By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a six-part series of summer football updates on our local high schools.



In 2006, the Fultondale football team showed signs of making progress. The Wildcats won three games, and in five of their seven losses they held their opponents to under 20 points. The Fultondale offense just didn’t help the defense out often enough last season. From what Fultondale head coach Keith Register saw from his club during spring practice, things could well be very different this fall.

“We’re way ahead of where we were at this time last year,” Register said. “Last year we didn’t score in our spring games. This year we scored three touchdowns. We played a couple of good teams (Oak Grove and Parrish) in the spring and moved the ball on them. Our offense is getting to where it needs to be.”

One move Register made designed to spice up the offense, was switching senior receiver Lekendrick Smith to quarterback during spring drills. Smith’s quickness will be a big asset for the Wildcats in the Fultondale Wing-T offensive attack.

“LeKendrick is a fast kid,” Register said. “His speed in getting to the corner is going to give us the opportunity to put in a option package with our Wing-T set.”

Register plans to use Smith in a roll-out passing package. However, don’t look for the senior signal caller to take the traditional three, five or seven step drops that quarterbacks often do in traditional passing offenses.

“We probably won’t have one drop-back pass in our entire offense this year,” Register said. “Lekendrick is better at throwing on the run. That’s where we plan to use him, rolling out and on the corner.”

Smith will be operating this fall behind a well-seasoned offensive line. Five players with starting experience will return for the Wildcats this fall.

“Last season we were pretty thin across the lines,” Register said. “We had five starters, but no back ups. This year we’ve got depth up front. We’ve got eight or nine guys who can play.”

Likely starters on the offensive line include Garrett Godsey and Christian McCullough at tackles, Cody Hatcher and Michael Owens at guards and Cortez Edison at center.

Register said the Wildcats weight program will pay dividends in the trenches this fall, as his team’s linemen are bigger and stronger than last year’s group was.

“We’re playing better up front on both sides of the ball than at this time last year,” Register said. “Our offensive and defensive lines are without a doubt the strength of this football team.”

Operating behind the offensive line will be a trio of quick running backs, including Johnthan Criag, Chris Barber and C.J. Mixon.

Senior Jordan Fowler will start at tight end, while Ryan Randall starts at split end.

Register’s club will face a tough early schedule, as the Wildcats play their first three regular season games on the road.

Register thinks the opener at Shades Mountain Christian could go a long way in determining how the Wildcats fortunes will turn out this fall.

“We haven’t won the opening game of the season here at Fultondale in the last 10 or 12 years,” he said. “It would be really big for us to grab that first victory in the season opener. It would motivate these kids even more than they are right now. All the games are important, but if can get off to a good start that would help us all year long.”