Auburn High Media Day 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Final school of the day is the Auburn High Tigers,
coach by Keith Ethrich.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Yeah, I appreciate you all having us. Thank you thanks
to Van and De Mark and everybody that helped put
this thing on. It's great for the kids. I know,
we got a bunch of guys here. We've got a
leadership committee meeting after this, we're gonna go grab some
lunch and talk a little bit. So I brought some
extra guys with me and went ahead and through the

(00:28):
jerseys on them so everybody looked like coming in. So
got a great group this year. You know, I think
we've got thirty thirty nine forty one I think seniors
this year. And we always have a big big senior classes.
I think last year was one of our smaller senior classes.
I think we had thirty three last year, so it's

(00:50):
one of our smaller senior classes. This group, this group
of juniors have seen a lot of playing time, a
lot of starters back from last year. Probably one of
the most experienced teams we've we've had coming back, and
we did. We did lose some really good players, So
lost three guys up front, got three guys that are

(01:11):
coming in that played that played a lot though last
year and also lost. Our quarterback graduateds at West Florida,
Jackson Coolgore, and then our running back graduated early, Omar Mabsen.
So we got some good guys stepping in those positions too.
And I you know, we we we set our goals
lofty every year. You know, I heard coach Griggs talking

(01:32):
about it. You know, our goal is go fifteen, fourteen
to OH because we don't have fifteen games, but fourteen
to OH and win a state championship, you know, And
and you know, I think that's that's realistic for us.
I think that we've got a great football team. I
think that these kids have worked tremendously hard this summer.
Auburn is the best place I've ever warked. I got

(01:52):
this great leadership, you know, from the top to the bottom.
You know, I got doctor Hann. How many superintendents you
know that come to the media a day. Doctor Harn's
here every year, you know. Are we got a new principal,
Greg Moore. Doctor Moore is a great guy. And I've
known doctor Moore from time in Birmingham. He's got an
unbelievable name there and does a fantastic job, and he's

(02:15):
going to do a great job, you know, stepping in
for doctor Pignado who's moved to the central office. And
and you know, we you know, I've been blessed to
be around some great people.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Dan Norton just retired our athletic director and he was
named you know, Athletic Director of the Year this year
the other night. And you know, just unbelievable person, unbelievable
you know, leader. And uh, you know we've uh, we've
got uh coach Slayton's in that position now who would
do a fantastic job. And he's already been an awesome
so great leadership. And you know, I think that we

(02:48):
have a great coaching staff. You know, Uh, doctor Haring
has allowed us to bring some great coaches in. Uh
we lost a couple of coaches of retirement and stuff
this year and we were able to play and we're
great people. So just excited about this group this year
and excited about the opportunity to be back fifth year

(03:09):
here at Auburn High School. We've we've had a lot
of success, I think, you know, we've been to a
been to a state championship, won some region titles, and
you know, I think that that's the goal this year
to get back to that and bring the first blue
map in football home to Auburn High School.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
Hey, coach, So for you guys coming back obviously, you
know with the experience last year going undefeated in the
regular season and the playoff experience, to have that going
into this season, how much confidence does that give you
and the team?

Speaker 4 (03:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (03:41):
I say this every year. You want to go as
far as you can in the playoffs because it gives
you extra weeks of practice and extra game time for
your kids, not only the older guys, but the younger guys.
You know, we played Bob Jones last year in that
first round game, and we didn't have one starter to
play the second half. We played all our young guys
for a lot of these guys that you see played
a lot last year in the second half a lot

(04:03):
of games, and a lot of these guys that are
that are here today were starters last year. So it's
it's always good to get that playoff experience. If you
go four or five games into the playoffs and playing
for state championships, you've got a whole other half of
a year basically to practice. So the further you get,
the more practice you get, the more experience you get,

(04:24):
and it gives you you know, I personally love it
because you get to spend more time with the kids.

