OSG High: Kevin Turner's HS FB Team Honored On Anniversary

((HT: WSFA-TV))

It's the 30th anniversary season of the Prattville (AL) High football state championship and they were honored Friday night in front of their home crowd.

One of the stars of that squad was Kevin Turner- whose life the HQ has chronicled with his diagnosis of ALS and his battles over recognition of the disease by his former employer.

Full disclosure- the HQ donates to the Kevin Turner Foundation regularly as we do for other ALS charitable organizations.

Turner and his team were celebrated- as they should...

Here's the tribute of the special team with an equally special man in attendance
WSFA.com Montgomery Alabama news.

Others who graduated with Turner and the Prattville High Student Government Association raised more than $4,000 for his foundation and presented him the check at the game.

Here's the ceremony in full from Stacy Mills Facebook page

Post by Stacy Mills.

OSG High: The Cullman-Walker Decision

((HT: Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle))

Here's the fight from last Friday...
((HT: TV16HD, Jasper AL))


The first steps came in the administrative leave and, then, resignation of Walker Head Coach John Holladay...

Now, we know the rest...

The Alabama High School Athletic Association has placed Walker High School on a restrictive probation, fined the school $1,500 and also placed John Holladay on a one-year suspension. Cullman's defensive coordinator Matt Hopper was also suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season, and Cullman was fined $1,500 and placed on non-restrictive probation.

Under the restrictive probation, Walker is also banned from post-season play this year.

The HQ immediately finds the Hopper suspension strange considering all he seems to be doing is reaching for a postgame handshake before his face kept running into Holladay's fist...

“The AHSAA encourages the two schools to work together to enhance relations between their student-athletes and communities and, in doing so, demonstrate the leadership necessary to foster the AHSAA’s mission of good sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics,” said AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese in a statement.

“It is time to move the focus away from this isolated event and note the outstanding sportsmanship that is exhibited across our state by our member schools, teams and coaches each week. Let’s now move forward and accent the positive impact education-based athletics makes daily in the lives of our student-athletes, coaches, schools and communities.”

OSG High: Walker High Names Interim Head Coach After Brawl (UPDATE W/Resignation)

((HT: Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle/Bentley))

Walker High School has named offensive assistant Heath Brunner as interim coach in the stead of John Holladay while the investigation is still ongoing in the brawl between Cullman and Walker High's football teams last Friday night.

From Bentley:

“Coach Brunner is the interim coach, but I think this staff is cohesive enough to where several guys could fill in,” Jasper Schools AD Jimmie Alexander said. “Coach Holladay is an offensive coach and Brunner runs the offense. This is temporary until we find out what we can from the state. Someone had to be named (head coach) to carry on with the team. I sure hope our season is not over.”

The Alabama High School Athletic Association will be discussing the brawl with Cullman officials today to determine their side of the story. The prevailing thought is that either or both teams may not be allowed into the post season as a first punishment.

Holladay is on administrative leave pending a decision...

Here's what everyone is talking about... just in case you haven't seen it yet...
((HT: TV16HD Jasper))


And the day after reporting from Birmingham
((HT: Alabamas13.com))


PM UPDATE: Holladay has resigned from his position after a meeting with the AHSAA...

Seems like a self-punishment in the hopes that the AHSAA will let Walker in the playoffs if they make it...

More when we know more...

OSG High: And We Have Our First Fight Of The Year ( SUNDAY UPDATE)

((HT: MyFoxAL))

For that, we go to Jasper, Alabama and Cullman's 13-10 victory over Walker...

A fight started on the field immediately following the game.

Cell phone video from Shannon Maze shows what looks like a lot of people involved...


The Cullman-Times newspaper reports the fight involved players and coaches from both teams.

Cullman defensive coordinator Matt Hopper could be seen emerging from the crowd with multiple bruises on his face. The Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle Facebook page shows a really

nasty photo of Hopper bruised and bloody (pictured, right, thanks Jeff Johnsey), with an officer grabbing him by the collar to keep him from getting back into the fray- whether on offense or defense, we don't know...

The brawl was broken up, but there isn't any word on arrests or any other discipline at present.

More when we know more...

TV 16 in Jasper, Alabama televised the game... the video of the fight is hyah...
And below...


From the looks of things, a Jasper coach took a swing at Hopper and it blew up from there...

SUNDAY UPDATE: The Mountain Eagle reports that Walker coach John Holladay has been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of the investigation.

From the article by Johnathan Bentley & Ron Harris:

“Coach Holladay is under administrative leave and has no involvement with the team,” Jasper City Schools AD Jimmie Alexander said. “You hate to see any situation that causes a blight on the program. There are a lot of factors that need to be looked at. We will continue to investigate and go from there. I can tell you we will have a thorough investigation.

“[Jasper Police Chief] Connie Rowe has been cooperative and is following up on her end.”

Police are investigating whether or not charges will be filed. Cullman officials have no thought of disciplining any of their coaches or players. The Alabama High School Football Athletic Association is reviewing the events with Cullman officials Tuesday

OSG High: Pell City HC Resigns In Shady Circumstances

And a lot of people think it has to do with relationships with school cheerleaders...

