4A Region previews: Priceville looks east for new rivals

Class 4A regions

Region 7: West Morgan (5-5, 3-4), West Limestone (5-5, 3-4), East Lawrence (3-7, 2-4), Brooks (12-1, 7-0), Central (7-4, 4-3), Deshler (3-7, 2-5), Rogers (5-6, 3-4), Wilson (1-9, 0-7) Total last season: 41-44

Region 8: Priceville (10-2, 6-1), Randolph (10-2, 6-1), DAR (3-7, 2-5), Madison County (5-6, 4-3), New Hope (4-6, 1-6), North Jackson (5-6, 3-2), Westminster Christian (5-5, 3-4), Saint John Paul II (0-10, 0-7) Total last season: 42-44

Returning All-Area players
OFFENSE

RB: Mason Cartee, Priceville, 5-10, 175, Jr.: The first-team Class 4A All-State selection carried the ball 296 times for 2,363 yards and 32 touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Cartee had two games where he ran for over 200 yards and scored five touchdowns.

RB: Jalen Fletcher, West Morgan, 5-8, 155, So.: Fletcher rushed for 1,061 yards and 14 touchdowns on 161carries. He also had 18 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown.

DEFENSE

LB: Jake Langolis, Priceville, 6-0, 180, Jr.: The Class 4A All-State honorable mention selection recorded 131 tackles with 12.5 tackles for losses, three fumble recoveries, five interceptions and one defensive touchdown.

LB: Easton Smith, West Limestone, 5-9, 180, Soph.: The team leader with four interceptions had 96 tackles with three sacks.

By David Elwell Sports Writer

There’s a lot of competitive football in north Alabama. Some of the best is played in Class 4A.

There are 16 Class 4A schools in north Alabama. Eight in the west play in Region 7. Eight in the east play in Region 8.

The styles of play are different in the two regions. Region 7 is all about rock’em, sock’em power running football. Region 8 is more about spreading the field and throwing the ball around.

Last year, area teams Priceville, West Morgan and West Limestone competed in Region 7. Priceville (10-2, 6-1) finished second in the region behind Brooks. The Bulldogs advanced to the second round of the playoffs before falling to Region 8 champion Madison Academy.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s reclassification has changed the 4A picture in north Alabama a little bit. East Lawrence moves up from 3A to compete in 4A, Region 7. Madison Academy drops to 3A. The result is Priceville shifting east from Region 7 to Region 8 to keep the regions balanced with eight teams each.

“It was either go west where all the teams play the same kind of physical football that we like to play, or go east where the teams like to spread it out,” Priceville coach Chris Foster. “Luckily we got to go east where we’ll be the only team that likes to pound it with the run. Hopefully that will work to our advantage.”

Priceville will compete against DAR, Madison County, New Hope, North Jackson, Randolph, Saint John Paul II and Westminster Christian. Priceville (10-2) and Randolph (10-2) were the only teams in the group to have winning records last season.

Both Priceville and Randolph are expected to be good this season. Priceville returns experience led by All-State running back Mason Cartee and linebacker Jake Langlois, who led his team with 131 tackles.

Randolph returns talent on offense with running back Nic Strong and quarterback Andrew Hunter.

Joining West Morgan (5-5), West Limestone (5-5) and East Lawrence (3-7 in 3A) in Region 7 are Brooks, Central, Deshler, Rogers and Wilson. Brooks (12-1), Central (7-4) and Rogers (5-6) all made the playoffs last year.

“It’s a tough region,” West Morgan coach Drew Phillips said. “Deshler has 22-23 seniors returning. Rogers has 22 seniors back. Central was 6-0 and ranked No. 6 in the state at one point last season. Brooks has nine starters back on offense and eight or nine on defense.”

Defending region champion Brooks has a new head coach in alum Tim Bowens, who was head coach at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta for the last three years. Bowens played at Alabama and was head coach at Tanner in 2002.

West Morgan returns starting quarterback Braxton Peters along with two talented weapons in running back/receivers Jalen Fletcher and Connor Dillard.

East Lawrence under second-year head coach Sean Holt takes a step up in classification after going 3-7 in Class 3A last season. Walker Letson moves from linebacker to quarterback for the Eagles. Jaylon Smith is a threat at receiver and running back. Quintez McCoy from R.A. Hubbard should also help out on both sides of the ball.

West Limestone lost 16 of 22 starters from a team that went 5-5 and just missed the playoffs. Only three of the returning six are playing the same position. Easton Smith will be a two-way threat at running back on offense and linebacker on defense. Last year he had 96 tackles, four interceptions and three sacks.

REGION 7

REGION 8

West Morgan
Aug. 19 at Randolph
Aug. 26 at Ardmore
Sept. 2 vs. Brooks*
Sept. 9 at Central-Florence*
Sept. 16 vs. Rogers*
Sept. 23 open
Sept. 30 at Deshler*
Oct. 7 vs. West Limestone*
Oct. 14 vs. East Lawrence*
Oct. 21 at Wilson*
Oct. 28 vs. Haleyville East Lawrence
Aug. 19 open
Aug. 26 vs. Winston County
Sept. 2 at Rogers*
Sept. 9 vs. Deshler*
Sept. 16 at West Limestone*
Sept. 23 at Hatton
Sept. 30 vs. Brooks*
Oct. 7 vs. Wilson*
Oct. 14 at West Morgan*
Oct. 21 vs. Central-Florence*
Oct. 28 at Hanceville West Limestone
Aug. 19 vs. Ardmore
Aug. 26 vs. Clements
Sept. 2 vs. Deshler*
Sept. 9 at Brooks*
Sept. 16 vs. East Lawrence*
Sept. 23 at East Limestone
Sept. 30 vs. Wilson*
Oct. 7 at West Morgan*
Oct. 14 at Central-Florence*
Oct. 21 at Rogers*
Oct. 28 open Deshler
Aug. 19 at Madison Academy
Aug. 26 vs. Russellville
Sept. 2 at West Limestone*
Sept. 9 at East Lawrence*
Sept. 16 at Wilson*
Sept. 23 vs. Colbert County
Sept. 30 vs. West Morgan*
Oct. 7 vs. Central Florence*
Oct. 14 vs. Rogers*
Oct. 21 at Brooks*
Oct. 28 open

