PCHS football program looks to turn corner with more balanced approach in third year under Hamilton
After back-to-back four-win seasons under third-year head coach Jacob Hamilton, the Phil Campbell High School varsity football team is aiming to turn a corner in 2025 and make a run back to the postseason.
As the campaign nears, Hamilton said both players and coaches are excited to kick things off.
“About July you could feel the intensity start to pick up every week and now we’re really ready to play,” he said. “We’re excited and it’s going to be a great year.”
The Phil Campbell offense, after losing a 1,000-yard rusher in Hayden Wingo and multiple offensive lineman such as Logan Wright and Jon Isaac Wilson to graduation last year, had to replace its running back and establish an almost completely new offensive line coming into this new season.
“We’re quite the opposite of what we were last year. Last year we were returning all of our running backs and our offensive line; this year we’re returning our receivers and our quarterback,” Hamilton said.
“We’re replacing our running back and we’re bringing up Braxton Downey. He’s going to be a 10th grader. He got some experience last year as a freshman, but he’s really turned it on and grown up now that he’s ‘the guy’ and is a year older,” Hamilton added. “Our offensive line is basically brand new. We started Landon Hibner as a freshman at center at the end of last year; he’s returning, but we’ve got two new guards and tackle, so we’re starting four new offensive lineman. But I am excited about the line and the personnel that we have.”
As Hamilton stated previously, where the Bobcats won’t be green is under center and in the receiver corp. At quarterback PCHS is returning junior Hayston Scott, who will start his third season at the team’s QB1.
Scott had a great sophomore season as the signal-caller, rushing for over 1,000 yards and passing for over 600 yards. The quarterback is every offense’s natural leader, but Hamilton feels that this year is Scott’s year to really take hold of the mantle.
“We’re really going to rely on Hayston this year. He’s going into year three as a starter, he’s a junior, he’s got the experience and is much more mature. He’s really understanding now what we’re trying to do,” Hamilton said.
In Phil Campbell’s run-heavy offense last season, Scott did a lot of handing the ball off and carrying the load with his legs himself. This year, given the team is breaking in a new line and back, and with a seasoned group of skill players on the outside—players like Hagen Raper, Jayden Taylor, Chandler Benford, and newcomer Austin Elliott—Hamilton said Scott should be airing it out more.
“I’m absolutely going to let him throw it a little bit,” the head coach said. “We’ve got the weapons to do it, he’s more mature now, and his abilities have really grown. I think we’ll be able to spread things out and make opponents respect our passing game.
“I think in the past we’ve been like 90 (percent) run and 10 pass, or maybe 85-15. I’d like to balance that out more,” he added.
But no one should be under the impression that Phil Campbell is going to abandon the run.
“In (Class) 3A football, especially at a place like this, we are going to run the ball. Everybody has to run the football,” Hamilton said. “Hayston rushed for 1,000 yards last year…and even though Braxton Downey is still young as a 10th grader, he’s six-foot, 195 (pounds)—he’s a big back and he’s confident. So, if our offensive line can do what I think they can do then we’ll still be running it, but I would like to see us more balanced this season.”
On defense, Hamilton said he feels better about where the Bobcats are this year. In 2024, PCHS allowed just over 35 points-per-game, which isn’t conducive to many wins. Just like the offense, the Phil Campbell defense has a number of returning starters to lead the effort, that experience hopefully resulting in better play.
“I’ve brought in a new defensive coordinator and we’ve changed some things up,” Hamilton said. “I’ve got four seniors that will play linebacker and I’ve got several returning starters in the secondary, so it’s always good to have that experience there.
“Like the offense, the biggest question for us will be a new defensive line and making sure that they’re playing physical and fast,” he added. “We’re simplifying things on defense because I don’t want them having to think about long playcalls. I want them to be able to line up quickly and play fast and physical. I think we should be able to do that this year, so I expect to see much improvement.”
Looking at Phil Campbell’s schedule, Hamilton said he expects his Bobcats to be fighting for a top four region spot this campaign. With Winfield, the region champ beaten by eventual 3A champion Mars Hill in the quarterfinals last year, at the top of the totem pole followed by 10-win Gordo, Phil Campbell will be fighting a few other teams for the remaining playoff spots.
“Obviously Winfield and Gordo will be a tough task, but with everybody else I feel we’re pretty evenly matched and it could go either way,” Hamilton said. “What I continually preach is that we’ve got to overcome the teams that we’re evenly matched with. Especially us, Vinemont, Oakman, I feel like we’re very similar in the personnel and players that we have.
“I think we match up well in this region,” he added. “What I constantly tell our guys is that if we can stay injury-free and do what we need to do—focus on the task at hand, focus on ourselves—anything can happen on a Friday night.
“If we do all that, we can look up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and hopefully things have fallen our way.”
Whatever may happen for the Bobcats on Friday nights this fall, Hamilton said he’s proud of the hard work and dedication the players have put into preparing for this year and for the team bond they’ve created. It’s for those reasons he believes Phil Campbell will be successful this year.
“Obviously we want to win and obviously we want to make the playoffs, but the biggest thing for us this year has been building that team bond, team chemistry, having a lot of fun doing it and being there for each other. It’s for those reasons, if we continue to do that, that I believe we will win and we will make the playoffs,” Hamilton said. “What I’ve really enjoyed about this team is we’re locked in, we’ve got players leading in the right way, and we’ve got players showing up wanting to get better every day.
“We’re doing things the right way, and for us, as long as we continue to do things the right way, I believe we’ll win and we will be successful,” he added.
Phil Campbell kicks off the 2025 campaign on Friday, August 29 at Hamilton.
2025 PHIL CAMPBELL SCHEDULE
8/29 @ Hamilton
9/5 @ Vinemont*
9/12 vs. Oakman*
9/19 @ Winfield*
9/26 vs. Hackleburg
10/3 vs. Midfield*
10/10 @ Carbon Hill*
10/17 vs. Gordo*
10/24 vs. Hanceville*
10/31 vs. Red Bay
* - denotes region game