Even last summer, Bob Godsey believed that Hartselle’s football team had the potential to win 12 games.
He even felt Hartselle had a serious shot to reach the Super 6 and play for a state championship this season, even when many around the state were dismissing a program that had won 22 of 26 games the previous two years.
With a 12-2 finish and a No. 1 ranking at the end of the regular season, Godsey – the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 5A coach of the year – certainly drew the attention of football people across the state.
“I really had a lot of confidence not only in the guys we had coming back even though we had some holes, but in some of our younger players,” Godsey said. “We felt good about the guys that we had coming back.
“With guys like Will Lang, Malcolm Fossett and Will Tiffin offensively, and (Austin) Borden, (Jake) Kimbrell, (Casey) Goodwin and (Jackson) Reeves defensively, we were pretty solid up the middle. That’s a pretty good list to build around in some pretty good spots. We felt pretty good about the candidates that we were going to plug in too.”
Godsey led Hartselle to its second No.1 ranking in the final ASWA poll in the last three years.
The ASWA coach of the year honor was Godsey’s first state-wide honor.
“Any recognition I get is because we have a great staff that understands what it takes to get our kids to play the best that they can play,” Godsey said. “And our kids have an uncany knack of playing the best that they can play at a very consistent level. Being honored as coach of the year is really a tribute to them.
“That honor is really more of a testament to the fact that we’ve been to the quarterfinals four of the last five years,” Godsey said. “What it really shows is tthat we have an outstanding staff here and we’ve had some very good football players.”
Godsey was joined on the Class 5A all-state team by Hartselle quarterback Will Lang – a first-team selection – and honorable mention selections Austin Borden, Malcolm Fossett and Jordan Orr.
Danville quarterback Caleb Hill was an honorable mention choice in Class 3A.
Now in his 13th year as a head coach, Godsey has posted a 112-42 record with seven 10-win seasons.
During that span, only two Godsey-coached teams failed to finish with winning records. Seven of eight Hartselle teams have had winning seasons.
“There are places you can go and win a bunch of football games but it might not be the most conducive place to raise a family,” Godsey said. “There are also places you can go that might be a super place to raise a family but you might not necessarily win a lot of football games.
“Hartselle offers both – a great place to raise a family and gives me as a football coach an opportunity to win some football games and be successful. That’s what makes Hartselle special for me.”
Hartselle finished with wins over several rivals this season, including Athens, Austin, Cullman and Russellville. And the Tigers nearly overcame three fumbles in the first quarter in a loss to Decatur in the fifth week of the season.
But after the disappointing finish against the Red Raiders, Hartselle won its next eight games before losing to Briarwood Christian 24-21 in overtime in a Class 5A semifinal matchup.
“We don’t want to play that down because that’s a heck of an accomplisment, but at the same time we want to be appreciative, respectful, but not satisfied,” Godsey said. “If we’re satisfied, with getting to the semifinals, that kind of puts an end to our goals.
“We’re very humbled by the success that we’ve had. When you are satisfied, you lose that quest to continue to move forward. Our goal will always be to make it to the championship game and win the championship game. You can’t be afraid to put your neck out there. You’re not always going to make it, but if you don’t, the answer is already there. You can’t be successful if you’re afraid to go for it.”
The Tigers came into the season with some talented returning players, but graduation hit the program hard especially on the offensive line.
Godsey and the Tigers’ assistant coaches were able to plug young players into some of those key holes. For a lot of those players, this year was their time to step up.
“I think the best thing we did this season was to put the best players on the field,” Godsey said. “Some of those guys that played well for us this year weren’t even in the picture this summer, guys like Alec Durand and Blair Sittason.”
Under Godsey, the Tigers have won 34 games over the past three years, equalling the best three-year span in school history.
During his eight seasons at Hartselle, the Tigers have won at least nine games five times with two teams winning 12 games.
A big factor in Hartselle’s success this past season has been the focus of a coaching staff that has been one of the most stable groups in the state with little turnover since Godsey took over the program in 2003.
“We all get along, we all respect each other’s space,” Godsey said. “When you are together as much as we are and you’re tired, it can be very stressful. We have very few problems. Everybody here works hard and pulls there own weight.
“Trouble happens when you have somebody who isn’t doing what they are supposed to be doing. Everybody – coaches and players – does their job at Hartselle.”
The goal is winning games at Hartselle, but it isn’t the only objective, according to Godsey.
“The main thing about this staff is that they always put the kids first. we all want to win and we do everything we can to put us in that position, but we always put the kids first. To me, that’s most important.”