By Morgan Bryce
Staff Reporter
A 10-year playoff drought. Seventeen wins since 2010. Back-to-back one-win seasons. These are the realities that new Beulah High School head football coach Cody Flournoy faces heading into the 2017 season.
Following former head football coach Jarrod Wooten’s abrupt resignation in May, Beulah was left scrambling to find his replacement.
After interviews with multiple candidates, Flournoy was selected and approved as the new leader of the Bobcat football program during a Lee County Board of Education meeting June 13.
“It was kind of a whirlwind (experience) and it’s still spinning pretty fast. But since school has started, everything has started to settle down,” Flournoy said.
Flournoy brings 15 years of coaching experience to Beulah.
He most recently served as Smiths Station High School’s defensive coordinator from 2011-2015, and coached safeties at Central High School in Phenix City last season.
“Towards the end of my time as a defensive coordinator, I felt like I was ready to take that next step. It was just a part of the natural progression,” Flournoy said. “It’s (Beulah) a really good fit for me and my family.”
Despite the lack of success the last two seasons, Flournoy said he likes what he sees from his team early in fall camp.
The senior-laden offense returns a bevy of talent, including quarterback/cornerback Nolan Earle, receiving duo of Latezman Turner and Tae Moody and last year’s 3A All-State honorable mention, junior Caden Dowdell.
“Probably the biggest recruit-type guy we got is Caden … he’s going to be our tailback and middle linebacker. He’s 6”1’ and 200-plus pounds, got a big frame, strong and benched 315 pounds the other day when we were maxing on bench,” Flournoy said. “If he has a good game on a given night, we’ll be really good, cause he plays on both sides of the ball. He’s going to touch the ball a lot, and he’s going to be calling our defensive plays.”
To utilize his weapons on offense, Flournoy said he plans to employ an Auburn-like attack, relying on a quick pace and consistent running game to wear down opposing defenses.
On the other side of the ball, the Bobcats base defense will run a multiple 3-4 scheme, and other packages that Flournoy said should create headaches for opposing offensive coordinators.
Since his arrival, Flournoy said he feels that his players and assistant coaches have bought into his system and expectations of making the program a winning one.
Ending the playoff drought and making Beulah a winning program are huge benchmarks that Flournoy said he has for his program, but that his focus is making his players better people on and off the gridiron.
“I want these guys to be able to lead the community, because they’re going to live here. I want them to have pride in their school, and some of that comes through wins and losses, but a lot of it is going to come through hard time and work here and desire to see this team be successful,” Flournoy said. “Hopefully, in 10-15 years, their kids will be playing here. That’s what we want to build here … we want to build a place where guys can come back and help here and work here and raise a family here.”
The school is located at 4848 Lee Road 270.
Below is Beulah’s football schedule.
Sept. 1 v. Spring Garden
Sept. 8 at Montgomery Academy
Sept. 15 at Southside
Sept. 22 v. Central of Coosa County
Sept. 29 at Wadley
Oct. 6 v. Prattville Christian Academy
Oct. 13 at Highland Home
Oct. 20 v. Pike County
Oct. 27 v. Comer
Nov. 3 at Holtville.
