Belgreen football team ‘excited’ to compete in first playoff-eligible season
Three seasons of preparation have led up to this historic moment for the Belgreen High School varsity football team.
The football program was first established in 2023 as a junior varsity team and then for the last two seasons has played as an independent. But when the Bulldogs take the field for their 2026 season opener on Friday, they will be doing so as a team finally eligible for AHSAA postseason competition.
“It’s been three years since we started this (football program) and it’s been awhile, but it feels like it’s went pretty fast now that (the season) is here,” Belgreen head football coach Jonathan Raper said. “We’re excited. For the first time we’re competing in a region, we have a chance to make the playoffs which we had not had before, so now we have something to play for every Friday night.
“We’ve got a beautiful stadium, we have great facilities over there, and for the first time we can say, ‘Hey, if we can get after it and we can compete, we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs.’
“Everybody, the faculty and staff at the school and everybody in the community is looking forward to this coming season,” he added.
Coming off a 6-2 season last year and with several key returners, the Bulldogs are confident they can make some waves this fall.
“We expect to win,” Raper said. “We want to be in the playoffs. We expect to win every game. That’s what we’re here working for.
“Our goal is to win the region and if we don’t win the region then make the playoffs,” he added. “We expect to show up every Friday night and give it the best shot we’ve got and compete.”
All that said, Raper isn’t unaware of the fact that this season will be a bit like uncharted territory for the program. There’s a chance for some disappointments during their journey.
“I know that we’ve still got a lot of bumps and bruises along the way and some uphill and downhill struggles because we’ve not been in (a region) yet, and it’s totally different than what we have done,” Raper said.
If the Bulldogs are to overcome the challenges and obstacles of this season and in the future, they have to pursue constant improvement.
“(The players) get after it. We’ve gotten better, gradually, every year, so I hope we continue to improve on that, but we’re not good enough to just show up,” he said. “We’ve got to continue to work hard. Our goal is to get one percent better every day.”
Belgreen dropped from Class 2A to Class 1A after the AHSAA reclassification and realignment earlier this year, so the Bulldogs’ very first region opponents, in Region 7, will be Addison, Cherokee, Hackleburg, Meek, Phillips, Red Bay and Waterloo. Of those teams the Bulldogs have only faced Cherokee and saw split results in their two meetings.
If the Bulldogs are to make the playoffs in their first eligible season, they’ll have their work cut out for them. Preseason No. 3 Addison swept this region last year and ultimately advanced the semifinal round. Red Bay, also ranked in the top 10 in the ASWA preseason poll, captured the Class 2A Region 8 title last year before dropping down a classification this season. And then there are teams like Hackleburg, traditionally very competitive, and Meek, which has improved and has had five straight winning seasons.
While the Bulldogs may lack experience in pivotal region matchups, they’re not lacking in motivation.
“Last year our goal was to have a winning record and compete and show everybody that we can play football,” BHS quarterback Rush Berryman said. “I think a lot of people looked down at us because it was our second year, third year playing, but maybe making the playoffs this year will be our way of showing that we’ve stepped up and have a good football program.”
Belgreen travels to Woodville for its season opener on Friday, August 21.