LEIGHTON, Ala. — We are now down to the wire. High school football teams in the Tennessee Valley are in the fight to the finish line. It’s in hopes of reaching the playoffs and ultimately become state champions.
We meet a team with an astounding record making 45 out of the last 47 seasons. They’re on the road to their 48th appearance. We’re talking about the Colbert County Indians.
This small town of Leighton has birthed some big names in Alabama football.
“As you can see, they had Ozzie Newsome. Ozzie went out and played. He was a first round draft pick with the Cleveland Browns. Browns moved to Baltimore, he became the general manager for the Baltimore Ravens,” said Interim Principal, and Athletic Director, Lee Craft.
A number of these former players are from Colbert County High School in Leighton.
“Phil Gargis played at Auburn. He was a quarterback at Auburn. He was drafted by the New York Jets as a running back,” said Craft.
So when Craft walks down these halls he reflects on the school’s history. “I've been here 32 years,” said Craft.
“Since 1967, we've missed the playoffs maybe handful of times since 1978. We've missed playoffs twice in 1980 and in 2011. That was the only two times we missed the playoffs, said Craft.
Making it to the playoffs is not a possibility at Colbert County High School, but an expectation.
“It's not a thing of, are you? It's you better,” said Craft.
Craft knows all too well. He was a player turned coach, and now athletic director.
“I got the state championships here when I started coaching. I started coaching in 93,” said Craft.
Craft earned another state championship the following year in 1994. Then two years later in 1996. He led the team to another state championship.
It’s been twenty-eight years since.
“We're trying to get back there and hopefully we will,” said Craft.
However, the culture of making it to a playoff appearance remains. “We have a tradition that demands that we give our best and we do our best and not only on the football field, but here in the school building.”
We meet the current coach who also coached Craft when he was a player.
“We've got no choice but to uphold that tradition,” said Head Football Coach, Scott Hannah. “I've been here on and off since 1984. So this is. This pretty much feels like home to me.”
Coach Scott Hannah remembers the glory days. “We've talked about that a lot these days, but current players are aware of that. We've been in a win or go home situation that if we didn't win the last four games, we wouldn't have gotten in the playoffs for only the second time in 44 years.”
Hannah says he and the team knows the stakes are high. “These kids are enjoying it. They didn't want to just get here, you know, they want to make it past the first round. And they know what's at stake. They believe in our the work we've put in believe in what got us this far.”
Craft says regardless of students on or off the field, students are destined for greatness.
“The kids here, the students here, they grow up and it's kind of ingrained in them that we're going to be successful.”
