#HSFT16: Stop No. 23 – Sulligent Blue Devils

SULLIGENT, Ala. (WCBI) – Sulligent has made a turnaround. After two wins in 2013, six wins the next year and eight wins this past season, the Blue Devils have proved they’re headed in the right direction under now second year head coach Daniel Merchant.

Sulligent won a 2A playoff game this past year.

“We went pretty deep. I was happy with what we accomplished,” junior lineman Clay Perkins said. “This year, we’re looking to go deeper.”

“We had a lot of success last year but I feel we can go deeper this year. It’s really exciting,” junior lineman James Aaron Trentham said.

“Last year was a great step for this program,” Merchant said. “The experience, the playoff experience has helped them. It was an eye opener.”

It’s been a climb back to Sulligent’s winning ways for the Blue Devils.

“It’s been a long road,” Perkins said. “I feel we’ve made a big turnaround. I’m proud of it.”

“It’s been a bumpy road but we’re going to do big things,” Trentham said.

“It’s exciting to see my alma mater do well, the kids do well,” Merchant said. “I think they’re going in the right direction.”

The team does lose a number of key starters, many on the offensive side of the ball, but the entire offensive line is back and returning quarterback CJ McLemore is just a sophomore.

“The senior group is going to do a good job of leading us. Playing together is a big thing for me and we did a good job in the spring of doing that,” Merchant said.

Sulligent starts the year at Guin. The team’s first home game is in week five.