By Greg Haynes

Coach Larry McCoy demanded his teams be very tough, physically and mentally. Every drill, every sprint, and every repetition had one goal in mind: to test you and make you better.

High school football in those days was geared around running the ball, playing tough defense, and having a solid kicking game. We worked tirelessly to become a cohesive unit in all three phases.

I was a sophomore in 1975, and would earn a starting position at free safety.

As fall practice started in August, amid all that oppressive Alabama heat and humidity, the Athens players knew it would be a tough camp. Led by 22 seniors, including captains Freddie Smith, Jeff Johnson, and Thomas Woodroof, we were optimistic that we could have a big year.

The 1974 squad had a good season, finishing with a record of 7-3, but our goals were higher. A new Athens High School campus on Highway 31 had been completed in time for the 1974-75 school year. Coach McCoy and the AHS Booster Club had spearheaded the drive to build a new stadium adjacent to the school, and the ‘75 team would be the first in the new facility.

Coach McCoy’s ties to Alabama helped to secure legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant to dedicate the stadium at a jamboree to close out ’75 spring practice. You could feel the excitement at the event, and the energy carried over to the fall.

The first regular-season game at the new Athens Stadium was a great opener. Grissom High School of Huntsville came to Athens with a loaded squad that would feature a handful of players that would play college football. A tough, defensive struggle ensued. Grissom, with a tough defense and a grinding running game, held the ball the entire fourth quarter to secure the 7-6 win.

The next week brought our fierce rivals, the Decatur Red Raiders, to Athens. Growing up, we had all been conditioned that this was one of the key games that would define our season. We were certainly fired up for this game, but another rugged, defensive struggle ensued. The contest ended in a 14-14 tie, as there was no overtime rule in place.

We were disappointed, but the goals we had set as a team were still within reach: the Area 13 championship, the Region 7 championship, the Tennessee Valley Conference championship, and the State Championship. But we knew we had to step it up as a team.

We caught fire the next week and disposed of Buckhorn, 56-6. Wins over Sparkman, Bob Jones and Austin put our record at 4-1-1 headed into our Homecoming game against Colbert County.

Colbert County had a tremendous program in those days, winning the 3A state championship in 1972 and producing several major college players. We were in a dogfight from the start, as the visitors from Leighton jumped out to a 14-0 lead. After a mishandled punt by the Indians, Athens finally got on the board in the second quarter. Another score tied it up before halftime. But it was a battle all the way. Freddie Smith bulled his way over for the final touchdown in the fourth quarter and we held on for a thrilling 27-20 win.

The next week we traveled to Scottsboro to play a talented Wildcat team. Both teams marched up and down the field in a wild contest. The scoreboard operator was busy that evening, but Athens prevailed 53-27. A 53-0 win over Hazel Green cemented us as the 3A Area 13 Champions but there was one final regular season contest.

Although they were not our top rival, the 4A Butler Rebels from Huntsville would pose another significant challenge. Butler had many talented players and had soundly defeated Athens in 1974. A large crowd assembled at Huntsville's Milton Frank Stadium. We received an unpleasant welcome pulling into the stadium parking lot, a reminder that this was not our territory: Several students shouted at us, hoping to intimidate the team. It didn't work. Smith had an unbelievable game, rushing for over 250 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Our defensive effort was also solid as we carved out a resounding 41-14 win. I will never forget the headline in The Huntsville Times: "Athens Smashes Butler." And the first sentence in the article included a telling commentary: "It could have been worse.” The victory gave us the TVC championship.

Our first playoff game was against another old foe, the Cullman Bearcats. Cullman had a tremendous program in those days, having defeated Athens in 1972—giving that Golden Eagle squad its only loss of the season, in the 3A semifinals.

We did not need a lot of motivation. Growing up in the community and following the Athens football program, we bled black and gold and we knew what a game vs. Cullman meant for the former players and the town. We were ready to play and outlasted the Bearcats, 54-28. Another team goal was secured as we were crowned Region 7 Champions.

A frigid night in Haleyville followed, but Athens was the stronger team, winning handily, 49-6. Another solid all-around effort the next week in the semi-finals against Fairfield led to a 34-7 win, sending us into the school’s first state championship game.

A high school state championship is a goal that every player that ever puts on a uniform dreams about. We had seen our Athens football team get so close in 1972, only to have it fade away on a cold night in Cullman. Athens would host the 1975 state championship game in our new facility. The entire town was buzzing. The local stores and businesses decorated their windows with slogans and their buildings in black and gold. Everyone you spoke with talked about the upcoming championship game. We were so anxious. We could not wait for the game to kickoff.

Andalusia came into the game 13-0, having been ranked as the top 3A team for most of the season. We had finished strong after a slow start and brought an 11-1-1 record into the contest.

The game started out as expected: two tough, hard-nosed teams that wanted to run the ball. Andalusia ran the Wishbone offense and dared you to stop them. The first quarter was a defensive struggle and neither team scored. Then we traded touchdowns and it was 7-7 at the half.

While talking about adjustments and strategy, we knew exactly where we stood. It was another dogfight—but there was no sense of panic. Coach McCoy simply said, "Let's get after them.” We knew exactly what that meant.

We had been in some tough situations during the season and that experience certainly helped prepare us for this moment. Coach McCoy was such a tremendous motivator. He spoke often of pride, class, and character. We left the locker room with confidence.

Athens took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and marched down the field. Smith scored on a short run and after the extra point, we led, 14-7.

One of the key plays in the game would happen next. Sophomore Steve Parker fielded a punt and raced 40 yards to the Andalusia 11. Adolph Cosby scored two plays later, one of his two touchdowns in the game, making it 21-7. Early in the fourth quarter, when Smith broke loose for an electric 80-yard touchdown run, the Athens crowd exploded. We could all sense a championship.

Andalusia was still fighting in the fourth quarter but had problems with turnovers. The last one was a fumble recovered by Bill Ming. It set up a Parker run to ice the game.

As the time ran out on our 35-15 victory, many of the hometown Golden Eagle fans rushed on the field to greet us. It was a moment none of us will ever forget. All the work we had put in for that season had paid off. We were extremely proud to be Athens' first state championship team.

Greg Haynes was a three-year starter for the Golden Eagles, becoming an All-State quarterback while leading the 1977 team to a 9-1 finish. He earned a scholarship to the University of Alabama before suffering a career-ending knee injury.