Speaker 5 (04:32):
Hey, coach, you mentioned Omar of course over at the
university now before going senior season, and I know we're
all excited to see what he can do at the
next level. But are you able to give us any
insight in terms of what the running back room will
look like since you lose a guy who carried ninety
percent more of the snaps of your.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah, we've got we've got two or three guys that
are fighting over there for that position. I think they're
going to be really good. All the three that are
fighting for the starting position, you know, are doing some
things really well. Jalen Huff is a kid that you
were going to hear his name Tank. You know, we

(05:08):
call him Tank, but he's he's a kid that's very,
very explosive. We moved him over from the defensive side
to the offensive side. He played linebacker, but he has
that running backs mentality and he can run. He's really
really fast, so he brings that linebacker's mentality where you know,
he'll stick his face in the fan and he'll hit

(05:29):
it up in there, and I think that that is
going to be really really good for us.

Speaker 5 (05:36):
Hey, coach, Auburn High is ranked eighty fifth in the
preseason Football America three hundred.

Speaker 6 (05:40):
Is that an important thing to you?

Speaker 2 (05:42):
No, I want to be ranked one at the end.
That's the goal. You know. It's great to be ranked
top one hundred nationally. You know, I think that that's unbelievable.
I think last year we got up to seventeenth or
eighteenth at one point nationally. But really those national rankings
and state rankings and stuff, they really don't mean anything

(06:03):
until the end of the year. But it's good. It
gives your guys something to strive for. It gives them
something to you know, hang their hat on, and it
lets people know around you know, this area and around
the nation that Auburn's got a good football program.

Speaker 7 (06:19):
Keithie also lost Peyton Plott from last year. Brought to
your receivers today, just what can you say about Josh
and Antonio their experience from last year and what's going
to be expected of them this year with Peyton.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
Yeah, we've got about four or five receivers who are
really really good you know, I've said this, you know, prior,
I think this is our best receiving group I've had.
And you know, I've coached twenty five years. This may
be the best receiving corps I've had in twenty five years.
You know. And I'm not like, if I stood them
all up right here, you would be like, you know,
that group's the best receiving corps you've had in twenty

(06:54):
five years, because there's not There's not any that's six
foot three and you know, jumping out of the gym
or anything. But every one of these guys are tough,
they're hard nose, they're fast. They attacked the football, they
get open and they catch the ball. They don't we
don't drop. There's not many drops with this group. You know,

(07:14):
you got Antonio and Josh who are coming back off
really big years. You know, we got Cash who's also
also back. We got Levi, who's who's who's with us? Now,
We've got you know, Hampton, Hampton Jordan who's the six six,
two hundred and fifty pounds tight end who we just
got off the basketball court that's out there now. So

(07:36):
we've got a lot of weapons there. You know, I
think and I think that you know, our our quarterbacks
are going to have a plethorugh of guys to throw to.
But the experience means a lot, you know, and a
lot of these guys played a lot of games last year.
I think Antonio and Josh or two guys who you
know had over four or five hundred yards receiving for
us last year. You lose a guy like Peyton, you

(07:58):
need a couple of guys to step been there and
make up for that because he was electric. You know,
Peyton was one of them guys. You know they say
dynamite comes in small packages. Well, he's the you know,
he epitomizes that. And these guys do too. There's they're electric.
You come out on Friday nights and you watch Josh, Tony,
Levi Cash, you know those guys you know, run routes,

(08:19):
catch bass. You're you're you're gonna shrugury shoulders and say,
you know, how's how's anybody gonna have four guys to
line up and stop that?

