Football Friday Night: Horn becomes state’s all time winningest coach, Wadley secures top-two spot in region
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Clay Central’s win over Elmore County Friday pushed Danny Horn (right) past UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis (left) on the all time Alabama wins list.
Central Clay County’s 29-7 victory Friday night over Elmore County and Citronelle’s 14-7 triumph over UMS-Wright made Coach Danny Horn the winningest football coach in AHSAA state history.
UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis started the season as the AHSAA’s winningest coach but heading into this week’s games, he and Horn were deadlocked with 357 wins each. Horn’s record improved to 358-97 with tonight’s victory, and Curtis’ record with the loss is 357-102-0. Ironically, the two coaching legends’ careers parallel the same years. Both became head coaches in 1989, and both are still going strong 36 years later in 2024.
Close on the heels of both Hall-of-Fame coaches is another HOF legend Paul Benefield of Fyffe. His Red Devils beat Sylvania 49-17 tonight to move his career record to 355-58-0. His head-coaching career started in 1992.
Having three head coaches competing for this lofty goal at the same time is unparalleled in AHSAA football history.
Curtis and Horn are the only two coaches in AHSAA history to coach eight AHSAA state football championships. Benefield has coached seven. All three have won their state crowns at the same school – albeit Horn with six state championships at Clay County and two since Clay County and rival Lineville merged to form Central of Clay County.
With the rest the season remaining, it is anybody’s guess who will emerge as the leader by season’s end.
Horn’s Vols entered the week ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 5A. Friday’s win was the 23rd straight regular season victory for the Vols. It also clinched a playoff spot for Central, keeping the program perfect in terms of making the playoffs every year it has been in existence.
Central is 7-0 and will host Holtville next week.
Wadley 49, Woodland 14
The bright spot for Woodland came in the second half as Bobcat quarterback Brayden Yates got his first two passing touchdowns of the season, one to Bradley Brasher for 24 yards and one to Keyon Moultrie for 12 yards.
The rest of the night belonged to Wadley as the Bulldogs built a 42-0 lead by halftime and cruised through the final two quarters with their starters on the sideline.
Jaquez Wilkes and Cortavion Lynch had two rushing touchdowns each, senior Ty Taylor added a score on the ground on his team’s senior night, and Frisco Robertson caught a 91-yard touchdown pass from Mason Wilkerson. Jamarious Atkinson added a rushing touchdown in the second half for the Bulldogs, who moved to 6-0 and locked down a home game in the first round of the playoffs by raising their region record to 4-0. Wadley can clinch the region championship with a win over Winterboro on October 25.
Other scores
Handley 38, Bullock County 21
Glenwood 68, RCHS 40
Horseshoe Bend 42, Ranburne 27
