Photo by Ron Burkett.
Running back Torrey Hendrix will be a dynamic playmaker for the Indians if healthy.
Pinson Valley High School head football coach Matt Glover spoke in the spring of wanting his football team to regain its “physicality.”
Time will tell if the Indians were able to accomplish that goal, and Class 6A, Region 6 play promises to reveal the answer fairly quickly.
“Our first five games are really, really tough,” Glover said. “We find out where we stand right off the bat. It is what it is. People have to play us also. That’s the way I look at it.”
After two tough games against McAdory and Ramsay to kick off the season, the Indians jump into region play Sept. 2 as they travel to Minor. George Bates and his Tiger squad have beaten Pinson Valley each of the last two seasons and returns dynamic playmaker Jaylond Adams.
The following week, the Indians play host to perennial power Clay-Chalkville. Pinson Valley has never defeated the Cougars in 10 tries, but played them down to the wire in 2014, falling 45-35. In 2012, the game was decided in overtime. In 2007, the Cougars escaped with a one-point win.
Pinson Valley and Walker are region foes once again, with the Vikings winning both times the teams matched up in 2012 and 2013. The two teams face off Sept. 16 in Jasper.
The Indians conclude the September slate with a trip to Shades Valley to play the Mounties in a non-region contest. Pinson Valley has beaten Shades Valley each of the past two years.
Pinson Valley will take a week off to conclude the month.
Something else Glover looked for during the summer was increased leadership across the board.
“That’s the big thing. Older kids stepping up, not making the same mistakes they made the day before. Helping the younger kids out,” he said.
With just 11 seniors on the team, that will not come easy. But if the Indians can harness some of what their coach is asking for, they should be prepared for success in coming years.
However, Pinson Valley should be well stocked at the skill positions. Quarterback Jackie Matthews is a three-year returning starter and will just be a junior. Running back Torrey Hendrix showed flashes of brilliance last year before dealing with a nagging knee injury the entire second half of the season. Liallen Dailey seems prepped to take over as one of Matthews’ top targets, as he plays a mix of wide receiver and tight end.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Indians have an experienced secondary, led by the likes of C.J. Rudolph and Ty Woods. Desmond Scott and Ezekiel Lawrence will bottle up opposing offenses on the defensive line. Zapeth Cunningham returns to lead the linebacking corps.
