sixth season at Center Point, Head Coach George Bates has the Eagles flying high. Center Point finished the regular season with a record of 8-1 overall, and 5-1 in Region 6 action, their lone loss coming to #1 ranked Clay-Chalkville. Along the way, the Eagles man-handled Pinson Valley and capped off the season with a convincing 41-24 win over Oxford in Center Point on Friday, October 21.
In other words, Center Point, in their first year back in 6A, is 2-1 against teams that have won the last five 6A State Championships. With a week off – their final game of the year against Leeds was canceled by mutual agreement between Bates and Leeds Head Coach Jerry Hood – before the first round of the playoffs, Center Point players and coaches could be basking in all they have already accomplished in 2022.
Bates isn’t interested.
“I tell the guys they got 24 hours to enjoy a win, but me, personally, as soon as the game is over. I’m on to the next challenge,” said Bates.
Seriously, though, what this team has achieved in 2022 is remarkable. As a result, Center Point will host Jackson-Olin (J.O.) in a first-round playoff game at the Eagles’ Nest on Friday, November 4, the first first-round home playoff game during Bate’s tenure as Center Point’s head coach.
J.O. comes into the playoff game with a 4-6 overall record, 3-3 in Region 5 action. The Mustangs had a four-game losing streak in the middle of the season and only qualified for the playoffs after region wins over Woodlawn and Mortimer Jordan in their final two games of the season. Bates says J.O. poses a troublesome situation by basking in the glory of recent triumphs.
“I don’t sit down and just think, ‘wow, we’ve accomplished this, and we’ve accomplished that.’ We know we have accomplished some things, but if we lay an egg in the first round, what have we really done?”
Bates says J.O. is a dangerous team, despite their losing record. The Mustangs opened the 2022 campaign with a 14-9 win over Pelham and took care of Parker two weeks later, 27-7.
“They’re an athletic team,” said Bates. “That’s an athletic community and they’ve got kids with scholarship offers. They’ve got good size, good range, and they have some athletes. That’s one thing when you turn on the film you can definitely see real fast.
Bates added that the Mustangs have a good and experienced defensive front and their skill players could present some problems for the Center Point defense. However, he said that his Eagles squad, led by seniors Jabari Collier at quarterback and Troy Bruce at running back, will have a solid chance at a win by focusing on what they do best.
“We feel like we match up with them. It’s going to boil down to just executing and controlling the emotions of the first six minutes of the game, managing it the proper way,” said Bates. “We feel like if we execute, play our ball game, we should have a chance”.
As the playoffs near, Bates hopes that the greater community in Center Point and beyond will get behind this team. He noted that with Center Point being a newer high school, replacing the old Erwin High School in 2011, they have struggled to develop a fan base despite having one of the most underrated stadiums in the area. Bates would love to see a large crowd on Friday as the Eagles begin their playoff run.
“I hope it’s backed,” Bates said “The kids deserve it. They work their butts off. There’s nothing like walking down the hill and seeing a packed house.”
The Center Point Eagles host the Jackson-Olin Mustangs on Friday, November 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.