Saban Sighting

Nick Saban visits North Forest’s football program

Nick Saban visits North Forest’s football program
Nick Saban and Clifton Terrell Vype

Originally appeared on Vype.com

As a high school football player if there’s any college coach you want looking at you it’s Nick Saban.

After winning his sixth national championship a few weeks ago, he’s now considered arguably the greatest college football coach of all-time.

Saban came down to North Forest High School recently with his eyes set on junior offensive tackle Javonne Shepherd and sophomore receiver Demond Demas.

“Saban didn’t get to meet with them,” Clifton Terrell, North Forest’s head coach said. “But he told me that Alabama wanted to offer both of them scholarships.”

Saban’s time on North Forest campus was spent by watching film on Shepherd and Demas plus talking with coaches and the school principal.

The back story of Shepherd and Demas getting recruited by Alabama is that the two were brought to Saban’s attention from a new assistant coach that was once recruiting Shepherd and Demas from a different school.

The assistant coach saw Shepherd and Demas' talent at a football camp and has been trying to recruit them ever since.

Once the assistant coach made the switch over to Alabama, he kept urging Saban to take a look at the two players.

Other programs that have passed through North Forest recently have been Texas A&M and the University of Houston. Ole Miss and Tennessee are scheduled to come to the school in weeks ahead.

Though Saban was only offering Shepherd and Demas a scholarship it was definitely inspiring for the other players to see him on campus.

“I hope this encourages all the players to keep working hard,” Terrell said. “As coaches we’re just trying to keep them focus and make sure we don’t let them fail and do anything to lose the opportunities they’re being blessed with.”

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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