Opelika Spring Football Game Preview

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
This it's the Coach Brian Moore Show with Oprahlac. I
had football coach Brian Moore and now with Coach Moore,
the voice of the Bulldogs, Man Wrecks.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome in episode two of The Brian Moore Show, Van
Riggs alongside Coach Brian Moore and coach Here it is
spring football. I know in full swing. Now, it's been
a while we were talking. It's been back since January
since we talked. A lot has happened since then. But
before you got into spring practice, you had an opportunity
to really to get some guys out on the field
a little bit along kind of talk about that process
a little bit.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, So the state gives us ten what they call
two hour practices, and so they can't be padded, you know,
and so there's some limitations of what you can do.
But for us, it was a way to get out
teach our kids what, you know, practice, what drills are called,
and where they need to be in the circuits and
all that kind of stuff. We did do team and
scale and that sort of thing. But it gave an
opportunity to get ahead, which in the past, you know,

(01:04):
we could not do that, and so that was a
great advantage for us, especially you know, coming into a
new you know, new deal and having a new staff.
I think it gave our kids sort of confidence in
getting the spring and so I thought it was really
good to get acclimated.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
We had a lot of moving parts.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
We had kids playing baseball and kids in tennis, and
kids in golf, and so it wasn't perfect, you know,
and and our coaches too, were everywhere, but it allowed
us to get ahead.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
And I thought we made a lot of progress to
those two hour practice.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
All right, and then rolling right into spring. I know
you've got those guys that weren't at those practices out
and how it's just spring practice been in general, well, you.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Know, there's a lot to do and I think some
things to fix. You know, just with any team when
you start spring, whether you're new or not, you know,
it's a new team, new sort of new leadership and
and so and the new quarterback and stuff like that.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
So you know, that's been a big change.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
But I've been really pleased with our kids, really pleased
with our coaches.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
You know, I thought the first practice a little soft, to.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Be honest with you, and uh, I didn't think we
were very tough, but over the last five days it's
been a lot better. And I thought our scrimmage Thursday
last week was really physical. The quarterbacks were live, the
return guys were live, something you don't normally do at
this level. And uh, you know, I thought our young
quarterback stepped up in the pocket and did a great job.

Speaker 4 (02:12):
All of them did.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Then we had five guys play quarterback in the scrimmage
and I thought the kids played well. And again, everything's
about getting acclimated and having our coaches learn all that
stuff as well has been huge. But you know, I'm
excited about having sort of a prize at the end
that spring game, Uh, something to work towards.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
And so the way that we structure we go three weeks.

Speaker 3 (02:32):
We did two days the first week for the second
with a scrimmage to finish, uh. And then you know,
this week becomes game week, you know, getting ready for Clay.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
And you know, a buddy of.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Mine from North Alabama colle and he was like, man,
you're jumping off in the hornets and that's right here
with Clay, and I started laughing, and I said, but
we want to see, you know, we want to see
where we're at and you know, they're really talented, and
really the school's about the same size as Hours, it's
probably less than one hundred kids smaller, So basically were
playing a very you know the diverse you know, it's
diverse group, and they got a lot of athletes and
you know they've got everything there to be successful, just

(03:02):
coming off the state championship, and so they look a
lot like US as a school, and so I thought
it'd be a great measuring stick for us.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
I had a chance to be in Tuscaloosa during that game,
and they've played Sarahlynn that it was a big team.
I know some of those guys have gone. They've got
a new coach too, so that's right. So some you
know things you don't know about.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
Internal hire coach Floyd and he'll do a great job
there and uh, you know, for them to keep that
consistency of having a coach that was already on staff,
I think will be big for him. I'm glad the
quarterback's gone. He was quite a player that at Alabama
right now, and but it'll be good. It'll be good
for us to see and again it'll be a measuring
stick for our team.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
You mentioned a quarterback battle going against this defense that
you've got coming back. You've got some guys that are
getting some major SEC attention, some that are committed to
SEC schools, like Malik Ye. Just talk about the challenge
that is. But that's got to be great practice and
great reps for those guys.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
I tell our offensive line, you know, if you can
block that D line, you can block any Malik Alter
is one of the best players that I'll ever coach.
I know that, and so I'm taking advantage and grateful,
you know, to have him and his parents and what
a great you know, leader and young man that he is.
You know, when I got here, I looked at his transcripts,
the EIGHTP student. He's just a unicorny special, you know,
and so you've got to really enjoy those times.