*region game

Central Florence
Aug. 19 open
Aug. 26 at East Limestone
Sept. 2 at Wilson*
Sept. 9 vs. West Morgan*
Sept. 16 vs. Brooks*
Sept. 23 vs. Westminster Christian
Sept. 30 at Rogers*
Oct. 7 at Deshler*
Oct. 14 vs. West Limestone*
Oct. 21 at East Lawrence*
Oct. 28 vs. Ardmore Brooks
Aug. 18 at Colbert County
Aug. 26 vs. Mars Hill
Sept. 2 at West Morgan*
Sept. 9 vs. West Limestone*
Sept. 16 at Central Florence*
Sept. 23 open
Sept. 30 at East Lawrence*
Oct. 7 vs. Rogers*
Oct. 14 vs. Wilson*
Oct. 21 vs. Deshler*
Oct. 27 at Lauderdale County Rogers
Aug. 19 vs. Haleyville
Aug. 26 at Lauderdale County
Sept. 2 vs. East Lawrence*
Sept. 9 vs. Wilson*
Sept. 16 at West Morgan*
Sept. 23 open
Sept. 30 vs. Central Florence*
Oct. 7 at Brooks*
Oct. 14 at Deshler*
Oct. 21 vs. West Limestone*
Oct. 28 vs. Lexington Wilson
Aug. 19 at Hatton
Aug. 26 vs. Colbert Heights
Sept. 2 vs. Central Florence*
Sept. 9 at Rogers*
Sept. 16 vs. Deshler*
Sept 23 open
Sept. 30 at West Limestone*
Oct. 7 at East Lawrence*
Oct. 14 at Brooks*
Oct. 21 vs West Morgan*
Oct. 28 vs. Lawrence County

*region game

Priceville
Aug. 19 vs. Plainview
Aug. 26 at Fairview
Sept. 2 vs. Madison County*
Sept. 9 vs. DAR*
Sept. 16 at New Hope*
Sept. 23 at Scottsboro
Sept. 30 vs. St. John Paul II*
Oct. 7 at North Jackson*
Oct. 14 vs. Westminster Christian*
Oct. 21 at Randolph*
Oct. 28 open Randolph
Aug. 19 at West Morgan
Aug. 26 vs. Madison Academy
Sept. 2 vs. Saint John Paul II*
Sept. 9 vs. North Jackson*
Sept. 16 at Westminster Christian*
Sept. 23 open
Sept. 30 at Madison County*
Oct. 7 vs. DAR*
Oct. 14 at New Hope*
Oct. 21 vs. Priceville*
Oct. 28 vs. Fairview DAR
Aug. 19 at Sardis
Aug. 26 vs. Douglas
Sept. 2 at New Hope*
Sept. 9 at Priceville*
Sept. 16 vs. Madison County*
Sept. 23 at Clements
Sept. 30 vs. Westminster Christian*
Oct. 7 at Randolph*
Oct. 14 vs. Saint John Paul II*
Oct. 21 at North Jackson*
Oct. 28 open New Hope
Aug. 19 open
Aug. 26 vs. Sardis
Sept. 2 vs. DAR*
Sept. 9 at Madison County*
Sept. 16 vs. Priceville*
Sept. 23 at Decatur Heritage
Sept. 30 at North Jackson*
Oct. 7 vs. Saint John Paul II*
Oct. 14 vs. Randolph*
Oct. 21 at Westminster Christian*
Oct. 28 at Plainview

*region game

Madison County
Aug. 19 at Buckhorn
Aug. 26 vs. Lee
Sept. 2 at Priceville*
Sept. 9 vs. New Hope*
Sept. 16 at DAR*
Sept. 23 vs. Madison Academy
Sept. 30 vs. Randolph*
Oct. 7 at Westminster Christian*
Oct. 14 at North Jackson*
Oct. 21 at Saint John Paul II*
Oct. 28 open North Jackson
Aug. 19 open
Aug. 26 vs. Scottsboro
Sept. 2 at Westminster Christian*
Sept. 9 at Randolph*
Sept. 16 vs. Saint John Paul II*
Sept. 23 at South Pittsburg
Sept. 30 at New Hope*
Oct. 7 vs. Priceville*
Oct. 14 at Madison County*
Oct. 21 vs. DAR*
Oct. 28 vs. Pisgah Saint John Paul II
Aug. 19 vs. Westbrook Christian
Aug. 26 at Sacred Heart, Miss.
Sept 2 at Randolph*
Sept 9 vs. Westminster Christian*
Sept. 16 at North Jackson*
Sept. 23 open
Sept. 30 at Priceville*
Oct. 7 vs. New Hope*
Oct. 14 at DAR*
Oct. 21 vs. Madison County*
Oct. 28 at Elkmont Westminster Christian
Aug. 19 vs. Lee
Aug. 26 open
Sept. 2 vs. North Jackson*
Sept. 9 at Saint John Paul II*
Sept. 16 vs. Randolph*
Sept. 23 at Central Florence
Sept. 30 at DAR*
Oct. 7 vs. Madison County*
Oct. 14 at Priceville*
Oct. 21 vs. New Hope*
Oct. 28 at Madison Academy

*region game