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The Hartselle Tigers needed to rebuild the backfield as the prepared for the 2011 football season. Junior quarterback Deacon Aldridge would replace Will Lang, an all-state selection a year ago after throwing 26 touchdowns. He led Hartselle to the Class 5A state semifinal and a twelve win season.            Junior Blake Slayton and sophomore Masio Stover would be counted on as the two running backs of choice. Three starters along the offensive line returned, Will Swann 6-0, 243 pounds), Dylan Thompson (6-0, 239) and Chris Brown (6-0, 248). Jeston Thompson and Sidney Steele returned at the wide receiver position.            Middle linebacker and team leader Jordan Orr was back after totaling 125 tackles last season. He would be joined by outside linebackers Dax Gillespie and Tyler Phillips. Charlston Williams was back at safety and cornerbacks, Garrett Fowler and Aaron Lamb The Tigers returned two starters along the defensive front in ends Blair Sittason and Alec Durand.            The Tigers were poised to make a run at a championship when December rolled around in 2011.

Hartselle 0   0   13   10   23     Athens 0   0   0   0   0

Junior starting quarterback Deacon Aldridge rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and Blake Slayton added 113 yards as Hartselle rolled past Athens 23-0 to open the 2011 season on the road. The offense rushed for 268 yards as they looked to be in midseason form. The defense was dominate all night and registered the shutout win.

Brewer 0   0   0   0   0     Hartselle             54

The Tigers shutdown Brewer and eventually shut them out in a 54-0 win at J.P. Cain Stadium in Hartselle. Deacon Aldridge completed 10-of-11 passes for 178 yards to lead the offense and the defense played lights out all night in getting their second consecutive shutout win.

Hartselle 17   21         57     Hayden 0   0   0   0   0

The Hartselle Tigers roared to their third straight shutout win in week three as they trounced Hayden 57-0. The Tigers built a 38-0 lead by halftime and cruised to the victory and run their region record to 2-0. The defense held Hayden to minus-12 yards in the first half and did not allow the Wildcats to cross midfield until late in the fourth quarter. Hayden finished with a total of 23 yards of offense.           The Tigers rushed for 249 yards led by Blake Slayton's 88 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries. Casey Goodwin returned a blocked punt 5 yards for a touchdown.

Walker 3   0   0   0   3     Hartselle 0   3   6   8   17

Hartselle's defense finally allowed an opponent to score in week four of the season. Walker got 31-yard field goal in the first quarter for the only points allowed by the Tiger's defense through four games. They were the only points scored by Walker as they fell to Hartselle 17-3.            The Tigers broke a 3-3 tie in the third quarter on Masio Stover's 14-yard touchdown run. Deacon Aldridge's one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal gave Hartselle a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter.            Aldridge completed 15-of-21 passes for 170 yards and added 86 yards rushing on 12 carries. Blake Slayton finished with 64 yards on 15 carries.

Decatur 7   7   7   0   21     Hartselle 7   7   7   7   28

Blake Slayton scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter as the Tigers outscored Decatur 28-21 at home to run their record to 5-0 on the season. The third-ranked Tigers allowed their first touchdown of the season when Decatur scored in the first period.           Slayton finished with 161 yards and two scores on 21 carries. Hartselle quarterback Deacon Aldridge added 71 yards rushing on 14 carries and accounted for two touchdowns. The ground game managed 272 yards rushing while giving up only 25 yards on the ground to Decatur.

Hartselle 21   20   3   0   44     West Point 0   3   7   0   10

Hartselle moved up to second in the ASWA weekly polls and played like the number two team in the state by trouncing West Point 44-10 on the road. They scored on five of their first six possessions and led 41-3 at the half. Dax Gillespie returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown to extend the first half lead to 27-0.           Blaze Lawrimore scored on a 15-yard reception from Aldridge and Blake Slayton added a one-yard scoring dive. The defense held West Point to just 54 yards of offense in the first half.

Curry 0   7   0   0   7     Hartselle 14   14   20   7   55

In week seven, the Tigers dominated the game as they rolled past Curry 55-7 on homecoming night. The defense limited Curry to just 99 yards while the offense rolled up 527 total yards including 433 rushing.           Blake Slayton rushed for 158 yards on 8 carries and scored two touchdowns on runs of 41 and 57 yards. Masio Stover added 104 yards on 8 carries and also scored two touchdowns on runs of 3 and 10 yards. D’Andre Mack carried the football four times and scored twice on 12 and 87 yard yard dashes. The Tigers ran their season record to 7-0 and 5-0 in region play.

