By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
ALABASTER — Center Point is used to being underdogs. It’s a familiar role for the Eagles, who move up to Class 6A in 2022 and join powerhouse programs like Clay-Chalkville, Pinson Valley and Oxford in Region 6.
Center Point went to the quarterfinals of the 5A state championships in 2021 after being unranked for the entire season, ending up 9-4 overall and 5-2 in 5A Region 6. By the end of it all, though, the Eagles had proven that they were one of the top eight programs in the 5A. Center Point had proven itself, and was one of the teams to watch in 5A for 2022.
Then came reclassification, and now the Eagles must prove themselves again.
“I’m a 6A guy,” Bates said. “My staff knows it. My kids know it. I love 6A because I think it’s the most competitive class top to bottom.Truth be told, we’re in a pretty good region … it provides local flavor to our region. You know, being in 5A, we had to travel a good bit. It was hard to form rivalries. Now with half of the region being within 20 minutes of Center Point, to me that’s what I’m excited about.”
The Eagles will rely on a core group of seniors that have been building for moments like this. Jabari Collier will again start at quarterback after a junior season where he truly became a leader at quarterback. Former all-state running back Troy Bruce will carry the load on the ground, even though he admits that Collier is actually the faster of the two.
“He may actually be faster than me in the 100,” Bruce said, “but I’m more explosive.”
Bruce, who wears his coach’s old number, 7, is “the best back, pound for pound, in the state,” Bates said.
The numbers bear that out. As a junior, Bruce played in 12 games and carried 198 times for 1,579 yards and 26 touchdowns. But the number that’s most impressive for Bruce is 0. That’s how many times he put the ball on the ground for the Eagles.
“He never fumbled,” Bates said. “Never put the ball on the ground one time all season.”
And that’s despite a turf toe issue that kept Bruce out of practice for most of the second half of the season.
“I think the Clays and the Pinsons, you know, the teams that have been in the playoffs the last couple of years … I think it’ll be a great opportunity and a great experience to play against some of those,” Bruce said. “They put their pads on just like we do.”
In the passing game, Collier will rely on Harold Holloman and Therman Moore at receiver.
“The thing with Harold is, he’s so talented,” Bates said of Holloman. “He’s probably got the best ball skills of any student-athlete I’ve been around. So in the past he had to play both ways, and that took a lot out of him. But this year he’s predominantly going to be our go-to receiver.”
But Holloman’s skills are strong enough that he will still see limited playing time at defensive back when called upon.
The Eagles know that the competition will be stout in a region where three teams have combined to win the last five 6A state titles, and they know they’ll be expected to prove themselves.
But the Eagles aren’t scared.
“We know it’s a tough region, but we’re a tough ball club,” Bates said.