| Kelly Miller

Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

While the Hartselle Tigers prepare to take on the Austin Black Bears in a key region game and the Priceville Bulldogs are enjoying the success of their record-breaking season, another Morgan county team has been silently flying under the radar. Class 2A school the Falkville Blue Devils currently sit at 8-0 and have a chance to make their presence known this Friday when they take on the Tanner Rattlers for the class 2A region 6 championship.

Head coach Joel Schrenk knows what his team is doing is something special. “It’s the first time since the 1960’s that Falkville has gone 8-0.” The Devils have been led by a strong senior class that has helped the Blue Devils come from behind in several close games this season, including against Addison when Falkville kicked a game winning field goal to win 15-12. “Our senior class features a little bit of everything,” Schrenk said “We have guys like Taylor Davis who are more vocal leaders, then we have guys like Ryan Sullivan who lead by example.” The senior class has gone a long way in leading Falkville to new heights after a disappointing season last year. Coming off one of their most successful seasons in 2013,in which the Devils went 9-2 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, Falkville had high expectations but they just weren’t able to deliver. “We dealt with a lot of things like injuries” Schrenk said, “We also had a bunch of distractions that were just stupid things that kept us down.” However, now Falkville has cut out all the distractions and is looking to show everyone that they are just as good as anyone in 2a.

Falkville’s task Friday wont be an easy one though as they face arguably the best team in 2A in Tanner. Led by Alabama commit Chadarious Townsend, Tanner has blitzed through everyone on their schedule with their only close game being a 28-21 win over West Limestone who is a 4A school. Tanner also has been to state championship 3 out of the last 4 season, winning two of them, and boasts a region winning steak of 46 games that dates all the way back to 2009. The point is that Tanner is tough. Very tough. However, coach Schrenk feels like his team is up to the challenge. “We just have to get in the second half, because we are a better second half team” Schrenk said “a typical Tanner game is they score on their first possession, then they hit a pick six, a scoop n score, a punt return and all of a sudden their up 56-0. We can’t let that happen.”

Falkville is not used to playing in a game of this magnitude, and sometimes that can affect a team’s mentality. However, Schrenk feels that his team is not any different. “They don’t seem any different” Schrenk said “its just another week and another game for them.” Whatever the outcome is Friday though, coach Schrenk knows that his team will profit from it. “Win or lose we still have games to play afterwards” Schrenk said “and even more important is that football will end eventually, but what these kids take from this season and this game will stay with them the rest of their life and make them better people.” Falkville will host the game that will begin at 7 p.m. and there is sure to be a packed house ready to watch.