Speaker 8 (08:31):
Hey coach? Obviously, Auburn High school huge school, lots of
homegrown talent, but y'all have added a few kind of
what you would call impact transfers. Maybe how has it
been integrating them into the team and how excited are
you to see them contribute to the rest of the
team's success.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
That really excited. You know, We've we've some guys have
came in that you know when we've lost some guys too.
We lost a guy that was tagged to be our
starting running back, you know, uh coming into this year.
He transferred. You know, a couple of years ago, we
lost the starting middle line by your So you know,
you take the good with the bad. We've got some
great guys who have came in this year. You know,

(09:07):
you got you know, the two guys who are battling
out at quarterback. You got case and Myers and Crossland.
There are two great players who who are working really
really hard and doing some great stuff for us. You
got Levi, who's who's you know, he's a kid that's
come in. He's gonna make plays for us. You know,
Hunters a kid that just came in. He's gonna make
plays for us. So you know, there's there, there are

(09:29):
two or three guys that are coming in. They're making
an impact right away. But it's not easy. You know,
you step into a school like Auburn high school and
you're coming from a smaller school. You're coming it's competition
every single day. And I tell those guys, look, I
don't I as a coach, don't care who starts. And
they get this from me every day. I don't care

(09:50):
who starts. It's gonna be the guys who come out here,
you know, busted, who's gonna help us win on Friday
nights and who characters carry theirself with class and character
and do the right things. And I'm excited to see
those guys on the field on Friday night to see
what they can do.

Speaker 9 (10:06):
Hey, coach, every year's players come and go.

Speaker 2 (10:08):
Your strength and weaknesses changed. What would you say the
top three.

Speaker 10 (10:12):
To four strengths are heading into twenty to twenty five
for you guys, I.

Speaker 2 (10:15):
Think we're going to be really experienced defensively, having three
of the four starters in the secondary back, you know,
having all three starting linebackers back, you know, having two
of the four I think starting defensive lineman back in
which and we rotate a lot of defensive front guys.

(10:36):
So we've got six or seven guys you know down
there that played on Friday nights that are back. So
I think defensively is definitely gonna be a strength for us.
And all our guys can run and they're very physical,
you know. Coach Goosey does unbelievable job of those guys
on that side. You know, Offensively, of course, I think
our receiving course going to be a strength. We've got

(10:58):
two guys that are back on the offensive front, some
other guys who are doing a great job. But you
got you know, Trent Bridgett and you got I mean,
we got a plethora of guys up there. Tucker Albins
back up up there. You may see him move to center,
you know, uh this year because I think that's what
he's gonna play at the next level. So you you know,

(11:19):
you've got guys who started a lot of games up there.
So I think that's that's kind of our strengths. I think,
you know, quarterback wise, the two guys that we've got
this battling out right now that we're going to be
really good there too.

Speaker 5 (11:33):
Coach you mentioned earlier, and you're you're opener about a
little turnover in the coaching staff and two guys that
come back or your coordinators, right, Coach Wagon on the
offensive side and Coach Goolsby on the defensive side. You
talk about an offense a year ago that seemed unstoppable
for most of the year and a defense that was
been don't break. What is it about gouls being wagon
that make them so special and really just make them
effective for you?

Speaker 2 (11:52):
I just think, you know, it's their mentality, you know,
the way they treat kids. You know, I think the kids.
You know, I've said this from day one. Kids don't
know what they don't care what, you know, until they
know that you care. Both of those guys are great men,
good Christian men that do things the right way. They're
gonna work kids hard, but they're gonna love on them harder,

(12:14):
you know. I think that and that's those Those kids
respond to those guys, and they're really good football coaches.
They know the exes and o's and they get the
most out of their guys. You know, I think that
that has a lot to do with it. Like you said,
you know, we were offensively, we were we were really
really good last year. You know. We we got a

(12:36):
little banged up at the end of the year, which
stinks because we were pretty fresh going into the playoffs
and then right there at the end of the second quarter.
We lost a couple of guys in that first round
playoff game, which hurt us pretty bad. But you know, uh,
that's why it's really important to have that depth. You know.
But those two guys are the best in the business.

(12:57):
To me, I think that their their class acts the
great coaches. You know. I had a son that played played,
you know, at Auburn High School for those two men,
and you know, if I've got a if I got
a son, I want them playing for men like them.

Speaker 11 (13:15):
Cool.

Speaker 12 (13:19):
Before the inception of seven A, Auburn and ople like
a rivalry was always at the end of the year. Yes,
now that y'all both are back in seven A, is
there any players to kind of move that till later
in the year.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
You're still gonna play it early? Yeah, we we just
sort of have played it how how it fell.

