Football returns tonight

By Staff
Kim West
Franklin County Times
After a nearly six-month layoff, three local high school football teams will return to the gridiron tonight in jamborees at Tharptown and Colbert Heights.
Defending Class 2A, Region 8 champion Red Bay will travel to Tuscumbia today to play in a jamboree hosted by Class 3A, Region 8 runners-up Colbert Heights at 7 p.m.
Red Bay, which finished 13-1 last season and advanced to the state semifinals, must fill several skill positions left vacant by running back/safety Josh Senkbeil, All-State kicker Pablo Makepeace, who also played receiver and defensive back, three-year quarterback Anthony Horton, offensive lineman/linebacker D.J. Elrod and wide receiver/defensive back Joe McKinney. There are also several gaps on the offensive and defensive lines to fill as the Tigers lose Stephen Prestage, Bradley Rhodes, Greg Miller and Adam Henson to graduation.
But Red Bay, which has gone through spring drills with heavy hearts after losing junior lineman Terry Wilemon to a fatal car accident April 23, has a strong group of rising seniors, including lineman John Thigpen, linebackers Caleb Collins and John Wigginton, running back Cody Armstrong, wide receiver/defensive back Duncan Strickland and lineman Casey Keeton.
Tharptown will host future Class 1A, Region 8 rival Phillips and Phil Campbell and Hatton from Class 2A, Region 8 in a five-game jamboree beginning at 6 p.m. today.
Tharptown, led by third-year coach Dale Overton, is looking forward to its first playoff-eligible season this fall as the Wildcats return every starter, including quarterback Tyler Cagle, running back Daniel Scott, wide receiver Joseph Parker and center Chad West, from last season's 7-3 campaign.
Phil Campbell, which is coming off a winless 2007 season, has a new coach calling the plays after former Speake coach Michael Parker was hired to replace Kelly Kiser, who resigned after 10 seasons. The Bobcats have been busy this spring installing their new veer attack and replacing most of its top players on offense, including quarterback Jonathan Dill, fullback Nathan Rackard, running back Stephen Lacey and wide receiver Caleb Thompson.
In the first game, Phil Campbell will play Phillips in the only junior high game, followed by the first-ever Tharptown-Phil Campbell varsity matchup. The third game will feature Phillips versus Hatton, while Tharptown will play Hatton in Game 4 and Phil Campbell will line up against Phillips in the finale. There will be no kicking, and each game will last one half.
Kim West is sports editor for The Franklin County Times. She can be reached at kim.west@fct.wpengine.com or (256) 332-1881, ext 30.