Speaker 4 (04:09):
You know.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
I've learned that in all these years coaching, and Mary
Smiley's had a great spring, and I think he's an
SEC player and he's had a lot of interest from
Kentucky and places like that. Uh Ja Kai Lightfoot has
you know, had a great spring as well. He'll be
a college player also. And then you know, adding with
our linebackers, you know, uh Tyler Moore being back from
injury huge for US. Alan Jackson moving there to Mike

(04:30):
from defensive end has been a big pick up. And
then ty Hudson, you know, coming to us, has had
a great spring. He's everything I thought he would be.
I think defensively, you know, it starts with the box,
you know. You know, Braden Stinson's had a great, you know,
great spring at defensive end, a guy that's sort of
a you know, a little bit of an overachiever, has
worked his way into the position he's in.

Speaker 4 (04:50):
Of course, Carson Moss has had a great spring.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
And then the back end, you know, it's been it's
been good, you know, not giving up big plays of course,
court Ingram and Devin Dixon and Kevan King and uh
tyree'se p.

Speaker 4 (05:00):
You just got some vets back there.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
Leland Bale really excited about our defense, and you know
he got a long way to go.

Speaker 4 (05:06):
Man, I'll tell you this. You know, as good as
Malika is.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
After the first day of practice, I called him in
and I said, you know, you are great. You're a
great player. You got an opportunity to be unbelievable. But
there's still more in there. I said, I don't know
how many people tell you that that you know, you're
not getting everything out of yourself.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
I said, but I need to see you do that,
and got Lee day two.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
It was just like body slamming everybody and so, uh,
you know that that's my job. My job is to
pull the very best out of our staff, our school,
our kids, everything, And I hope I'm doing that and
guys like Malik are responding so great to it.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
That's just exciting for me.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Special teams can win your all games too. You've got
Marshall Myers bag as a volunteer coach, played at Auburn University.
I was played started here at Opelaika, that's right, and
he's working with a couple of talented kickers and some
and some good special Teams players.

Speaker 4 (05:49):
There's no doubt.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
And you know, we've got some work to do to
finish Marshall's coaching classes and all that kind of stuff.
But I said, hey, man, come out and watch these
guys and tell me you know you're you're you know
you went to school here and played at Auburn and right,
just come and tell me kind of you know, I
don't know anything about kicking, you know, And all I
do is just try to you know, tell you know,
create confidence in those guys and try to help them
along the way. But Marshall's been great, you know as

(06:11):
far as keeping guys on task and just sort of
being a positive you know, I call them kind of
the kicker whisper, you know, that's just sort of you know,
for him to make that guy think he's the greatest
thing out there, you know, in the game and have
a lot of confidence in himself.

Speaker 4 (06:23):
And we put a lot of pressure on kickers, and I.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Think, you know, for for us, Johnny Cscina has had
a great spring, you know, Reese Beasley being a young
guy that's going to be a really good player, and
then Zion Henderson as the punter, have just been great.
In our specialists, you know, Brody holding and you know
Cam Railey snapping, and we've got some new faces there.
But really excited about our special teams. And I want
to mention coach Ferguson does such a great job with
our special teams and it's been fun to incorporate my

(06:49):
philosophy on special teams with what we've done here and
seeing how we can make that good.

Speaker 4 (06:52):
We've met with Alabama staff Auburn staff.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
We've spent a lot of time with really good coaches
this offseason to figure out what we want to do
and what fits our personnel here, and I'm just excited
about the improvement with that group.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Absolutely, talk about some other of your coaching hires. I
know you had a couple of big ones here in
the off season.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
Two Yeah, I know that. Well.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
First, you know, bringing Mike Murray back I thought was
a big was huge for us. Mike is a veteran,
great coach and just demands, you know, excellence from his players,
and that's what we're looking for. Ultimate accountability, works some hard.
They've been really disciplined. He's got two really good seniors
to work with and some younger kids that are going
to be really good. He's done a great job Tyler
Dawkins being our co DC, helping coach our back in

(07:32):
that allows coach Massy to kind of focus on the
front still, you know, be the overall play caller, but
allows coach Dawkins to help him with that.

Speaker 4 (07:39):
And of course he's working.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
With Jamail and those guys that have done it and
really pleased with the progress. Day one threw the ball
over their head a couple of times. Mike text me
that night he said it won't happen again the next day,
you know, shut everything down and did a great job.
And that's the way he operates. And of course Tyler
Dawkins will do the same thing. But yeah, just please
with that group. And then of course, you know we
already talked about J. D Atkins, you know, coming and

(08:01):
being oro oc. He's done a great job, you know,
and a guy that I trust and has been with
me for a little while and played here and just
means a lot too.

