Defeat for the West Limestone Wildcats in the Class 4A playoffs. The team lost to the Good Hope Raiders by a score of 31 to 15. The Wildcats had to go to extra time to make the win possible. The loss could affect the future of Jordan Cantrell as head coach of the Elmore County school.
Those of you with a sense of history, or who are fans of local football, might know that the East Limestone Indians and the West Limestone Wildcats have played each other in four of the past five seasons. The last time the two teams met, the Wildcats were undefeated and the Indians were 0-1 in conference play. It wasn’t until last week, however, that the teams met in the flesh, and the Wildcats pulled off a 26-15 victory.
While the Wildcats aren’t likely to have the same record as last season, they do have one more shot at the playoffs. The Wildcats have three games on the road in the last three weeks, and they could be in for a long ride if they don’t turn things around. They are currently 0-4 in conference play, but they are one slot away from the postseason. Despite being a non-conference opponent, the Wildcats have won against much higher classifications in the past. In fact, they are tied for first place in 5A Region 8.
The Wildcats have played some pretty competitive games this season, but they haven’t done much in the way of catching the other team off guard. That’s not to say they haven’t done their share of impressive wins, though. They’ve defeated two other teams in the same class, and they’ve gotten the job done against several other higher classifications, including a win over the mighty T.R. Miller in the opener.
The Wildcats did, however, have the most impressive win of the year, and it came against a rival. Their rout of the Tigers came after the East Limestone Indians’ stumbling performance in their last game. While the Indians were able to put up a few points against the Tigers, they were no match for their rushing attack. The Wildcats churned out 202 yards rushing on 23 carries, and they had a few other solid plays of their own. In fact, they recovered a fumble in the middle of the field in the first quarter.
The Wildcats are not going to be able to ride this wave all the way to the playoffs, but they have a chance to prove they belong. They have three games in the last three weeks, including a trip to West Morgan, which is a physical school that has won four straight games. If they can make it through these games unscathed, then they might have a shot at making it to the end zone for the first time in a decade.
The East Limestone Indians have a bye next week, and they’ll be back in action on October 6 when they host the Lawrence County Rebels. They’ll likely be a much different team than the one that fell at West Limestone, though, and that could be a good thing.
Several people within the Elmore County school system are a bit confused over the future of head football coach Jordan Cantrell. There is some debate as to whether the former quarterback of the Stanhope Elmore High School Panthers will ever return to the classroom. There have been some rumblings of a move to south Alabama, but there has been no official word.
It’s unclear how much interest the Elmore County Board of Education has in re-engaging with Cantrell after he was passed over in favor of a new crop of coaches. The former QB is a former junior college baseball player and has been tinkering with his football skills in the offseason. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Athens State University. He has also been a head coach for the past four seasons, the most recent being the Dadeville High School Hornets.
The newest member of the Elmore County coaching staff is Kyle Caldwell, a former alum of the 6A Chelsea Tigers and Horseshoe Bend Wolves. Caldwell is a Dadeville native and has a long resume of coaching and teaching in the area. He is also an electrical program design student at Premier Tech. He is most recently the head coach at 6A Chelsea High School. He also teaches a variety of other vocations at the school.
It is not surprising that the board of education would be interested in a man with a vision, but the decision has been a mixed bag. The Elmore County High School is a long standing institution, having been around for almost 140 years. The Panthers have never been more than one win away from a playoff appearance and the school has not won a football game since 2010. They have also combined for one winning season in the last three years.
While the Elmore County High School did a great job of bringing in a quality coach, the school is currently 0-9 on the season. The most recent loss came on Senior Night when Talladega defeated Elmore County 51-37. On the other hand, Beauregard is preparing for the final three games of their season. They are currently ranked fourth in class 3A. They are chasing a win in the next two weeks, if they can avoid a bye in Week 6. On the flip side of the coin, Jemison is currently averaging more than 35 points per game and has yet to score less than 30. On the plus side, Jemison has been scoring the trifecta of touchdowns, sacks, and tackles per game. In addition, the Panthers have one of the best defenses in the state and have played more snaps than any other team in Alabama this year. Moreover, Coach Lewis at R.C. Hatch is a former University of Florida player.
Having a good run against West Limestone football, the Good Hope Raiders were able to pull within a touchdown in the third quarter of their 21-12 loss to the Wildcats on Saturday, October 13 in Lester, Ala. Despite holding the lead for a portion of the game, the Raiders couldn’t pull out a win against the Wildcats, who are now atop Class 4A.
The Raiders started the game off well. On the first drive, they were able to drive down the field to score. However, the offense stalled due to a fumble. On the next drive, the Raiders turned the ball over twice on downs. The Wildcats then drove down the field on their next drive, securing the 21-12 win. The Raider defense was also able to stop the Wildcats’ drive by blocking a 31-yard field goal attempt.
The next drive, the Raiders looked to build momentum. They were able to get to the Wildcats’ 30-yard line, where they were forced to punt. On the next series, Good Hope picked up first downs on a Tanner Malin run of 11 yards and a Colton Bagwell run of 4 yards. The drive was halted due to a block-in-the-back penalty. The Raiders then turned the ball over again on downs, allowing West Limestone to score.
On the next drive, Good Hope looked to score, but fumbled again on the next play. The Raiders were unable to move the ball and West Limestone scored on a 33-yard run. Good Hope was unable to get the ball back on their next possession, resulting in a punt. Despite the loss, the Raiders will have a chance to redeem themselves in their next game against New Hope.
On the first drive of the second half, the Raiders were able to get into the Wildcats’ end zone, but again, the defense was unable to stop them. On the next series, the Wildcats took the ball to the Good Hope 30-yard line. However, Good Hope couldn’t get the ball to the end zone, as they were unable to convert on a fourth down play.
On the third drive, Good Hope stayed within the Wildcats’ 10-yard line. The Raiders turned the ball over on downs, which set up West Limestone with the ball at the Good Hope 30-yard line. The Raiders then turned the ball back over on downs, allowing West Limestone the ball at the Good Hope 30. Luckily, West Limestone was able to recover the ball.
The Raiders then looked to build momentum on their next drive, but again, the defense was unable. Despite the loss, the Raiders’ defense held the Wildcats to two touchdowns. Using a running attack led by Tanner Malin, the Raiders finished the game with 194 yards on 26 carries. On the final drive, Malin threw an interception to end the game. The Raiders were able to end the season on a high note, with a 10-2 record. The Raiders have key players returning next year, and will hope to return to the playoffs.
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