Speaker 9 (13:37):
We do.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
They're in the same we're all in the same region,
so we do region drawings, so when you draw the region,
you sort of just play wherever it falls in there.
So I think that I've got no problem playing it late.
The coach speaking to me, you should always say he
liked to play it early, you know, just because it

(13:58):
if you start playing it really you that's one of
them games that's very, very physical, and you're gonna you know,
you may get some guys beat up going into the
playoffs and stuff like that, but you know, we're I've
always said, we're just gonna play that thing wherever it
falls in our region.

Speaker 3 (14:14):
So coach, you guys finished last year seven and zero
in region to a really good region too. But to
be able to play the opponents like Opalaika, like Enterprise
and like Central in the regular season, how does that
prepare the team for the atmosphere of the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
I think it's huge. You know, I still say, you know,
that region, that region too, from last year was one
of the toughest I've ever been in. And I was
in the region when at Oxford when sixth A. It
was clay shawt Full Oxford, you know, Penson, Valley Garden.
There's some really good teams, but that region last year
was brutal. And for us to get through that region,

(14:51):
you know, undefeated, was a huge task for us. And
it does it prepares you for playoffs, And that's why
we played really good teams too in our non in
our non you know region games. I mean, we're playing.
We're playing Booker out of Sarasota, Florida. They got five
or six of the top three hundred kids in the
national athey, so they're gonna bring a really good football

(15:14):
team down here and we're excited about playing that game.

Speaker 9 (15:19):
Coach, can we have your players come up?

Speaker 4 (15:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (15:21):
Uh, give us your name. I got two questions for you.

Speaker 11 (15:24):
I know the answer to the first and the second,
but I'm going to ask you anyway, what is the
most important game on your schedule?

Speaker 9 (15:31):
And what is your season goal?

Speaker 13 (15:34):
All right, my name is Trenson Pritchett, offensive lineman. And
for your first question, the most important game to me,
I know it's going to sound cliche, but it's the
next game, whatever game comes up next on the schedule.
And uh, what was your question out to that, Sarah?
I'm sorry.

Speaker 9 (15:51):
Your goal for the season, Uh.

Speaker 13 (15:54):
Same goals, Sam. Expectations is last year, go to be
undefeated again, make it a state championship and win it.
M And my personal goals for this year are there,
just be the best leader that I can be for
this offensive line, cause we got a lot of young
guys and new guys coming in to fill some spots.

Speaker 6 (16:20):
My name is Carneal Jackson, Junior. I play nose guard
D line for Arbor. And the most important game for
the season, I'd say it's the O Black Game cause
I feel like it prepares us physically and mentally for
the playoff games that we're gonna have to play.

Speaker 2 (16:36):
And I I think.

Speaker 6 (16:38):
That if we when we do it, when we play
that game, uh, everybody's gonna be mentally ready and it
prepares us very well.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
And what was the second question? In the US?

Speaker 6 (16:47):
There you go the season goal state championship. Everything that
we do is to go to the state championship. We
that's the main goal that we focus on and we
wanna make it there. We haven't made it there yet,
but I feel like this year we will.

Speaker 4 (17:07):
Okay, Ada Parker bed a linebacker to me, I feel
like every single game is the most important game that's
gonna lead up to the the final game that we have,
which which I know we gonna get to, but that's
gonna be the game where we gonna have to put
it all on the line. But the first ten games

(17:28):
that's gonna that's gonna get us to our goal, like
and our s our season goal is a uh winning
state championship. We know everybody gonna have a personal goal,
but your personal goal get it. If everybody have a
person goal that worked together, we will get.

Speaker 2 (17:40):
To where we wanna go.