Speaker 4 (08:09):
Has just been great.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
So and then I want to mention too William k
Hill taking over the ninth grade that was a program
that needed more help, more certified teachers helping with it,
and just been really pleased with him and the job
he's done because they've been coming over and practicing with us,
so I get to see them every day, and then
at the scrimmage, you know, getting to know those guys
and watch them and film it, and you know, mister
Tillwell and his group filming it and us getting to

(08:31):
watch it and all that, and of course they'll play
next Thursday as well, But really please with coach k
Hill and his staff coach Pickens and those guys that
have all coach done that have all added him.

Speaker 4 (08:41):
To that group. So just been really impressed with them.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
We mentioned one of the first things you did was
build a nutrition bar, yeah, in the indoor practice facility,
and you also added strength and conditioning coach, and that's
something that's not only gonna be football, but it's going
to be all sports.

Speaker 4 (08:53):
Right.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
Well, you know, we had some help locally. One of
our parents, I don't know if he wanted me to mention,
but was completely done it to us.

Speaker 4 (09:00):
And how nice is that It's.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
Got frank granite countertops and a roll door and coke
came and graphicked it up. And just really really thankful
to him, you know for doing that, because we serve
out of that every day. So basically pre workout, our
kids eat a rice Chrispy treat, a piece of fruit,
and drink a whole water to have to down the
whole thing and throw it away, and so that's to
make sure they're hydrated, you know, and some of them
take them and refill and drink on it all day.

Speaker 4 (09:22):
It just sets the tone for them to think.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
About that, like, well all of us really should, you know,
and it's something we should be doing. And then post workout,
we drink a core Power and it's got twenty seven
grams of protein in it and two hundred something calories
and then we go eat breakfast. And so we've seen
kids gain not just our bigs, but our skilled kids
gain as much as fifteen to twenty pounds and cort
Ingram being one, I mean he was like a buck

(09:45):
sixty's one hundred and eighty one pounds right now. That's
a massive difference for a guy to be able to
handle the run and be able to help tackle and
you know, be big and strong.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
And it helps him put on college radars too.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
You know, I can say he's five ten ways one
hundred and eighty can run and a multi your starter.
I mean, that's something that we can sell. It's a
great student, you know, above a three five gpa. So
just some things like that have been really good. But
we're thankful for the nutrition center. It gives our kids
a place to go, sort of a hub to serve
out of. We got fridge in there and all that
kind of stuff, and so we're really thankful.

Speaker 4 (10:16):
To have it.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
Stadium renovations looking incredible, I know, the lights are finishing
up now, the jumbo tron is installed, the turf is
in a little fire when you first got here. Finally
to the Men's restaurant up there, it's been completed and
so it's ready to go for the spring football game.

Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, it's gonna look great. You know.

Speaker 3 (10:32):
The jumbo tron was up and running. We could see
a little bit of it yesterday. They were taking pictures
of it on Sunday, you know, showing that, and then
of course the turf to day we had a grand
opening and you and several you know, our community members
and city personnel came and you know, watch practice, and
I just wanted them to see the kids, Like that's
what it's about. I wanted them to see what the
kids how, what how they reacted as they were running

(10:54):
out on the field, and they were just so excited
about it, you know, And because that's again, that's what
it's about. We're here to create an experience for young
people to make them remember for the rest of their lives.
For some people, this is the biggest part of their life.
And I hate to say that. I hope that they
continue and go on to be the president or whatever.
But some of our kids, the highlight of their life

(11:14):
is playing in Bulldog Stadium, and so why would we
not create an atmosphere for them to enjoy and something
to be proud of. This is the best high school
football stadium in Alabama, and I'm so thankful for that.

Speaker 4 (11:24):
To me.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
You know, I was here when it was started, when
the renovation for the first time we put the turf
down and all that stuff and the old jumbo tron,
and it's so cool to be back and see the
renovations again.

Speaker 4 (11:34):
It's just a blessing and I'm just thankful.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
You know, thankful to doctor Seymour and board and Mayor
Fuller and city council folks and Eddie Smith and everybody
involved for getting that done.

