Crank the tractor, HHS heading to "Aggie Land"

By Staff
Nick Johnston, Hartselle Enquirer
It's time for the third round of the Class 5A Alabama State Playoffs, and right in the thick of it all is the Hartselle Tigers.
Now 10-2, Hartselle will travel to Aggie Land to take on Albertville, who upset then second-ranked Gardendale in the first round of the playoffs.
When asked of the potent Albertville offense, head coach Mike Smith showed concern.
"They've done a heck of a job turning that program around first of all," he said. Last year, Smith and the Tigers defeated the Aggies 35-12 for homecoming. "Second of all, they've got a lot of players from somewhere I don't know. A lot of kids that have become impact players weren't on the team last year."
On the players Smith pointed out was quarterback Michael Darden. The 6-5 junior runs the spread offense instilled by former Hoover coach John Grass.
"We like to spread the field," Grass said. "I coached at Hoover for the past two years, and I just brought that type of offense here. It's a lot like Kentucky's offense."
Teams that have spread the field and had a mobile quarterback this season have presented problems for the Tigers this year.
Case in point: Russellville and Cullman.
See TRACTOR, B-6