During the course of the 2014 season, the Dothan Wolves football team managed to pull off one of the greatest performances in the history of the program. They finished the regular season with a record of 6-1, including a win over Auburn. In addition to this, they were able to take a trip to the playoffs.
During the Dothan High football game on Friday, November 7, an incident occurred on the sideline where Dothan head football coach Jed Kennedy pushed an assistant coach to the ground. The video of the incident went viral on social media, causing a major stir in the Dothan community. The Dothan City Schools Board of Education held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the incident, revealing that Kennedy has been suspended for one week.
The video showed Kennedy pushing an assistant coach to the ground after the Wolves scored a touchdown. Kennedy was not penalized for the touchdown run, however he was flagged for sideline interference, which negated the touchdown. According to the Dothan City Schools Code of Conduct, the incident is considered a secondary class one offense. Kennedy will be suspended for one week, but will not lose his job.
The Dothan High football team is still in contention for the playoffs. They play Jeff Davis on Thursday in Montgomery, and then host Auburn on November 18. However, Dothan lost to Central on November 13, and lost to Auburn on November 14. The Wolves have three losses so far in the season.
Dothan athletic director Jessica Noble said that Kennedy will serve one week of suspension. Kennedy has a 115-47 overall record as head coach, including a 26-10 record in the playoffs. Kennedy has also been named the Wisconsin State Coach of the Year in 2011. He has also led three Wisconsin teams to state championships. He has also coached teams in Illinois and Florida.
Dothan City Schools Superintendent Dennis Coe said the school will deal with the incident appropriately. But, Dothan school board members Brenda Guilford and Franklin Jones called for Kennedy’s suspension to go beyond a week. They also called for a “further and complete” investigation into the incident. In addition, Guilford and Jones said that Superintendent Coe, the principal, and the athletic director went too far in disciplining Kennedy. They are trying to call a special meeting to discuss the incident.
Kennedy has coached six teams that have won conference championships, including the Wisconsin Division 1 State Champion Kenosha Bradford High School, and the Wisconsin Division 2 State Runner-Ups. He has coached in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Florida. Kennedy also coached at Edgewood (FL) high schools. He has a total of 14 seasons as a head coach.
Kennedy’s teams have made eight state quarterfinal appearances, as well as four state semifinal appearances. He has coached five teams that have made state playoff appearances in the past five years. Kennedy has a total of 26 wins and 10 losses in the playoffs, with his teams advancing to the Wisconsin Division 2 State Championship game in 2011. He has led his teams to three consecutive playoff appearances.
During the week of April 1, Auburn High’s football team traveled to Dothan to face the four-seed Wolves in a Region 2-7A battle. This was a good matchup for Auburn High, as they were able to dominate on all fronts and score more than 500 yards of offense.
The Auburn High defense played a big role in their victory over Dothan. The Bulldogs defense held the Wolves to less than half of their total yards, and their secondary held Dothan to a mere four catches for minus 40 yards. Auburn’s offense was able to generate more than 500 yards of total offense, primarily due to the play of quarterback Clyde Pittman. Pittman had a big game for Auburn, completing 11 of 13 passes for 198 yards and four touchdowns.
On the flip side, Dothan had some nice scoring opportunities. The Dothan defense did the sexiest trick in the book by forcing a fumble, but it was not enough to put them over the top. Dothan had three other scoring opportunities, but they did not convert on any of them. They also did not benefit from defensive penalties or other special teams plays.
The Auburn High offense was able to do a lot more than just run the ball, but it was the combination of its three rushing touchdowns and its one passing touchdown that got them the most points. The Auburn High defense played a major part in this game as well, holding Dothan to just 86 yards on the ground. It is a bit hard to credit this feat to the Auburn High offense, however. Despite having a strong rushing attack, Auburn’s offensive line did not provide much support for the run game. The Auburn High rushing attack featured the aforementioned one-yard touchdown run by Killian Massey, and Dook Woods added another rushing touchdown.
Dothan arguably had the better field position, but it could not capitalize on its opportunities. The Dothan defense did the logical thing by forcing a 3-and-out, but the Bulldogs still ended up on the short end of the stick. The Auburn High defense was able to put a stop to Dothan’s ground game on a fourth-and-short near midfield. They were also able to stifle a big play from Dothan in the fourth quarter, when they stuffed a potential 74-yard touchdown run.
The aforementioned one-yard touchdown run by Massey was the only touchdown that Dothan was able to score. The best part of the Auburn High win was that they were able to take advantage of a sellout crowd, as well as their home field advantage. After winning their third game in a row, Auburn is now 9-8 overall, and 3-3 in the SEC. They have the chance to get back to the playoffs next week, and should do so.
Despite the fact that Dothan’s playoff run was cut short in Week 2 by a loss to Central-Phenix City, Dothan still has a good chance to advance to the playoffs with the win over Baker. Dothan’s defense scored on an interception return against Smiths Station and a fumble return against Prattville, which are both good indications that Dothan’s defense is improving.
The Wolves had a strong second half, which ended up being the game-winner. Dothan started the second quarter with a 7-0 lead on the strength of a 1-yard touchdown run by Karmello English. Donald Harris scored three minutes later on a two-yard run. Dothan went to its four-man front to take on the rushing attack of Wetumpka. However, Dothan’s run game was shut down on downs deep in Red Devils’ territory. In the end, Dothan’s defense scored on turnovers three straight weeks.
Dothan and Central-Phenix City both had great offensive performances, and both teams had three different players score. Dothan rolled up 403 rushing yards, and Raymon Blackmon scored four touchdowns. He also has a pair of interceptions. He finished with 151 yards on 24 carries. In addition to Blackmon’s touchdowns, AJ Walker had a 1-yard run and Tamarion Peterson had a 19-yard run.
Central-Phenix City was the first team to put points on the board, when Karmello English scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. The Hornets then tied the game with a two-point conversion. Dothan scored three touchdowns on three different possessions in the third quarter to take a 28-21 lead with just under four minutes left. The Wolves got back on track in the fourth quarter when they scored a 4-yard touchdown run and a 3-yard run by AJ Alexander.
The Wolves’ offense also rolled up the most yards in the game. Dothan had 403 yards on the ground, led by Tamarion Peterson’s 138 yards on 14 carries. The Wolves also had a 59-yard kick return for a touchdown by Ocatvious Thomas.
The Wolves also have an outstanding quarterback, Raymon Blackmon. He has 1,136 yards on 130 carries, with 14 receptions for 295 yards and 19 touchdowns. Blackmon also has two interceptions. This year, he has the opportunity to add to his numbers with a senior season, as Dothan High will be a combined school for the next year. The Wolves hope Blackmon can become a dominant force in the NFL. He is also an Alabama commit.
Central-Phenix City has a strong roster, and Dothan had trouble against the Red Devils’ defense. They had three turnovers on their first six possessions. The Wolves also had a turnover on downs deep in the Red Devils’ territory in the fourth quarter. The Wolves were unable to get closer than a touchdown in the game.
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