Speaker 4 (17:41):
And then if we get where we wanna go, we
schuld put all on the line on the lad game.
All I got to say, Sue, I'm Greg Williams. I'm
a linebacker number three. And the most game I'm important

(18:03):
about is I mean that I'm ready for. It is
open like a game, because that's the game everybody want
to come out and see and all your friends on
the other team, and it's a lot of it's just fun.
That's the best game I want to That's the game
I'm ready for. And what's the second question? And my

(18:25):
season goal is I want to win a state championship
with these guys right here. Like we come to practice
every day, we work hard, we grind. Just like yesterday
we had a marine workout. Yesterday. I saw BJ he
was helping others out. I saw Aiding he was helping
others out. All these guys helping others out, and I

(18:45):
just I just want to win a state championship with
these guys right here.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
Greg said he had a lot of friends that though
like us, So now you gotta gott elaborate on that.

Speaker 9 (18:58):
Now I'm just messing with you.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Uh, my name is b J. McGee.

Speaker 4 (19:02):
I played DV play corner back to be exact, but
uh the most important gave me the season. Most people
say I like it, but I say central cause like
I don't remember the last time I played them, like
through like middle school, high school, all that, it always
been like a like a tough game and then like
it really show He'll like show up when it's like
really time to have.

Speaker 2 (19:20):
A doll fight. Like last year we were we were
battle than we want about.

Speaker 4 (19:24):
Three points thirty five to thirty eight, and then til
like it til some big starts.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
I had to run down like I had to.

Speaker 4 (19:30):
I had to make some big tackles and then season
goal I was in state championship. Man, like my personal goal,
I wanna leave the state and like the interceptance cause
this year I had this past season I had three,
but I'm aiming for like five or better this season
cause I drop.

Speaker 2 (19:48):
I dropped a lot of picks this season, so I
gotta catch all on.

Speaker 4 (19:52):
But yeah, that that really it.

Speaker 10 (20:03):
My name Antonia Willis and I play Receiver. The game
I'm looking for it is open liking dam. I say
open like her because it's like the whole community come out.
Then his friends versus friends. But on the field, it
ain't no friends. You gotta win.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
What was the second question though? Uh?

Speaker 10 (20:28):
I say State championship because this is our last ride
for everybody that's up her, we all seniors. We gotta
bring a ring. Bad we ain't got a ring yet.

Speaker 4 (20:52):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (20:52):
Josh would ask you number seven Receiver and the most
important fuh game it is is Opa Lika cause I
just like playing the appams. It is really fun playing
with these guys. You know some atmosphere. Wasn't this question?

Speaker 2 (21:09):
Oh, it's to win every game.

Speaker 14 (21:11):
My person to go is I'm trying to break the
recording catches.

Speaker 11 (21:16):
That's it, So coach, I'm I'm kind of surprised. I
know that Opaca and Central important games, but I figured
you had indoctrinated them on the first game you play
is the most people.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
I did a couple of them, but you know that
that open like a game. Everybody stars that game on
the because you know you're you're your sister cities, you know,
and so a lot of these guys have a lot
of friends that are that are that play for Openlaka.
You know, we have a couple of guys that play
with us a couple of years ago in the years
past that play over there. So it's a it's a

(21:49):
great rivalry, you know, it's a good, clean rivalry. And
I think that it always comes down to the wire,
you know, it's a it's always a hard fought game,
and I think that our guys know that, and it's
closer to the front of the season than any other
of the rival games.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
So I think that's one hundredth an like our open
like Auburn game, whichever side you're on, right.

Speaker 2 (22:11):
And that's right. It is the Century Market, isn't it
for Open like Auburn? So you know, it even adds
a little bit more like a little bit more luster
to it. So I'm sure we'll hear that a thousand
times before we play that game. But I think these
guys are focused, like all these guys are. You know,
we got a great group of guys, super excited about

(22:31):
this year and and just ready to get to where
toe meets leather and we can get this thing kicked.

Speaker 1 (22:37):
Off, all right, Good luck coach, appreciate you all being here.
Thanks so much, Thank you man Auburn High and coach
Keith Etherich. That wraps up Day one of high school
football Media Days. Back here tomorrow at nine o'clock for
Day two of high school football Media Days here on
Fox Sports nine, ten, thirteen, ten in the Game and
on wt MTV.