By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
MOODY – In 2022, the Moody Blue Devils experienced a record-breaking year in many ways. One thing that changed on and off the field was attitude. With Jake Ganus and his staff, the Blue Devils no longer go into games hoping to win. They go into their games knowing that they can win and expecting to do so. They have adopted the “411 Boys” name and it is branded all over the school and the city. All sports teams have caught onto the “411 Boys/Girls” name and the attitude and expectation that comes with it. Most sports, boys and girls, made it to the playoffs in 2022. Not only is the excitement and the name contagious, but the winning ways have caught fire on 411 as well.
In his sophomore season at the helm, Jake Ganus looks to build on what he and his staff started last year. It will not be easy, however. Replacing names like Davion Dozier, Cole McCarty, Mason Myers, Carson Dillashaw and Kolby Seymour will certainly have its challenges, but the “next man up” attitude is part of the fabric of the 411 Boys football team.
“We’ve had a really good summer,” said Coach Ganus. “It’s about an 8-week program. Our strength and conditioning coach Cam Willis has done an amazing job getting our guys strong and fast. Our days are long. We go from about 7-11:30 every day. We are able to get a lot done being efficient with our time. We get in the meetings, lifts, runs and practices. We feel pretty good with where we are at. We still have some areas we need to grow up in really fast to do what we want to do. From a year ago today, we don’t have playmakers at certain positions that we did last year, but I do feel better about the whole team today than I did last summer.”
“You do not replace a Davion Dozier. It will be by committee. I hope that I’m blessed enough in my career to coach another Davion. I have had multiple college coaches tell me he’s the best 50/50 deep ball guy they’ve ever seen. I agree. He’s amazing. To fill those shoes, we have 4 guys who are really good receivers. 2 of them are returning players from last year. Davion’s cousin, Josiah Dozier will be in Davion’s position and will wear his number too. Jacob Hadaway will be replacing Colby Seymour in that role. Aidan Robinson and Braden Wright played in every game and started. Other guys are Jacob Hatch and Bradley Blais and they will compete and get in the mix. We feel good about that room. It’s going to be different but it’s all about grass, numbers and matchups. Find the grass, count your numbers and take advantage of matchups.” As of Thursday morning, the Blue Devils added Hewitt Trussville transfer wide receiver KD Barnes who had a big season for the Huskies and looks to do the same on Highway 411.
Blaine Burke returns for his senior season with Moody as not just the featured back in the offense, but as the featured player going into the 2023 season. “Blane Burke would be the best at any position we put him at. That’s not a shot at anyone else. He’s just that good of a football player. When #5 touches the ball, he has a chance to score. He’s a home run hitter. You don’t always have those. You might have one who will get you 5-6 yards consistently and break one for 20 sometimes. When Blane Touches it, he has a chance to score. What we’ve done this year is look for ways to get it into his hands. Not just in the backfield. He’s been at receiver, H-back…we’re going to find a way to get him the ball. He’s our guy and he’s a great leader for us. He’s that alpha on the offensive side of the ball. I’m looking forward to his senior year and I want him to go out as a champion.”
“On the offensive line. Mason Myers did a lot for our offensive line and our run game. You don’t replace him either, just like Davion. Mason didn’t just block, but he got movement, was a leader and was very smart. We feel really good with the guys we’ve got. We have 6-7 guys who are pushing for those 5 spots. We have 3 returners there in Brennann King at center, Jackson Huckeba at left tackle, and then Jackson Randall, a junior who started every game last year, at guard. We have experience and we are replacing 2 guys up there. That group is fun to watch. There’s not one senior in the group of 6-7. They are all juniors and sophomores. One thing about them is they work. They are banging down the doors of the weight room, here on weekends. They might not be the DB group with all the offers, but they are going to give us a chance to win on Friday nights because you’ve got to be able to run the ball.
Cole McCarty, Moody’s 2022 quarterback, put up video game numbers week in and week out. Replacing him will be hard, but Ganus is confident in his new signal caller, Charlie Johnston, a transfer from Mountain Brook. “Charlie is a great kid. Phenomenal character, hard worker. As soon as he got here he took a leadership role. He has taken it and run with it. He’s up here on the weekends throwing with our guys. As for ability, he’s 6’6” and he can spin it. He’s more of a pocket passer. He will fool you with his speed. He is quick. We went to Clay this week and he escaped some situations where I thought they had him dead to rights and he was able to get out and make plays and get his eyes down field. He is 100% a Power 5 quarterback. He’s got 3 offers, but after his junior year when he shows what he can do, he’s going to blow up. Our backup is Bryton Usrey, a senior, he does a great job and he is a bit more mobile but he can also throw. They’ve both done a good job running the offense.
The defensive backfield has 3 D1 athletes in A’mon Lane, Sidney Walton, and CJ. “Our secondary is definitely going to be one of our strengths. A’mon plays star, that’s the nickel. He also plays
corner. We’ve been using him more there lately. At the other corner, you’ve got Sidney Walton, a rising junior with multiple SEC offers. Big 6’3” 190, Hercules looking guy. Then you’ve got Chase Jackson in the back, playing safety. He’s got some SEC offers as well. Besides those guys, the other 2 guys who don’t get mentioned as much. AJ Madison is one of the best players on our football team. He’s a phenomenal football player. He’s shorter, so that’s tough for recruiting. But someone will sign him. He will play college football. The other one, our star/WILL is Kaleb Goff. He has started every game at Moody since he’s been a freshman. We call him KG. He has worked his tail off this year to have a great junior year and get try to get some college offers. He works hard and he’s special. He’s fast, quick, can cover, can blitz. He’s able to do whatever we need him to do from that position. We have a lot of guys back there that we are confident in. It’s a deep room.”
“As for the defensive line, you lose Carson Dillashaw on that line. We have had a couple kids step up. One is Charlie Kitts. He played a good bit last year. He’s in the outside backer role but he can put his hand down if he wants. He’s on our 4×2 relay team so he can fly. He’s put on some weight and has a motor that won’t stop. He’s a ball player. Simon Molay is going to step in at end. Those two along with Ba’Roc Willis is a freshman, who will be special. 6’3” 225. He’s a dude. Everyone else is pretty much back. Dewayne is gone but we moved Gavin (Baker) back and we will have him and Zane Smith back there at backer. They are about as good as it gets. We have two others behind them. All 4 will play. Cam Mallory, our nose, is back and our tackle Logan Hall is back. Brady Dodd played a lot last year and he’s had a great spring and summer. He’s hard to block. They Clay kids hated blocking Mallory and Doddy both. Dez Mobley is outside linebacker and he’s new and he will play a lot at that WILL. Overall, I feel really good about the defense. We have some kids that are not only D1 kids but selfless and put the team on their back.”
“At kicker, Junior Moreno was the starter last year and he will return for his senior season with the Blue Devils. “He is a phenomenal kid. He had to work last off season and was unable to come to workouts. He didn’t get much stronger. This year, we were able to work it out so he could come and work out and be part of the team. If I asked my strength coach who was going to be his MVP this year, it would be Junior. He’s put on weight and muscle and he’s now able to kick field goals. Last year we didn’t do that. We attempted one, got it blocked and I went for it after that. Now I feel confident that we have a field goal kicker. I’m very proud of him. Kaleb Goff is going to punt this year. He can play quarterback and is a great athlete so all of our fakes will still be in play.”
Ganus and his Blue Devils will kick off the season August 25 at The Bill against Rush Propst in his first game as Pell City’s head football coach.