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Multi-sport athlete Jalyn Daniels cuts down the nets after the Tigers' area championship in basketball. On the football field, Daniels rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight games.

2020 - Year in Sports

By Michael Butler

The sports world dealt with COVID-19 in 2020 just as the rest of the world did. Of those that competed, they made the best of it. Unfortunately there was unfinished business for others.

The Tallassee basketball team put together its best season ever compiling a record-breaking 27 wins. The Tigers also reached the sub-regional round for the first time since the format was instituted.

The THS wrestling team added another individual title as senior Zak Haynes won the Class 5A/126-pound state championship. He was the 20th wrestler in the history of the program to win an individual championship.

Reeltown's Matt Johnson and Tallassee's Mike Battles shake on it before the "Battle of the Tallapoosa"

The spring season ended prematurely for all athletic programs. Who knows how far the Tallassee softball team could have gone.

THS pitcher Jordan Walters

The girls reached No. 1 in the Class 5A rankings for the first time in school history. When the abbreviated season ended, the Tigers were still stop the poll. The Tigers were 15-1 and will enter 2021 on a 15-game win streak. County rival Elmore County also was ranked No. 1 in 4A, also a first for the program.

Spring football was also missed by high school programs across the state. Summer workouts got a late start, but the fall season did come to fruition with the much anticipated renewal of the Reeltown/Tallassee football rivalry. The game played at J. E. "Hot" O'Brien Stadium with some stipulations on attendance. Just 2,200 tickets were sold. The "Battle of the Tallapoosa" lived up to the hype going to overtime with the Rebels winning 27-21.

COVID did hit the Tallassee football program. Two forfeit losses in region play proved costly as the Tigers missed the playoffs.

Haynes
Dean
Stewart

The junior varsity team played just one game. The Southside Middle School Tigers got in a full season and dominated. SMS went 6-0 winning the district championship.

Tallassee junior Woodrow Dean brought the school a state championship in cross country. Dean ran away from the field winning the Class 5A crown by approximately 47 seconds.

Another pair of state titles came to Tallassee in the swimming pool. Ninth grader Macey Stewart picked up two blue ribbons in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. She had won the 100 a year prior.

District Champs - The SMS Tigers went 6-0 in 2020