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When Russell Jacoway arrived at Sand Rock in 1983 he inherited a team that had finished the previous season with a 2-8 record. His first team went 0-10 before turning things around the next year with an 8-3 record and the second playoff appearance in the school's history. As the 1985 season approached, expectations were high that the Wildcats could make another playoff run.           The Sand Rock Wildcats were ranked No. 10 in the 1985 ASWA Class 1A preseason poll and considered a favorite to claim the Area 16 championship. The team exceeded all expectations by finishing the season with a perfect 15-0 record. They set team records for most wins in a season and point scored. No other team at Sand Rock had ever won more than ten games in a single season prior to 1985.

Sand Rock 6   11   14   7   38     Spring Garden 0   0   0   8   8

Sand Rock opened the 1985 season with a convincing 38-8 win over Spring Garden. Jeff Whaley caught two touchdown passes, returned a punt 59 yards for a score and intercepted a pass to led the Wildcats. Sand Rock jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and added a score when Whaley returned a punt for a touchdown early in the third.           Jamie Pitts also returned an interception 98 yards for Sand Rocks final score of the evening. Spring Garden did not get on the scoreboard until the outcome was assured when they scored on a pass with just 20 seconds left.

Sand Rock 0   0   0   0   7   7     Cedar Bluff 0   0   0   0   6   6

The Wildcats traveled to Cedar Bluff in week two and came away with a 7-6 overtime win. The two teams fought to a scoreless tie during regulation before going to overtime. Cedar Bluff got the ball first and promptly went backwards on two successive penalties. Facing a second and forty play, they managed to score on a pass to Shaderick to take a 6-0 lead after the extra point was missed. It was the only pass Cedar Bluff completed all night.           Sand Rock took over on the ten-yard line and needed a touchdown to win. After a penalty on the Tigers, DeWayne Boyd scored from the five and Tommy Steele booted the point after to give the Wildcats the 7-6 victory.

Valley Head 0   6   0   0   6     Sand Rock 14   14   14   7   49

Valley Head traveled to Sand Rock the next week and left with a 49-6 defeat. The defense limited Valley Head to 101 yards of total offense as they jumped out to a 28-6 halftime lead and coasted to their third win of the season. Lance Mackey tossed four touchdown passes and ran for another score in the game. The win avenged a 17-16 loss to Valley Head in the second round of last year's playoffs.

White Plains 0   0   0   0   0     Sand Rock 7   7   14   7   35

The Sand Rock Wildcat's defense held White Plains to 96 yards of offense and registered their second shutout of the season in a 35-0 win over the White Plains Wildcats. Mackey opened the scoring with a 73-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Whaley and connected with Whaley again in the second on a 37-yard score. Mackey got his third TD pass in the third quarter on a 21-yard pass to Dewayne Heard.

Sand Rock 7   7   7   21   42     Gaylesville 0   0   0   8   8

In week five, Sand Rock defeated Gaylesville 42-8. The win clinched the Area 16 championship for the Wildcats. It was just their second Area title in team history. Jim Tom Stimpson piled up 170 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns to lead the attack as the Wildcats racked up over 300 yards rushing.           Mackey tossed three touchdown passes while completing just four passes. Gaylesville only score came when they recovered a blocked punt in the end zone. The defense held Gaylesville to just 103 yards of offense.

Donoho 0   3   0   0   3     Sand Rock 7   0   7   0   14

Next up for the Wildcats were the Donoho Falcons. Sand Rock scored first on a Mackey 12-yard touchdown pass to Dewayne Heard before Donoho kicked a 20-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 at the half. Dewayne Boyd scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter to seal a 14-3 victory.

Sand Rock             21     Madison Academy 0   0   0   0   0

Madison Academy fell 21-0 in week seven as the Wildcats improved to 7-0 on the season. Sand Rock moved to No. 2 in the ASWA rankings behind undefeated Brantley.

Collinsville 0   0   0   0   0     Sand Rock 17   15   13   6   51

Sand Rock remained undefeated by thumping the Collinsville Panthers 51-0 to run their record to 8-0 the next week. The Wildcats took a 17-0 lead in the first quarter and pushed it to 32-0 by halftime. Mackey tossed four touchdown passes, three to Artie Mackey, and scored on a one-yard run.

