Five things to know about Donoho football heading into the 2022 season:

Joe Medley, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Aug. 3—Donoho at a glance

Five things to know about Donoho football heading into the 2022 season:

—Jeremy Satcher enters his first year as a head coach, coming to Donoho after spending 2021 on Sam Adams' staff at Oxford. He also previously coached at Donoho as assistant head football coach, assistant baseball coach and head boys and girls basketball coach. He also spent time on John Grass' staff at Jacksonville State University.

—Satcher hopes to beat the trend for first-year Donoho coaches through the years: Cliff Grubbs, 4-5-1 in 1972; Mike Patterson, 4-7 in 1984, his first full season as head coach; Royce Young, 1-8 in 1988; Robert Green, 2-8 in 1991; Raymond Farmer, 5-5 in 2002; Shannon Felder, 0-10 in 2004; Andy McWilliams, 3-6 in 2015; Mark Sanders, 2-8 in 2017.

—After 9-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, Donoho won a combined three games in 2020 and 2021, seasons that saw COVID-19 and injuries decimate the Falcons.

—Highlighting the returning group for Donoho are four All-Calhoun County players from 2021: Ben Carr (Sr. OL/DL), Lucas Elliott (Sr. QB/RB/LB), Richard Goad (Jr. TE/LB), Logan Melton (Sr. WR/LB). Graduated All-County players include lineman Judson Billings, defensive back/receiver Grant Steed, lineman Tristan Smith and quarterback Ridge Hopkins.

—Realignment changed little for Donoho, with Spring Garden moving back down from Class 2A and replacing Woodland in the Falcons' Class 1A region Still aligned with Donoho are Ragland, Talladega County Central, Victory Christian, Wadley and Winterboro. Donoho will play non-region games at Weaver and Pleasant Valley to open the season and at home, against Cedar Bluff, in the regular-season finale.

—Joe Medley

Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.