Gordo Green Wave Logo

Having an official green wave logo on your sports gear makes it easier to identify yourself and your team. It also helps when you’re on the road, in your car, or in an airport. It’s a great way to represent your high school and to make sure you’re a part of the Gordo Green Wave.

Garrison accounted for four of Gordo’s five touchdowns

Despite an early deficit, the Gordo High School Green Wave took control in the second half and defeated the Winfield Pirates 49-42 on Friday night. The Green Wave rushed for three touchdowns on ground play. They had two touchdowns in the first half.

The win improved the Green Wave to 56-39-3 in all-time series against the Pirates. The game also included a rare turnover by Gordo’s offense. When the ball was kicked back to the Pirates, a serious injury to the returner prevented them from trying to return the ball for a touchdown. The teams traded punts with less than five minutes to play.

Garrison Hearst, the former NFL running back, had one of the most dramatic runs in NFL history. He was a Pro Bowl selection twice for the 49ers. He was also a key part of the 1998 season opener against the New York Jets, when he scored the winning touchdown in overtime. He rushed for 187 yards and caught 39 passes for 535 yards.

In the second half, Gordo’s defense stepped up with three players recording double-digit tackles. Jordan Sterling led the way with seven tackles, including three pass breakups. Cameron Lark finished with 12 tackles. The Green Wave also had three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

The Green Wave had two more touchdowns in the second half. Ethan Wilder ran for a 60-yard touchdown and Jace Koon ran in from nine yards out as time expired. Those two scores came on a drive in which the Pirates were given an out of bounds call by the coaches. The win improved the Green Wave to 3-0 on the season. The Green Wave had five touchdowns with three of them going for 40 yards.

Rayshawn Williams heated up in the second half

Despite a rough start, the Gordo Green Wave proved they are still a force to be reckoned with. They defeated Carbon Hill 56-14, won their fifth straight game, and are riding a five game winning streak. Their lone loss this season came to Bibb County 56-21. Despite the fact that Gordo has been outplayed for much of the game, it remains the king of Class 3A.

The Green Wave haven’t been this hot since early September. The defending Class 3A state champions racked up the most points of any team in the class this season. The team’s offense has been a stumbling block, but the duo of JT Billups and Rayshawn Williams paced the pack with 110 yards and two touchdowns, respectively. Hollis Strawbridge led the charge on defense with six tackles. The team’s fumbled the ball away in the red zone on a botched punt, but the Green Wave’s best efforts proved to be more than enough.

The Green Wave’s defense had its moments as well, particularly in the second half. Pickens County’s best chance to score came on a fourth-and-six with just over a minute to go in the first half. Despite the scoreboard squiggle, the Tigers had a difficult time converting the fourth-and-six into points, as well as fumbled the ball away in the end zone on a punt. That said, the Green Wave are on their way to a fifth straight win and a return to the top of Class 3A.

Chrisjavion Lark heated up in the second half

Seeing as how it was going to be a night for the Green Wave, the aforementioned lilt was put to good use. The team racked up a hefty 161 yards on the ground, and was led in points by quarterback Brax Garrison, who rushed for a tally of 215 yards and four touchdowns. Lark took the same route on a larger scale, and finished the night with two scores of his own.

The Green Wave didn’t exactly roll over the Tigers, but a scoreboard shuffle and a muffed kickoff helped the visitors stay close. The aforementioned lilt was put in the books early on, but a swarm of Green Wave defenders snuck around the opposition’s backfield in the second half, which paved the way for a slew of touchdowns. The best of the rest was a three-touchdown performance from Garrison, sparked by a huge play on a short scrimmage. Afterwards, the team decided to pass the ball, and the next drive yielded a touchdown of its own. It was a flurry of scoring in the third quarter, but the Tigers were able to put together a couple of good drives before giving the ball back to the Wave. In the end, the Green Wave were able to squeak out a 44-14 win. In the end, the Gordo rumbles were averted, and the Green Wave are looking to make their presence felt in the 2022 3A AHSAA State Playoffs.

Defense held Fayette County’s offense to another turnover

Despite a sluggish start, the Fayette County Tigers shook off the rust and showed up in the second half to beat the McIntosh Chiefs 27-7. They showed up in force thanks to a fumble-free performance by senior James Hawkins and the best defense in the area. After a sluggish first half, the Tigers blitzed their way to a 13-point lead heading into the final quarter.

The Tigers put up a respectable 286 yards of total offense, but the best part was seeing their defense churn out four takeaways of their own. That’s right, you heard that right, four takeaways, including the aforementioned fumble. That’s a lot of turnovers, and the aforementioned fumble was just the tip of the iceberg.

Fayette did not have much of a run, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, but they threw the ball to a bevy of pass catchers, including senior James Hawkins who was responsible for three touchdowns and a big play. They also used the pass to set up the scoring field goal, which he capped off with the big play of the night.

As for the scoreboard, the Tigers scored three touchdowns in the second half, including two in the first half. The biggest highlight of the night, however, came on the last play of the game, when senior quarterback James Hawkins ran for a 73-yard touchdown, which he followed up with another score on the next play, putting the Raiders up 14-0. A solid night on the field was a welcome respite for a Tigers team that lost its previous five games by a combined total of 60 points. The good news is, Fayette is back in action next week, and will be on the road against McIntosh.

Gus Smith’s coaching job at Gordo

Earlier this week, Gus Smith was named head football coach at Gordo High School. He was a former assistant coach at Mobile Christian and Jackson. Smith is hoping to expand the school’s demographic of players. He also hopes to take lessons from all of the coaches he has worked under.

Smith started his coaching career at Daphne, where he was an assistant under Glenn Vickery. He went on to become offensive coordinator at Cottage Hill Christian and defensive coordinator at Jackson. He coached four-star recruit Deontae Lawson to an Alabama football scholarship. He then moved to Mobile Christian, where he coached a defense that went 3-1 in the AHSAA playoffs. His teams went 49-14 overall.

He helped his teams give up just 8.7 points per game during that time period. Smith hopes to continue that trend at Gordo. He has high expectations for the school.

During the first quarter, Gordo led by as many as eight points. The Green Wave’s defense held Sipsey Valley to just one first down. During the second quarter, Gordo drove 45 yards. They scored on a senior running back’s three-yard run. The Green Wave added a touchdown on a screen pass.

In the second half, Gordo scored on two of the four drives. On the first, Brax Garrison threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Wilder. He completed 10-of-16 passes for 174 yards. Garrison also rushed for three touchdowns.

The Green Wave rolled 56-14 against Carbon Hill. During the second quarter, Gordo led by as many five points. The Green Wave scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the game. Jace Koon ran in as time expired.