Returning for the 3rd consecutive year of our annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, Prattville High School was one stop I was very eager to check out. After arriving at Stanley-Jensen Stadium, I immediately witnessed a great amount of community support. Families, friends, media and fellow students were gathering at the stadium an hour before the parade even began. A gigantic National Guard tent was set up with a National Guard Humvee sitting under it, surrounded by members of the Army National Guard as well. The media, including local newspapers, television stations and radio stations were also beginning to swarm the site. What’s the big deal you may ask?
Prattville High School had an incredible ranking of 8 out of 15,000 high school football teams in the entire nation. If that doesn’t impress you enough, they have been the defending 6A champions since 2006 and have won 44 out of their last 45 games played! This team knows how to win state titles and they are a regular player on the national high school football scene. Always a constant rival, Hoover High put up a tough match in the state championship but still could not take the title away from the Prattville Lions.
As the parade traveled closer and closer to the stadium, more people gathered, forming a distinct path to the stadium for their hometown heroes. The football team followed the school’s enthusiastic marching band, cheerleaders, and dance teams. When the football team and coaching staff reached the stadium in their pick-up trucks and fancy sports cars, they all excitedly gathered onto the field to take some team pictures. The team was a lot bigger than any of the other teams I have come across during my Tour of Champions trip. It took a good 10 minutes for all the players to come into the field and form somewhat of a picturesque formation. It became a media frenzy, to say the least. Players, coaches and our beloved Army National Guardsmen were being interviewed, while camera flashes were lighting up the field.
After the pictures, all the team members and coaches sat down around the 50-yard line to accept awards from their community. In front of the coaches and team stood a Army National Guard branded table displaying the prestigious Tour of Champions Minuteman Trophy. Political community leaders, including Mayor Jim Byard, were being called up to appoint the team and their accomplishments. Finally, Daryl Green, a MaxPreps representative was introduced. Green spoke of the team’s impressive statistics and how he has been a long time supporter of the Prattville football team. Green then went on to introduce Colonel Cottles who brought up the coach and spoke a few words of the teams’ hard work and dedication. He then passed over the trophy to Coach Jamey Dubose who held it in the air while the crowd went wild.
After all the award presentation, the team gathered around the trophy for one last photo opportunity. Media, families and friends flocked around the team to get pictures as well. Given that this is the third state championship parade, the momentum of enthusiasm, excitement, and community support is still there. Will I return next year to Prattville, AL for the Tour of Champions record 4th consecutive year? Go Lions!