Hartselle 28   14   7   0   49     Mortimer Jordan 6   0   7   0   13

The second-ranked Tigers continued their dominance by routing Mortimer Jordan in week eight. Hartselle led 28-6 after the first quarter and 42-6 by halftime. Jamison Aldridge completed 10-of-12 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 95 yards on eight carries and a score.           Slayton carried five times for 117 yards and scored on runs of 33 and 48 yards. He also caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Aldridge.

Hartselle 13   0   0   7   20     Cullman 0   13   0   0   13

In week nine, Blake Slayton scored on a 19-yard run in the fourth quarter to break a 13-13 tie and give Hartselle a 20-13 win over Cullman. The No. 2 Tigers jumped out to a quick 13-0 first quarter lead only to have Cullman tie the game in the second quarter.           The Tigers scored on the second play of the game when Deacon Aldridge found Slayton open for a 56-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. James Phillips returned a muffed punt 33 yards to set up a 55-yard touchdown run by Aldridge to give Hartselle a 13-0 lead.            Slayton's game winning score came after William Fowler returned an interception 20 yards to set up the touchdown. The win pushed Hartselle's season record to 9-0 and 7-0 in region play. It also allowed the Tigers to claim the Region 6 championship.

Austin 7   0   0   7   14     Hartselle 14   14   14   0   42

The Tigers won ever phase of the game including offensively, defensively and on special teams as the rolled past Austin 42-14. The win completed a perfect 10-0 regular season for the Tigers. It was the third time Hartselle has accomplished this feat.         Masio Stover rushed for 216 yards and scored two touchdowns as Slayton remained on the sidelines with a mild injury. Hartselle ran for 425 yards in the game. The Tigers raced out to a 28-7 halftime lead on two scores by Stover and a 9-yard run by Aldridge and a 57-yard run by Jeston Thompson. Aldridge and Sidney Steele scored touchdowns in the third quarter to wrap up the scoring.

Boaz 6   0   0   7   13     Hartselle 21   17   14   0   52

Hartselle opened the playoffs with a 52-13 thrashing of Boaz at home. Aldridge ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns on just three carries and completed 10-of-15 passing for 199 yards and a touchdown to lead the offense. The Tigers led 38-6 at the half and coasted to the victory. Stover scored twice on runs of 13 and 1 yard.

Hartselle 0   9   10   3   22     Pinson Valley 7   7   7   0   21

Gavin Marsh booted a 19-yard field goal with four seconds remaining in the game to give No. 2 Hartselle a hard fought 22-21 win over Pinson Valley in the second round of the playoffs. The ensuing kickoff return was stopped short of a miracle and the Tigers could celebrate another win.           Deacon Aldridge set up the game winning field goal with a 34-yard pass to the Indian's six-yard line that was caught by Jeston Thompson. Pinson Vallehy jumped out to a 14-0 lead before Hartselle cut the lead to 14-9 on a safety and a 13-yard run by Blake Slayton. The first half ended that way. The Tigers outscored Pinson 13-7 in the second half for the win.

Hartselle 0   7   0   10   17     Center Point 0   0   0   7   7

The Center Point Eagles drove to the Hartselle 3 and 9 yard lines in the second quarter but were turned away on both occasions as the defense held tight. The Tigers led 7-0 at the half due in part to these goal line stands. The lone first half touchdown came on a 91-yard, 14-play drive culminating in a 1-yard run by Blake Slayton.           The Tigers took a 14-0 lead in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Mario Stover. The Eagles scored a late touchdown to pull within 14-7 before Hartselle added a field goal for the final 17-7 margin.

Briarwood 0   0   7   7   14     Hartselle 3   7   3   3   16

The Hartselle defense intercepted four Briarwood (12-2) passes on their way to a 16-14 win in the semi-finals of the playoffs. The Tigers led 10-0 at the half and 13-0 in the third period before the Lions mounted a comeback attempt that fell short.           Senior placekicker Gavin Marsh was the key to the game as he kicked field goals of 32, 39 and 41 yards. The win at J.P. Cain Stadium sent Hartselle to the Class 5A Super Six championship game in Tuscaloosa.

