BY JAKE GONZALEZ
FOR THE OBSERVER
LAFAYETTE —
Chambers Academy is entering its 10th season under head coach Jason Allen. The nine seasons prior have been fruitful for the Rebels as they have won 10 games in a season for seven straight years, with two state championships along the way. Last season was the first time in five years that the Rebels have not played for a state title.
“We are coming off our first time in five years that we didn’t play for a state championship,” said head coach Jason Allen at Media Days last week. “I know that sounds greedy, but our guys have kind of taken a chip on their shoulder because of that. Our goal every year is to play for and to win a state championship. Our goal remains the same.”
This is actually Allen’s second stint with Chambers Academy as he was the head coach from 2006-2009, but this stint has been much improved from the first. In his first stint, Allen went 16-26. Allen has gone 91-21-1 since returning in 2013.
“We are excited about this upcoming football season,” Allen said. “We are coming off our seventh year in a row of 10 — plus wins. I think we have stood the test of time, and that’s what you strive for year after year.”
The Rebels graduated 18 players from last season’s roster, including six all-state players. The talent lost is fairly spread out on both sides of the ball. Among those lost was Kross Colley, who was the AISA Lineman of the Year last season. Allen doesn’t think the Rebels will miss the graduating class.
“We lost some really good players and we graduate players every year,” Allen said. “Here is the advantage I think we have here at Chambers: We actually coach our junior-high and our pee-wee. We run the same system all the way down to the fourth grade that we are running with these guys. We don’t got to do a lot of teaching, just maturing.”
Chambers Academy opens the 2023 season with a matchup with a rivalry game against Lee-Scott Academy at home on Aug. 19. The Rebels won the last meeting 41-3 and are 12-14-1 all-time against Lee-Scott Academy.
Lee-Scott will be the main rival for Chambers this season with their long-time rival, Springwood Academy, moving into the AISA eight-man league this season.
“I’m really looking forward to the first game against Lee-Scott since we don’t play Springwood anymore,” said offensive and defensive lineman Levi Waldrop. “I think Lee-Scott’s one of our biggest rivalries this year, coming up Aug. 18.”