This is an opinion piece.

In 2002, Brent Dearmon opened his senior year as Vigor High’s starting quarterback against Williamson at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Dearmon’s Wolves scored a dramatic 42-35, double-overtime victory over Jamarcus Russell and the Lions.

“That was a huge moment. I’ll never forget it,” Dearmon said. “My dad (Roger) was the play-caller. I think Jamarcus threw for like 360 yards. I was 1-of-2 for 8 yards. I said something to my Dad about it. He said, ‘Yeah, but we won the game, didn’t we?’ We ran the heck out of the ball that night.”

Dearmon has played and coached in many games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. On July 9, he will return as head coach of the University of North Alabama to conduct a high school camp at Ladd. It’s one of two off-campus camps the UNA football staff will conduct this summer.

“It’s going to be a special day,” he said. “It’s always special to come back home. It’s really about development and pouring into these kids. I remember attending a Phil Savage camp at Ladd when I was 12 or 13. It’s kind of a full circle moment for me.”

Dearmon will bring his entire on-field staff to Mobile and also hopes to have some special guests from his high school coaching days at the camp. The camp is for high school students in grades 9-12. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $40.

There also will be a free, condensed kids camp from 8:30-9:30.

“It’s just a way to give back to a city that has given me so much,” he said.

It’s also a way for Dearmon and staff to continue to be entrenched in the fertile recruiting ground that is the Gulf Coast. Dearmon said the Lions have signed at least eight players out of the Mobile area in the last two years and will continue to recruit heavily in the area. It’s likely no coincidence that his staff includes a pair of Mobile-area legends in former Vigor and Auburn star DeShaun Davis and former Spanish Fort star Thomas Johnston.

“Mobile is one of the most talent-rich cities in the entire country,” Dearmon said. “Anytime we come down there, we get so much bang for our buck. We can go to Mobile and find more talent in a day then we can find in some states as a whole. I doubt anyone has signed more players out of Mobile in the last few years than we have.”

Dearmon will enter his second season as the UNA coach this fall. The team went 3-8 in Year 1 but secured a high-profile win over Chattanooga and put a first-half scare into then undefeated Florida State in the season finale. The Lions were just 1-10 in 2022 before Dearmon and company arrived.

“I feel really good about where we are,” he said. “We went in last year playing on the defensive side with really only one guy who had started. Going into Year 2, the entire defense has games under their belt with (former UMS-Wright star) Edwin White Schultz leading the way. We also signed Jackson Bratton, a high-profile transfer linebacker from Alabama. On offense, wide receiver should be our strength, and we added another transfer in (former Murphy star) Tanaka Scott. I like what we are building.”

The Lions will open the season in the 10th FCS Kickoff at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery against Southeast Missouri State at 6 p.m. Aug. 24. The game will be televised on ESPN. UNA’s other off-campus camp this summer will be held at Cramton Bowl on July 10.

Dearmon can only smile and be thankful for his rapid rise from high school coach at B.C. Rain in 2011-2012 to college head coach at UNA a dozen years later.

“The Lord has truly been leading me and has His hand all over this journey,” he said.

Thompson mourning loss of student-athlete

Prayers go out to Thompson High and the family of Caidyn Harrington, who died Monday at age 15.

A post on the Thompson Athletics social media platform X said:

“It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Thompson student athlete Caidyn Harrington. Caidyn was a member of the Thompson Baseball program. He will be missed, but forever remembered by his loved ones, friends and teammates.”

ASWA Baseball, Softball honors

The Alabama Sports Writers Association is scheduled to release its All-State softball team on Thursday and its All-State baseball team on Saturday, June 8.

Mr. Baseball, Miss. Softball and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award winners will be announced at the ASWA’s 52nd annual convention Sunday, June 9, at Jacksonville State University. The Super All-State baseball and softball teams also will be released at that time.

More coaching moves

Opp named veteran Ed Rigby as its new head football coach and athletic director on Wednesday. Rigby has won 148 games in 23 years as a head coach. He went 7-4 at Luverne in 2023 and 7-5 at Pike Road in 2022. He also coached four years at Eufaula and five years at Elba. He won a state title at Elba in 2015. Rigby replaces Matt Brunson, who went 4-7 in his only year at Opp.

Saint James has named Mark Hall as its boys head basketball coach. Hall has served on the Trojans’ athletics staff since 2017. He will be officially introduced at 10 a.m. today.

Plainview has hired Cade Willingham as head basketball coach, according to the Cullman Times.

Foley High School is currently accepting applications for a Head Girls Basketball Coach. Email resumes to the girls athletic director Metta Christensen at [email protected].

Wallace State has hired Hartselle’s Faron Key as its new boys basketball coach. Key has won 299 games in his career, including 174 at Hartselle.

Thought for the week

“This goes out to anyone down for the count,

It’s not over.

Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel.

Just remember Who you belong to.

Let me remind you how this ends:

We win.” – Mercy Me

Ben Thomas is the high school sportswriter at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected]. He can be heard weekly on “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.