The top headline in sports around these parts was the changing of the guard. Nick Saban announcing his retirement was significant across the entire sports universe, not just in Alabama.

Locally, there was another big move in the high school realm when Tallassee and Mike Battles decided to part ways. Battles spent 12 years as head football coach and athletic director at THS, a tenure second only to John Edward “Hot” O’Brien.

2023 4A Coach of the Year L.A. O’Neal, from right up the road at Booker T. Washington in Tuskegee, was named Battles’ replacement.

O’Neal, the son of Hall-of-Fame coach Jackie O’Neal, led the Tigers to a 9-3 season and quarterfinal appearance in the state playoffs. It was the most wins in a season since 2017 and deepest run in the post-season since 2016. O’Neal was also selected as an all-star coach for the North-South Classic.

The THS baseball team went 20-10 under head coach John Goodman, also reaching the quarterfinals. The 20-win season was the first for the program since 2017, which was also the last time prior to 2024 that the Tigers had been beyond the second round in the playoffs.

Tallassee’s wrestling team was runner-up at the state duals for the second straight season. John Mask’s team finished the season with a duals record of 37-1. The Tigers also had three state champions in Mason Nelson, Ramon Lozada and Land Bell, who won his second individual title.

In swimming, Camden Mask picked up a state championship in the 100-yard breast stroke. Mask recorded the fastest time of all swimmers at the Huntsville event.

It was a banner year for the Tallassee soccer program. Matthew Tarpley’s boys team reached the Final Four, a first in program history. The squad finished the season with a record of 20-5-4. Irvin Delfin became a two-time all-state pick as well as an all-region selection.

The Tallassee girls basketball team recorded the best record for a THS team in the 2000s going 16-11 in Alfonzo Johnson’s first season at the helm.

Two new girls’ athletic programs were started in 2024. Jason Taylor was announced as the new girls wrestling coach. THS softball head coach Pat Love was named the coach to lead the first girls flag football team, which made it all the way to the semifinals in their inaugural season.

Tallassee’s 10-and-under baseball all-stars won the USSSA Alabama Championship. The boys beat Northport for the state trophy but fell in the World Series Championship rematch in Louisiana.