By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SAND ROCK – One of the most explosive high school football battles in the state last season was fought between longtime rivals Sand Rock and Cedar Bluff last October.

The Wildcats set a few records, including for most points scored in a game, in their 68-40 victory. Quarterback Alec Ashley, now a senior, engineered much of that offensive production.

Ashley completed 27-of-35 pass attempts for 462 yards and eight touchdowns. His eight touchdown passes tied for the second most touchdowns passing in a game in Alabama High School Athletic Association history. Ashley’s eight passing touchdowns also tied him for third in the most touchdowns accounted for in a game.

Ashley also ran for 27 yards on six carries and finished with 489 total yards, which also tied him for third in state history in all-purpose yards.

But record-setting performances like last year’s Cedar Bluff contest aren’t what Ashley is about.

Results are.

“All I was worried about was us finishing that game out and us coming out on top,” he said. “I didn’t really care what all I had (statistically). It was a great game and Cedar Bluff put up a heck of a fight. To be honest, I didn’t even realize those numbers were being put up. I was just in the moment.”

That moment was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise tumultuous season.

The Cedar Bluff win kept the Wildcats’ postseason hopes alive. They went on to defeat Gaston the following week to clinch a playoff spot, but their season ended two weeks later at Red Bay with a 53-14 setback.

The Wildcats finished the year at 3-8 in Tanner Nelson’s first season as head coach.

“Nobody wants to go out like that,” Ashley said. “It’s really pushed us to have a better year this year.”

“Going 3-8 leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I don’t think anybody liked that,” Nelson said. “I hope that really sticks with them. I think we’re hungry going into this year.”

Nelson has good reason to feel the Wildcats are hungry. They return 19 starters from last year.

“We have a lot of depth,” Nelson said. “Some younger guys who were a little bit too young last year to play we had to just throw in, but they’ve all had a great offseason.”

One of the things Nelson said they’ve worked on during the offseason is developing more leadership, and he feels that’s come along well.

“Really that comes with mindset,” he said. “I think we have a great group of leaders who have developed leadership qualities. When I got here, we probably didn’t have that many where you could say ‘That guy’s a leader.’ We have developed those guys.”

One of those guys is senior offensive lineman/linebacker Gaven Glenn. Glenn made the move from playing running back last year to the offensive line this year to do what was best for the team.

“That’s the guys we want, the guys who are willing to do whatever to have a chance to win on Friday night,” Nelson said. “That’s what we preach about all the time. This is a team and we’ve got to play as a team and do what it takes to have success on Friday night.”

Glenn said communication is better between the players this season.

“I feel like through the offseason, it’s something we’ve worked on a good bit,” he said. “We’ve kind of closed that chapter. Last year we didn’t talk. Now, offensively and defensively, we talk to each other.”

Glenn is one of four seniors along the offensive front. The other three are Ezra Robison, Bradley Stone and Jimmy Wells.

“I think up front we have to be really good if we’re going to have a chance to beat some of the teams we play,” Nelson said. “I feel like we’re there. I feel like we’ve got nine offensive linemen who can go in the game right now, so we’ve got a lot of depth there.”

Glenn will double at linebacker on defense. Robison, Stone and Wells will also flip over to the defensive line.

Among the targets Ashley has returning to throw to are junior Ryker Woodall and seniors Lathan Amos and Brendon Lindsey. Seniors Nick Clanton and Landon Chadwick are expected to get their share of carries at running back.

Clanton joins Glenn as a linebacker on defense. Woodall, Amos, Lindsey and Chadwick will patrol the Wildcat secondary.

Sand Rock competes in Class 2A, Region 8 along with Collinsville, Fyffe, Pisgah, North Sand Mountain, Section, Ider and Brindlee Mountain. Following a jamboree at Gaylesville on Thursday, Aug. 13, the Wildcats open the 2026 regular season at Spring Garden on Friday, Aug. 28.

Sand Rock hosts Ider on Sept. 4 and Section on Sept. 11 to begin region play. The Wildcats travel to rival Collinsville on Sept. 18.

Sand Rock renews another rivalry with Valley Head on Sept. 25. The two schools last met in football in 1999.

The Wildcats open October at North Sand Mountain on Oct. 2 before facing Fyffe at home on Oct. 9. Sand Rock is at Pisgah on Oct. 16 and ends region play at home against Brindlee Mountain on Oct. 23.

The Wildcats close out the regular season against Cedar Bluff on Oct. 29.

“We play a really tough schedule against some hall of fame coaches, and we have several teams on there who have made the playoffs and have won a state championship,” Nelson said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re excited to get going.”