Bulldogs in transition year under new head coach

For the Enquirer

Coach: Garrett Brown (first year at Priceville)

Marquee games (nonarea): Shelby County, Orange Beach, James Clemens

Area: Class 5A Area 15

Area opponents: Lawrence County, Russellville, West Point

2024 record/finish: 21-12

Returning starters: Tyde Borden, Colman Gann, Thomas Ferguson, Ethan Sherwood, Casen Dutton

Newcomers: Jack Eubanks, Gage Vaughn, Colt Pilkington

College Signees: Gann – UAH, Borden – Wallace State CC

Storylines: What does year one under new head coach Garrett Brown look like? Can seniors Borden and Gann lead both offensively and on the mound? Will the young players step up to fill roles left by last season’s graduating class?

Who do you expect to have a big year? I think the easy answer to this would be Tyde Borden and Colman Gann. Both have been through the fire of high leverage varsity games, so they know what it takes to get the job done.

Quoting coach: “This is going to be a year of transition for both the players and the coaching staff. We have the capability to be really competitive, but it is just going to take some time to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. There is going to be a good mix of old and young talent.” What do the Bulldogs need to do to be successful? We need to be strong on the mound. That is where the experience is on the team. Our pitching will need to keep us in games as our mix of experience and inexperience on offense gels together.

Area outlook: Making the jump from 4A to 5A put us in an ultracompetitive area with Russellville, Lawrence County and West Point. Russellville knows what it takes to hold the blue map so they will always be in contention. Lawrence County and West Point both have a bunch of good returning players as well.