DAILY Photo by Jonathan Palmer After posting a 4-6 record last year, Speake has enough experience and talent returning so that the Bobcats are expecting more.

They've got
high hopes
Speake believes a good
season is within reach

Eleventh in a series.

By Mark Edwards
DAILY Sports Editor
medwards@decaturdaily.com · 340-2461

SPEAKE — Remember the days when as a matter of habit football coaches regularly downplayed their teams?

DAILY Photo by Jonathan Palmer Sometimes coaches have to yell to make a point as Speake's Heath Grimes proves to his team at a recent practice.

No matter if they had talent and experience at every single position, they still talked like they would be lucky to score a touchdown. Heck, even legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant would poormouth his team ... and promptly go 10-1 or 11-0.

Speake High's Heath Grimes doesn't follow that philosophy. He likes his team this year and doesn't mind saying so.

Oh, he hasn't turned into the trash-talkingest coach in Lawrence County. He's making no guarantees. In fact, he emphasizes that his team has a chance to be good, not that it will be good for certain.

"We're excited," Grimes said. "We do think this is a year where we can rise above expectations.

"We have a tough schedule and play in a tough region, but our kids have listened to me preach about success, and we're to that point that we want to make a push."

Grimes has confidence in his team because of the talent and experience he has returning. Most of his players receiving plenty of time on the field the past two years as Speake went 1-9 two years ago and 4-6 last year, including wins in three of the final five games.

The Bobcats' junior class includes nine players, which Grimes said is a lot for a Class 1A program the size of Speake's.

The Bobcats' quarterback will be junior T.J. Green, who has started since his freshman season.

Senior Taylor Cross and junior Chase Atkins are at tailback, and both have plenty of game experience, although Cross played guard last year.

At defensive end, Speake has two talented players in senior Javaris Stover and junior Zack Taylor. Both have played varsity football since eighth grade. Stover, who is 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, has 143 career tackles, 21 sacks and 40 tackles behind the line.

Junior Zack Vick will help anchor the receiving corps. Senior Kenny Terry, a linebacker and offensive guard, is back for his fourth year on the varsity. Senior Nick Borden, a fullback and linebacker, is a three-year starter.

Grimes also has three bright young players who are helping bolster the defensive line, including sophomores Terrance Williams and K.C. Orr and 6-2, 265-pound freshman Demetra Griffin, who ran on the Bobcats' four-by-100 relay team this spring.

"He's got good speed," Grimes said. He laughs before adding, "He thinks he should be playing fullback or linebacker because he can move."

They should help make the defensive line one of Speake's strong points. But they keys are Stover and Taylor.

Assistant coach Rory Carpenter calls them "Copeland and Curry," referring to former Alabama All-America defensive ends John Copeland and Eric Curry, who led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 national championship.

"For us, they're similar to those two guys," Grimes said, adding that until it was explained, Stover and Taylor weren't sure who Copeland and Curry were.

In addition to the talent and experience of his players, Grimes said he's confident that his staff has improved with the hiring of Carpenter, a former Hatton, Red Bay and Lawrence County coach. Carpenter will serve as defensive coordinator.

Grimes said 25-year-old Davey Kincaid, last year's defensive coordinator, will continue to work heavily with players and serve as an important part of the team. The Bobcats also have available volunteer assistant Brett Voss, the starting quarterback on Grimes' 2003 Speake team.

In addition, Justin Sappington, another volunteer, will help with the offense. Grimes and Sappington were teammates at North Alabama during 1995-98.

The Speake offense has changed, also, from the I formation to the wing-T, which appears to fit Grimes' desire for more variety in the attack.

He and his assistants received instruction in the offense this summer from Deshler's staff, including head coach John Mothershed. The wing-T, which has a two running backs, a split end, a wingback and a tight end, is a departure from the spread offense, which many prep teams use these days.

Grimes said that having someone willing to learn more about the wing-T, which has served Deshler well, seemed to please Mothershed.

"They totally impressed me with their knowledge and their willingness to pass it on," Grimes said.

The new offense helped Speake shine in its spring jamboree, where the Bobcats outscored Winston County 24-0 in half a game and Cherokee 22-8 in another half.

"The kids are excited about that," Grimes said. "We broke a play of 60-something yards right away, and they were saying, 'This offense is awesome.' "

So with the experience, the quality defensive line, the coaching staff and the offense, maybe it's not a surprise Grimes has high hopes. He said his players do, too.

"They're optimistic," he said, smiling.

Speake schedule, 2005 results

Sept. 1 Hatton

Sept. 8 Hazlewood*

Sept. 15 at Hackleburg*

Sept. 22 R.A. Hubbard*

Sept. 28 at Westminster Christian

Oct. 6 at Vina*

Oct. 13 Shoals Christian*

Oct. 20 at Phillips-Bear Creek*

Oct. 27 at Brilliant*

Nov. 2 Danville

*-Class 1A, Region 8

at Hatton W, 23-0

vs. Hackleburg L, 29-8

at Hazlewood L, 21-0

vs. Shoals Christian L, 25-6

vs. Ashville L, 10-6

vs. Phillips-B.Creek W, 35-6

at Vina W, 26-12

vs. R.A. Hubbard L, 21-6

at Addison L, 49-13

at Danville W, 12-7

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