Hatton Hornets
Head Coach: Nikita Stover (second season) Career Record: 4 seasons, (27-15) At Hatton: one season, (7-4) Stadium: Hatton Field 2026 Enrollment:  224 Rank:  232nd in the AHSAA, 62nd in Class 3A

History

Overall Record:   361-347-8   (51.0%) Last 25 years:   117-143   (45.0%)  (Rank: 243rd in the AHSAA, 38th in Class 3A) Since 2010:   78-88  (47.0%)  (Rank: 220th in the AHSAA, 32nd in Class 3A) Last Playoff Appearance:   2025 Last Region Championship:   2000 Last Winning Season:   2025 Last Losing Season:   2021

2025

Class:  4A              Region:   7 Record:  7-4 Region Record:   6-2, (third) Playoff Record:   First round loss to Madison Academy by a score of 20-19. Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked Scoring:  386 (35.1) Defense:  192 (17.5)

2026

Class: 3A              Region:   5 Strength of Schedule: 41-63 (39%) (363rd in the AHSAA, 53rd in Class 3A) Region Strength:  25-48 (34%) Non-Region Strength:  16-15 (52%)

2025 Results   8/22    OPEN    8/29   @ Deshler  (4A)  *  28-35   L    9/5   @ Brooks  (4A)  *  34-6   W    9/12   @ East Lawrence  (4A)  *  21-12   W    9/19   vs. West Morgan  (4A)  *  14-23   L    9/26   vs. Westminster Christian  (4A)   48-13   W    10/3   @ West Limestone  (4A)  *  40-14   W    10/10   vs. Russellville  (5A)   26-35   L    10/17   @ Danville  (4A)  *  63-0   W    10/24   vs. Central Florence  (4A)  *  47-7   W    10/30   vs. Wilson  (4A)  *  46-27   W    Playoffs   11/7   @ Madison Academy    19-20   L

2026 Schedule   8/21   vs. Brooks  (4A)         8/28   vs. Lawrence County  (4A)         9/4   vs. Fayette County  (3A)  *        9/11   @ Winfield  (3A)  *        9/18   @ Oakman  (3A)  *        9/25    OPEN    10/2   @ East Lawrence  (3A)  *        10/9   vs. Haleyville  (3A)  *        10/16   @ Curry  (3A)  *        10/23   vs. Danville  (3A)  *        10/30   @ Central Florence  (3A)

Class  3A Region  5 Team 2025 Record Region Scoring                             Winfield (3A) 9-3 6-1 428-216 Fayette County (4A) 6-5 5-2 423-241 Hatton (4A) 7-4 6-2 386-192 Curry (4A) 3-7 2-5 192-370 Oakman (3A) 4-6 4-3 316-235 Danville (4A) 2-8 1-7 162-401 Haleyville (4A) 0-10 0-7 135-377 East Lawrence (4A) 1-9 0-8 154-337

2026 Preview

Hatton completed the 2025 season with a 7-4 record. With their 6-2 region record and a third place finish in Class 4A region seven, the Hornets earned a spot in the playoffs in 2025. Hatton's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Madison Academy by a score of 20-19.        The Hornets last playoff victory came during the 2002 season. They would love to break through this year with a post season win.        Since 2010, Hatton has gone a combined 78-88. Their 47.0% winning percentage ranks 32nd in Class 3A over the past sixteen seasons.        Over the past 25 seasons, Hatton has managed to compile a record of 117-143. Their 45.0% winning percentage ranks 38th in Class 3A and 243rd in the AHSAA. Head Coach:        The Hornets are led by head coach Nikita Stover who is entering his second season at the helm. His team finished with a 7-4 record in his first season at Hatton. The Hornets saw improvement from a 6-5 record the season before coach Stover arrived. Under his direction the Hornets have qualified for the playoffs once. They have not won a region crown with Coach Stover. Over the course of his career, Coach Stover's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of three times and won one region championship. Season Outlook:        The Hatton Hornets will play in Class 3A region five during the 2026 season.               The Hatton Hornets are on the verge of something special the next few years. It all started a few years ago when many students from R.A. Hubbard entered the school when Hubbard closed its door. Last year Nikita Stover arrived on the scene and some prognosticators believe the Hornets are about to take a giant step forward very soon.        While the Hornets have reached the playoffs in each of the past six seasons they have been unable to advance past the first round. All that may change in 2026. A week four matchup with Winfield may just be for the region championship and a first round home game for the Hornets. It's been nearly twenty-five years since they hosted a playoff game.        Savarius Evans rushed for 1,715 yards and 19 TDs and will return for his Senior season.     The Hornets are considered one of the favorites for the region five championship this season and a home game in the first round of the playoffs. The Hornets have successfully qualified for the playoffs every year since 2019 and expect to be included again when November rolls around.

Players to Watch in 2026:
  Offense:  #1 LJ Strong, #2 Teagan Burleson, #3 Quendarius Bolding, #7 Wes Steadman

The Coach had this to say:
      Our defense I think is going to be our strong point this year. We've got a lot of guys who want to fly to the football. I think these guys really want to have a great season.

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Season Opener:
       The Hornets open the 2026 season at home against non-region opponent Brooks on Friday, August 21 at Hatton Field. Last year the Brooks Lions finished with an overall record of 7-4 and in fourth place in Class 4A region seven. The Lions lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs to Plainview by a score of 35-12.

       Hatton and Brooks have met a total of 10 times on the football field. The Hornets have a 7-3-0 record against the Lions. They last met in 2025 with Hatton winning by a score of 34-6.