Video: Pickens County Prepares For State Title Redemption

REFORM, Ala. (WCBI) – Pickens County Tornadoes aim to bring home the gold ball.

The Pickens County Tornadoes are coming. The team has rolled through the post season to get back to 1a state championship game. The team knows the playoffs started a new season for them.

“I don’t say it’s been a challenge,” said quarterback Aljaron Edwards. “Because us as a team we are better than anybody so yeah.”

“Throughout the playoffs we’ve worked harder because the teams have gotten harder to overcome,” said cornerback Elliott Petty. “And we know we said, just like I said last time we were going back to the state championship, and we’re here and we are going to claim what’s ours.”

“The playoffs for us is exactly what we’ve expected,” said head coach James Thompson. “You got to play four quarters and sustain for four quarters.”

The Tornadoes last won the state title back in 2013. Then last year, they came close.

The difference from last year to now, the coach says, is that these players are more team oriented.

“I’d say the drive to win is a lot stronger,” Petty said. “We are hungry. We want it more. We want it a lot more.”

“Our kids they remember that feeling last year,” Thompson adds. “For them it’s what fuels us. It’s what fueled us last year being able to get to that game last year and come up short. They remember that feeling, and we feel really good going into it.”

The team that stands in Pickens County’s way of a state title victory is Sweet Water, so they’ll know what type of challenge is expected ahead of them.

“Their running game is very strong,” Petty said. “And we have to be disciplined because they run a triple option style offense the whole night, so we are going to have to watch that.”

“Those guys have a tradition of winning state championships,” Thompson adds. “We are expecting a tough game. For our guys it want be anything new, and for them like I said the tradition for them.”

Pickens County and Sweet Water will kickoff at 3 p.m on Thursday in Bryant-Denny stadium in Tuscaloosa.