J.R. Tidwell, Sports, Sports Columnists
 By  J.R. Tidwell Published 
5:58 am Wednesday, August 1, 2012

J.R.’s Editorial Corner

Football. My favorite sport. It’s getting closer. But it’s not here yet.

How much longer do I have to wait? About one month from now I’ll have as much football to watch as I can handle.

I will have high school, college, junior varsity and youth football to watch in about a month, so my love for the sport and need to watch it will likely be filled, but one never knows with me. That’s how much I love football.

I have only seen one football game in Franklin County since I moved here. That was the spring game between Russellville and Giles County, Tenn.

That didn’t really fill my need to watch football so much as it sparked it. Now I’ve got a fever, and the only thing that can cure it is more football.

Phil Campbell, Red Bay, Russellville, Tharptown and Vina will all have to do their part to make sure I’ve got some football to watch, but come a month from now they will be delivering.

When I’m not watching local high school action, I will have youth league and junior varsity football to watch. It might be my job to do such things, but my passion for sports makes those working hours go by so much quicker and easier.

Another outlet I have for my football obsession is to watch the UNA home games in Florence. UNA is only a little over 20 miles down the road, and I have the added benefit of being an alumnus, so I don’t mind watching the Lions beat up the competition.

One interesting aspect of this season will be the new head coaches that will lead teams onto the field for the first time, like Jason Hill and John Ritter, while Michael Jackson begins his second year as head coach of Russellville.

One thing that does not neet to be overlooked is the progress local players make after high school. Many go on to play at the collegiate level, whether it is at a community college or an SEC school.

I would like to take this opportunity to ask the parents of athletes around Franklin County to their kids who go onto play college ball to keep in touch with their local Sports Editor with The Franklin County Times.

If players from the area sign with a college to play ball or have success while playing at the next level, I would like to know so we can cover all your sports bases in Franklin County.

J.R. Tidwell is sports editor for The Franklin County Times. He can be reached at (256) 332-1881, ext. 31.

Also on Franklin County Times
Goodwin stepping down as Golden Tigers’ football coach
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
January 9, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Dustin Goodwin, who served as athletic director and head football coach, announced he is resigning his position to seek other opportuni...
Dowdy sentencing delayed due to medical emergency
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The sentencing of Brandy Dowdy will have to wait until another day after her defense attorney suffered a “medical emergency” on Tuesday...
Legislative session opens Jan. 13; Kiel prefiles 2 bills
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- State Rep. Jamie Kiel has prefiled two bills ahead of the 2026 Alabama legislative session. The bills, which will be considered when l...
Hollimon reflects on 40 years in education
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Dr. Deanna Hollimon always felt she was called to be an educator. After 40 years as a teacher, reading coach, administrator and educati...
Firefighters train for vehicle rescues
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 7, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — City firefighters trained last week on how to stabilize overturned vehicles and remove trapped occupants. Fire Chief Joe Mansell said t...
Neighbors helping neighbors, one soda pop tab at a time
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 7, 2026
Most people don’t think twice about the small aluminum tab on top of a soda can. But those tiny pieces of metal have quietly helped families stay clos...
2025: A year of results for Alabama families
Columnists, Opinion
January 7, 2026
The past year has certainly been a memorable one — and, more importantly, a rewarding one. Beginning the year by leading the Laken Riley Act through t...
Author’s collapse was motivation for comeback
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
January 7, 2026
When Pete Key collapsed on the bathroom floor in 2024, it didn’t feel like a turning point. It felt like an ending. He had been sick for days — dehydr...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *