.@BamaPrepsFB @VladValasuik joins @ONTHEDMARK1 talking @AHSAAUpdates Football July 15

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
So we started almost eighteen years ago. All right, we were going to
the Birmingham Meshro area for the firsttime on with Bama Prepsvlad blust blouse,
hold on balla suit. I'm gettingthat right. He's gonna be with us
all year. He started Bama Prepswhen he was in high school and we're
glad to have Lad on the mark. Good morning, Blad. How are
you, bud do Mark? Howwe doing? We? God, I'm

(00:21):
gonna get that name right, Ipromise, Yeah, I too give to
you, but you know we'll dialit in vallasuit. How about that?
All right? Glad, I gotyou got to do me a favor.
You just told Jeff I want youto tell everybody a little bit about yourself
because you're gonna be on the markfor a while, so tell everybody a
little about yourself. Glad. Yeah, absolutely, Well, first off,
d Mark, Jeff, thank youfor having men Glad to be on.

(00:43):
You know, start Obama Preps whenI was in high school about midway through
my senior year in twenty twenty two, and I've been running it ever since.
We've grown to over twenty thousand followersthrough you know, three accounts.
Whether it's on Twitter, on Instagram. You know, we've made video content,
but really our main goal and we'rededicated to the coverage of high school
football around the state, whether it'sone A or seven A, making sure

(01:07):
we get scores out, you know, making sure that we help players achieved
the maximum goal as possible. Andyou've done a good job with that,
vladd And we're glad to have youon the mark, and we're glad to
have you keep us up to datewith that metro Birmingham area just for auditions,
because we cover high school sports.And of course you went to Thompson
High School, didn't you, right, we coach friend, Yeah, and

(01:27):
I actually played you played against Auburnright in the championship game. Lad,
Is that right? Yeah? Twotimes. We played them in Brian Denny
in twenty twenty and then we playedthem in Auburn in twenty twenty two my
senior year. You know what Iforgot all about that Jeff happened to be
your parent host. I didn't eventhink about that Jeff every time they weren't
on. Yeah, he was aman of bringing you all that food that

(01:48):
y'all had here at the Marriotte outthere so yeah, it was a great
hospitality there you go, you know. All right, So glad you've been,
like you said, you've actually startedearly covering a lot of You've been
to a lot of seven on sevencamps. You've been to a lot of
things already, haven't you. Yeah, Yeah, we've been to a few,
most recently the Black Creek seven onseven out there in Gaston City High

(02:09):
School. They did a great jobhosting that event, most recent one.
All right, I want you todo me a favorite kind of tell us
what you see in the you know, I tell you earlier when we talked,
I consider the Birmingham metro area awide area, you know what I
mean. I don't just consider itthe Birmingham City Schools, Hoover, Thompson,
that whole cast of characters as Icall them, as you know.

(02:30):
So I want you to give usa rundown. Start right there with Thompson,
because you've you went to Thompson andMark Freeman and I are very close
as you. Coach Freeman and Iare very close, as you know,
in the Superintendent, doctor Vickers andA. D. Jeff and I are
good friends with Coach Vincent, allthose guys they've been on the march.
Tell us a little bit about Thompson. They're going to be good. We
were talking about Trent see one earlythis morning, what an excellent quarterback he

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is. But first, I mean, and I'm going to say this,
I kind of sorry the question thatcame back. I'm very proud of coach
Freeman in many ways, but I'mmost proud of the way he displays his
faith. Where's it on the sleeve? He doesn't mind doing that? Does
he glad? Now? Not atall? And you know, you can
say a lot about a person,you know, from what he's willing to

(03:14):
divulge to the public. And yehave Thompson, you know, really been
the class of seven A over thepast half decade and they turned it into
an elite program there and especially lookingforward into this year, you know it's
going to be a little bit differentfrom them. You know, Now you're
not at the top of the mountain. And when I've played at Thompson,
Coach Freeman always talked about reaching thetop of the mount everybody's climbing to get

(03:38):
you. And now there's going tobe a bit of a chip on Trent
seborne shoulder on those receivers shoulder,and especially in coach Freeman's shoulder. You
know, Thompson returning starting quarterbacks TrentSeabourne, like we talked about. But
there's gonna be a little bit ofchange now, you know, you know
you're not gonna have colbe Hearn anymore. Number seven was a great wide receiver
for them last year. You're notgonna have Colden land Drew. It was

(04:00):
a five star basketball prospect who actuallymoved to Georgia, UH to play in
a prep academy, So you won'thave him. New running back a J.
Green. There's going to be alot of turnover on this Thompson offense,
and you're going to be very interestedto see how these new receivers can
adapt around Truck Seaborn and just whatkind of changes are going to be made
there. So cautious optimism right nowis the way I'm Yeah, Bladlusk with

(04:26):
us on the Hamilton's Hotline. That'sa good point there. Seaborn's this will
be year number three? Is thatright for him? Yeah? Two and
a half three? Yeah, he'sis he is he a tenth grader or
yeah? No, yeah, yeah, he'll be a sophomore this year.
Man, when you start so young? Eighth grader? Guys, when he

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first took snaps in champtionships, yeah, it was an eighth grader? Yeah,
is that not? We were?I mean that's unheard of. That's
a seven. I mean, don'tyou don't see it? Especially up in
seven? Am me and Jack Hayesa Piedmont started when he was an eighth
grader. Example that I can thinkof. You know, usually when you're
a smaller school and you you need, you need to play. Okay,

(05:11):
yeah, bring it eighth graders up, Thompson, are you kidding there?
That's the greater you know what,Lad, that's a good point. Badma
preps glad of Vadasuit with U Swisswork. That's an excellent point right now.
I remember when coach Freeman told ushe was going with him. It
was in the playoffs. He said, man, he said, we just
made the choice. We're gonna gowith a sophomore, but no, the
eighth grader, And boy did itpay off? How many other coaches?

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I mean, sorry, hard question, but that's a tough trigger. That's
a tough call right there. Imean, we're going with an eighth grade
grader. Now you were were you? You were on that team? Right?
Yeah? I was a senior allright, So tell me what's that
like? I mean, how didyou guys feel? Would he? I

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mean, was it a problem?Well, we'd we'd been around Trent all
year. Trent threw in seven onseven. He was with us all summer,
so he played on the B team. He was the starting quarterback for
the BAT team. Zack Sims wasthe eight team, so we'd bring two
teams everywhere seven on seven. Sohe's getting the same amount of reps that
Zach was all year. Zack Sims, he was a starting quarterback. And

(06:17):
yeah, I think you know,if Coach Freeman felt comfortable enough to do
it, then we were all onboard with it. You know, we
had lost to Hoover nine to nothingfinal game of our regular seasons, and
we took Week eleven, as wealways did, for a bye week,
and then we'd played the playoffs,and I think somewhere along the line Coach
Freeman said, all right, Trent'sgonna start against Untsville, and we rolled

(06:40):
with it. We want to believethirty four to nothing, if I'm not
mistaken. So it was a prettygood first start, and you know there
wasn't I don't think there was muchhesitation. You know, he could sling
it as well as anybody else.So what's the problem. You know what,
It's hard to argue with that,you know what I mean? Valasuka

(07:00):
is with us, He's on ourHampton's sideline runs at Bama prep stait Again,
what prep you're getting at Dean Mark? I'm getting it And I tell
you I have it down, bigman. I tell you it's important to
get the name right. All right. So we're talking about Thoms and move
on. Let's go over to Hoover. We were talking about that situation there,
all right. So interesting going onswith Spain Park and who's got the
best program coming in this year.It's gonna be tough, you know.

(07:24):
Spain Park is, you know,returning so many great players. But I
mean there's been a lot that's leftand there's also been a lot that came
into Hoover. I've gotten a chanceto speak with coach of Bakakis on multiple
occasions, and Spain Park's gonna havea really, really good run game this
year. Moving down to sixth agegives these guys a real chance to compete
for a blue map at Protective Stadiumthis year. Dj Cally Kary Shanks is

(07:46):
going to be one of the bestone to two punches in the state.
And when you've got a quarterback likeBrock Bradley absolutely can sling it. Well,
let's look at Hoover and you askedwho's gonna be the top team come
now, and it's got to bethe Bucks in my opinion. They just
won the Hustle Up seven on sevenyou know that day host and they won
the national tournament. So they're beingteams through Georgia. They beat Thompson in

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the first round. You know MacBeeson, who is a transfer from Guard
Nails, most likely going to bestarting from this season. They're starting quarterback
last season, Jonah Winston, littlebrother of Jamis Winston, NFL quarterback.
Ever heard of him. He'll bein the sly receiver and Reggie Jackson,
who actually came from Spain Park myopinion, one of the best receiver in

(08:28):
the state. He's going to bea go to target for the Bucks.
I think they have talent all overthat team. And you know we've been
down on who over the past couphe is and you're usually not because over
the past twenty it's been absolutely dominant. Who I think Whover's going to be
back this season. I think theyhave a real, real good chance to
run for the region title, ifnot the region title. Now you're really

(08:50):
interesting interesting, all right, Glad? Tell us about the difference between and
go to Spain Pork Sure, yes, same park is. You know,
I really think they're gonna have torely on their ground game this year,
and obviously it's going to be different. You're not going to be playing Thompson
and Hoover, Hewitt Trumpsville very wecan. Now you move down a region,

(09:13):
you're gonna play Chelsea and tell himand you know, maybe some lower
competition, but that obviously is naturalmoving down to six A. And when
you look at six A South asa whole, you know where they're going
to be. You look at maybePike Road, you look at Sarland as
that are going to compete down there. To make it all the way up
to Protective and Spain Park. Youknow, there's a difference between seven and

(09:35):
and six A Steeds. And whenI went to the Hewitt Parker spring game,
you see it. And there's areason why Hewitt, who some considered
less talent played in deep Parker becausehe is absolutely different. And I think
that same park is going to havethat this season. All they know,
all they've seen is Hoover and Thompsonand Hewitt and all these really good teams.

(09:58):
And I think that the difference thisyear is just going to be explosing
this on offense. You lose ReggieJackson at receiver, you know, you
lose a couple of pieces on thatoffense. So we'll we'll see. With
Spain park I'm very confident in theirability to win six A. That's not
something I could really say if theywere seven eights. You know what,
that's an interesting topic. Vlad vallasitwith Bama preps. Go ahead, Ye,

(10:24):
Thompson has an alignment that comes fromSpain Parker as we'll play this season,
right, yeah, Jared Smith,Yeah, and another nose tackle Spain
park WHOA, I'm sorry interrupt youback up say that again now? And
yeah, so Jared Smith, ifyou're talking defensive line, correct, Well,
he was a basketball player, footballplayer, I think defense. Yeah,

(10:48):
he's ranked nationally as a four star. And then they also got Nicholas
Alston, who was a defensive tacklefrom Spain Park, so both of them
moved over to Thompson. Okay,interesting, interesting, all right, all
right, give us your next teamin the metro area. You think,
now I go to the two rightthere, Give us your next team.
You're looking at that, you think, I mean how far if you want

(11:09):
to go, We'll just give meyour next team in that area. I'll
tell you this morning. Well,well, there's no need to go to
Huntsville. So well this is stay. Let's stay in the Birmingham area are
Let's go to Parker. That's underand herd. You know, they've always
been a competitor over there in sixA. And you know coach Frank Warren

(11:31):
getting Thompson running back coach Connor McGavinto be their new offensive coordinator. I
think it's going to do wonders forthe Parker offense. This was a team
that was a good scheme away fromprobably being in the state title last season.
I thought they had a real chanceof beating Klay Chalk the last year.
And we knew how good that Clayteam was with be on a backway

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and the talent is here for Parkerthat's got one of the top players in
the country name offered, has gota really good nose tackling Joan Crawford,
and then some of the pieces onoffense. You know, this is where
it starts to sort of the waters. Get a little money for me,
new offensive coordinator, new quarterback andDylan Reese, new running back for Mormon

(12:16):
Jordan, and a bunch of newreceivers. This this is probably the most
transfer heavy team I've seen this year, you know, and that entire thing
really adds a new dynamic for Parker. They're they're gonna they're gonna be a
lot different, and I you know, I think what Coo McGavin's gonna do
is bringing in sort of a Thompsonstyle offense. From everything I've seen,

(12:39):
That's what it looks like. Heyou know, it really looks like a
not a carbon copy. You know, it's obviously mixed up a little bit,
but it looks like Thompson's offense.But when you have so many different
transfers, these aren't guys who areeating with each other every day, you
know, playing the game with eachother every day. They're gonna have to
mesh and we'll have to come andsee come August. All right, these

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transfers, how many they got that. Uh, I don't know if I
can give you a number. Well, I guess and I shouldn't ask it.
I mean you think you know,I'd say anywhere between eight to twelve.
Good gracious, it's counting up.And what did you say, glad?

(13:20):
I said, it's it's counting up. Now, you know some of
these mobile schools are getting a lotof friends food Bowen County, Allwen County.
Now we can get down to thattoo. Well, you know being
explained, Uh, Viger is afailing school? Is that right? Mark?
So they can they named it asa failing school so they can leave

(13:43):
legally from Viger to go. Soyou know, Theodore picked up a big
Now you're going to Mobile. Iknow. I was just saying, I
wonder if we are we looking atsomething like that in Birmingham. All I
know about Mobile is they don't playmuch offense down there, the sad of
sarah Land. Yes that's a goodpoint, but what's that? What do
you think about what he just said? Is there anything there? You can

(14:03):
leave a school if it's a failingschool. Yeah, I didn't be real.
I know that was the thing Ididn't know. Oh, yeah,
you need to look at that up, lad. Oh, yeah, that's
happened at Montgomery. That's why theseguys are leaving Biger headed too. Of
course one transferred to Viger. Youremember the kid from Bayside was it Bayside
Academy that the quarterback? Yes,he was a quarterback. But then the

(14:26):
then a big big line of uhtransferred to Theodore Yeah, michaelbo. Yeah,
so let me tell you, Glad, those felling schools. Yeah,
that hit Montgomery. That's when Carverbecame a part crossing one of those.
We need to look out for Carvertoo. Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaking of that, you've been toBobby carrs By the way, Lad,

(14:46):
Valla suit with us at Bama Preps. He's gonna be with us every
week on the mark. He's inthe Birmingham metro area. You went over
to see Bobby Carr at at atUH and and Montgomery, Jeff and I
think that's a sleeping He's got aheck of a staff. He's got a
former head coach, several former headcoaches. He's got one gentleman that Jeff
and I think the world of RobertJohnson. Yeah. I mean, he's

(15:09):
got a good. He's looking ata good little program there. I think
school's consolidating Montgomery geez, yeah,Carlon Montgomery to Squay. I got a
chance to go out to last week. Then's had a very talented seed and
you know, as per usual forCarver, right, you know, they
always have the athlete, They're alwaysgoing to have a great set of talent.

(15:30):
But what you need is a coachto harness that. And I mean,
what better option than one of thelegends of our game here in Alabama
and Bobby Carr. You know whathe's been able to do in the assay
and you know now he's making abig jump. Now he's going all the
way down from assay to seven eightfootball and probably the second toughest region in
the state. You know, it'snot no cakewalk every week outside of maybe

(15:54):
SOMEOO station, right, but they'regoing to be playing Opal Laika and Auburn
in Central City and Enterprise and doping, and they're going to have to have
the guns to match up with that. I think they will. Alabama commit
at running back. Five star runningback Anthony Rogerson, who originally left Pike
Road went to IMG Academy, findinghis way back to Carver. When I

(16:15):
talked to him, I asked,Hey, why did you come back?
He said, I just wanted tocome back home. Karl Russell three star
quarterbacks for them, He'll be swingingin around. I believe Bobby's son is
going to be the quarterback coach thisyear. I forget his name, but
I'm sure that he's going to doa great job at four star wide receiver.
He k Norman Texas A and Mcommit the talent on this offense.