Westminster 0   0   0   9   9     Sand Rock 0   19   7   0   26

The Wildcats defeated Westminster Christian in week nine 26-9. Mackey completed 12-of-18 passes for 170 yards and threw four touchdown passes as the Wildcats built a 26-0 lead in the fourth quarter before Westminster got on the scoreboard. Heard caught two of the touchdown passes while Whaley and Craig Twilley pulled in the others.

Sand Rock 7   0   0   7   14     West End 0   0   0   0   0

West End entertained the Wildcats in the final game of the regular season. They were intent on pulling off the upset but it was not to be as the Wildcats collected their fourth shutout of the season 14-0. Lance Mackey threw a touchdown pass, grabbed two interceptions and recovered a fumble on defense. He returned an interception in the closing minutes to set up the Wildcat's final score.

Speake 0   0   0   0   0     Sand Rock 14   13   7   0   34

Sand Rock routed the Speake Bobcats 34-0 in the first round of the state playoffs. Lance Mackey completed 5-of-6 passes for 87 yards and three touchdowns led the offensive attack. The win propelled the Wildcats into the second round and a rematch with rival Cedar Bluff.

Sand Rock 7   7   0   7   21     Cedar Bluff 0   0   7   0   7

Cedar Bluff lost to the Wildcats for the second time in 1985 by a score of 21-7. The win pushed Sand Rock's record to 12-0 and sent them to the third round of the playoffs for the first time in the school's history.

Mount Hope 0   0   0   0   0     Sand Rock 7   7   0   3   17

The No. 3 ranked Mount Hope Yellow Jackets came to Sand Rock to face off with the No. 2 Wildcats. The defense held the Jackets to just 93 yards of total offense while the offense moved the football early to take a 7-0 lead after a game opening 80-yard drive. The defense pitched another shutout and the Wildcats easily defeated Mount Hope 17-0 to advance into the semi-finals.

Carrollton 0   0   0   0   0     Sand Rock 3   7   0   7   17

Sand Rock moved closer to their first ever state championship by defeating Carrollton 17-0 in the semi-finals of the playoffs. It was the seventh shutout on the season for the Wildcats as the defense held Carrollton to just 63 yards of total offense in the game. Sand Rock jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead on a 27-yard field goal by Tommy Steele and a 10-yard touchdown pass from Mackey to Heard.           Mackey connected with Jeff Whaley on a 38-yard scoring pass with just 4:33 remaining in the game to seal the win. The Sand Rock Wildcats were on their way to a championship game against Repton.

Sand Rock 0   7   0   7   14     Repton 0   6   0   0   6

The Class 1A title match was played in Repton against the 12-2 Bulldogs. The Wildcats completed a perfect 15-0 season with a 14-6 victory over Repton. Jim Tom Stimpson and Lance Mackey scored the only touchdowns the Wildcats needed as the defense was superb as usual. They recovered four Repton fumbles and intercepted a pass to keep the Repton offense at bay most of the night.           The Wildcats scored in the second quarter on Stimpson's one-yard run to take a 7-0 lead. Repton came right back to pull within a point on a run by John Thompson but failed on the two point conversion just before halftime. Mackey scored on a one-yard run with 4:58 left in the game to put Sand Rock up 14-6.           Named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association first team all-state squad were linebackers Mark Parker, Dwayne Boyd, receiver Jeff Whaley, quarterback Lance Mackey and lineman Ricky Snyder. Lineman Chris St. Clair was selected to the honorable mention team. Coach Russell Jacoway was named the coach of the year.           The 1985 Sand Rock Wildcats went from 0-10 in 1983 to a perfect 15-0 just two seasons later. It is a feat that likely has never been duplicated in the state's long history of high school football. It was a special season for the Wildcats to say the least. Sand Rock 1985 8/29 38 Spring Garden . . . . . 8 9/5 7 Cedar Bluff . . . . . . . 6 9/13 49 Valley Head . . . . . . . 6 9/20 35 White Plains . . . . . . 0 9/27 42 Gaylesville . . . . . . . 8 10/4 14 Donoho . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 10/11 21 Madison Academy . . . . 0 10/18 51 Collinsville . . . . . . 0 10/24 26 Westminster . . . . . . . 9 11/1 14 West End Walnut Grove . 0 11/8 34 Speake * . . . . . . . . . . 0 11/15 21 Cedar Bluff * . . . . . 7 11/22 17 Mount Hope * . . . . . . 0 11/29 17 Carrollton * . . . . . . 0 12/6 14 Repton # . . . . . . . . . . 6 400 15-0 53 * Playoff game # State championship game

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


  Email comments to:  dparker@ahsfhs.org


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