CULLMAN, Ala. – Heading into head coach Kevin McCravy’s third season at the helm, the West Point Warriors are looking to return to the playoffs after a 5-5 regular season and first-round loss to eventual 5A semifinalist Scottsboro in 2025.
The Warriors took a leap, going from two wins in McCravy’s first season to five in ’25. While the coach continues to settle into his position, West Point will face new challenges after the AHSAA classification shake-up moved them into Class 4A, Region 7 during the offseason.
“It’s going to be an extremely competitive region this year, there’s no doubt about it. We were in a competitive region last year. I wouldn’t say it was the strongest, but you had Fairview and Russellville, who are always gonna be up there, but then the other playoff teams were going to be wild cards and maybe sneak in- like we did. So, you’re taking what we had, teams we were having to fight every week and placing us into a really, really tough 4A Region with West Morgan, who have won a ton of games since Coach Phillips has been there. Then you’ve got Hamilton, who I haven’t lined up against in 15-16 years, you know they’ll always be very competitive, then you’ve got Deshler and Brooks, who are always strong. So you’re taking some really good teams out of that old 4A region and putting them in with some of these teams from 5A, and I think top to bottom it will be one of the most competitive regions in the state,” McCravy said.
While the region is new, the Warriors’ offensive philosophy remains the same. No matter the formation- spread, Wing-T or empty set, the head coach said, “Our goal is to run that football.”
Supporting returning 2025 All-Cullman County running back Titan Thornton will be an offensive line featuring a mix of returning starters and fresh faces. Led by Julio Fuentes, another All-County selection, McCravy said the line may not be the largest, but their overall speed and athleticism will allow them to get the ball carrier downfield.
Establishing the run will allow the Warriors’ new quarterback to settle in as well, but it’s still unclear who the starting signal caller will be on August 21 in their regular season opener vs. Fairview.
“We’re in the middle of a competition right now. We have Max Patterson, who started last year when our starter went out with a broken hand- he started two ballgames, and then Colton Kimbrel. Right now, they’re neck-and-neck and we’re trying to get them out here competing every day,” McCravy said.
No matter the quarterback, one of the priorities for West Point will be finding consistency in their production. Despite three games with 30-plus points in 2025, there were as many with only eight or less points scored, leading the Warriors to average just 19.8 points per game.
“The goal is to not be ‘feast or famine,’ and it’s not something we necessarily harp on, but as coaches, we know. We go out and score 40 one week, that’s great, but then next week if we go out and score zero, what good does it do? That’s why we averaged around 20 points per game. That’s not something we really focus on with the kids, though. It sounds cliche but we’re just trying to work on ourselves every day. We don’t want to really hammer down with statistics, just going to do what we do to get better in any situation,” the head coach said.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Warriors will stick to using a multiple-look defense that adjusts to the game situation. Cornerback Nolan Franklin and linebacker Bryant Moon return to lead a unit that’s seeing an emerging leader in sophomore Ayden Shoemaker.
“Ayden is going to have a bigger role for us this year, he’s being asked to do a lot right now, but he’s so football smart that he’s able to handle it at a young age. Like I said, he’s a sophomore, he’s playing inside and outside receiver, he’s playing inside and outside linebacker, he’s playing free safety. You can throw all that stuff at him, though, because he just absorbs it all then he goes and tells everybody else what they’re supposed to do because he’s got a good mind for it,” McCravy said.
The defensive unit will also work towards consistency after giving up 25.3 points per game last season.
Overall, McCravy said on the season, “The goal is to get better every day, that’s our motto. We always talk about just working and getting better, competing with ourselves and those around you. We want competition, so for this season to be deemed successful I just really want to see us be competitive week-in and week-out.”
