Guntersville football's running back duo can lead them to a Blue Map Trophy and more
SARDIS CITY − Guntersville High has been to the pinnacle of Alabama high school football once in program history, but this team could be one of the best chances for it to get back there.
At 8-1 and coming off their first shutout of the season against Sardis in a 55-0 win on Friday night, there are high hopes going into the final game of the year.
The focus can shift to playoffs after Alabama's oldest high school football rivalry with Albertville next week, but this team, sitting at No. 11 in the AWSA Class 5A poll, should make some noise this postseason. It is still undecided who will get what seeds as there is a three way tie for first place in Class 5A, Region 7.
Enelson Delva leads the way for the Wildcats, taking the role of Julyon Jordan – who has been sidelined with an injury for most of the season but made his second appearance in the win over Sardis, scoring twice. Now a two-headed beast at running back, the offense has the ability to wear out a defense and stay fresh at their most vital position, but they remain balanced with Eli Morrison at quarterback as well.
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"It gives us more depth, for (Enelson) to come out and run the ball and then for me to come out and run the ball, it tires a defense out a lot. It makes it a lot easier on our offense, to be able to run the ball," Jordan said
Coach Lance Reese, in his 14th season, knows there's still work to be done. He thinks his team got the needed wake-up call in a loss to Arab last week and ahead of the Blue Map trophy game.
"We're still trying to improve," Reese said. "We got 15 seniors that work really hard, we were disappointed in our effort. We didn't feel like we played Guntersville football against Arab. Kind of a wake up call for all of us, that we got to get back to what brought us success all year."
On the other hand, the players have no doubt on what this team can accomplish, giving a resounding yes when asked if this team had what it takes to win a state title.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports and Jacksonville State athletics for the Gadsden Times. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at MDonaldson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Guntersville football hopes running backs lead to deep playoff run
