This week in HS Sports: Stacy Luker still coaching, still winning, now in the AISA

This is an opinion piece.

If you were wondering where Hall of Fame football coach Stacy Luker is these days, he’s easy to find.

Just follow the victories.

Luker, who won five state titles in the AHSAA at Sweet Water and another at Clarke County, is now trying to add a title in the Alabama Independent School Association to his impressive resume.

In his first year as the head coach at South Choctaw Academy in Toxey, Luker has the Rebels off to a 9-0 start following Thursday’s victory over Morgan Academy.

“It’s the kids,” Luker told me this week about his secret to success this year. “They have played their butts off. The play hard and physical, and they have really just bought in to everything we’ve been teaching.”

SCA hasn’t won more than one playoff game in a season since Charlie Taylor’s first stint as head coach. From 2006-2008, the Rebels went to three Class A title games and won the 2007 crown. They are 3-13 in the playoffs since. Last year’s team went 5-6, losing in the first round.

Luker said his approach to South Choctaw Academy has been no different than any of the other programs he has taken over in his 29-year head coaching career.

“I didn’t change a thing,” he said. “We got in the weight room and went to work. On the practice field and in the weight room, we preached physicalness and leadership. Luckily, we had some seniors here that were hungry to win. They’ve been good leaders. They have made the transition easy. You need to have a player-led football team to be successful and, in a lot of ways, we are a player-led team.”

Luker said he is fortunate to have three quality assistant coaches in defensive coordinator Brad Johnson, offensive line coach Kyle Morris and defensive line coach Grant Owens.

“We have a good defensive coordinator, and I found two guys who coach offensive and defensive lines, and they are really good at it,” he said. “Games are won up front, won in the box. Win the box, you win the game. I am very pleased to have all three of these guys.”

On offense, Luker runs the single Wing similar to the attacks he engineered during his time at Sweet Water and other places. He said the scheme has a little “Paul Benefield” flavor to it, tipping his cap to the fellow Hall of Fame Fyffe coach.

SCA was averaging 343 yards rushing entering Thursday’s game behind sophomore QB Kade Carroll and senior RB Jackson Boykin. Hayes Turner, Kamden Fuller and Gage Adams are among the leaders on defense. The SCA roster includes 24 players in grades 8-12.

“I had to adapt to the numbers,” he said. “Football is football and coaching is coaching. I haven’t changed a whole lot with my style and the way I’ve coached kids. Again, all the credit really goes to the kids.

“We started with a win over Bessemer Academy (48-44) and then beat Columbia Academy, Miss., both bigger schools, and I think those wins really gave our kids confidence in what we were doing. I think it really started to make some of the things we were preaching make sense to the guys.”

The Rebels will play their final regular-season game on Friday against Monroe Academy and then hope to give Luker another memorable playoff run.

Two weeks short of his 60th birthday, Luke has found another comfortable spot to coach and invest in young people and one that is only 30 minutes from his house.

“I’ve just found really good people here,” he said. “The supporters, the kids, the people I work for – they are all good people. I really like the family-type environment. I found a really good place.”

With the win Thursday, Luker’s career record is now 247-107.

How long will he stay in it?

“No idea,” he said. “As long as I’m enjoying it, I’ll keep doing it. I still feel young.”

Tip-Off Time

High school basketball practice officially started on Monday. The first AHSAA games are scheduled for Nov. 7.

On Sunday, AL.com will publish its preseason Power 10 Basketball Polls followed by a preseason list of Mr. and Miss Basketball candidates on Nov. 3.

On Nov. 7, we will have storylines for the boys and girls teams in Mobile, Huntsville and Birmingham.

It should be a fun season. Much of the early-season talk has surrounded the shot clock being implemented (at least partially) and multiple top players, including reigning Mr. Basketball Caleb Holt of Buckhorn, leaving the state to finish their careers.

Should be a lot of storylines for the 2024-2025 season.

News you can use

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Thought for the Day

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the reviewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2.

Ben Thomas is the high school managing producer at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at bthomas@al.com . He can be heard weekly on “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.