Zedaker ready for reins
- Updated: March 1, 2017
Local notes: Lincoln names new football coach, Weaver soccer gets first program win, White Plains golf opens season
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Matt Zedaker, the defensive coordinator at Sylacauga High School, was approved Wednesday as the new head football coach and athletics director at Lincoln.
A decorated lineman at Sylacauga and Bethel College, Zedaker takes over for Brad Wallace, who left the Bears last month to take another coaching position in Georgia.
He has been in Talladega County all his life and at Sylacauga his entire coaching career. He became the Aggies’ defensive coordinator in 2010.
“I’m humbled, honored and excited to have this opportunity,” Zedaker said Thursday. “I’ve been in football for 17 years and always had the aspirations of being a head coach.
“Growing up in the county you look around at certain schools and Lincoln was always one of those schools when I knew it was time for me to apply it was definitely one of the places I wanted to try to get. When it came available I knew I was ready for it. I’m excited to get this opportunity and ready to share my abilities with the Lincoln community. I don’t think I could’ve found a better first (head coaching) job anywhere.”
Zedaker, 41, also is the head coach of Sylacauga’s recently crowned Talladega County champion boys soccer team. He has been granted permission to stay with that senior-laden team, which boasts one of the state’s all-time leading goal scorers and is a state title contender, for as long as its season is open.
He plans to be on campus Monday to meet with the players and coaching staff already in place. As the athletics director his vision is to be seen and lead all sports while making Lincoln “the best athletic school we can be (and) the premier school in the county.”
FIRST EVER WIN: Weaver is playing soccer for the first time this season and Tuesday night scored the first victory in the history of its program when it overran Lincoln’s junior varsity 7-0.
Cainan Forsyth and Kyle Knight scored two goals apiece and Osbaldo Garcia had a goal and two assists. Donovan Baca and Noah Hotaling scored the Bearcats’ other goals. Matt Elston recorded two saves in posting the shutout.
“The guys have been working extremely hard to get better each and every day,” Bearcats coach Jamie Clendenin said. “The day before the game we watched footage from our previous game, which helped the players have a better understanding of where to be on the field.
“It was definitely a great growing experience for our young team. Coach (David) Schumaker and I look forward to what the future has to hold for these young men.”
The Bearcats lost their first two matches, but weren’t overrun in them as you might expect of a brand new program. They lost to Childersburg 2-0 and Etowah 3-1, with Jordan Richmond scoring the first goal in school history. They play Jacksonville at home Thursday night.
WILDCATS START: Colman Hayes shot an 82 and the White Plains golf team posted 339 as a team and finished 14th in the rain-shortened Blue-Gray Invitational at Lagoon Park GC.
Andrew Miller shot 85 and Cameron McCareeth and Nathan Griffin both had 86s. P.J. Sotelo completed the lineup with a 94.
The opening round of the event Monday was washed out, reducing the tournament to an 18-hole event.
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