HUNTSVILLE LIVING - FOOTBALL REVIEW | JANUARY 2025 | 19
among the coaching staff and we essentially had two guys that played almost at the same level . We felt having William captain the defense during the second half of the year was unbelievable . Those decisions are tough . But we made those decisions across the board to put the best unit possible across the board . It was almost like fantasy football .”
Piecing the roster together the way the staff did worked wonders though . The Lions had 11 first-team honors , seven second-team honors and two honorable mentions on the district side . At the state level , AOA had five first-team players , four second-team players and one honorable mention .
But running through the season and outscoring opponents by 346 points wasn ’ t the real highlight that this team had though . For a small private school getting to take charter buses , staying in hotels and getting team dinners provided isn ’ t a constant , but the Lions got to do all of that this year , leaving some lasting memories .
That also gives them momentum as the Lions set a new standard .
“ The run to the state final exceeded our expectations . It energized our kids to want to continue the success ,” Norris said . “ We are already talking about the offseason , summer and next year . There is a lot of excitement from around the room .”
AOA ’ s success came from all over the field and from several players this season . Things started with Collum throwing for 1,245 yards and 20 touchdowns on the year . His ability to dink and dunk the ball down the field had the Lions moving the ball .
HUNTSVILLE LIVING - FOOTBALL REVIEW | JANUARY 2025 | 19