Month: February 2014

Park Crossing High School is very pleased to announce Coach Walter “Smitty” Grider as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. Coach Grider is a Montgomery native and we are excited to welcome him back home.

Coach Grider coached in the MPS junior high school system for several years in the 1990’s, helping to develop athletes that went on to compete for state championships at the high school level. He left Montgomery to coach with Spence McCracken at Opelika, eventually becoming defensive coordinator there and later at Smiths Station before becoming head coach at Central of Coosa and then Beauregard. He is regarded highly for his establishment of Beauregard as a state power as head coach over the past 8 years.

Some of Coach Grider’s accomplishments include:

– 69-33 overall record as head coach in rebuilding 2 programs, including significant turnaround in first year of each program.

– Selected as Head Coach for the AHSAA 2013 North South All Star Football Game.

– 64-28 record at Beauregard High School, most wins in school history.

– 2012 Alabama Sports Writers 4A Coach of the Year.

– 2011 Opelika Auburn News Coach of the Year.

– Selected as Defensive Coordinator for the AHSAA 2011 North South All Star Football Game.

– 2010 Selected as Head Coach for the Alabama vs Georgia Indoor Classic All Star Football Game.

– 7-4 record in first year at Beauregard, improving on the previous two seasons of 1-9, 1-9.

– 5-5 record in first year as Head Coach, improving on the previous 2 season records of 1-9 & 3-7.

– Led the state in scoring defense in 1998, 1999 and 2000 with 7.8, 7.5 & 6.9 per game average as defensive coordinator.

– Top 5 scoring defense every year as defensive coordinator (Opelike, Smiths Station).

– Number one state rankings in 1998, 1999 and 2002.

– Number 12 USA Today national ranking in 1999.

– Number 17 USA Today national ranking in 2002.

Students at Montgomery’s new Park Crossing High School are working to sharpen their skills to get college and career ready.  It’s called Thunderbird Flight School.

Students took part Wednesday in six mini-sessions including improving study skills, social interactions, long range goal setting and setting high expectations.

“Sometimes you don’t get that motivation from certain people,” says 9th grade student Maya Henderson, “and you need other people to motivate you.”

Henderson adds, “It’s good to have someone to tell you to keep going – especially in high school – so you can achieve your goals.”

Representatives from Auburn Montgomery, The Council on Substance Abuse, PC Media, Trenholm State Technical College and the Boys and Girls Club of America facilitated the sessions.

This article was written by the WSFA 12 News Staff for WSFA on February 5, 2014.