By Stephen Dawkins

Jemison’s Justin Nemec on Wednesday signed to play college football for Faulkner.

As a senior defensive end for the Panthers, Nemec recorded 28 solo tackles and one fumble recovery.

“A lot of it has to do with his size and his quickness,” Jemison coach Brad Abbott said about Faulkner’s interest in Nemec. “He’s also got a 4.0 [GPA] and a 26 on his ACT.”

Nemec, who checks in at 6’3” and 220 pounds, actually played offensive tackle all four years of his varsity career, and only his senior season did he play defense.

Abbott’s decision to play Nemec on both sides of the ball worked out for Nemec because Faulkner recruited him as a defensive end, Abbott said.

“Just the atmosphere of it really,” Nemec said about what was attractive about Faulkner. “Everybody there is real nice. It just feels like home.”

Nemec also kicked off for the Panthers, which Abbott said demonstrates Nemec athleticism.

By Stephen Dawkins

As a kid, Javae Swindle preferred watching football on TV to cartoons.
Swindle’s passion for and approach to the game hasn’t changed—for better or worse.
“He approaches games like a kid at Christmas,” coach Brad Abbott said about his 5’5” sophomore running back.
Abbott said he would rather Swindle adopt a more businesslike demeanor, and defenses beware if an improved approach leads to more productivity.
Swindle this season rushed for a county-best 1,179 yards on 177 carries, an average of 6.7 yards per carry, and 14 touchdowns, leading the Panthers to a 5-5 regular season record and their seventh consecutive playoff appearance and earning The Clanton Advertiser’s Player of the Year honor.
Jemison extending that playoff streak was in doubt before the season because of heavy losses to graduation, but then Swindle emerged to carry the load.
Abbott expected Swindle to be effective running the football, but Swindle surprised his coach by turning a weakness, catching passes, into a strength (Swindle tied teammate Patrick Sims for the most receptions by a county player with 28, for 349 yards and three touchdowns).
Swindle’s recognition of a weakness and willingness to improve gives Abbott hope that Swindle could become a more complete player—a scary thought for opponents that had to account for Swindle whether he was running the football, lining up at quarterback, catching passes, playing cornerback, returning kicks or returning punts.
What could he improve on?
“I want to get bigger, try for a better 40 time and become more of a punishing back instead of someone that’s just always juking,” Swindle said.
Don’t doubt him.
“He’ll run in between the tackles,” Abbott said. “He works hard in the weight room, so I think he can become that kind of guy.”

By Stephen Dawkins

Of the 46 players named to The Clanton Advertiser’s 2009 All-Area Football Team, 14 are from North Chilton County schools Jemison and Thorsby.
First-team selections, pictured to the left, were:
• Patrick Sims, tight end, Jemison, Sr.
• Hunter Cowart, offensive line, Jemison, Jr.
• Justin Nemec, defensive line, Jemison, Sr.
• Isa Bentley, linebacker, Jemison, Jr.
• Erick Camarillo, linebacker, Thorsby, Jr.
• Dustin Wilson, linebacker, Thorsby, Jr.
• Javae Swindle, defensive back, Jemison, So.
Second-team selections were:
• Kalup Nunn, running back, Thorsby, Jr.
• Marcus Bray, wide receiver, Thorsby, Jr.
• Cody Greer, wide receiver, Jemison, Sr.
• Dillian Simmons, tight end, Thorsby, Sr.
• Cole Langley, offensive line, Thorsby, Sr.
• Darius Smith, defensive line, Jemison, Sr.
• Jacob Chapman, defensive back, Jemison, Sr.
Selections were made based on coaches’ nominations, statistics and team success.
An effort was made to present the 24 best players on the first team—and the next 22 best on the second team—so positions were adjusted accordingly.

By Stephen Dawkins

The Advertiser’s annual football honors, not surprisingly, feature a North Chilton flavor.
Our player of the year is Jemison running back Javae Swindle.
Though many close to the program were probably already aware of his ability, Swindle burst onto the county football scene as a sophomore, leading the area in rushing yards and receptions. Swindle also returned a kickoff for a touchdown and intercepted three passes on defense.
Swindle was often focused on by opposing defenses, and he found a way to get his yards anyway. More than a little bit of that had to do with his supporting cast.
If Swindle was contained early in a game, several other Panthers could be turned to, and the offensive line contintued trying to open up holes.
Swindle, the fresh face, provides an interesting contrast to our coach of the year, Maplesville’s Brent Hubbert, who has been around Chilton County football for most of his life.
Hubbert, and Swindle, are deserving of the honors, but another development in county football that deserves special recognition is the progress made by Thorsby under first-year coach Billy Jackson.
Sure, the Rebels only won two games, but that’s two more than they won in 2008.
The significance of the season is best measured in attitude instead of wins and losses, though. Jackson convinced his players that if they gave it their all, success would follow.
The Rebels continued to play hard even as their losing streak grew to 17 games, and it paid off in the end.
The success was limited, but it was there. And with a core group of juniors that should be stronger and more experiened next season, Thorsby should be able to build on that success.

