For Individual player photos, click HERE
Greg Smith, Jeff Bruce, David McCormick, Kyle Croft, Daryl Ross, Mark Haney, Stacy Williams, John Smith, Shane Carroll, Tim Rigsby, Michael Harper, Brent Cotton, Rodney Davis, Coach Jerry Rice, Harold Bobo, Larry Bolin, James Shaufelberger, Rodney White, Thomas Brown, Randy Peppers, Keith Chamblee, Greg Edge, Jai Eason, Kent Jones, Kevin Williams, Mitchell Mayes, Bob Johnston, Michael Saint, Coach Herman Bittenger, Coach Roger Hibbs, Tim Williams, Scott Bobo, John Hawkins, Paul McCormick, Brian Adams, Rickey Crowley, Kevin Kidd, Gary Bouldin, Ed Beavers, Dennis Garner, Mike Smith, Brad Priest, Kip Martin, Donny Stevens
1986 Pre-Season Ranked # 2 in State
15 Wins 0 Losses Dekalb Co. Champions Area 15 Champions
Region 8 Champions 3-A State Champions
WQSB/Coca Cola Team of the Year, WAFF TV Team of the Year,
Sand Mountain Reporter Team of the Year
Head Coach- Roger Hibbs 3-A Coach of the Year
Assistant Coaches- Harold Bobo, Herman Bittenger, Jerry Rice, Kent Bouldin
ALL STATE- Rodney White and Jai Eason
2nd Team- Gary Bouldin
Honorable Mention- Dennis Gardner
Gadsden Times Player of the Year- Rodney White
All County-Defensive Co-MVP's- Jai Eason and Kent Jones, Rodney White, Kevin Kidd, Jeff Bruce, Bob Johnston, Dennis Gardner, Kevin Williams, Kip Martin, Ed Beavers, Rodney Davis, Todd Willoughby
Herman Bittenger, Jerry Rice, Harold Bobo, Roger Hibbs
Managers: Back L-R Josh Hibbs, Chris Colgrove, Thomas Dismuke, Jarred Hulgan
Jody Harper, Front: Jake Hibbs
Crossville 40 |
Ider 23 |
Crossville 27 |
New Hope 10 |
Crossville 41 |
Geraldine 7 |
Crossville 54 |
Collinsville 24 |
Crossville 20 |
Plainview 6 |
Crossville 27 |
Madison County 0 |
Crossville 34 |
Fyffe 13 |
Crossville 35 |
Sylvania 0 |
Crossville 28 |
Douglas 0 |
Crossville 24 |
Pisgah 19 |
PLAYOFFS
Crossville 16 1st Round Pisgah 0 |
Crossville 21 2nd Round Stevenson 14 |
Crossville 35 Qtr-Finals Lexington 14 |
Crossville 7 Semi-Finals Lamar County 6 |
Crossville 22 Finals Elba 10 |
1986 by far is the most successful and perhaps, the best team in school history. The loss in 1985 to Gordo seemed to be the motivation that this team WOULD NOT be denied. Depth would be the single key to the championship as 28 lettermen returned to this squad from the 1985 team. For all of those who paid the price for 60 years, we thank you. This is just as much yours as it is ours. For one special night in December of that year, a night that we will NEVER forget.
1986 would mean one thing. DEFENSE ! Though many years have been better statistically, the Lions Defense would have an attitude. Our philosophy was to kill a flea with an axe. Hit anything and everything. Hard!
The 1986 team go went into the pre-season as the No. 2 ranked team behind Oneonta. As the final regular season poll came out, the Lions had been dropped from No. 2 to No. 3. They were leaped by Lamar County despite being 10-0. As Crossville fought their way through the post season, Lamar County would destroy Oneonta in the Quarter-Finals 35-7 and set up a match up that the Birmingham news would put the Lamar County Bulldogs a 5-1 favorite. Crossville would get no respect. It would have to earn it.
On a cold, damp late November night, the Lions would travel to Vernon, AL to just that: earn it. In a slug fest better than any of the Ali-Frazier fights, The Lions took what seemed to be the entire town on the road to cheer for them. Many people in the victory line that night for Crossville were from the nearby schools of South Lamar, Pickens County and others who had grown to hate the Dawgs.
The game was soon underway. Both teams tried desperately to move the ball. Both defenses held each other at bay. Numerous penalties hampered both teams. With the score knotted at zero late in the 4th quarter, Lamar County finally put a score on the board with just over 3 minutes to go. The Lions would get the ball one more time and make the most of it. If not the greatest drive, then most certainly the most important drive of the season saw by far the single greatest play in Crossville High School History. Rodney White took a pass on a slant right up the middle and darted through numerous would-be tacklers. A seemed 5th effort, took White to the 1 yard line. Kent Jones would carry the final yard for the tying score. Jai Eason would boot the difference making extra point and the Crossville defense would hold off a final rally in the closing seconds to record the greatest victory and road upset in 60 years of football.
The Lions would advance to meet Elba the next week and beat them 22-10 for the Alabama Class 3-A Championship.
I don't know how many other people feel about just how big the Lamar County game really was. Personally, I think in order to be the best, we had to beat the best. Lamar County was so loaded from top to bottom. Speed, strength, size. I have yet to see a team with that much talent. It is my feeling that Lamar County could have won the 5-A or 6-A title. They were that good. My hat is off to them.
My heart is with the guys on my team that showed when you have a team that has a coaching staff that believe in each other, players that believe in each other, and a loyal fan base that would follow them to the ends of the earth, and the HEART of a Lion, dreams can come true. To all the Seniors of 86, you helped us all along and helped us believe in you as well as ourselves.
