After completing an undefeated regular season and winning its region title, Reeltown marched its way to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa for the 2A state title game against Fyffe.
While Reeltown lost to the Red Devils, the school in no way considered the season a failure
“This is one of the goals,” Reeltown coach Matt Johnson said after the game. “You want to be in this position. I was proud of how our guys prepared and how they handled (the week). That shows the leadership on this team. I commend them.”
The Reeltown football team will look a bit different in 2024, as many of the program’s biggest stars were seniors. Notably, quarterback Jake Hornsby and athlete Arthur Woods played their final games for Reeltown in Bryant-Denny.
In the state championship, Hornsby passed for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Woods led his team one final time, rushing for a team-high 94 yards and one score.
“We played our whole lives together,” Woods said of his team. “They are my brothers, my family.”
On the flip side, Reeltown does have a good chunk of athletes returning, including four of its five offensive lineman.
This season serves to be only a building block for years and years to come.
“Region champs, undefeated regular season, getting big payoff wins on the road. These guys understand how special this year was,” Johnson said. “We came up short. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. But they won’t let that define them. For them to stay focused, it is special. It is tough to talk about how special what these guys have done.”
