The Andalusia Rotary Club on Tuesday heard plans for an ESPN-style documentary on the Andalusia High School football program.
Lucky Cope, who retired from the insurance industry after 40 years and currently serves as a strength and conditioning coach at Andalusia High School, was the guest speaker of City Administrator John Thompson.
Cope discussed plans to work with Keith Dunnavant to produce an ESPN-style documentary about Andalusia High School football in the 1970s. Dunnavant is a native of Athens, Ala., and has produced similar documentaries about Athens in the 1970s, as well as other football programs.
Cope recalled how in the spring of his junior year, 1973, after baseball season, the Bulldogs’ head coach and one of its two assistants, were hired by other programs. That left one assistant, and Coach Richard Robertson, who at that time coached junior high football and scouted for the varsity on Friday nights.
Cope and others in the Bulldog program wanted Assistant Coach Foshee to be named head coach.
“Nobody was listening, so we marched on City Hall,” he said, added that they also threatened to quit the team.
Among those who met them at City Hall were then-superintendent Oscar Zenah, then-principal Murray King, and Star-News editor Ed Dannelly.
Cope said “the grown-ups didn’t listen to us,” and the rest was history.
The school system ultimately hired AHS graduate Donnie Sharpe to coach the Bulldogs, and the first year, they played in the championship game. That season also began the famous Andalusia regular-season record. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs went 76-7-2, were then 1977 3A state champions; the 1976 3A state co-champions, and where the 3A state runners-up in 1973 and 1975.
The documentary will start with the 1973 fall season, and culminate in the 1977 championship game.
Cope said the documentary will premiere on the Thursday night of homecoming week in the fall of 2027, which will be the 50th anniversary homecoming for the seniors who were on that team.
“They’ve already filed three hours of interviews with Coach Sharpe,” he said.
Cope said there are eight sponsors on board for the documentary and a ninth sponsor is needed. Sponsors will have commercials during the film, and the documentary crew can film those if needed.