Pleasant Valley, AL – Pleasant Valley excited about prospects new classification brings, looking for first playoff berth since 2010
By Al Muskewitz
When state officials announced the new high school alignments for the next two academic years last December, you could hear the cheers go up in the Pleasant Valley community all the way from Angel to Webster Chapel.
With their move into Class 2A, the Raiders were finally getting away from the meat grinder that was one of the strongest football regions in any classification in the state where it took a very special year just to make the playoffs. Class 3A Region 5 isn’t what it used to be either with the changes, with the Calhoun County-centric league getting split in different directions, but that’s not the Raiders’ problem anymore.
Between the reshuffle and the state of their program, there’s a real feeling the Raiders can get their first winning season since 2008, their first playoff bid since 2010 and win their first playoff game in school history. Region 6 isn’t going to be a cakewalk either, with 2021 state finalist Cleveland and quarterfinalist Southeastern in the league, but with the other four teams all coming off losing seasons the shot at the post-season is more real than ever.
“That is always the goal, for sure; that’s what we talk about,” PV head coach Jonathan Nix said. “There is going to be a team to come through and they’re going to win a playoff game and our kids talked about that during the summer.
“I think this team has a very good potential to do that. The leadership has to believe that and I feel like these kids do. Sometimes when you want something so bad like that you can’t get distracted. You’ve got to look at all the puzzle pieces that go along with trying to be ready to win that playoff game.”
It’s got to be easier than what they had just been through. In their 3A region they were going against perennial playoff teams Piedmont, Ohatchee, Wellborn and Saks with a smattering of dynamic outliers occasionally in the mix. There were several years when the region’s four were the North’s final four, guaranteeing the region a team in the state championship game.
It was all the Raiders could do to stay atop the second tier, a group that was good enough to make the playoffs from and possibly ever win any other region you could name.
“That lets you know your region is really, really tough,” Nix said. “I know a lot of people will say your region is tough, but then there’s another thing when you can actually go and prove it.”
The Raiders looked to be on their way to the playoffs in 2019 when they started the season 5-1, but then lost their last four games, finished in a three-way tie for fourth and lost the tiebreaker for the last playoff spot. The year before they had a four-game winning streak in the middle of the season, but missed the playoffs by a game.
Since the last time they were in – and it was in Class 2A – they’ve missed it five times by one game or losing the tiebreaker. So close, yet so far.
| PV SCHEDULE |
| Aug. 26 – Donoho |
| Sept. 2 – at West End |
| Sept. 9 – Holly Pond |
| Sept. 16 – at Cleveland |
| Sept. 23 – at Ragland |
| Sept. 30 – Locust Fork |
| Oct. 7 – Spring Garden |
| Oct. 14 – Southeastern |
| Oct. 21 – at Gaston |
| Oct. 27 – at Weaver |
The Raiders had always been on the bubble between 2A and 3A. They missed the cutoff one year by four, another by seven. In 2020, it was 11.
This time, they found the Goldilocks zone and now instead of being one of the smallest teams in 3A they’re the third-largest football-playing school in 2A.
Nix has been in that boat before. His first year at Ashville (2006) the Bulldogs were 4A for the first time and were in a region with teams that were dropping down from 5A and they struggled throughout their term there.
“There’s a big difference if you’re at the top or bottom of yours,” he said.
The numbers may put the Raiders on the top of the 2A mountain, but they still have to prove themselves there. Nix looked around and sought nearby 2A teams the Raiders don’t play who usually go deep in the playoffs to give his players a sense of what they were up against. They played Sand Rock to a tie in their spring game.
“There is a big difference in 2A football and 3A football,” Nix said. “I know when you get deep in the playoffs those teams are probably not that different, but the thing about our region in the past is you’re not only trying to prepare to make the playoffs, to make the playoffs in our region means you’re ready to go three, four rounds deep in the playoffs. There’s a big difference in that.
“I think all of our coaches were excited (about the change), not just football. All our programs were ready for a change on some of that.”
When Nix and his coaches went recruiting the school for players to build up their numbers, they told them up front this wasn’t going to be an easy or overnight fix.
| CLASS 2A REG. 6 | |
| Cleveland | |
| Gaston | |
| Holly Pond | |
| Locust Fork | |
| Pleasant Valley | |
| Southeastern | |
| West End |
The thing that gives Nix hope going forward is this bunch has been through the tough times before with players either first in the program, back after years away or first ever playing the game and he’s excited of see the resiliency they have shown. It wasn’t easy by any means last year. He’s proud to say once they get a player to commit, rarely do they quit.
He regularly points to Saks as an example of what good can happen when a young bunch sticks together.
“When that team was young they came over to Pleasant Valley and we beat them,” Nix recalled of their 2019 meeting with the Wildcats. “Those guys stuck together and were a couple plays from going to the finals (last season). I think there’s lot to unity and dynamics of a team, a coaching staff, things like that having consistency and sticking together,
“Anybody can start something in life; can you go through the strain part or do you tap out before you get your finished product? This team has taken on that mind set, been working hard; so many kids their potential hasn’t been fully seen yet just because you need the experience.”
Of course, the Raiders will have to go through a little more of that adversity as they suffered off-season injuries that will likely keep two of their best players sidelined to midseason. But the injured players are taking on coach-like roles and the remaining players are embracing a next-man-up approach that could make them better in the long run.
“The love these kids have for football, that’s one of my favorite things about them,” Nix said. “I think any time you stick through tough stuff there are rewards and I think that’s this team’s motto. These kinds are going to get to reap what they sew.
“Even when things were rough last year they would come in Monday with a fresh mindset – because they were still learning. They got the toughness part and now they’re learning football. Last year was one of those building blocks and now it’s time to move on further. Even in spring the coaching staff was talking about we’re better right now in spring than almost any time we were playing last year.”
On the cover: PV coach Jonathan Nix at last year’s Calhoun County QB Club Media Day at Anniston Country Club. This year’s county media day is July 29. [*** read more]
