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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

It seems like every year I get around to writing a column piece about the atmosphere and environments around Chilton County as the new football season begins. Sticking with the tradition, and being a sports writer at heart trying to find every excuse to write about a sports-related topic, the first two weeks of football in Chilton County have been nothing short of incredible.

Week zero, as many people refer to it as, was stolen by the Jemison High School Panthers upending Thorsby High School for its first in-county win under head coach John Therrell. I will say it for everyone, that was his biggest win at Jemison, and talking to Therrell throughout the last two seasons it is clear he has a drive and a passion for that program. He has a vision for it and a drive to want to achieve that vision, and it was cool to see him celebrate with his players after working extremely hard for the win.

A week later, you had Chilton County and Billingsley high schools, along with Thorsby, who rebounded with massive wins in week two to get back to a .500 record. Isabella High School showed they are ready to compete for another deep run into the state playoffs winning the county’s most anticipated rivalry game over Maplesville High School in week two.

Maplesville starts its season with an 0-2 record for the second consecutive season, but I am just like everyone else who knows the Red Devils’ program and head coach Brad Abbott, it will not stay like that for long and I guarantee they have taken the start to the 2023 season personally and will come into their region schedule prepared to play.

As teams move into the heart of the schedule and to the games that mean a lot, I encourage people to see how much teams improve throughout a season from game to game. While it may not show on the scoreboard at the end of the game every time, if you pay attention to certain matchups and techniques each player has it is clear how much they improve throughout a season. Which is everything to coaches across the county.

Enjoy the 2023 football season, and continue reading our coverage in each paper and on our website www.clantonadvertiser.com each Saturday morning.