Lions to end regular season against Valley Rams
Prattville High School will end its 2014 regular season play Friday night when the Valley Rams visit Stanley Jensen Stadium. It will be third meeting between the Lions and the Rams. Valley and Prattville had a home and home series during the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
Tommy Lucas was head coach at Prattville while Robert Maddox was the head coach at Valley High. The Lions defeated Valley September 8, 1995, 20-14, playing at Valley. The first game was played in Prattville September 9, 1994 with the Lions winning, 28-6.
The 1994 season was the first year for Lucas. Despite the 4-7 record the Lions did make the playoffs, falling to Jeff Davis in the first round at Cramton Bowl, 13-6.
The following year Lucas guided the Lions to an 8-3 record and a second place finish in Region 6 Class 6A, and another trip to the state playoffs. Prattville lost, 9-7, to Vigor in the first round playing at Prichard.
Robert Maddox was Valley's head coach for both games; he is Valley High alum. Mattox was a member of the state championship Valley squad of 1970. The Rams advanced to the quarterfinals of Class 5A playoffs in 1995 before falling to Stanhope Elmore, 34-7. The Mustangs lost to Blount in the semifinals.
The 1994 Valley team lost to Stanhope Elmore in the playoffs in the first round, 13-7.
Two of Maddox's former Valley stars, John Copeland and Lemanski Hall, earned scholarships to the University of Alabama and both were named All-SEC and All-American before graduation; another player defensive back, Enrique Florence, earned an athletic scholarship and signed with Auburn University.
Maddox was head coach at Troy State University from 1988-1990 before returning to his high school in 1991. He had a 13-17 record at Troy.
Maddox took the Valley head coaching position in 1991 and coached for seven years with a 51-35 record. His teams qualified for the state playoffs six years and won four area championships. Two of his teams went to the semifinal rounds (1991-1992) where they lost memorable games to Mobile's Blount High with former Auburn quarterback Damayune Craig calling the plays for the Leopards.
Maddox left his Alma Mater in 2000 to take the defensive coordinator position at Gardner-Webb University for two years. He returned to Alabama in 2004 and took the head coach position at Auburn High School.
After four seasons Maddox left Auburn High to take the Lee-Scott AISA football program, where he currently serves as head coach.
Valley High's current head coach, Marshun Harper, is also a former Ram football star. Harper was the quarterback for the 1990 and 1991 Valley team that went to the finals of the class 5A playoffs. Valley lost to Blount High in both of the finals.
Harper earned a scholarship to the University of West Alabama. He graduated in1992 and returned to Valley High as an assistant coach. He was elevated to the head coaching position in 2012.
He has a 14-17 record as head coach. His 2013 team went 6-5 and advanced to the state class 5A playoffs falling to Sylacauga in the first round, 27-18. The 2013 squad was loaded with 20 seniors leaving Harper with a tough rebuilding situation this fall.
The Rams has had it rough this fall. After winning its first three games defeating Lanett, Greenville and Oxford, the Rams have dropped six consecutive games. They were eliminated from their playoff hopes last week with a 25-2 defeat at Pell City.
Valley won mystical state class 3A championships in 1959, 1950, and 1962 voted on by state newspapers. The Rams won the class 3A state Championship during the playoffs in 1970 defeating Sylacauga, 23-16, at Legion Field with legendary coach Doug Lockridge as head coach.
Lockridge won four state championships and had three undefeated and untied teams during his 31 years at Valley and ended his career with a 169-111-10 record. Coach Lockridge passed away at the age of 79 on April 3, 2008.
Prattville ended its Regional play Friday night defeating Robert E. Lee, 21-19. With the victory the Lions finished in third place in Region Two Class 7A. The Lions will travel to Mobile to play Baker High in the first round.
AREA TEAMS MAKING THE 2014 PLAYOFFS
Prattville at Mobile Baker
Jeff Davis at Fairhope
Pell City at Montgomery Carver
Stanhope Elmore at Benjamin Russell
Wetumpka at Opelika
Prattville Christian at Dale County
Kinston at Billingsley
Autauga Academy at Restoration Academy
ALL GAMES Friday, Nov. 7 with 7 p.m. kickoff