Vigor 0   3   0   0   3     Hartselle 0   0   3   10   13

The Hartselle Tigers won the first state championship in the school's history as the defeated Vigor 13-3 in the Class 5A title game. Gavin Marsh booted a 38-yard third quarter field goal to tie the game and gave the Tigers a 6-3 lead with a 47-yarder with 1:46 remaining.           Blake Slayton added a 12-yard touchdown run just 42 seconds later to lock up the victory. Slayton rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries to lead the offense that struggled against the strong Vigor defense.           Linebacker Jordan Orr and offensive lineman Will Swann were named to the first team all-state squad by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Defensive back Dax Gillespie was selected to the honorable mention team.            The Tigers set a team record for most wins in a season by finishing with a perfect 15-0 record. Hartselle 2011 8/26 23 Athens . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9/2 54 Brewer . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9/9 57 Hayden . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9/16 17 Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9/23 28 Decatur . . . . . . . . . . . 21 9/30 44 West Point . . . . . . . . 10 10/7 55 Curry . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 10/14 49 Mortimer Jordan . . . . 13 10/21 20 Cullman . . . . . . . . . . . 13 10/27 42 Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 11/4 52 Boaz * . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 11/11 22 Pinson Valley * . . . . 21 11/18 17 Center Point * . . . . . 7 11/25 16 Briarwood * . . . . . . . 14 12/1 13 Vigor # . . . . . . . . . . . 3 509 15-0 139 * Playoff game # State championship game 2011 Hartselle Tigers No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. 2 Preston Adams Jr. 5-9 150 3 William Fowler Jr. 5-5 142 6 Tanner Oakes So. 5-9 132 7 James Phillips Jr. 5-11 185 8 Jamison Aldridge Jr. 160 9 Waid Miller So. 5-11 175 14 Christopher Slayton Jr. 5-11 165 15 Nicholas Beach Jr. 5-9 150 16 Joshua Wallace Sr. 5-11 172 18 Daxton Gillespie Sr. 5-9 160 19 Brett Blackwood So. 5-9 149 21 Jeston Thompson Sr. 5-10 162 22 Sidney Steele/pointer Jr. 5-10 152 23 Charlston Williams Jr. 172 24 Austin Bowers Sr. 5-7 133 26 Ronald Lamb Jr. 5-11 136 27 David Conley Sr. 5-8 131 28 Rod Orr Sr. 5-9 182 29 Jorden Robinson So. 5-8 122 30 Connor Shelton So. 5-8 123 31 William Burks So. 5-6 123 32 Thomas Fleischman Jr. 171 35 Dakota Lawrimore Sr. 180 36 Masio Stover So. 160 37 Dakota Youngblood So. 5-7 160 38 Arri Owens Jr. 5-7 132 41 Steven Cleek So. 5-10 123 43 Riley Salter Jr. 5-9 152 44 Grayson Sittason Jr. 197 46 Casey Goodwin Sr. 5-8 203 48 Alec Durand Sr. 5-10 172 50 Christian Youngblood Sr. 186 51 Jacob Stewart So. 5-9 152 53 Caleb Suggs So. 5-4 187 54 Christopher Brown Jr. 6-1 223 55 William Swann Sr. 225 56 Zachary Pershin So. 5-10 163 59 Jamison Maxwell Jr. 5-9 183 61 Davis Smallwood So. 5-8 171 64 Joe Yeager So. 5-10 210 68 Dylan Thompson Jr. 228 77 Caleb Faulkner Sr. 5-8 168 79 Zachary Wilson So. 5-6 212 80 Benjamin Hall So. 5-5 102 81 Riley Wiggins So. 5-11 161 82 Nicholas Hillman So. 5-4 103 83 Easton Chenault Jr. 6-1 140 84 Toby Swims So. 5-10 139 86 Gregory Filiatrault Jr. 5-7 106 88 Daniel Conley So. 5-11 155 89 Jacob Wayand So. 5-8 123 90 Brantley Wiley So. 5-10 131 91 Jacob Shelton So. 5-9 127 95 William Marsh Sr. 5-9 140

Amazing Seasons, a series on the greatest seasons in high school football history


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