Hartselle lost 13 starters from last season’s 12-1 football squad that fell in the third round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 6A state playoffs at eventual runner-up Mountain Brook.

Standout quarterback Jack Smith is now playing baseball for the University of Arkansas. Ace receiver Izayah Fletcher is at North Alabama and honorable mention All-State offensive lineman Reid Ellis is also among the graduates. The Tigers lost eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, four from the line.

With six starters back, fourth-year coach Bryan Moore expects his defense to be the team’s strength, as the Tigers head into the new season.

“I hope so,” he said. “They better be. For us to play Austin every year to open the season is a tough task. They are really good and a little bit older than we are this year.”

Third-ranked Hartselle opens the season on Friday at 7 p.m. against the 7A Black Bears in Decatur.

The teams two longtime North Alabama foes. Austin has played Hartselle more than any other program except crosstown rival Decatur while the Black Bears are No. 4 on the Tigers’ list of familiar competitors. Hartselle holds a 32-23-1 advantage in the game including wins the past two seasons, but the teams are 5-5 in the past decade.

“Hartselle is always talented,” said Jeremy Perkins, who is 90-57 in 13 years as Austin’s head coach. “They play hard, and they are extremely well-coached. We expect it to be a good football game.

“Opening with our two biggest rivals [Austin is at Decatur next week], we’ve got to be ready. We come out of the gate with the added incentive and added pressure in two great environments. What’s better to get you prepared for region play?”

The two teams were both region champs in 2022 with Austin finishing 7-4 overall and 6-1 in 7A Region 4 and Hartselle winning 6A Region 7 with a 5-0 mark.

Both teams have stellar running backs returning and both coaches plan to use them in multiple ways. Hartselle’s Ri – pronounced “rye” and short for Azariah – Fletcher was a first-team All-State pick as a junior. He ran for 1,306 yards on 156 carries for 18 touchdowns, caught 27 passes for 279 yards and three scores and scored three TDs on kick/punt returns. Austin junior Gavin Fuqua rushed for around 800 yards, Perkins said.

“Gavin’s a really explosive back,” he said. “He runs the ball extremely hard, he is very elusive, has great instincts and great vision. He has speed to hit another gear if he gets a crease. I feel good about him and [junior] Kenneth Joshua. Both can do multiple things. We’re going to move them around in our offense. We’ll see both split out wide some, doing other things in our offense.”

Fletcher is a four-year starter for Hartselle. Moore said the senior is stepping up more as a leader this season.

“He’s had a really good fall camp,” said Moore, who is 29-6 in three seasons at Hartselle. “He knows more will be asked of him this year. He can play multiple receiver positions. I think he’ll be a running back/slot receiver in college. He has an explosive element that we otherwise don’t have.”

Both teams will have new quarterbacks with senior Judd Bailey taking the first snap for Austin, with junior J.L. Davis also expected to play.

“We’re not going to rotate quarterbacks, per se,” Perkins said, “but we have a 1A and a 1B. That may change from week to week. They are going to continue to battle for who gets what. There’s not enough separation between the two to justify a No. 1 and the other being a backup.”

Landon Blackwood will replace Smith at QB for Hartselle. “His older brother [JT] started for us in ‘21 and Landon is a senior who kind of waited his turn. He’s not a rookie, he played in 13, 14 or 15 varsity games last season. He’s been in the system for four years. He makes good decisions and he’s a very good runner. He adds another element for us.”

Moore said he believes depth will be a plus for the Tigers on defense. “We probably have 20 guys who will play on defense,” he said. “We will roll bodies in, especially with the heat, trying to stay fresh for the fourth quarter. That group can be the strength of our team if they are consistent and can keep us in the ballgame until our offense starts to jell.”