PREP BLITZ Football Preview SUPER8 SENIORS ALBERT CESARE/OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS Pages 12-13 2 N WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 AUBURN HIGH TIGERS OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS N www.oanow.com Tigers have bright outlook with 34 seniors returning BY JASON GALLOWAY [email protected] Game Night Guide Some of the big names have » Nickname: Tigers moved on, most notably line- » Colors: Blue and white backer Reuben Foster and » Stadium: Duck Samford quarterback Cameron Echols- (8,310) Luper. Auburn » Location: Intersection of But a number of potential sophomore Glenn Avenue and East Univer- Division-I players — including quarterback sity Drive Rashaan Evans, Blaise Taylor, Bradley » Admission: $7 Antreal Allen, Darian Yancy, Northcutt will » Parking: $2 behind stadium, Mike Turner and Selwyn and start under free across East University and Delwyn Torbert — are part of a center for Glenn long list of 34 seniors back for the Tigers » Radio: WINGS (94.3 FM), this season. another shot at a deep playoff ESPN (106.5 FM) and WANI Northcutt run. (1400 AM) saw some » Home kickoff time: 7 p.m. “I really like this group,” Au- significant burn High head coach Tim » Last playoff appearance: playing time 2012 Carter said. “They’re a good last year as a group of kids. They work ex- backup. tremely hard. They had a lot to do with our success last year. ALBERT CESARE/ “I feel like as long as we “We’ve had a great offseason. [email protected] execute and do what we’re They’ve displayed great lead- supposed to do, our defense ership. From a head coach, Offensively, Auburn High re- year’s season opener at Valley he was going to play at all.” should be one of our strong that means we haven’t had a turns an experienced offensive and briefly during the team’s Carter added, “I was most lot of problems. They took care line along with senior tight end second-round playoff victory proud of him in the McGill- points this year. (We) should of business in the classroom. Kyle Sikes. at McGill-Toolen, the offense Toolen game. Bradley came be able to hold teams to about They’ve stayed out of trouble, Although sophomore quar- barely missed a beat. in and on two consecutive the same numbers as we did and they’ve just been good cit- terback Bradley Northcutt and “We have a lot of confidence drives we got first downs and last year, if not better.” izens, so that’s something that other skill position players still in (Bradley), especially me,” on the second drive we actu- Blaise Taylor, excites me.” have much to prove, Carter Taylor said. “I saw flashes of ally scored. He led us down the Auburn High cornerback, wide receiver On the field, the Tigers could said the Tigers have five or six his potential and his greatness field. And that was a pressure be just as good. running backs who could earn last year. He came in the Valley situation. That was a packed All the aforementioned col- reps, and Northcutt’s potential game and threw a deep post to house in the second round throughout the season, the Ti- lege prospects are returning looked promising in his time me that was right on the mon- against a very good football gers — ranked fourth entering starters in either the second- on the field as a freshman. ey. It was a great throw, and he team.” the season — will be as good a ary or along the defensive line, When Northcutt had to re- kind of got thrown into the heat If some of Auburn High’s bet as any to make a deep play- something that should allow place Echols-Luper during last of the battle and didn’t know younger players develop off run. four new starters at linebacker the time to grow as the season At A Glance 250); OL Dalton Wall (Sr., 5-10, El (Sr.); QB Bradley Northcutt liams, DB Zay Lockhart, QB/DB progresses. 200); OL Tristan Corbin (Sr., 5-11, (So.); WR Daniel Moore (Sr.); Cameron Echols-Luper, RB » Head coach: Tim Carter, 8th Maintaining a defense that 230) RB Jadarius Drummonds (Sr.); Cameron Reese, RB Gevon Jones, year (67-17), 12th overall (85-41) held six opponents to 10 points » Returning defensive starters RB Jacob Hardy (Jr.); LB Randy WR DeMikyle Holmes » Assistant coaches: Jason Da- or less last year is an attainable (7): CB Taylor; DE Rashaan Evans Hooks (Jr.); Tyus Flakes (So.); DL vis, Mike Glisson, Willie Hutchin- goal for a team coming off a (Sr., 6-2, 215); CB Antreal Allen Wesley Hutson (Sr.); LB Shelby son, Anthony Jeter, Rob McKin- 2013 Schedule Class 6A quarterfinal