Linden overlooking superlatives in preparation for Maplesville

In 2004, Demopolis High School went 15-0 en route to a Class 4A state championship under head coach Doug Goodwin. An offensive juggernaut, the team’s run remains historic in the annals of Alabama High School football as the 761 points it scored that season continues to hold the record for most in state history.

That record will be under extreme duress Friday night when the Linden Patriots take the field for a Class 1A semifinal matchup against Maplesville. Through 13 games, Linden has scored 750 points good for fourth on the all-time list behind Elba’s 752 (2011) and Fyffe’s 751 (2014). Linden is also one of only 11 teams in state history to eclipse the 700-point mark and the only one of the group to have less than 15 games played. While game No. 14 could vault the Patriots into the top spot in the state record books, the achievement would have far less meaning for the Pats should they fail to punch their ticket to a 15th with a semifinal victory Friday night.

Standing in Linden’s way is the reigning Class 1A state champion, top-ranked Maplesville. The Red Devils will roll into Linden having outscored opponents 607-75 through 12 games and fresh off a 60-34 quarterfinal win over Sweet Water.

“It’s a year-to-year basis. They’re an experienced, veteran football team just like normal,” Linden coach Andro Williams said when asked to compare the 2016 Red Devils with their 2015 predecessors. “They sort of just reload and do what they do. I think they’re more mature than what they’ve been as a team. I think they’re as fast as they’ve ever been and kind of just a team that knows what they want to do. They’ve got some great leaders with the Terence Dunlap and Nathaniel Watson. Those guys are veterans to the game. They know what they want to do and they’re leading their team.”

Dunlap and Watson have been the proverbial bell cows for Maplesville, propelling the Red Devil offense with astronomical numbers all season. Dunlap rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns last week on only 19 carries while also hauling in a 51-yard touchdown pass. Watson caught three passes for 113 yards and a score in the win over Sweet Water.

“Even with those two guys not on the team, I think they’re still one of the strongest teams in the state,” Williams said. “We know who they are and what they are. We’ve just got to prep ourselves to be who we are and go from there.”

Dunlap grabbed plenty of attention during his junior campaign, that saw him finish as the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 1A Back of the Year. Selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game earlier this season, Dunlap has continued to wow onlookers and build a career resume largely unmatched.

“He reminds me of Warrick Dunn. He could be that kind of a guy that could have a shot on that level of football because of his mental capacity and what he brings to the table. He is special because of his mental capacity and what he is able to do. He has outworked people to get to the point where he is at. He plays bigger than his demeanor and his stature because of what he has put in. You can tell he has worked his butt off. He is humble in his demeanor. He is disciplined on the field. He has got that ‘it’ factor, but it isn’t just because he has talent. He has got some talent, but he is a guy that is mentally and physically prepped for what he needs to be prepped for on a consistent basis,” Williams said of Dunlap. “I think that makes him the exception to the rule. He is probably one of the better football players that we have been on the field with because of those other intangibles. We talk about being mentally tough and physically tough, he has got all that and more.”

Limiting Dunlap will be a must if Linden is to keep its season going one more week. Dunlap ran for 285 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries in Maplesville’s 50-19 win over the Patriots a season ago.

“We are definitely not where I want us to be. We’re tickled to be here and still playing right now. A lot of teams could be here playing that are not. We appreciate the opportunity. But, again, we are definitely not where we want to be by any means. Our kids know that. We talked about that this morning,” Williams said. “We haven’t put a complete game together yet. We can definitely play better and work assignment football, just do a better job overall. We’ve just got to keep working and continue to get better as a team. But I really think we can be better than what we’ve played.”

Linden hosts Maplesville Friday night at 7 p.m.