Talkin’ Pleasant Valley

Now juniors and seniors, bigger and stronger and healthy, Pleasant Valley’s special group takes aim at Raider history.

Editor’s note: This is the 13th installment of Talkin’ Football 2025. East Alabama Sports Today editor Joe Medley will do on-campus interviews at all football-playing schools in Calhoun County. The package will include a video interview, interesting facts and Joe’s take for EA+ subscribers. Today’s visit: Pleasant Valley Raiders.

PLEASANT VALLEY — Every high school has a special group of athletic talent come through, some schools more often than others.

Special is defined relative to history.

Pleasant Valley football coach Jonathan Nix spoke of an emerging group of football players three years ago, a group that had some “it” factor and had largely held together coming into high school. That group’s arrival timed roughly with Pleasant Valley’s 2022 drop from Class 3A to 2A, meaning they no longer had to battle a region lined with powers like Piedmont.

That group made the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, making only the second time in program history for the Raiders to make back-to-back playoff berths.

That same group tied the school single-season record for wins last season, going 8-3.

That same group finished second in their region last year, good enough to qualify for Pleasant Valley’s first home playoff game in 40 years.

And here’s the thing. They feel like they left some aspirations on the field.

It’s Year 3 for that group. They’re juniors and seniors now, with all of the physical development and game experience that comes with it.

This year, the goal is to not leave any aspirations on the field. Junior quarterback Braxton Salster and senior running back Jaden Sparks said it immediately after the Raiders’ playoff loss to Sulligent last season.

The goal for 2025 … 10-0 and Class 2A, Region 7’s top playoff seed.

More details and quotes, interesting facts about the 2025 Pleasant Valley Raiders and a video interview with PV coach Jonathan Nix are available for EA+ subscribers.