E.A. Sports Today

Taylor on tap

Pending board approval, Cherokee County OC Taylor in line to become Weaver’s next football coach

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

WEAVER – Pending approval of the county school board later this week, Cherokee County offensive coordinator Justin Taylor is about to realize the dream of a lifetime.
 
Taylor is expected to be named the seventh head football coach at Weaver High School, East Alabama Sports Today has learned from various coaching and administrative sources.
 
Neither Taylor or Weaver principal Mike Allison would confirm the report. The school board meets Thursday at Wellborn High School.
 
Taylor did confirm his interest in his job previously. He declined additional comment Tuesday but said earlier becoming a head coach at some point in his career has been a goal.
  
Taylor will succeed Daryl Hamby, who announced last spring 2018 – the 50th season of Weaver football – would be his final season as the Bearcats football coach. Hamby coached the Bearcats into the Class 3A playoffs for the sixth year in a row and eighth time in nine years. He also stepped away as the school’s basketball coach just before the start of this season.
 
In Taylor’s eight years as OC at Cherokee County the Warriors have averaged nearly 25 points a game. His teams scored 431 points in 13 games in 2016 and 400 points in 12 games in 2015.
 
He also coached for a year at Lafayette and spent five years as a volunteer assistant at Cleburne County while in college.
 
“I’m one of those guys as a head coach who has his finger on everything and Justin was able to come in and he’s just taken over the offense,” former Cherokee County coach Tripp Curry said. “I trust him because he works his tail off. He is 100 percent football, he’s a good Christian and I think he’s going to be a good head coach wherever he goes. Justin is not a half-in situation. He is 110 percent in. He doesn’t do anything half way.”

WEAVER FOOTBALL COACHES
Daryl Hamby, 2010-18 (52-49)
Paul Farlow, 2004-09 (31-34)
Roland Houston, 2000-03 (22-21)
Terry Willingham, 1989-99 (47-69)
Butch Barker, 1984-88 (28-25)
William Bryan, 1969-83 (70-77-1)

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