Pigskin Roundup 2016 | Page 28

KICKOFF KICKOFF KICKOFF KICKOFF KICKOFF for us in this offense. We had six good receivers but Steve made it all go, with his ability to throw the ball to any spot on the field, and his ability to get out and run the ball,” Halladay said. Christopher set a new state record that season with 42 touchdown passes and went on to sign with Alabama, one of four quarterbacks from the state of Alabama that the Tide signed that season. And, Halladay is quick to point out that Christopher and the Bulldogs beat all those other quarterbacks during that 1989 season: Week 2: Anniston 31 Oxford 12 (QB Jason Jack) Week 9: Anniston 47 Cedartown, Ga. 0 (QB Brian Burgdorf) Round One of the Playoffs: Anniston 49 Hewitt-Trussville 3 (QB Jay Barker) “I still say after all these years; Steve Christopher is as good a quarterback that the state of Alabama has ever produced. I’ll tell anybody, check out the history of Alabama football. Steve was a lot better than a lot of those guys who got all the hype,” Pilot said. However, as important as Christopher was to the team, the Bulldogs couldn’t have accomplished what they did without the play of Orlando Waters. As a matter of fact, if you had to pick 1989 Anniston Bulldog Football team an MVP of that 1989 season, defensive coordinator Rodney Bivens says it would have to be Waters. Waters played receiver on offense, outside linebacker on defense and also returned kicks. And when the Bulldogs did line up a running back on offense, it was Waters. “Orlando never got tired and he never came off the field,” Bivens said. “He was my main blitz guy. He’s the only kid I ever coached who could play any position you asked him to play.” And speaking of defense, the Bulldogs were pretty good on that side of the ball as well. Just like on offense, the Bulldogs did it with team spe