Lee-Huntsville has four Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball championship trophies, including back-to-back titles in 2021-2022. The Lee football team has five region titles – the last coming in 2005.

When J.O. Johnson product Irving McGuire came home to Huntsville from his job as defensive coordinator at Tuscaloosa County to take his first head coaching position with the Generals in 2021, Lee had won five games and lost 25 in the previous three seasons.

McGuire’s first team went 5-6, earning a state playoff spot for the first time since 2017 – also the last year Lee had won two straight games to open a season. Until this year.

“When you come in,” McGuire said, “you have got to set a tone on how you’re going to do things. That first group bought in. We’ve had talent all the way through, but we just needed a new direction and a new start.

“Last year [when Lee finished 3-7], we didn’t have many seniors and they didn’t have a lot of game reps. This year, with them having experience and taking the lead from that first group, there’s a lot of stuff you don’t have to worry about any more.”

The Generals opened this season with a 44-34 win over preseason No. 8 Westminster Christian and a 50-26 win over Madison County – both Class 4A opponents and both at home. On Friday, Lee travels to open Class 6A Region 8 play at 7 p.m. at Hazel Green (0-2). A win would give Lee its first three-game win streak to start a season since 2011.

“We definitely scheduled the type teams we did to open, especially in Westminster with the mobile, accurate quarterback [2022 All-State pick Brandon Musch], to get us ready for what we’re going to be going up against,” McGuire said. “Hazel Green and Buckhorn, for example, are more rural schools that play with a lot of physicality. Hazel Green has a huge, huge offensive line.

“That’s definitely been an emphasis for us in the weight room and on the sled. This game, and more down the line, are what we’re going to be facing – especially if we make it to the playoffs.”

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One newcomer making noise for McGuire’s squad is 2022 second-team All-State running back Carlin Long, who led Class 7A in rushing yards per game last season at Huntsville. Long ran for 142.5 yards per outing for the Tigers – averaging 6.5 yards per carry with 18 rushing touchdowns.

“He’s had a good jump start to the season,” the coach said. “He’s definitely brought good leadership to our team. Coach [Mark] Fleetwood runs a great program at Huntsville and Carlin’s brought a 7A persona to our whole program, from small things like cleaning up the locker room and doing all those things for us.”

Long, who was at Huntsville under the school system’s majority-to-minority transfer rule, is playing both ways at Lee. He ran for 354 yards against Westminster Christian and 160 vs. Madison County and also has two interceptions thus far. Long has scored eight touchdowns.

“We haven’t changed anything with our schemes,” McGuire said of the addition of the 5-foot-11, 187-pound senior. “We run power, counters from a lot of different sets. We had two guys at running back that we thought were pretty decent and he’s definitely bolstered that room.

“Terrell Matthews had about 800 yards rushing last year and Leshaun Vann, who also plays quarterback, did a great job for us. I think to put that kind of talent in a scheme that you’re already doing, it fits like a glove.”

McGuire said senior slot receiver Brandon Johnson had almost 200 total yards in the season-opener with a pair of touchdowns. Vann and Patrick Bailey, a sophomore, split duties at quarterback after Bailey suffered an injury. Vann is 14-for-22 for 258 yards with a pair of touchdown passes and three rushing scores.

Lee has four juniors and a sophomore on the offensive front – Ladarren McClendon, Tyler Garner, Izaiah Wallace, Leondist Rascoe and Javen Thomas. “Ladarren is definitely a leader up there,” McGuire said, “and Tyler is probably the alpha dog.”

Three senior safeties – Tyson Pryor, Jordy Katane and Zion Thomas – lead the defense. Thomas has 21 tackles with a sack thus far. Pryor and Katane have 14 stops apiece with Pryor recording two pass break ups and Katane one.

“Jordy is the brains in the back, getting everybody lined up,” McGuire said. “Tyson is long and athletic and he does a great job being physical running to the ball. Zion is the wild man, flying around hitting everything that moves.”