The 2023 high school football season kicks off Friday for coach Bryan Moore and his Hartselle Tigers as they travel to Decatur for a rivalry matchup with the Austin Black Bears.

Last season
The Tigers defeated Austin 45-17 last season behind the passing of Jake Smith, who finished 25-28 for 345 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Eli Tidwell had seven receptions for 179 yards and three touchdowns, while Ri Fletcher had seven for 73 yards and a score. Walker Hoyle led the defense with nine tackles, while Peyton Steele and Treyce Oden had seven.

The Tigers
The Tigers finished last season 12-1 with a 6A Region 7 championship. They advanced to the third round of the 6A state playoffs before losing to Mountain Brook.

Hartselle enters the season replacing all but three starters on offense. Fletcher returns at running back for his senior season. He finished with over 2,000 total yards last season, including 1,306 yards rushing. Joining him in the backfield will be senior quarterback Landon Blackwood, who started at wide receiver last season. The offensive line will include five new starters led by seniors Scout Arp, Elliott Hawes, and junior Harrison Tapscott. The Tigers scored 41.3 points per game last season.

The Tigers’ defense will be the strength of the team this season. They return six starters and add two transfers who will see significant minutes this season. The defensive line will be led by junior Porter Simmons, a three-year starter with 87 tackles and four sacks last season. Joining him on the line will be senior Christian Baulding, a transfer from James Clemens, and Andrew Carroll, a transfer from Cullman. The linebackers are led by senior Jake Haynes, who led the team with 120 tackles and four sacks last season. The secondary is led by seniors Peyton Steele, Ja’kalab Goodwin and Drake Borden. Steele had 111 tackles and three interceptions last season. Borden had a team-high six interceptions, while Goodwin had four. Hartselle allowed 18.2 points per game last season.

The Black Bears
The Black Bears finished 7-4 last season with a 7A Region 4 championship. They advanced to the first round of the 7A state playoffs before losing to Vestavia Hills.

Austin returns an experienced offense led by senior quarterback Judd Bailey. He was a backup last season and won the starting role just a week before the season opener. Joining him in the backfield will juniors Gavin Fuqua and Kenneth Joshua, Jr. The two combined for almost 1300 yards last season. Senior Nick Crayton leads the receiving corps. Joining him will be Jaxon Potter. Seniors Nigel Carter and Jamari Moody return as starters on the offensive line, while junior Josiah Flood will step into a starting role. The Black Bears scored 24.5 points per game last season.

Three-star defensive lineman Achilles Wood, a South Alabama commit, leads the defense. Linebacker Solomon Lyle might be the best defensive player for Austin, however. Kam’ron Powell and Jeremiah Carter, both seniors at linebacker, will join him. The secondary, a weakness for the team last season, will be led by Ethan Wynn and Easton Palmer. Austin allowed 25.2 points per game last season.

The game
The game should be a hard-fought game as both offenses are in need of gaining valuable experience under the lights, while the defenses lead both squads.

Hartselle has an advantage at the quarterback and running back positions, while Austin has the edge on the offensive line and receiver.

The Tigers hold the advantage overall on defense with the stronger defensive line and secondary units. The linebacking units are even going into the game.

Austin holds an advantage in the placekicking and punting games, while Hartselle holds a slight edge in the return game.