There aren’t many high school football rivalries as iconic as the Battle of the Tallapoosa, and a new chapter will be written Thursday night.
Tallassee hits the road to face rival Reeltown at 8 p.m. Thursday to open the 2023 season. When the Tigers and Rebels meet for the 20th time in the rivalry, a playoff atmosphere is expected.
kAmpE =62DE[ E92E’D H92E E96 D6C:6D 92D 366? =:<6 F?56C 4FCC6?E 9625 4@2496D |:<6 q2EE=6D W%2==2DD66X 2?5 |2EE y@9?D@? W#66=E@H?X]k^Am
kAmq@E9 4@2496D H6C6 :?DECF>6?E2= :? 86EE:?8 E96 C:G2=CJ 324< DE2CE65 :? a_a_ 27E6C 2 `f\J62C 9:2EFD[ 2?5 E96 2??F2= 7:CDE 82>6 @7 E96 D62D@? :D ?@H q2EE=6D’ 72G@C:E6 82>6 @7 E96 J62C]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 ?@E C62=:K6 E92E H92E x H2D DE6AA:?8 :?E@ H2D 2 D>2== E@H? p=232>2 282:?DE pF3FC?[” q2EE=6D D2:5] “x 7@F?5 E92E @FE E96 92C5 H2J] %96C6 :D @?6 52E6 @? >J 42=6?52C H96C6 x 42? E6== J@F 9@H >2?J 52JD 2H2J :E :D] xE :D E92E @?6] x 92G6 366? @? E96 H:??:?8 6?5 2?5 E96 =@D:?8 6?5[ 2?5 E96 =@D:?8 6?5 :D ?@E C62==J 7F?]”k^Am
kAm}@E @?=J 5@6D E96 q2EE=6 @7 E96 %2==2A@@D2 D6CG6 2D E96 D62D@? @A6?6C 7@C 3@E9 E62>D[ 3FE :E 8:G6D 6249 E62> 2 E2DE6 @7 2 A=2J@77 2E>@DA96C6 282:?DE 2 BF2=:EJ @AA@?6?E]k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 82>6 <:4<:?8 @77 %9FCD52J ?:89E :?DE625 @7 E96 FDF2= uC:52J[ 72?D 7=@4< E@ E96 DE2?5D E@ D66 E96 82>6] {2DE J62C’D >2E49FA 762EFC65 2 7F== 9@FD6 2E %2==2DD66[ 2?5 6G6? 762EFC65 2 D@4:2= >65:2 46=63C:EJ 2E E96 82>6 :? py vC66?6[ H9@ >256 G:56@D @7 E96 82>6 2?5 C624965 >@C6 E92? `]c >:==:@? G:6HD @? @?6 @7 7@C>6C %2==2DD66 =:?6324<6C {F<6 qFC56EE6]k^Am
kAm%96 82>6 5@6D?’E ;FDE 766= =:<6 2 A=2J@77 82>6 3642FD6 @7 E96 2E>@DA96C6[ 3FE 2=D@ 3642FD6 @7 E96 E2=6?E =6G6= :? E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm#66=E@H? 2?5 %2==2DD66 6249 925 EH@ @7 E96 36DE 7@@E32== D62D@?D :? E96 EC:\4@F?EJ 2C62 =2DE J62C] %2==2DD66 7:?:D965 f\d 2?5 H2D E96 @?=J t=>@C6 r@F?EJ E62> E@ C6249 E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm#66=E@H?’D @?=J =@DD @7 E96 C68F=2C D62D@? 42>6 :? E9:D C:G2=CJ =2DE J62C] %96 #636=D[ H9:49 6?565 E96 D62D@? `_\a 2?5 C624965 E96 E9:C5 C@F?5 @7 E96 r=2DD ap A=2J@77D[ H6C6 92?5=65 bf\`b :? E9:D C:G2=CJ =2DE J62C 367@C6 8@:?8 @? E@ H:? `_\DEC2:89E 82>6D 7@==@H:?8 E96 =@DD]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 2 9F86 82>6 C:89E @77 E96 32E[” y@9?D@? D2:5] “xE :D 2 9F86 C:G2=CJ[ 3:8 2E>@DA96C6] xE :D @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D H96C6 J@F 5@?VE 86E E92E EJA6 @7 2E>@DA96C6 F?E:= J@F 86E 566A :? E96 A=2J@77D] %2==2DD66 :D 2 dp D49@@=[ D@ E92E :D 2 492==6?86 :? :ED6=7] xE :D 2 32=2?46 3642FD6 2 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD 28@ H6 362E E96> 2E E96:C A=246] %96 =2DE 4@FA=6 J62CD E96J 92G6 8@E FD] {2DE J62C[ :E H2D 2 E@F89 82>6]”k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 H:== =@@< =:<6 2 >F49 5:776C6?E E62> H96? <:4<@77 4@>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 %:86CD =@DE 2=>@DE 2== @7 :ED D<:== A=2J6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 7@FC\J62C DE2CE:?8 BF2CE6C324< %J=6C t==:D 2?5 E96 6?E:C6 %2==2DD66 D64@?52CJ]k^Am
kAm(96? CF??:?8 324<D r9C:DE:2? |4r2CJ[ y@D6A9 w@@<D 2?5 y2:56? |4z6?K:6 =:?6 FA E@ C646:G6 92?5@77D[ #66=E@H? H:== 36 ECJ:?8 E@ E24<=6 E9C66 A=2J6CD E96J 2C6?’E G6CJ 72>:=:2C H:E9] ~? E96 7=:A D:56[ %2==2DD66’D @776?D:G6 =:?6 :D 9625=:?65 3J E9C66 C6EFC?:?8 DE2CE6CD 2?5 6G6? >@C6 A=2J:?8 6IA6C:6?46]k^Am
kAm#66=E@H?[ 9@H6G6C[ C6EFC?D >@C6 D<:== A=2J6CD E92? =:?6>6?] "F2CE6C324< y2<6 w@C?D3J :D 324< 2?5 C625J E@ =625 E96 #636=D 324< 7@C 2?@E96C A=2J@77 CF?[ 2?5 pCE9FC (@@5D[ %26 |2CE:? 2?5 q2J=@C r=2JE@? ;@:? 9:>]k^Am
kAm#682C5=6DD @7 ?6H 7246D @C G6E6C2? A=2J>2<6CD[ H9@6G6C DE6AD @? E96 7:6=5 <?@HD E@ 36 C625J 7@C 2 5@8 7:89E] %96 q2EE=6 @7 E96 %2==2A@@D2 :D 2=>@DE 5625=@4<65 H:E9 %2==2DD66 9@=5:?8 @?=J 2 `_\h 6586 :? E96 @G6C2== 9625\E@\9625 >2E49FAD]k^Am
kAm}6:E96C E62> A=2J65 2 ;2>3@C66 5F6 E@ A=2J:?8 :? E96 DAC:?8 2?5 DE2CE65 72== 42>A 2 H66< =2E6C E92? @E96C E62>D :? E96 DE2E6] }@H[ 3@E9 E62>D 2C6 ;FDE :E49:?8 E@ 9:E D@>6@?6 @E96C E92? E96:C E62>>2E6D]k^Am
kAmr@>6 %9FCD52J ?:89E[ E96J’== 86E E96:C 492?46 E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAm“xE :D 23@FE E:>6 E@ 8@ A=2J D@>63@5J 6=D6[” q2EE=6D D2:5]k^Am