– Dawkins is the sports editor for The North Chilton Advertiser.

By Stephen Dawkins

Even with as much passion as fans show for high school football in Chilton County, gate revenue from games just isn’t enough to keep the programs going—especially when you consider that football is often counted on to provide for athletic programs that don’t make as much money.
So, coaches and athletic directors have to get creative. This year, they’re getting really creative.
Raffles and camps and such serve their purpose well, but it takes fresh ideas to keep the money coming in. Three local schools—Billingsley, Jemison and Maplesville—this year are holding alumni football games, which will be played with equipment and officials by former players and students.
Maybe I’ve been jaded by this make-money-quick society we live in, but the first thing that entered my mind when I heard this proposal was, “That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
Now that I know more about the games, though, it sounds like a pretty good idea.
Participants must sign releases and will wear regulation equipment provided by the schools.
Jemison coach Brad Abbott said he expects at least 60 participants in the game—and more than 70 could end up playing.
Abbott said the game could raise more than $5,000 for the program.
“It’s been a verypositive thing,” Abbott said. “A lot of talk has been going on about it.
“I’ve even heard from former cheerleaders, saying they wanted to cheer during the game. We’ll definitely do it again in the future.”
The best part is these games should be wildly entertaining (Jemison’s game was postponed from Dec. 12 and will be played at 7 p.m. Thursday).
Some of these guys are going to find out they’re not in nearly as good of shape as they thought (I’m right there with you). But no matter how many former players can’t get out of bed Sunday, current players will be better off because of it.

– Dawkins is the sports editor for The North Chilton Advertiser.

By Nick Birdsong | The Anniston Star

ANNISTON – It took Anniston only 26 seconds to score in its 27-12 victory against Jemison in the first round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 4A state football playoffs at Lott-Mosby Stadium on Nov. 6.
Many may not have settled in their seats by the time the Bulldogs built the lead they’d never let go of.
Anniston junior quarterback Josiah Atkins dropped back to pass on the first play from scrimmage from the Bulldogs’ 39-yard line. Seeing a lane, the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder took off and scrambled 35 yards for a first down at the Jemison 26. The Bulldogs ran the option toward the left sideline on the very next play. Atkins pitched the ball to running back Adrian Woodard, who took it in for a touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 6-0 edge with 11:34 still remaining in the first quarter.
That’s 61 yards in two plays.
Frederick Jordan’s successful extra-point attempt put Anniston ahead 7-0.
Jemison, Region 3’s third seed, looked to match the home team’s opening attack. The Panthers dug into their bag of tricks on their first play from scrimmage, going 41 yards on a reverse pass from Patrick Sims to Eddie Hubbard to get into Anniston territory at the Bulldogs’ 19. Two plays later, Jemison running back Javae Swindle scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 15-yard run on a handoff, on which he made a couple of defenders miss at midfield before skating up the sideline for the score with 9:51 left in the first.
However, the Panthers missed the point after-attempt, and Anniston retained the lead at 7-6.
Anniston knew coming into the contest that Swindle, one of the smallest players on the field at 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds, would be the biggest problem for its defense. Swindle, just a sophomore with moves akin to West Virginia star Noel Devine, almost notched a 100-yard performance, rushing for 97 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He also caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
He scored the Panthers’ only other touchdown on a 35-yard reception with 1:11 to go in the second quarter that put the Panthers to within nine at 21-12.
Anniston (7-4) will face Bibb County (11-0), the team that ousted them from the 2008 playoffs, on the road in the second round of the playoffs on Friday. Bibb County defeated Lincoln 36-0 at home in their first round game.
Jemison quarterback Scott Clements completed 13 of 27 passing attempts for 162 yards. Hubbard led the Panthers with five receptions for 111 yards.
Jemison’s season ends at 5-6.
“That’s a good team over there,” Jemison coach Brad Abbot said. “You can’t make the kind of mistakes we made and beat a team like that.”

