North Jefferson News, Gardendale, AL

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  • Fultondale coach Keith Register, left, and quarterback/safety ArDarius Stewart speak to sports reporters at the annual Metro High School Media Days, held Monday and Tuesday at the Gardendale Civic Center. Robert Carter

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August 2, 2012

Prep Work: ArDarius Stewart gets attention as coaches, players size up the season

By Robert Carter North Jefferson News

GARDENDALE — It’s nothing like the three-day, three-ring circus that the Southeastern Conference stages every July. There are no throngs of fans in the lobby, waiting for a player or coach to autograph some memento.

But the Metro Birmingham High School Football Media Days — expended to two days this year at the Gardendale Civic Center — has its share of people who garner a lot of attention, especially a certain player from Fultondale.

Senior quarterback/safety ArDarius Stewart, who led his team to the quarterfinals of the AHSAA Class 2A playoffs last season, is the pre-season front-runner to win Mr. Football honors in 2012 after finishing fourth in the balloting as a junior.

Soft-spoken almost to a fault, Stewart is well aware that the spotlight will shine brightly on him this year.

“I didn’t know [until the Alabama Sports Writers Association awards banquet] that I had finished that high. But I’m not going to let up. It won’t be easy.”

Stewart has committed to Alabama, where Nick Saban will play him mostly in the defensive secondary, and possibly on kick returns. That means this will be his last campaign as a quarterback in all likelihood.

“I’ll miss it, but I’m a playmaker — I just want to make plays, no matter how I get it. Catch, kick return, doesn’t matter.”

The pressure is also on Fultondale coach Keith Register. His team will likely be in the top three of the ASWA pre-season Class 2A top-10 poll, and will have large targets on their backs all year.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve been successful over the past few years,” Register said. “I’m ready to take the next step. I asked our guys over the summer, ‘What do y’all want to do? Then show me.’ ”

The Wildcats were one of four teams from north Jefferson County to appear at Media Days. The others:

Mortimer Jordan: The Blue Devils come off a season which saw some success, but also turmoil after their first two quarterbacks went down with injuries.

One of them, Devlin Hodges, returns as the lone starter. The other, Orion Recke, opted to skip football and concentrate on baseball.

“Devlin lives, eats and breathes football,” coach Greg Watts said. “He works his tail off. He’s the right kind of kid you want to have. I hope we can keep him healthy.”

Receiver Logan Motte comes off a 1,000 yard, 15 touchdown season. He’s picked up his goals a bit for the coming year.

“This year I want to get 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns. With the offense we run this year, I can do that.”

Gardendale: After a disappointing 4-6 season, coach Chris Fancher put the Rockets on a tougher off-season program. So far it’s worked, especially with tight end/punter Jesse Blackburn, who bulked up by another 20 pounds.

“We played 7-on-7 [in a camp] over at Spain Park. We were the best conditioned team over there. It wasn’t even close.”

Blackburn and wide receiver Connor Reed both have scholarship offers from UAB, Fancher said.

Corner: New coach Zac Willis takes over for Brent Smith, who left for Shelby County High. Smith — with whom Willis talks frequently — left the Yellow Jackets pretty well stocked, with 22 seniors and 12 returning starters.

“We had 20 or 25 more kids than usual come out, and every day 95 percent of them are here. The weight room gets pretty full,” Willis said.

Third-year quarterback Blake Byrd returns for his senior year, as does kicker Troy Elliott, who kicked two 51-yard field goals last season.

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