SULLIGENT, Ala. — Nothing is more important to Sulligent High School interim football coach Ronnie Hubbert than his players.
In his first time as a head football coach, Hubbert had to keep his squad focused when more things appeared to be happening off the field than on it.
On Sept. 17, head coach Dwight Bowling was arrested. He is awaiting a trial on federal charges of child molestation and trying to get the victim to lie to authorities
Hubbert, the defensive backs coach who had been at Sulligent High for three years, took over the team and directed the Blue Devils to a Class 2A, Region 8 championship in the Alabama High School Athletic Association and a 10-3 finish.
Because of his determination to protect his team at all costs and his Blue Devils” success, Hubbert was selected as The Dispatch”s West Alabama All-Area Football Team”s Coach of the Year.
“He did a great job holding this team together,” said Craig Weeks, Sulligent High”s athletic director. “His philosophy was to take care of the kids; it was all about the kids.”
Weeks said Hubbert, the other coaches, and the players became a family to handle the situation.
“He decided we were now going forward, and there was nothing to discuss but the success,” Weeks said.
The football season was a roller-coaster ride for the Blue Devils, starting with Hubbert, who molded the team with a die-hard family attitude.
“We just came in and a lot of the coaches coach other sports,” Hubbert said. “Our slogan we talked about was ”No Excuses.” ”
The phrase became the battle cry for the players.
“It was surreal at times,” Hubbert said. “It was like, ”Wow.” Things just didn”t go as expected this season. All of a sudden, these kids, it was like a knockdown shot.
“They just stood back up and said, ”No excuses. We want to do this. We want to be champions. We want to be winners.” ”
Hubbert said the team”s transformation wasn”t all his doing.
“It”s that leadership. It”s the kids,” Hubbert said. “It was a collective thing. It wasn”t like I just stepped in and made the difference in the season. It was nothing like that. Our bottom line is always we”ve got to take care of the kids. We just did whatever we could for them.”
The Blue Devils weren”t expected to improve on their 7-4 record last season after all the turmoil, but Hubbert said his players remained strong and focused.
“I think it was pretty much consensus we would go 6-4 and slip in there at third or fourth (in the division),” he said. “The kids refused to do that. They acted like champions all year.”
The regular season started unfavorably after a “practice” game against Smithville on Aug. 19. Mississippi”s season started that weekend, but Alabama waited another week.
“They had a pretty good team,” Hubbert said of Smithville. “We thought we had a chance to be pretty good after that game. Then we played Hamilton the next week.”
Reality hit hard, and Sulligent lost 43-0 in its first game of the season. Three games later, Sulligent lost to Lamar County 14-0.
“We had that one hiccup against Lamar County,” Hubbert said. “Coach (Ken) Adams does a great job over there. I don”t take any credit away from them.”
The most crucial game of the season was the team”s final regional game against Phil Campbell on Oct. 22. A victory gave the team the regional title.
“Phil Campbell was a great, great feeling, knowing we got the kids into that position and that we achieved our goal,” Hubbert said of his team”s 32-20 victory. “The talk going around was, ”Sulligent”s going to be down, Sulligent”s going to be down.” Then we lost Cody Holmes, a senior lineman; we lost Zach Hankins during the year; we lost Ryan Reeves during the year; we lost Coco (Metcalfe) in the second game; he came back for the playoffs. We lost a bunch of kids that were players for us. We talked through the season: ”No excuses.” We closed ranks and we got a win.”
Hubbert said his players bonded closer together after each setback. He said Parker Northington missed three or four games and Austin Pinkerton suffered a concussion.
“We had almost an entire team we lost throughout the season that the kids said, ”We”re still going to win. We”re still going to win,” ” Hubbert said.
Sulligent”s season ended Nov. 19 with a 43-23 loss to Lineville.
“In the first quarter of that last game, we lost Peter (Swanigan), our big receiver,” Hubbert said. “That”s where we don”t talk about what we lost, but what we”ve got left and what we need to do.”
The Blue Devils” fighting attitude started from Hubbert and worked its way down.
“It”s been a ride,” Hubbert said. “A buddy of mine and I went to a MaxPreps meeting. I”m a win, win, win guy. And I”m talking, ”Well, if we had done this, we”d be right here. If we had done this, and this, and this. …”
“And he said, ”My gosh, Hubb, you”re 10-2. What else do you want?”
“I said, ”I want those other two.” ”
Hubbert thanked everyone who supported the players and the program. He said he couldn”t be prouder of what the players accomplished.
“There”s been a lot of support from the coaches all over the state and Mississippi,” he said. “They say, ”Hubb, when you look back, you”re really going to be proud of yourself and these kids and this season.” “
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