Lions receive Gordon Wood award from Tx Hall of Fame

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions football team has been named recipient of the 2023 Gordon Wood Award by the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

The award will be presented Saturday, May 6 at the Hall’s 2023 induction banquet in Waco.

The Gordon Wood Award is presented to an “especially noteworthy high school football team that displayed good sportsmanship, the ability to overcome challenges, had the support of the community and achieved success on the field.”

Albany’s success on the field in 2022 culminated in the Class 2A Division II championship after four previous trips to the finals under head coach Denney Faith.

“The way the award reads, it’s not only an award for our football team but for our community as a whole with the support they give our athletes,” Faith said. “It’s a great honor for our team and our town.”

Albany entered the season ranked No. 1 in the state in 2ADII. Despite some bumps along the way, the Lions lived up to that lofty billing in the end.

The season saw Albany endure a rash of injuries to key players, which contributed to the Lions suffering back-to-back losses for the first time since 2019.

After a loss to Comanche in the final nondistrict game, Albany trailed for a total 1 minute, 55 seconds the rest of the season. The Lions built leads of at least 21-0 in every district game.

The final four rounds saw Albany dispatch No. 4 Wink, No. 6 Collinsville, unranked New Home, and No. 1 Mart by an average margin of 24.5 points.

One of the best things about winning the title, Faith said, was rewarding Albany fans for nearly four decades of unwavering support.

“I’m just so glad for our community that wanted this so bad,” Faith said in a postgame press conference after the state win. “I can’t say enough good things about playing football in a town like Albany, Texas, that is passionate about the game, passionate about the kids.”