As we approach the end of June, here are five questions that beg to be answered as we head into the downhill side of summer workouts.
How will the St. Paul’s lawsuit affect the 2018 season? Will St. Paul’s be successful and the AHSAA have to completely reclassify before the start of the season? Will your schedule be good or will everyone have to reschedule? Will the private schools be reclassified into their own division? A decision is expected any day.
How will instant replay change the game this season? How many schools will actually take part and will officials be able to get good enough looks to make it effective? How much will instant replay slow down the games? These are a lot of questions surrounding this bold move by the AHSAA.
How will this year’s coaching changes effect the season? There were some interesting changes in the coaching carousel during the off season. Can Todd Ginn continue the tradition at Alexandria? Can longtime quality assistant coaches be successful in their first head jobs–P.J. Wright (Davidson) at Ardmore, Erik Speakman (Opelika) at Opelika, Chad Eads (Hoover) at Gardendale, Phil Phillips (Oneonta) at Oneonta and Mark Mitchell (Piedmont) at Winston County? Can Keith Etheredge rekindle his success at Leeds to revive the T.R. Miller program that missed the playoffs for the first time in over 30 years?
Will this be the year that Hewitt Trussville or some other Birmingham area team overtakes Hoover? The Bucs showed signs early last year of being normal, but roared back late in the season.
Who will be the 6A football surprise this season? Since going to seven classes, we have seen three teams make it to the 6A championship game for the first time (Ramsay, Pinson Valley, Wetumpka). Who will stand up and be that team in 2018?