MONTGOMERY – Anniston High School travels to Piedmont High School’s Field of Champions Stadium tonight for the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the Week.
      Host Class 3A Piedmont (1-3) will be looking its first win in a series with Class 4A Anniston (3-2) that was first played in 1922 but only consists of five previous meetings – including last year’s 30-28 Anniston win.
     Anniston’s domination was overpowering in the first four meetings – in 1924, 1925, 1947 and 1948 – with a total margin of 164-0. A lot had changed when the 2022 contest was played last year – 74 years after the previous 41-0 game in ’48.
     A lot had changed when the county rivalry returned last year. Piedmont was defending 3A state champion and Anniston’s enrollment had dropped from one of the largest schools in the state to a mid-sized Class 4A school. However, last year’s game came down to the  final seconds as Anniston squeaked out the win and rolled to a perfect 9-0 regular season before falling in the4A playoff quarterfinals to eventual state champion Andalusia 35-28 to finish the year 11-1.
    Piedmont finished 12-3 with nine straight wins propelling them into the Super 7 Class 3A state finals and falling to Saint James 45-28.
    A lot has changes since last season for both teams. Jonathan Miller (101-35) left Saks and replaced veteran head coach Steve Smith at Piedmont. Smith, now at Westbrook Christian, had a 198-36 record during his tenure. Rico Jackson (61-61), who had coaching stops at Fairfield, Aliceville, Escambia County and Tarrant, is now the head coach at Anniston, replacing Rico White, who was 35-23 in in five seasons before heading to Huntsville’s Mae Jemison High School.
     Jackson led Aliceville to the Class 2A state finals at Auburn in 2019. Miller led Saks to the Class 3A semifinals in 2013 and 2021 and to the 4A semifinals in 2017.
     Both teams lost a boat load of talent to graduation from their 2022 teams. Both, however, have shown steady improvement each week this season.
     Anchoring Piedmont’s lineup are two returning All-State standouts, senior defensive lineman Chance Murphy, who had 82 tackles in 2022, and 6-foot-3 defensive back/wide receiver Ishmael Bethel – a big-play receiver who had 62 catches for 1,042 yards and 17 touchdowns last year. Cole Wilson has moved into the quarterback position vacated by the graduated Jack Hayes, who finished his career as the AHSAA’s all-time total offense and passing leader. Return specialist Demetrious Owen had a kickoff return for a TD in last week’s Class 3A, Region 6 loss to Ohatchee.
     Anniston as several players back from last year’s team who have stepped up to lead including senior defensive back Jayden Lewis, sophomore wide receiver Jaden Dobbins, who had eight interceptions last season, and junior middle linebacker Kevionte Johnson.  Anniston has a big size advantage up front with 6-4, 317-pound tackle Jalen Curry anchoring the offensive line.
      Tonight’s game is being produced by Vince Earley and his talented crew from WOTM TV. Caleb Brooks and Mickey Shadrix will be in the announcers’ booth for the game, which will be shown live over WOTM, My68 TV in Birmingham, the AHSAA TV Network member cable affiliates. It also will be live streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform and WOTM.tv.
      The AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week is one of at least five varsity games scheduled for tonight  over the NFHS Network. A total of approximately 160 broadcasts are currently scheduled for the NFHS Network tonight and tomorrow night.
       To access the AHSAA Game of the Week the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ahsaa/gam0351b9474b

       The AHSAA Radio Network’s Scoreboard Show will also air across the state Friday night. Go to www.ahsaaradionetwork.com for network information.