The Verbena football team fell to Talladega High School, 14-0, on Aug. 21.

The Verbena squad of only 19 players was greatly outnumbered Friday, and the fear of injury had coach Mike Harris concerned.

“We just don’t have any substitutes,” Harris said. “If someone gets hurt, we’re in trouble.”
Harris is also working with a young and inexperienced offensive line.

“We’ve got three untested men on the line, and now we’re figuring out where we need to move them around,” Harris said.

Despite lack of depth and some inexperience, the preseason game showed Harris some positive aspects.

“Defensively, we played well, and our conditioning was excellent. I wasn’t disappointed,” Harris said.

If Verbena can stay healthy and gain valuable experience, a good season may follow, according to Harris.

“The season depends on injuries,” he said. “If no one gets hurt, we can have a decent season.”

Verbena kicks off its season on Friday at Thorsby.