Speaker 4 (11:43):
It's just it truly is a blessing for us.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
And I know something for the younger kids that are
listening to you want the Friday night atmosphere to almost
carry down into the ninth grade, the eighth grade and
the seventh grade games as well.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
That's right, you know for me, and even practice, you
know when I was here the first time we practice
at the old ninth grade field. Well, the goal is
is that we're going to practice in Bulldog Stadium with
our freshmen and then with our varsity. For us, you know,
not only the game day atmosphere, but also practice. You know,
we want to have our freshmen be able to practice
in Bulldog Stadium as well, you know, use the lines
and the turf and the dimensions, because it's how we align,

(12:15):
you know, that's how we teach and coach, and so
that's a huge advantage for us too. And the way
that we've structured our school day schedule as well as
our varsity practice then beat in the morning, you know,
the younger guys being in the afternoon allows us to
use Bulldog Stadium more so, again, we're fortunate. We want,
you know, even all the way down to our youth
leagues to be able to play out there and enjoy
that baby for a championship game or whatever. I want

(12:35):
it to be special for those little guys all the
way up to play in Bulldog Stadium. I mean, selfishly,
I want my seven year old to play their eleven
year old to play their thirteen year old, to play
their varsity you know, I want all that and for yours,
you know, I want the same, and I just think
it makes this place special and it makes them want
to do that in the future. That's one of the
huge incentives to plan is to be able to run
out there under those lights flickering red and black and

(12:58):
all that stuff, and then their face on the I'm trying.
It's just a huge again, a blessing for us.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Well for Bulldog fans, A great opportunity not only for
the spring coming up on May fifteenth at First Baptist
Church in opele Aika in the three sixteen center Opahaka
football lunch and and then this will not only be
something you do in the spring, but it'll be something
you we would like to do weekly and plan to
do weekly in the fall football season.

Speaker 4 (13:17):
Yeah. So it's funny.

Speaker 3 (13:17):
When I was a player, my dad went to a
Tuesday night deal. So as a player, my coach in
high school would show film of the game and he
loved it like that was something because it's a shot
of you, perspective that fans can't get just from sitting
in there. And I started doing it when I went
to you follow as the head coach there, and I
did it every stop, and we're going to do it again.

(13:38):
And starting this Wednesday, the fifteenth, we're going to be
in the three sixteenth Center at twelve and we honor
lunch time, so we're never past one. It's twelve to
one on schedule. We have a catered lunch. It costs
ten dollars basically just to pay.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
For the food. We don't really make anything from it.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
And you know, I, along with coach Massie and Coach Atkins,
are going to go through some personnel from the spring
then preview the game against clatch Awful. In normal weeks,
we'll meet on Thursday at lunch, always the day before
the game, and we'll do the same thing. I'll show film,
but what I don't want it to do is to
be too long. I want to hit the high notes
and basically just celebrate our kids. And then eventually we'll

(14:13):
have more coaches come players. Malik and those guys will
be there to be able to talk and it's so cool.
I think one of the biggest takeaways from it in
the past was what those kids actually know more than
just running and tackling, Like the scheme and all the
thought process that they go through that they know, and
how much work they put into it too, and how
much study and they've done as well, and how well
they know their opponent as well. I just think it

(14:35):
gives an inside view and access to the program that
you can't get anywhere else. So I'm excited about and
hope a lot of people will come.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, that'll be a Wednesday night, May fifteenth, again, three
sixteen center, First Baptist Church in Ope, like us, starts
at noon. That'll be in the lower level there at
a FBC. Opal like coach always appreciate the visit at
the time. We look forward to a big spring, big
lunch and kickoff on Wednesday, and many more at least
to come.

Speaker 4 (14:57):
Yeah, I hope everybody will come out and support us
May sixteenth. Here.

Speaker 3 (15:00):
The way that we'll go through that is the eighth
grade will start at four, ninth grade will start at five,
jv at six, Varsity at seven. It's five dollars to
get in. That'll help us get through the summer and
you know, pay for some seven or seven's and stuff.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
And we hope.

Speaker 3 (15:12):
Everybody's there, you know, bring your family out and see everything.
It's a new day, you know, and everything that we've
been working towards. I hope we put a good product
out there. I'll tell you this, the kids have earned
the right to be successful in the game. They've worked
their tail off in the weight room, they've had a
great spring, and we're just excited to see how we
measure up.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
Bulldog fans that can't make it or that are a way,
you can tune in on ninety seven point seven Kicker FM.
We'll be on the air with coverage at five thirty
and JV kick off at six and varsity at seven,
and then before that, of course the middle school games
and also available on the NFHS network.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
So coach, good luck, appreciate it, Thanks man. This has
been the Ryan Moore Show. US