(16:37):
His dudes who can get the ball. And if we're going to be realistic
with Carver here, I'd say,I say they can compete for a state
title this year, but they're goingto be losing a little bit of talent.
So I think your window is veryshort. If they're going to strike,
it's got to be this year.Interesting, very interesting. Lad,

(16:57):
you've done a good job with awho else. Let's go back up to
Birmingham where we were talking. Youmade, We talked about Parker. Is
there another school that you see,Hey, this team may be pretty sporty
mm hmm. Yeah, I meanlet's talk about Clay. Okay, Yeah,

(17:18):
that's a great one. That's gonnabe interesting. Region six has been
known for being one of the betterregions. And it can't it can't get
much better than what last season wasa fourteen to zero state championship run where
you beat arguably two of the bestyou know schools in the state, let
alone the country. Right, theybeat Thompson at Thompson, people forget this.

(17:44):
Jalen and Backway ran wild over theThompson defense on esp N. Then
they play Parker in the semifinals.Then they have to play the juggernaut that
is Fairyland with Ryan Williams and withall those playmakers, and they've won that
game. Jalen and Bockway won themgame. But guess what, he's not
there anymore. Drew Gilmer off toHoover rodd Ivy. You know, all

(18:07):
these D'Angelo barber, these pieces thatyou know were the core of your team
were all leaving. Aj Williams theleft guard for the entire season, transfers
with Thompson. There's there's a lotof holes to fill. And you know,
you head coach Stuart Floyd, whowon them the state championship nineteen ninety
nine, one, in fourteen one, in twenty one one, in twenty

(18:27):
three, he's a he's a ClayChalkville man and he's going to have to
be at the helm. Now.I think Aaron Fry is a very good
quarterback. We got to see alittle bit of him against Parker wh and
backway got injured Kegan Slinger, buthe's also got the wheels. But how
do you replace the production of somany of those two players? And I
think that's the big question of claytChockhill. You know he'll be a playoff

(18:48):
team, but it you know,we'll see from there because there's a lot
of teams at six A. Yeah, that's a very good point. I
like your point on six A seveneight. We've seen that difference, Jeff.
There is a lot of difference inso I don't think it's as wide
as other classes led, but itis. It is wide, you know.
Yeah, all right, any otherquick spots you want to mention before

(19:11):
we go, lad that you thinkis important and then tell us about your
site things you do. Yeah,sure, well, I guess maybe one
more would be Oxford and right nowthey're probably my second favorite to win six
am Sam Adams, how about that? Yeah? Yeah, coach Adams.
You know from everything I've heard whenhe got to that program, there wasn't

(19:33):
much left and you know, therebuilt job that he's done over these past
three years in my opinions, whenhe's been one of the best in the
state. He's got a quarterback backand Slain that they actually wont to Black
kick seven on seven that we wentto and Gaston. You know, MEM's
absolutely can sling the ball and they'vegot a lot of good players on that

(19:53):
Oxford team. I think that they'redefinitely going to be in competition this season.
But I think that thought it outpretty good one. All right,
tell everybody about Bama Preps, Fladwhere they see can see all that good
stuff you're putting out. Sure,absolutely so. We are on Instagram and
Twitter also known as X. Wehave a YouTube channel and a website.
That YouTube is Bama Preps. Thewebsite is Bama preps dot org. That's

(20:18):
where you can see all of ourphotos, you know, all of the
videos that we put out, thearticles that would put out, that's all
on the website. YouTube is moreof our long form content. We also
do a podcast throughout the year andInstagram and X the Twitter is where most
of our main content is located.It's where you'll see all of our score
graphics, keeping you up to date. You know, as soon as as

(20:41):
soon as the games get over,we'll have something out. If it's a
big game. We do all ofour news on there and you know,
really social media. You there,Bud, Yeah? Vin, Yeah,
I thought I lost you for aminute. Ahead. Did you finish it?
Oh? Hey yeah, did younot hear I did? I thought
I lost you in my headset,But you were good. You just made

(21:03):
a change over. Hey man,you did a great job today. I've
enjoyed getting to know you and lookforward to working with you, and thank
you so much for your time.We'll talk to you next Monday. Blad
all right, but one too?All right, there you go. That's
Flad on the mark. It's withBama Preps. He'll build a