Albany-Pelham ready to get season underway

ALBANY — After three weeks of practice and preparation, the high school football season is ready to get underway.

The 2016 season for Albany High School and Pelham gets underway tonight with a 7:30 p.m. game at Hugh Mills Stadium.

The Indians are looking for their first win since 2014, while the Hornets are looking to build on a successful 2015 campaign that saw them make the playoffs in Dondrial Pinkins’ first year as head coach.

Albany coach Felton Williams knows that Pelham will likely start freshman quarterback Kendrick Patterson and would like to see his defense get to the youngster early in the game.

“The game will be won and lost at the line of scrimmage,” Williams said. “We really have to be able to get pressure on the quarterback since he is younger. That will be a big key for us if we want to win the game.”

While the Pelham quarterback is likely to be inexperienced, the Hornets make up for it with plenty of skill players. Running backs Kobe Russell and Javoris Williams return and will be joined by wide receiver and member of The Herald’s Dynamite Dozen team, Cassius Allen.

“We do not want them to get the ball in the hands of the skill players,” Williams said. “We know how much damage they can do. I’m going to put my best guy on their best guy and see what happens. It will be like sandlot football in a way. Mano-a-mano.”

The Albany offense will return the entire offensive line and numerous wide receivers including Kameron Peterson. For the second straight year, the Indians had two players battling for playing time at the quarterback position.

Jordon Walton and Andrew Watts were taking turns at the position during practice and the starter is still undecided.

“Quarterback is going to be a game-time decision,” Williams said. “Once somebody gets the hot hand, we will be sticking with them. I don’t want to pull someone when they are hot.”

Tonight’s game against Pelham will be Albany’s first in Class AA. The Indians dropped down two classifications as part of the Georgia High School Association realignment.