By Stephen Dawkins

JEMISON – Jemison marched right down the field and answered Class 5A No. 4 Shelby County’s first score with a touchdown of its own.
The Panthers (5-5, 5-2 Class 4A, Region 3) would not be able to say the same about the visitors’ four other TDs Friday as SCHS won, 35-7.
Jemison coach Brad Abbott said there would be positives, such as facing a team as talented as the Wildcats (9-1, 5-1), and negatives, such as not being able to build any momentum, to be taken away from the loss.
“We’ll be able to show the kids the film-what they did wrong and what a team that’s better than us looks like,” Abbott said.
Jemison plays at Anniston on Friday in the first round of the state playoffs.
Three of Jemison’s regular contributors sustained injuries that knocked them out of Friday’s game, but Abbott said all three players should be ready to go for the playoff game.
SCHS took the opening kickoff and drove 62 yards for a touchdown. The first complete pass of the drive was an 11-yard scoring strike from Braten Dill to Davuntae Lewis on a playaction pass that was effective because of the success the Wildcats were having running the football.
That would be a theme throughout: Shelby racked up 203 yards rushing, unofficially. Christopher McDowell was the leader with 70 yards on 10 carries.
On its first possession, Jemison drove 63 yards for the score, which came on a 15-yard run by Isa Bentley.
Bentley finished with 26 yards rushing on eight carries, and Javae Swindle had 99 yards on nine carries.
McDowell added two more touchdown runs, of 3 yards and 5 yards, and Chadwick King was good on all the point-after attempts to make it 21-7 Shelby at halftime.
Jemison took possession to begin the second half of play and drove to Shelby’s 22-yard line. But a pass attempt on 4th-and-5 was intercepted by Shelby’s Evan McNeal, and Jemison would never threaten again.
Clements completed 10 passes in 24 attempts for 75 yards. Eddie Hubbard was Jemison’s leading receiver. He caught two passes for 41 yards.
In the second half, SCHS scored on a 9-yard run by Lewis and a 4-yard run by McDowell.
Dill completed 10 passes in 15 attempts for 98 yards.

By Stephen Dawkins

JEMISON – The Jemison Panthers easily took care of the Holt Ironmen on Oct. 23.
The team won, 49-28, in a game more lopsided than the final score shows.
The Panthers now look ahead to Class 5A powerhouse Shelby County on Friday and then the first round of state playoffs.
Jemison led 41-6 at halftime, giving the starters a rest and second- and third-stringers plenty of action in the second half.
Eddie Hubbard started the fireworks with a 66-yard touchdown run.
Quarterback Scott Clements then found Javae Swindle from 12 yards out to put the Panthers up 13-0.
Holt would make things interesting, if only briefly, with a nice punt return that helped set up a 2-yard run by quarterback Daryl Harris.
That’s as close as the score would get the rest of the contest.
Jemison answered with a 21-yard TD pass from Clements to Patrick Sims and then a 14-yard touchdown run by Swindle.
The score was 27-6 with 5:34 to go in the second quarter.
Isa Bentley and Swindle again scored two more rushing touchdowns before the break.
Neither team scored in the third quarter.
Holt added three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Dustin McDonald also ran in from 21 yards out to cap Jemison’s scoring for the night.
On defense, Cody Greer was all over the ball and grabbed two interceptions.
Cole Thompson also blocked a punt for the Panthers.

Rebels fail to turn recent success into winning streak
Thorsby fell behind and could never catch up in a 20-12 region loss at Hale County.
Hale County (7-2, 5-2 Class 2A, Region 4) built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and touchdown passes by Thorsby quarterback Andrew Farris to Marcus Bray (76 yards) and Eric Camarillo (25 yards) weren’t enough to get the Rebels (2-7, 2-5) back even.
Farris completed seven passes in 18 attempts for 140 yards.
Stephen Mims set up the first Thorsby score with an interception, and Nathan Moore did likewise with the second Thorsby score.
The Rebels will not qualify for a berth in the state playoffs and so will conclude their season when Winterboro visits on Thursday.
But the season has already included the end of a 17-game losing streak that dated back to Oct. 26, 2007 and a win over county rival Isabella for the first time since 2006.
The team’s 11 seniors will be recognized at halftime.

By Mike Kelley

PLANTERSVILLE – Jemison’s Panthers (3-3) swatted the Dallas County Hornets on Oct. 2 (2-4), 21-6, in a come-from-behind win in Dallas County.

The win gives coach Brad Abbott’s team a 3-1 record against Region 3 opponents in the 4A classification.

The Hornets jumped in front with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Justin McAlfee to Deandre McIntyre on the third play of the game. The point-after attempt was blocked by the Panthers.

In the first quarter, a bad punt gave the Panthers good field position, and they drove to the Hornet 1, where they were stopped.

Jesse Taylor set up the first Panther touchdown with an interception of a Dallas County pass in the second quarter. Javae Swindle ran to the Hornet 2, and Isa Bentley scored with 7:45 left to play in the half. Patrick Sims kicked the Panthers into the lead with his successful point-after kick.

M.J. McKenzie intercepted a second Hornet pass of the half, and the Panthers took advantage of their good fortune. Swindle scored from the eight with three minutes left in the half. The point-after attempt sailed wide left, but the Panthers led at the intermission, 13-6.

Jemison took the second-half kick and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Scott Clements passed to Swindle, who ran 80 yards for the game’s final touchdown. The Panthers added a 2-point conversion to win, 21-6. Jemison booked 15 first downs, and the Hornets earned eight. Including two penalties for kickoffs that rolled out of bounds, the Panthers were penalized six times for 75 yards.

Both teams threatened to score later in the second half but failed to reach the end zone. At the end of the game, Jemison was on Dallas County’s 10-yard line.

Unofficially, the Panthers rushed for 185 yards and completed 14 passes for 226 yards. The Panthers held the Hornets to 113 yards rushing and 78 passing yards.

This week, the Panthers will host the Greensborro Public High School Raiders.