appear- (Sr., 5-9, 150); S Selwyn Torbert Gulledge (Jr.); LB Ben Coleman nell, Ja-mie Rice, Avery Warner, » Aug. 30 vs. Valley ance. (Sr., 6-1, 185); S Delwyn Torbert (Jr.); OL Christian Reyes (Sr.); Les Sanders » Sept. 6 vs. Jeff Davis * “I feel like as long as we ex- (Sr., 6-1, 185); DL Darian Yancy OL Bailey Morris (Sr.); DL Jesus » 2012 record: 11-2 (6-1 region); » Sept. 13 at Smiths Station * ecute and do what we’re sup- (Sr., 6-3, 210); DL Mike Turner Alvarez (Sr.); DL Bubba Soren- lost, 8-7,to Opelika in 6A quarter- » Sept. 19 at Sidney Lanier * posed to do, our defense (Sr., 5-11, 240) son (Jr.); OL Kenny Willis (Sr.); finals » Sept. 27 vs. Gadsden City should be one of our strong » Other contributors: LB Hunter OL Jake Vickers (Sr.); DL Travis » Offense: Spread » Oct. 4 at Carver-Montgomery * points this year,” said Taylor, Roland (Jr., 6-0, 220); WR Trey Vickerstaff (Sr.) » Defense: 4-3 » Oct. 11 vs. Central * a starter at cornerback and Jones (Sr., 5-10, 170); RB Cordell » Key losses: OL Will Boler,TE » Returning offense starters » Oct. 18 vs. Lee-Montgomery * wide receiver. “(We) should be Bat-tle (Jr.); TE Griffin Riggs (Jr.); Maltiece O’Neal El, LB Harrison (5): WR Blaise Taylor (Sr., 5-8, » Oct. 25 at Opelika * able to hold teams to about the DB Daron Hooks (Jr.); RB James Riggs, LB Reuben Foster, LB 160 ); TE Kyle Sikes (Sr., 5-11, » Nov. 1 at East Limestone same numbers as we did last Askew (Sr.); WR Tyus O’Neal Parker Heideman, LB Austin Wil- year, if not better.” 190); OL John David Hart (Sr., 6-1, *Class 6A-Region 3 games OPELIKA-AUBURN NEWS N www.oanow.com CENTRAL RED DEVILS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2013 N 3 Experienced Red Devils ‘expecting’ better season BY JASON GALLOWAY season. I’ve seen a lot of individ- Jo Jo Ray (Sr., 5-11, 185); DB [email protected] At A Glance Game Night Guide ual development. I’ve seen some Chris Jones (Sr., 5-11, 180); » Head coach: Woodrow Seven-win seasons aren’t easy to » Nickname: Red Devils better things on defense, I’ve seen DB Josh Morgan (Sr., 5-9, Lowe, 4th year (27-9), 8th come by in high school football. » Colors: Red and black some better things on offense, 175); DL Jeruel Hunter (Jr., overall (46-31) When a team comes off a three- » Stadium: Garrett-Harrison and even on the special teams I’ve 6-0, 235) » Assistant coaches: year stretch where it wins 30, (8,500) seen some better things.” » Returning special teams Joel Babb, Matt Bell, Bryce though — as Central had going » Location: Summerville Road & The schedule will make an im- starters (2): K Cameron Ciancio, Adrian Lyles, Rob into last season — it can change U.S. Hyw 80 in Phenix City provement in win-loss record Herring (Jr., 5-11, 175); LS Morales, Ray Vickers, Keith perception quite dramatically. » Admission: $7 rather difficult. The Red Devils Levi Boleware (Jr., 5-8, 175) Wicker, Brandon Avery, Even in a region as tough as » Parking: $3 at stadium received the 15th-most votes in » Key losses: DL Jeremiah Scotty King, Zack Berklin Class 6A-Region 3, a Red Devils » Radio: Magic (98.3 FM) the ASWA preseason poll and are Payne, DL Derrick King, LB » 2012 record: 7-4 (5-2 team returning 18 starters won’t » Home kickoff time: 7 p.m. (CST) still ranked behind No. 4 Auburn, Akil Perry, ILB Cedric Cham- region), lost, 43-13, to Spain be satisfied with another first- » Last playoff appearance: 2012 No. 5 Opelika and No. 10 Carver- bers, DL Shaq Nickerson, DL Park in 6A first round round playoff exit. Montgomery in Class 6A-Region Jason Smith, OL Markeith » Offense: Multiple “I’dsay we did OK (last year), but 3. Bennett, OL Cameron Fra- » Defense: Multiple I know it could have been better,” The most talented of the bunch Even so, Central came seconds ser, LB DeAngelo Morales, » Returning offensive safety Christian Campbell said. could be junior running back/ away from defeating theTigers last RB/WR Deon Hall, P/KO starters (7): OL Varlio “We lost in the first round of the receiver Traveon Samuel, a 5- season — which would have made Chance Chandler, OLB Wilson (Sr., 5-11, 305); playoffs, and that hurt a lot of se- foot-9, 180-pounder who already the Red Devils region champions Sayveon Ford, DB Jimmon WR/RB Traveon Samuel (Jr., niors and a lot of juniors. It wasn’t has offers from a host of major instead of a No. 4 seed — and Watkins 5-9, 180); RB Kenny Thomas all that we could do. We could programs. Head coach Wood- Lowe believes his team has put in (Jr., 5-10, 211); WR/RB Ryan have done better, I know that.