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The state of Alabama is the latest to crack down on high school football recruiting, with Mary G. Montgomery head coach Zach Golson suspended for the upcoming season.
You may be wondering what type of recruiting violations could lead to a coach being escorted out of the school after being placed on administrative leave when the accusations began to circulate.
Well, in my neck of the woods of Semmes, Alabama, keeping a secret or not taking to social media to denounce the latest gossip is basically a rite of passage.
Located just outside of Mobile, home to Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith, Jake Peavy, JaMarcus Russell, Tee Martin, Satchel Paige and many other legends, Mary G. Montgomery has made a lot of noise over the past four years under coach Zach Golson.
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During his tenure as head coach, Golson had accumulated a 37-10 record at the Division 7A level of Alabama high school football, which also put a target on his back from opposing coaches across the region and state.
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Zach Golson, MGM head coach (Athletics Mary G. Montgomery)
Honestly, during my time at Davidson High School, MGM was one of those games that you knew would be an easy night on the field, even though I’m not going to act like I was playing it.
They could catch me on the football field, and even then, I only took the field when we were at least three points ahead.
OK, back to why Mary G. Montgomery won’t have its head coach for the upcoming season.
Returning home last month for a visit with family, as well as taking a hike down I-10 towards a college that shall not be named (future story), the MGM Vikings have been brought up repeatedly as the latest rumor of strange irregularities in high school recruiting.
Just think of the shows “Friday Night Lights” and “Buddy Garrity”
According to a few people who couldn’t resist the opportunity to spread gossip about things I missed, MGM head coach Zach Golson hosted an event for eighth graders who planned to play for the high school next season.
FOX10 News in Mobile, Alabama, reported that a principal from an opposing school visited the MGM football program.
The problem is that MGM’s location also coincides with schools like Blount High, Baker, and even Vigor, which leads to some interesting recruiting tactics being used if you’re not in a certain zoning area. If you are in the Blount housing area, this is the school you should attend.
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So if a coach had to maybe maneuver a few things to get a player into his district, and I’m not saying Zach Golson did that, you can see how opposing coaches would be upset.
Just think of that scene from the show “Friday Night Lights” where “Buddy” put up a fake mailbox to allow some talented players to use “home” as their home address so they could play for the Dillon Panthers. If you remember, that’s why Luke Cafferty had to play for East Dillon, which turned out to be a blessing for coach Eric Taylor.
Brad Leland stars as Buddy Garrity and Kyle Chandler stars as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights episode 12 of “Texas Which.” (Bill Records/NBC Photo Bank/NBCU)
So, MGM obviously had to surrender for recruiting violations.
In the case of head coach Zach Golson, the signing ceremony attended by young people who were not in his district and which was broadcast on social networks, ended up costing him a year of coaching.
Turns out that would be all the evidence opposing the schools he needed to turn Golson in, leading to him being placed on administrative leave and asked to leave the school. He was then suspended for the entire 2026-2027 season.
I know what you’re probably thinking, and yes, that seems a bit excessive. But high school football is obviously pretty competitive to say the least.
Following the school’s discovery of evidence of the alleged improperly executed ceremony, with the Alabama High School Athletic Association having already been informed of the event, Mary G. Montgomery officials confessed to the recruiting violations.
Not only has the school been placed on probation for next season, but they will not be allowed to make the playoffs, thanks to a ridiculous ceremony for eighth graders. And, if an opposing team were to lose to MGM, the game would not count toward its overall record in the Division 6A, Region 1 standings.
For students who participated in the ceremony and are not in the MGM neighborhood, they will have to play for the school located in their residential area.
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So, due to the actions of its now-suspended head coach, known to be a great guy, MGM’s players are essentially playing season-long exhibition games. It’s the worst of all.
What an absolute sham for these players caught in this nonsense.
But this is recruiting in an era where we also have what is essentially a transfer portal for high school athletes.
