#HSFT17: Stop No. 26 — Pickens County Tornadoes

REFORM, Ala. (WCBI) — Pickens County is aiming to get back to the 1A state championship game.

The Tornadoes came up short in a loss to Maplesville, 40-12. The team is excited to get back to work in 2017.

“I want to make another championship run, and I feel like this team right here we are capable of doing it,” defensive end Chad Wilson said.

“We’re hungry,” senior outside linebacker and free safety Jevonte Eddins said, “We made it to the championship last year and we didn’t pull it off. Played against a couple of great guys.

“We are just hungry to get back there this year, and we feel very excited.”

“There is no secret around here what the expectation is,” head coach James Thompson said, “Everybody is working hard. We are not doing anything different than anyone else at this point. We are just excited and ready to go.”

The Tornadoes won 12 games in 2016, but the mindset for this team is to put the state championship loss behind them and move forward.

“We got three goals…win week one, win region, win the playoff. Just going to take it one game at a time,” Wilson said.

“…we got to finish, and that’s going to be a part of our motto going into this season and into this spring is just to finish,” Thompson said.

“I tell these guys all the time, you can’t eat off last year’s meal. Each team every year has to become their own team and gel together to become their own team.”

Pickens County has ten seniors on this year’s team, and returns nine starters on defense and six on offense.

“They bring a lot to the table just because of experience and size wise. They are a special group,” Thompson said of this year’s senior class.

“We are looking forward to these guys actually leading us throughout the year.”

Pickens County will open their season at home against Francis-Marion on September 1st.