2024 Team Previews
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B.T. Washington Golden Eagles |
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Head Coach: Deandre Austin (first season) Career Record: 0 seasons, (0-0) At B.T. Washington: First season Stadium: Eagles Stadium 2024 Enrollment: 358 Rank: 164th in the AHSAA, 17th in Class 4A |
History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall Record: 91-235 (28.0%) Last 25 years: 77-174 (31.0%) (Rank: 348th in the AHSAA, 57th in Class 4A) Since 2010: 46-98 (31.9%) (Rank: 324th in the AHSAA, 56th in Class 4A) Last Playoff Appearance: 2023 Last Region Championship: Never Last Winning Season: 2023 Last Losing Season: 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class: 4A
Region: 2
Record: 9-5 (Team record for wins in a season) Region Record: 5-2, (third) Playoff Record: Semi-finals loss to Catholic Montgomery by the score of 28-0. Final ASWA Poll: Not Ranked Scoring: 369 (26.4) (Team record for points scored in a season) Defense: 257 (18.4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class: 4A
Region: 3
Strength of Schedule: 56-50 (53%) (124th in the AHSAA, 15th in Class 4A) Region Strength: 33-44 (43%) Non-Region Strength: 23-6 (79%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2024 Preview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
B.T. Washington completed the 2023 season with a 9-5 record. With their 5-2 region record and a third place finish in Class 4A region two, the Golden Eagles earned a spot in the playoffs in 2023. B.T. Washington made a nice playoff run in 2023, reaching the semi-finals before falling to a very good Catholic Montgomery team by the score of 28-0. No team at B.T. Washington ever won more games in a season than the nine victories last year. The 369 points scored by the Golden Eagles last year were a team record in a single season. Since 2010, the B.T. Washington football program has struggled with a record of 46-98. Over the past 25 seasons, B.T. Washington has not won much with a record of 77-174. Their 31.0% winning percentage ranks 57th in Class 4A and 348th in the AHSAA. Graduated All-State Players: B.T. Washington lost 4A All-State linebacker Joseph Phillips to graduation. He was named to the first team last season. Also graduating was teammate defensive back Elijah Hall Jr.. Coaching Change: Lawrence ONeal leaves B.T. Washington after turning around a struggling football program in just three short seasons. In those three years his teams set numerous team records for wins in a season with nine in 2023 and winning the first playoff game in school history in 2022. 2024 Head Coach: Deandre Austin comes from Charles Henderson where he served as the offensive coordinator. Austin is an alum of Alabama State. This will be his first head coaching job as he follows Lawrence O'Neal and works to continue the recent success for the Golden Eagles. Season Outlook: The B.T. Washington Golden Eagles will play in Class 4A region three during the 2024 season. Following realignment, the Golden Eagles remain in 4A but move from region two over to region three. The Golden Eagles will need to find a replacement for graduated quarterback Elijah Hall in August if they have hopes of repeating the success of last season. Hall accounted for over 2,800 yards of total offense for the Eagles in 2023 so replacing a star player like that is never an easy task. They do return a cast of talented athletes scattered around both sides of the football. The Eagles are coming off the best season in school history and Coach O'Neal in three seasons turned the football program in Tuskegee. While he has left for Tallassee the leadership will be in good hands with Deandre Austin at the helm. Their non-region schedule opens with Eufaula and later they will host Bowdon, Georgia who won a state championship over there in 2023. The Golden Eagles should be in contention for a playoff spot in region three this season. Hosting a first round playoff game on their home turf would be an advantage. Players to Watch in 2024: WR Javis Floyd will be returning for his senior season after catching 24 passes for 420 yards and 4 TDs in 2023. WR Marquez Daniel will also be back for his junior season after catching 33 passes for 640 yards and 9 TDs in 2023. SS Javis Floyd playing both ways had 101 tackles (44 solo) including 3 sacks and will be returning for his senior season. OLB Bam Brooks collected 99 tackles (50 solo) including 5 sacks and will be back for his junior season. Returning Starters: QB Brandon Smith, RB/OLB Buck Thompson, WR/CB Zarrell Lockhart, CB/WR Dylan Purter, OLB Jai Uhuru, G Tramond Hampton Season Opener: The Golden Eagles open the 2024 season on the road against non-region opponent Eufaula on Friday, August 23 at Tigers Stadium. Last year the Eufaula Tigers finished with an overall record of 10-4 and in first place in Class 5A region two. The Tigers lost in the semi-finals round of the Class 5A playoffs to Gulf Shores by a score of 45-0. B.T. Washington and Eufaula have met a total of 22 times on the football field. The Golden Eagles have a 1-21-0 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2017 with Eufaula winning by a score of 29-22. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
Luverne 'Toad' Wise was the first female football player in Alabama and may have been the first in the country. She was a kicker for the Escambia County Blue Devils in 1939-40.
Luverne 'Toad' Wise was the first female football player in Alabama and may have been the first in the country. She was a kicker for the Escambia County Blue Devils in 1939-40.