By Justin Graves

Justin@athensnews-courier.com

Almost all high school football coaches will tell you that a team is only as good as its leaders, and there is no tool anymore valuable on the football field than experience.

Since every football team’s preseason goal is to make it to the playoffs, all of the local coaches will be looking to their seniors to ensure their teams make it over the hump. With such a high number of talented seniors scattered across Limestone County this year, there shouldn’t be any shortage of senior leadership anywhere.

Among one of the best senior football players in Limestone County this year is Clements’ place-kicker Josh Cooper. The former soccer star took his abilities over to the football field a couple of seasons ago, and now he is one of the Colts’ biggest scoring threats. Cooper has been selected No. 13 on The News Courier’s list of Limestone Super Seniors.

“Cooper has the ability to completely change the opposing team’s strategy,” Clements coach Forrest Williams said. “He’ll make other coaches think a whole lot more about field position. There’s no doubt in my mind that if we get within field goal range, he’ll put points up for us. That makes him a very dangerous weapon.”

Cooper’s ability to make 55-yard field goals on a consistent basis makes him a valuable commodity at the collegiate level, but it’s his punting skills that Williams believes will put his senior kicker over the top.

“There’s no doubt he is a college kicker,” Williams said. “Everybody is looking for guys who can flip field position for you.”



No. 14: Carlos Jones, DL, Athens

When opposing coaches watch game film on Athens this season, there will be a lot of thought put into how they are going to stop the Golden Eagles’ defensive line from penetrating on every play. One of the primary reasons for this is the strength and ability of defensive end Carlos Jones.

Jones is one of three defensive linemen at Athens who has a chance to play college football. With his big body and quick feet, blocking Jones is a difficult task.

“He’s hard to block,” Athens coach Allen Creasy said. “Carlos is very versatile, and allows us to do a lot of different things with him. He has worked really hard to get where he is now.”

Creasy has high expectations from his senior defensive linemen this season.

“With the abilities our defensive linemen have, they are going to be huge for us in short yardage situations,” Creasy said. “Carlos expects a lot out of himself, and he is the type of kid who works to meet those expectations. He’s a good boy and a good player that will be an important part of our defense this season.”



No. 15: Vincent Azzarello, WR, Athens

When Creasy talks about the Golden Eagles’ unsung heroes, the first one he mentions is wide receiver Vincent Azzarello. The Athens senior has played a major role on both the Golden Eagles offense and defense during the last two seasons.

“He’s on the field a lot,” Creasy said. “He’s a tough, hard-nosed kid who will give you everything he’s got. He does a good job of making plays on both sides of the ball.”



No. 15: Maurice Rattliff, DL, Athens

Maurice Rattliff is the centerpiece of what might be the most talented defensive line in North Alabama. Creasy said that Rattliff is one of the strongest players on the Golden Eagles’ football team, but he believes his strongest asset isn’t his size or speed.

“What makes Maurice (Rattliff) so good is his toughness,” Creasy said. “He is very tough and physical, and does an outstanding job in the middle of our defensive line. He’s a big strong player, and he will make a lot of plays for us.”



No. 17: Michael McMunn, OL/DL, Elkmont

Last year Elkmont had one of its most successful seasons in several years thanks to the stellar play from its seniors. This year Red Devils coach Chad MacGehee needs that same type of leadership from his seniors even more since Elkmont will be starting several freshman and sophomores in key positions.

One of the players MacGehee expects to get that leadership is defensive lineman Michael McMunn. The senior lineman played a big role last year on both offense and defense, and MacGehee expects even more from McMunn this year.



No. 18: George Adams, FS, Tanner

Tanner coach LaRon White knows he is going to need nothing short of his defense’s best effort to survive in Class 2A Region 8 this year. One thing he has to look forward to is the return of free safety George Adams for his senior season.

Adams’ versatility makes him one of the best defensive backs in the area. He led Tanner in interceptions a year ago, and while also being one of Tanner’s leading tacklers.



No. 19: Cody Arnold, Clements, WR, Clements

One thing that Clements receiver Cody Arnold has never been accused of is not having heart. The Colts’ senior has built a reputation for himself as being the guy to try and carry his team – no matter what the sport – on his back to victory. That is why new Clements coach Forrest Williams decided to convert last year’s quarterback to receiver.

“We need Cody (Arnold) to have the ball in his hands making plays,” Williams said. “We plan to do a lot of different things to get the ball to him. He will play a big role in what we do offensively.”



No. 20: Roger Haislip, OL, East Limestone

One thing opposing coaches will be preaching to their defensive linemen the week before playing East Limestone is the importance of staying down and not getting blown off the ball. One of the strongest aspects of the Indians’ offense this fall is its big, veteran offensive line.

The Indians’ offensive front averages 250 pounds as a unit, but not because of Haislip. The senior is one of the smaller players in the unit, but what he lacks in size he makes up for with strength and technique.



No. 22: Justin Pitts, WR, Athens

Sheer ability is the name of the game for Athens wide receiver Justin Pitts. The basketball star decided to take the football field in his senior season, and from what Creasy has seen, he knows Pitts will be a key player.

“He has the natural ability to play at the next level,” Creasy said. “He is big, tall and athletic, and he is surprisingly fast for his height.”

The 6-foot, 4-inch wide receiver has impressed his coaching staff and teammates in what little time he has been on the football field.



No. 23: Martin Evans, OL, Athens

One of the main reasons the Golden Eagles’ passing game has been so good over the past few seasons is because of the pass protection provided by their offensive line. This year senior offensive tackle Martin Evans should continue that trend.

“Martin (Evans) is the strongest player on our team,” Creasy said. “Injury has slowed him down some in the past, but if he stays healthy this year, then he should be a big part of our offensive front.



No. 24: Matthew Compton, RB, Elkmont

A big reason Elkmont was able to turn the corner last season was due to the outstanding production from its running game. This season Matthew Compton is expected to continue that trend.

“We lost some good seniors last year,” “he said. “But now we have to step up and make sure we keep building off last year. We want to keep on getting better, and the next step is getting to the playoffs.”