GARDENDALE —
It’s football time again, and Tabernacle Christian is getting an early start.
The defending Christian Football Association champions begin varsity eight-man play on Friday night — a full two weeks before their 11-man public school brethren start playing games that count.
Wayne Dabbs likes it that way. The early start helps small-school teams like his get a little publicity that they might not otherwise get.
“We might get some attention from folks that don’t see us most of the year,” Dabbs said. “And we’re used to it [starting earlier], because we’ve done it for so many years. Our guys have been gearing since January for August 17.”
The downside is the hotter weather for practice sessions, and the prospect of facing conference rival Tuscaloosa Christian right off the bat. That game is at Bill Noble Field at Moncrief Park.
The Torches will then travel to Bessemer Academy next Thursday night, where they will take on Flint Hill Christian.
“We have about 18 solid players that will dress out Friday,” Dabbs said. “We have two more who are injured and will be out for a few weeks.”
Unfortunately for Dabbs, one of the players who will not be coming back is Fred Goodgame, the all-around playmaker who lit up the scoreboard in his four years at Tabernacle.
“That’s one of the biggest question marks we have this year: game experience for our playmakers. We have two quarterbacks — Judd Sims and Caleb Lindsey — who haven’t played one snap as a varsity football player, and they have as much potential as anybody, but you just don’t know until Friday night when they get that first hit, and have to get back in the huddle and call the next play.”
The Warriors will be a formidable opening-game opponent, Dabbs said. “They tackle really well, and they will dress 23 players. Winning that first game would put us in the driver’s seat for seeding in the playoffs, and it lets you know how good you are going to be immediately.”
One thing that does return is Wayne Dabbs’ father, Keith, who was head coach before his son and now serves as an assistant. “He talks about it and talks about it. He’s not going anywhere,” Wayne Dabbs said. “The Lord keeps opening doors that allows him to keep being a part of it.”
Tabernacle faces five other schools in the CFA eight-man division in 2012. For the first time ever, the six-man division — which started two years ago as an experiment, more or less — is actually larger, with eight schools taking part. One school dropped from eight-man to six this year.
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Related Photos
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Tabernacle Christian Head Coach Wayne Dabbs, left, and his father (and predecessor) Keith, right, work with Kent Smith in the twilight during a practice session Monday evening. The Torches open varsity play Friday night when they host Christian Football Association rival Tuscaloosa Christian. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. at Noble Field in Gardendale’s Moncrief Park. Robert Carter
Discussion
Early Start: Tabernacle Christian opens new season this week
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