RIVIALRY - OH, YES

Another good article on Elkmont football - the Decatur Daily does the best job of covering Elkmont sports among the local newspapers.

ARDMORE — Ten miles.
That is about how much distance separates the campuses at Ardmore High and Elkmont.

Being that close means there are few strangers in the two communities. A few of the football players are related. Lots of them are friends.

And when the two schools tee the football up tonight for one of Limestone County’s oldest rivalries, as usual, emotions will run high.
Ardmore travels to Elkmont today, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The rivals have been playing football since 1936, with Ardmore owning a 39-24 series lead, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society’s website.

“This is always one of our biggest games,” said first- year Ardmore coach Clint Legg, who spent the past four seasons with the Tigers as an assistant coach. “The stands will be packed. Almost everyone from both communities will be there. The atmosphere will be electric — what high school football is all about.”

In recent years, Elkmont has controlled the series, winning four of the past five contests. But Ardmore snapped a four-game losing skid in 2012 with a 22-16 win, and with growing roster numbers, a talented group of underclassmen and an enthusiastic new coach, the Tigers appear to be a program on the rise.

According to John Mansell, program director at AM-1110, which broadcasts Ardmore football games, the Elkmont rivalry draws the largest crowd either team will see during the season.
Elkmont principal Garth Garris said the school brought in additional bleachers at Boss Hill Stadium to handle the anticipated overflow crowd.

So, what type of game should fans expect? Ardmore has more players on its roster, but personnel wise, the athletes are similar.
Elkmont does not have much depth, with rosters numbers in the mid-20s. But coach Sean Holt expects good things from sophomore quarterback Jordan Nelson, and the Red Devils have a couple of big-play threats in running back Jared Bailey and receiver Rhett Bailey — who is playing his first Ardmore game since overcoming a bout with cancer in 2012.
 
Ardmore junior Garrett Miller is heading into his third season as a starter. For anyone wondering, Ardmore tight end Hayden Durrett was more than willing to give a prognosis.
 
“Expect a smash-mouth, emotional game,” he said. “Obviously, this is our biggest game of the year, and in my opinion, one of the best rivalries in north Alabama. I know every single player on their team, and they know all of us. That just adds to the hype.”

Since the week started, Legg said the Elkmont game constantly has been on his mind.
“I’ve been waking up every night at 2 or 3 in the morning,” Legg said. “I’m not nervous about our guys. They’ve done everything we have asked. What I’m nervous about is whether I did good enough of a job preparing them. In both of our communities, this is a very important football game. Emotions will be running high. They always do, but that’s one of the things that make this rivalry special.”

Article: Decatur Daily