When Rush Propst took over the Hoover High School football program in 1999, he started the Bucs on a course that would change the face of prep football in Alabama in the next decade. His first team was 7-3 and didn't make the playoffs. His next seven would play in the Class 6A state finals and would win five – 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Hoover became a national power with wins over teams like Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.), Union (Okla.) and Tim Tebow-quarterbacked Nease (Fla.). The school became a national phenomenon after signing on with MTV for two seasons of "Two-A-Days," an inside look into his conversional program that caused quite a stir in the state. His teams became the first in state history to regularly play on live television nationally on ESPN.
His teams were also 110-16 in nine seasons including a 7-3 season the first year and a 6-6 campaign his last year that included three forfeit losses. His off-the-field problems eventually led to his demise and led to his forced resignation following the 2007 season.
That's where Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) comes in. Propst left for Colquitt, a once mighty program that was struggling to compete against the likes south Georgia powerhouses like Valdosta and Lowndes County. That was three years ago.
Last year he led Colquitt County to the AAAAA semifinals. This year, despite finishing third in Region 1 with a 5-5 regular-record, he guided his team to the state finals at Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Brookwood (14-1) won the state title, however, stopping Propst's Cinderella run in the highest scoring state championship game in Georgia prep history. Brookwood won 52-38 despite 609 total yards and an incredible 38 first downs for Colquitt.
Propst's team finished 9-6 but signaled a warning that Colquitt County will be a team to deal with as long as the former Hoover coach is the school's head coach.
SPAIN PARK HIRES FORMER GEORGIA COACHSpain Park (Hoover) announced the hiring of Troy University quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey Monday night as its new head football coach. Lindsey, who spent the last two seasons at NCAA Division I-A Troy, served two seasons as head coach at Lassiter High School in Cobb County, Ga., leading the school to its best season in school history in 2008 when Lassiter finished 12-1 and reached the quarterfinals of the GHSA AAAAA state playoffs. He coached quarterback Hutson Mason, who obliterated the Georgia single-season passing record with 4,560 yards and 56 touchdowns.
Lindsey had compiled a 36-11 as a prep head coach and he is a Bob Jones High School graduate. He was head football coach at Colbert Heights near Florence where his teams were 14-8 over two seasons including 9-3 in 2006. Lindsey also served as an assistant coach at Florence, Deshler, Sparkman and Springville. He served as head baseball coach as well.
Lindsey, who is reportedly to receive a six-figure salary at Spain Park, will remain with Coach Larry Blakeney's Trojans through this weekend's Dec. 18 New Orleans Bowl contest against Ohio University.
Spain Park athletic director Clay Osburne said Lindsey was selected from a field of more than 80 candidates who applied for the job. Lindsey, who once served as offensive coordinator for Coach Rush Propst at Spain Park's rival Hoover High School, becomes the Jaguars' fifth head coach since the school opened its doors in 2001.
Ben Berguson served as interim coach in 2010 after replacing David Shores, who stepped down amid controversy after an altercation in practice with a player. Vince DiLorenzo, who led Gadsden High School to two state titles before becoming Spain Park's first coach, was followed by John Grass, who also coached at Hoover High School with Propst.
Grass is now at Oxford and DiLorenzo won a state championship in the Alabama Independent School Association (AISA) at Coosa Valley Academy this season. The Jags reached the state finals under Grass' direction in 2007 – ironically the only year rival Hoover did not reach the 6A finals in this decade. Spain Park was 6-6 this season.
ALABAMA'S DOMINATION OVER MISSISSIPPI CONTINUES IN ALL-STAR CLASSIC
The domination has continued for another year.
The Alabama All-Stars needed two overtimes but held on to beat Mississippi 24-17 to claim the 17th win of the 24-game Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic series played at Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
The series, which began in June of 1988 with a three-overtime 24-21 Alabama win, was moved to December in 2007.
Last weekend's contest was one of surprises. The biggest came on first and 10 in the second overtime when Homewood High School speedster
Ameer Abdullah took a direct snap in the backfield then followed a gaping hole up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown.
The score put Alabama ahead to stay as the defense did the rest by stopping Mississippi on its final four downs.
The play, Alabama head coach Fred Yancey of Briarwood explained, was put in during the week of practice at Mobile. He gave credit for idea to All-Star assistant coach Chris Fancher of Gardendale.
"We put it in just for this kind of overtime situation," Yancey said. "No one is faster than Abdullah at this short distance."
Athens High School's
Stephen Rivers, the 6-foot-7 younger brother of San Diego Chargers star quarterback Philip Rivers, led the comeback to earn MVP honors for Alabama. Rivers, who plans to take his quarterbacking skills to LSU next season, was 14 of 24 passing for 123 yards and a touchdown.
His 36-yard pass to McKenzie's
Emmanuel Johnson with 1:11 left pulled Alabama to within two at 14-12. He then connected with LeFlore's
Danny Woodson, an Alabama commitment, for the 2-point conversion to tie the game and send it into overtime.
Alabama is now 17-7 in the series with three wins in a row and a win in 11 of the last 13 games.
