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Albertville conducts dedication ceremony for Vernon Wells Stadium

Albertville conducts dedication ceremony for Vernon Wells Stadium

ALBERTVILLE — Players and assistant coaches from the late Vernon Wells’ two eras as Albertville’s head coach joined members of the Wells family for a pregame reception in the AHS Fine Arts Center, followed by an on-field ceremony Thursday night to celebrate the official renaming of the football stadium to McCord Field at Vernon Wells Stadium.

Albertville kicked off its 2024 season by hosting Arab.

Ed NeSmith and Paul McAbee, two of Wells’ former players, led the charge in lobbying the Albertville City Board of Education to rename the field in honor of their coach, the winningest football coach in school history. The board approved the name change in May.

Wells compiled a 99-77-4 record with the Aggies, leading them from 1949-53 and 1973-85. His teams enjoyed success against the Aggies’ archrivals, going 12-5-1 against Guntersville and 13-2 against Boaz.

Wells’ 1953 squad was named the Class AA District 4 State champions by The Birmingham News. It’s the Aggies’ only State football crown. NeSmith was the quarterback on that team.

Over 37 seasons, Wells’ overall coaching record was 214-140-10. He also served as head coach at Butler, Fort Payne and Plainview.

Sixty years ago, Wells guided Fort Payne to the Class AAA State championship. On Thursday, six members of the coach’s 1964 Wildcat squad honored his memory by attending the reception and ceremony.

“It means everything to the family. He meant so much to us,” said Jace Wells, who is one of the coach’s six grandchildren. “I was young when he died, but he was always a good man and a good granddaddy to me.”

Jace’s father was Stephen Vernon Wells, the coach’s only son. Steve Wells passed away in June 2021. Vernon and Joanna Wells’ four daughters attended the reception and ceremony — Carol Traylor, Kay Bearden, Ann Baker and Jennie Hannah.

“Oh gosh, he would’ve been torn up about it,” Jace Wells said of how he believes his father would’ve reacted to the stadium dedication. “He loved Albertville and loved playing here. He would’ve been tickled. I hate that he missed it. He would’ve loved it.”

Steve Wells was a senior when his father returned to Albertville in 1973 to launch his second tenure as the Aggies’ boss. Steve kicked a school-record 47-yard field goal to propel the Aggies to a 3-0 victory over Boaz that season.

Jace Wells heard stories about his father’s famous kick.

“Him and Granddaddy went back and forth about the play call,” Wells said. “Of course, he was the quarterback too, so he just went on the field and told them they were going to kick it, and Granddaddy didn’t want that. But Daddy just went ahead and kicked it and made it.”

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