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






2024 Team Previews 

  


Tanner Rattlers

Head Coach: Matt Smith (first season)
Career Record: 0 seasons, (0-0)
At Tanner: First season
Stadium: Rip Swanner Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  189
Rank:  290th in the AHSAA, 19th in Class 2A

 History 
Overall Record:   462-310-15   (60.0%)
Last 25 years:   196-98   (67.0%)  (Rank: 57th in the AHSAA, 5th in Class 2A)
Since 2010:   113-55  (67.3%)  (Rank: 57th in the AHSAA, 6th in Class 2A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2023
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2022

 2023 
Class:  2A              Region:   8
Record:  8-4
Region Record:   6-0, (first)
Playoff Record:   Second round loss to Pisgah by a score of 66-38.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  492 (41.0)
Defense:  320 (26.7)


 2024 
Class: 2A              Region:   8
Strength of Schedule: 49-47 (51%) (157th in the AHSAA, 20th in Class 2A)
Region Strength:  28-26 (52%)
Non-Region Strength:  21-21 (50%)



 2023 Results 
 8/24  @ Lauderdale County  (3A)   21-27   L  
 9/1  @ Mae Jemison  (6A)   27-33   L  
 9/8  vs. Tharptown  (2A)  *  74-8   W  
 9/15  @ Falkville  (2A)  *  48-18   W  
 9/22  vs. Sheffield  (2A)  *  48-14   W  
 9/29  vs. Columbia  (6A)   21-3   W  
 10/6  @ Hatton  (2A)  *  20-0   W  
 10/13  @ Lexington  (2A)  *  64-34   W  
 10/20  vs. Red Bay  (2A)  *  46-14   W  
 10/27  vs. Booneville MS    21-48   L  
 11/3   OPEN 
 Playoffs 
 11/9  vs. Lamar County    64-55   W  
 11/17  vs. Pisgah    38-66   L  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/23  @ Ardmore  (5A)       
 8/30  vs. Colbert County  (3A)       
 9/6  vs. Winston County  (2A)  *      
 9/13  @ Lexington  (2A)  *      
 9/20  @ Belgreen  (Ind)       
 9/27  vs. Clements  (3A)       
 10/4  vs. Tharptown  (2A)  *      
 10/11  vs. Decatur Heritage Christian  (2A)  *      
 10/18   OPEN 
 10/25  @ Red Bay  (2A)  *      
 11/1  vs. Sweet Water  (1A)       


Class  2A Region  8
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Decatur Heritage Christian (1A) 9-2 6-0307-197
Tanner (2A) 8-4 6-0492-320
Lexington (2A) 7-5 5-1460-364
Red Bay (2A) 6-5 3-3354-265
Winston County (2A) 5-5 2-4309-226
Tharptown (2A) 1-9 0-6111-534

 2024 Preview 


       Tanner completed the 2023 season with a 8-4 record. Last year Tanner captured the region eight title and a number one seed in the Class 2A playoffs. They finished region play with a 6-0 record. It was the first region championship for the Rattlers since the 2016 season. Tanner reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to Pisgah by a score of 66-38.

       The high-scoring Tanner offense ranked 22nd in the AHSAA. They averaged 41.0 points a game.

       Since 2010, Tanner has gone a combined 113-55. Their 67.3% winning percentage ranks 6th in Class 2A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Tanner has finished a combined 196-98. Their 67.0% winning percentage ranks 5th in Class 2A and 57th in the AHSAA.

Graduated All-State Players:
       The Rattlers lost a ton of talent to graduation off the 2023 squad. Replacing these players will be a key to another successful season. Tanner lost 2A All-State  receiver Skylar Townsend to graduation. He was named to the first team last season. Also graduating were teammates athlete Karl Parham, offensive lineman Jamari Malone, defensive lineman Darrell Howard and linebacker K.C. Hale.

Coaching Change:
     Oscar Bonds  started his stint at Tanner with back-to-back 1-9 seasons but turned things around for the Rattlers as they went 26-18 his last four seasons with the program. In six years his teams finished a combined 28-36 with his last squad being his most successful at 8-4 losing to Pisgah in the second round of the playoffs.

2024 Head Coach:
    Matt Smith  will take over the football program at Tanner this season in hopes of continuing the success for the Rattlers. He has coached the boys soccer team the past ten seasons and led them to a first ever state championship in 2023. His soccer teams finished a combined 139-59 over the past ten seasons.

Smith is a 2007 graduate of Tanner.

Season Outlook:

       The Tanner Rattlers will play in Class 2A region eight during the 2024 season.

      

       The Rattlers enter the 2024 season having won 6 straight region games.

       Top priority this fall will be to find a replacement for graduated starting quarterback Karl Parham and the 2,130 yards and 25 touchdowns he threw for last season. The Rattlers will also need to find a capable wide receiver to fill the void left by the loss of Skylar Townsend to graduation.

       The 8-4 mark last year was actually pretty good considering who the Rattlers lost to. They won their first region championship since 2016 so things are looking up at Tanner. The offense score 492 points and played well all season.

    The Rattlers should be in contention for a playoff spot in region eight this season. Hosting a first round playoff game on their home turf would be an advantage.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      WR Endymion Tyus will be returning for his junior season after catching 35 passes for 718 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Returning Starters:
QB/RB Endymion Tyus, RB/LB Kian Jackson, WR/SS NyQuaveaus Green, LB/FB Maikyh Mitchell

Season Opener:
       The Rattlers open the 2024 season on the road against non-region opponent Ardmore on Friday, August 23 at Cooper Field. Last year the Ardmore Tigers finished with an overall record of 1-9 and in seventh place in Class 5A region eight. The Tigers closed out the regular season with a loss to Central Florence by a score of 49-21.

       Tanner and Ardmore have met a total of 63 times on the football field. The Rattlers have a 38-21-4 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2021 with Ardmore winning by a score of 49-6.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Clay County shutout an amazing eleven opponents in 1996. The Panthers outscored their opponents 613-42 finishing the season 15-0.