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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2024 Team Previews 

  


Gadsden City Titans

Head Coach: Ali Smith (sixth season)
Career Record: 5 seasons, (25-30)
At Gadsden City: 5 seasons, (25-30)
Stadium: Titan Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  995
Rank:  40th in the AHSAA, 8th in Class 6A

 History 
Overall Record:   116-90   (56.0%)
Last 25 years:   116-90   (56.0%)  (Rank: 126th in the AHSAA, 26th in Class 6A)
Since 2010:   79-78  (50.3%)  (Rank: 189th in the AHSAA, 31st in Class 6A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2023
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2020

 2023 
Class:  6A              Region:   8
Record:  9-4
Region Record:   5-0, (first)
Playoff Record:   Quarter-finals loss to Parker by a score of 35-20.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  491 (37.8)
Defense:  259 (19.9)


 2024 
Class: 6A              Region:   8
Strength of Schedule: 60-52 (54%) (103rd in the AHSAA, 20th in Class 6A)
Region Strength:  29-36 (45%)
Non-Region Strength:  31-16 (66%)



 2023 Results 
 8/25  vs. Carver Montgomery  (6A)   37-20   W  
 9/1  vs. Hewitt-Trussville  (7A)   27-42   L  
 9/8  @ Buckhorn  (6A)  *  49-14   W  
 9/15  vs. Fort Payne  (6A)  *  63-41   W  
 9/22  @ Hartselle  (6A)   28-31   L  
 9/29  @ Hillcrest Tuscaloosa  (6A)   3-32   L  
 10/6  vs. Hazel Green  (6A)  *  69-0   W  
 10/13  vs. Mae Jemison  (6A)  *  42-13   W  
 10/20  @ Lee Huntsville  (6A)  *  41-0   W  
 10/27  vs. Calera  (6A)   46-0   W  
 11/3   OPEN 
 Playoffs 
 11/10  vs. Gardendale    44-16   W  
 11/17  vs. Hartselle    22-15   W  
 11/24  @ Parker    20-35   L  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/22  vs. Muscle Shoals  (6A)       
 8/30  @ Hewitt-Trussville  (7A)       
 9/6  @ Buckhorn  (6A)  *      
 9/13   OPEN 
 9/20  vs. Hazel Green  (6A)  *      
 9/27  vs. Bob Jones  (7A)       
 10/4  @ Lee Huntsville  (6A)  *      
 10/11  @ Fort Payne  (6A)  *      
 10/18  vs. Southside Gadsden  (6A)  *      
 10/25  vs. Mae Jemison  (6A)  *      
 11/1   OPEN 
 11/8  @ Clay-Chalkville        


Class  6A Region  8
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Gadsden City (6A) 9-4 5-0491-259
Southside Gadsden (5A) 8-3 5-1346-218
Fort Payne (6A) 7-5 3-2449-362
Buckhorn (6A) 6-5 3-2237-308
Mae Jemison (6A) 3-8 2-3220-448
Lee Huntsville (6A) 5-5 2-3302-317
Hazel Green (6A) 0-10 0-5118-413

 2024 Preview 


       Gadsden City completed the 2023 season with a 9-4 record. Last year Gadsden City captured the region eight title and a number one seed in the Class 6A playoffs. They finished region play with a 5-0 record. Gadsden City lost in the quarter-finals of the playoffs last season to a good Parker team by a score of 35-20.

       The Titans won as many games as in any season since 2014.

       Since 2010, Gadsden City has gone a combined 79-78. Their 50.3% winning percentage ranks 31st in Class 6A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 18 seasons, Gadsden City has managed to compile a record of 116-90. Their 56.0% winning percentage ranks 26th in Class 6A and 126th in the AHSAA.

Graduated All-State Players:
       Gadsden City lost 6A All-State  defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. to graduation. He was named to the first team last season. Also graduating was teammate defensive lineman Jerrell Brasher.

Head Coach:
       The Titans are led by head coach Ali Smith who is entering his sixth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 25-30 over the past five seasons at Gadsden City. Under his direction the Titans have qualified for the playoffs a total of two times. They have won two region crowns with Coach Smith.

Season Outlook:

       The Gadsden City Titans will play in Class 6A region eight during the 2024 season.

      

       Gadsden City enters the 2024 season with a string of 6 consecutive wins on their home field at Titan Stadium.

       After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons the Titans have reached the post season the past two years under the direction of head coach Ali Smith. Their four losses last year were to Hewitt-Trussville, Hartselle, Hillcrest and Parker. All were excellent teams.

       Coach Smith has increased the team's win total every season since his arrival in 2019. Actually by two wins each season. This year's schedule will once again be no cakewalk as the Titans will face eight teams that qualified for the playoffs in 2023. A much anticipated game on October 25th will be a first ever matchup between the Titans and nearby Southside. This could be one of the better rivalries in the making for years to come.

       The Titans return most everyone on offense but lost most of their starters on defense to graduation. They will have 24 seniors on the team so that experience and leadership will be valuable once the season begins. Coach Smith said at media days his main goal prior to that first game against Muscle Shoals is to get the right players in the right positions which will give them the best production.

       A difficult schedule may not produce more wins but the team will be ready to make a playoff run come November.

    The Titans are considered one of the favorites for the region eight championship this season and a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      RB TJ Worthy will be returning for his senior season after rushing for 1,501 yards and 24 touchdowns, with another six receiving scores.

      DL Taylor Barber collected 15 tackles for loss and five sacks in the first 11 games of the season.

      DL Nehemiah 'Nemo' Samples had 19 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.

Returning Starters:
RB- TJ Worthy; DB- Zyan Gibson; Ty Sims; RB/FS- Kerrell Yow; WR/FS- Keyshawn Curry; MLB- Chris Butler, OL- James Woods, DL- Taylor Barber, DL Nehemiah Samples

Season Opener:
       The Titans open the 2024 season at home against non-region opponent Muscle Shoals on Thursday, August 22 at Titan Stadium. Last year the Muscle Shoals Trojans finished with an overall record of 11-1 and in first place in Class 6A region seven. The Trojans lost in the quarter-finals round of the Class 6A playoffs to Clay-Chalkville by a score of 44-27.

       This will be the second meeting between Gadsden City and Muscle Shoals on the football field. The Titans have a 1-0-0 record against the Trojans. They last met in with

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The first football game played by a high school team in Alabama was in 1892 when Central Birmingham (Phillips) lost to Alabama 56-0 on November 11.