Etowah high football knows there's high expectations and are ready to face them
ATTALLA — Since 1987, Etowah high football has only missed the playoffs five times, most recently in 2009.
That has led to high expectations in and around the Blue Devils program and the players know it and are ready to live up to those.
"We live in Attalla, Alabama. We got high expectations. I don't think Etowah has ever been bad. We always got the whole town rooting for us. We got pretty high expectations this year, I feel like we can beat those expectations," Braylon Mostella said.
Those expectations are to win the region and a state championship, which would be the third in the history of the school. Up first is the region championship, which isn't an easy task when you sit in AHSAA Class 4A Region 6. Etowah will have to go through state runner-up Cherokee County and state semifinalist and 2021 runner up Oneonta. Both of those schools return 4A back of the year nominees and should be just as tough this season.
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The Blue Devils return six starters from last year, but most of their new starters have some experience. They will be breaking in a new quarterback after the graduation of Trace Thompson, an All State honorable mention selection. Jameson Scissum, an athletic dual threat quarterback, won the offseason battle. Scissum is a multisport athlete, who took home MVP in the state baseball championship.
Even with a new quarterback and the need to replace most of the starters from last year's 8-4, second place in the region team, the expectation surrounding the squad won't dissipate. Rather than run from those expectations, coach Matt Glover is here to embrace those in his second year. It's one reason he left his role as defensive coordinator at Clay-Chalkville, to go back to being a head coach for the Blue Devils.
"I hear it all the time, the good thing about Etowah is Etowah people love Etowah. The bad thing is that Etowah people love Etowah. I love high expectations, I don't' want to go places that takes losing games. Our expectation is we win state championships here, I think we can get there," Glover said.
With Etowah having started practice on Monday and in a region that has sent two teams to the state finals over the last two years, the question remains the same:
Is this the year the Blue Devils win it all?
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This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Etowah high football ready to meet its known high expectations