After only 20 months, Pell City (AL) head coach David Shores and assistant coach John Clements submitted resignation letters following allegations of improper conduct.

Thursday the Pell City Board of Education accepted those resignation letters. "I think today was a start to move forward," said Superintendent Dr. Bobby Hathcock.

Hathcock wouldn't go into any detail and would only reiterate that the two aren't around any more.

Shores coached Spain Park (AL) in 2008 and 2009 until he was involved in a physical altercation with a player during a practice in August 2010, causing the Hoover City Schools system to reassign him.

He ended up at Pell City in February 2011 with a $90,000 salary. Under Shores, the Panthers went 6-4 in 2011 and 7-5 in 2012, falling in the second round of the Class 6A playoffs to Hoover.

Kalisha Whitman tries to explain...
((HT: Alabamas13/WVTM))
WVTM-TV: News, Weather, and Sports for Birmingham, AL

OSG High: Coach Under Fire For Not Liking "Queers," the First Lady, Or School Lunches... (UPDATED With Suspension)

((HT: WSFA-TV Montgomery/WAFF-TV Huntsville))

Allegedly...

The head football coach for Lauderdale County (AL) High is catching all kinds of hell for the reported connversation he had about gays, school lunch programs, and the First Lady...

Head coach Bob Grisham may have left a lot of waste laid if this, in fact, his voice on the recording below...
Here's the original coverage fom Huntsville...
WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

County School Superintendent Jennifer Gray said she received an e-mail earlier this week with an audio clip of what's believed to be Grisham...

Here's the clip...
((HT: OnKneesForJesus4))


James Robinson, a representative of GLBT Advocacy and Youth Services in Huntsville, is calling for Grisham to step down or be fired from his teaching and coaching job- should the voice on the clip be his. Robinson said he plans to reach out to the school system and wants a full investigation with the findings made public. He says the comments were racist, sexist, and homophobic. Robinson is gay and played football for four years and can't believe the comments were made in a public school setting...

February 5 UPDATE: Linda Singleton-Rickman of the Huntsville Times-Daily reports that Grisham has been suspended for ten days, cannot teach his psychology class for the remainder of the year, must have accountability sessions with the school system's personnel director, and take sensitivity training.

OSG High: 67 Ejections In One Game...

((HT: al.com/AHSAA))

It came from a game in Birmingham between Huffman and Jackson-Olin that resulted in $22,100 in fines (that could be reduced to $7,700 if all players that were ejected participate in a sportsmanship course) after 2 Huffman players were ejected and had 43 follow them onto the field of play from the sidelines- a NHSAA violation.

At $300 per kid that came off the sideline...

Jackson-Olin also had two players ejected for fighting and 20 of their players jumped off the sidelines. The school was also fined $300 per kid that left the sidelines...

Both teams were given forfeit losses instead of one school winning and one losing per the score on the scoreboard... since there were not enough eligible players left after the ejections...

Got all that...???

Here was the early comment from the AHSAA, the governing body of high school athletics in the state:

"The Huffman High School vs. Jackson-Olin High School football game played Friday night in Birmingham was terminated in the third quarter following a bench-clearing altercation," the release read. "This flagrant unsportsmanlike incident included players on the field from both teams and all substitutes from both team benches.

"The contest officials determined that the game should be terminated and a double forfeiture awarded to both teams since neither team had enough eligible players remaining to complete the contest. The AHSAA has scheduled a meeting with both schools Monday morning to evaluate and review the game film and determine the appropriate sanctions to be imposed on the schools."

And here's the only piece of video we could find so far...
There's a touchdown at the end of it...
((HT: quinton burton))


Jeff Sentell's wrap on the events is hyah, from al.com...

OSG High: New Alabama Receiving Record For Career Catches

((HT: WSFA-TV Mongtomery))

"Mark White" is the answer to your trivia question...

Trinity Presbyterian ((AL)) senior Mark White had seven receptions for 49 yards as the Wildcats beat the Montgomery Catholic Knights giving him 275 for his career and a new AHSAA record.

White sends Nick Threlkeld of Hubbertville High to the number two spot after a ten-year run.

He is four behind former Georgia and current Cincinnati Bengal receiver A.J. Green ((Summerville High of South Carolina)), and is 54 receptions shy of the national record set by Chris Fulmer of Nitro High ((WV)) back in 2005.

Jeff Shearer has the highlights at the 15:45 mark...


Trinity is now 5-1... and White has an outside shot at Fulmer's record.

OSG High: Phil Campbell Returns To The Field

((HT: WAAY-TV Huntsville))

Admittedly, when something hits you as close as the April tornadoes did the HQ, it makes you think...

And think hard...

So, as part of our TWTW coverage on the OSG High side, we're giving you a glimpse into the world of what we get to see every week during the summer and fall- small towns that wrap themselves around their football teams...

You see the work we do with Ringgold ((GA)) High and now, we'll keep you posted on Phil Campbell ((AL)) high as well... 38 people in a town of 1,200 or so were lost on that day four months ago...

And they haven't quit since...

Erika Odell has the story before and behind in their game with Cold Springs


WHNT-TV's coverage is hyah...

We'll follow Phil Campbell along all season and update you on their progress as well...

Yes, we have our reasons...