home town football

Russ Spence

Russ Spence

Commercial Pressure Wash Expert
Prattville High School's football program has been a powerful factor in central Alabama Class 6A circles since the arrival of Bill Clark in 1999. The team has won 91 and lost 11 during that period of time.

However, the national recognition that head coach Bill Clark has striven to achieve has eluded the Lions, due mostly to living in the shadows of the successful Hoover High program of Clark's old friend Rush Propst.

Prattville's win over the Buccaneers in the state finals in December has apparently eliminated that shadow.

In the preseason rankings of USA Today, released Wednesday, the Lions were ranked No. 8. Hoover was nowhere to be seen in the top 25 rankings.

The national MaxPreps Web site had the Lions ranking seventh in the preseason. Both polls had Texas powerhouse Carroll High of Southlake as preseason No. 1.

Prattville was ranked ahead of such perennial USA Today favorites as Jenks (Okla.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), John Curtis (River Ridge, La.), Pahokee (Fla.) and Summerville (S.C).

"It is a big honor," said Clark. "I certainly cannot be upset with the ranking, because it is something that we have worked hard to achieve. It is with a lot of humility that we accept this position. However, this team hasn't done anything, yet. They will have to earn it on the field."

Clark said he didn't completely understand the ranking process, but wouldn't argue with the results.

"I have no idea how they go about the rankings," he said. "The prep editor of USA Today did call me once. But I get calls almost daily from someone asking about Southern high school football."

Prattville's opener against Georgia's North Gwinnett High School from Suwannee will go a long way to justifying the Lions' ranking -- or exposing it. (WE WON 36 T0 3)

"The game Saturday night will be a gauge of how we match up with other Southern teams, at least with Georgia," said Clark. "I think the football played in Alabama can stack up with those great teams in the South, whether it is Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Florida or whatever state."

Whatever happens, the ranking has brought exposure to Clark's program.

"The picture opposite the poll on the other page is very neat," he said. "Seeing our logo go out in a national publication is worth a million dollars in free publicity. Now it is up to this team to live up to this high ranking."

The picture that Clark spoke about showed the Lions handling Foley's All-American high school receiver, Julio Jones. Prattville's Ryan Camp is about to make a stop on one of the few catches that Jones had in the Li*ons 54-7 win in the second round of the state playoffs.

USA Today preseason top 10 rankings:

1. Carroll (Southlake, Texas)

2. Northwestern (Miami, Fla.)

3. Independence (Charlotte, N.C.)

4. St. Xavier (Cincinnati)

5. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

6. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

7. Katy (Katy, Texas)

8. PRATTVILLE (Prattville, AL.)

9. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

10. Gateway (Monroeville, Pa.)

and we beat north Gwinnett from Georgia tonight 36 - 3
 
Are these schools open enrollement, or neighborhood schools? The difference is open enrollment schools allow kids from anywhere to attend, so they shop for the best program. Neighborhood schools only allow kids from within their own boundaries. Our neighborhood school is a perrenial powerhouse in Arizona, but their chief challenge is an open enrollment school. Just curious.

For what it is worth, what are the academics like at these schools? And the programs besides football and athletics?
 
we are limited to a specific area , you cant live in Montgomery or a neighboring city ect..... and Prattville is a small town on the outskirts of Montgomery so we are in the same boat , just different demographics

as far as academics , I would say above average , the best education in our aras come from private schools , the public schools do offer advanced studies but not like what I was offered
 
The schools around here are limited to the area which you live in. There is one school that is a "city school" with open enrollment, as long as you can get there you can attend. They wipe up AA schools with 5A talent. A running back that signed Division 1 this year just showed up the first day of practice when he was supposed to attend a local school (worked out in the weight room the day before).

Scott Stone, is Mountain View still a powerhouse out there? I lived in Mesa from 94-99 and they were fun to watch with Todd Heap and a few others.

Jeff Robison
Clean Up Atlanta
678-360-2518
 
They are a perrenial powerhouse and excel at nearly everything. A coupel of years ago they took state in the following:
1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Girls basketball
4. Volleyball
5. CHorus (with the second tier group, the first did not compete)
6. Orchestra
7. Speech and debate (took nationals, too)
8. Academic Decathlon
9. Model UN (it is kind of like government for geeks. They represent countries in a mock UN. They did this so well, they kicked them out of High School competition and made them compete at College Level, where they still perform well)
10. and Track and field.

Over all, a pretty well balanced school all around. My son graduated last year with a 4.05 and was number 152 in his class of 860. It is not because the courses are dumbed down, they just have that many kids taking college accredited courses.
 
Scott Stone said:
They are a perrenial powerhouse and excel at nearly everything. A coupel of years ago they took state in the following:
1. Football
2. Basketball
3. Girls basketball
4. Volleyball
5. CHorus (with the second tier group, the first did not compete)
6. Orchestra
7. Speech and debate (took nationals, too)
8. Academic Decathlon
9. Model UN (it is kind of like government for geeks. They represent countries in a mock UN. They did this so well, they kicked them out of High School competition and made them compete at College Level, where they still perform well)
10. and Track and field.

Over all, a pretty well balanced school all around. My son graduated last year with a 4.05 and was number 152 in his class of 860. It is not because the courses are dumbed down, they just have that many kids taking college accredited courses.
Click to expand...


Scott, you live with the rich kids in mesa. money plays a factor, show me a well too do school in south chicago or in south phx?

I gotta believe that this plays a factor in these schools ability. genectics helps also...is that racist?
 
I think the Mormon work ethics have a lot to do with it as well. I was always intruiged by the group when I was out there. My neighbors both had six kids and the fathers worked like 80+ hours a week. One of them was general manager of a lumber yard by day AND ran a plumbing crew for another company at night!!! Just a strong group with core values and were not swayed easily by all the things that other kids might be swayed by. They really stick tight together and help support one another.

Also if you had a star athlete come through the system he probably had 3 brothers coming right behind him to uphold the school and family tradition. I thought it was pretty cool, even though I don't think I could live by the standards.

Jeff Robison
Clean Up Atlanta, Inc.
678-360-2518
 
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