By Bran Strickland
Star Sports Writer
12-26-2002

Cleburne Countys Tyrone Prothro rushed for almost 2,000 yards and scored 28 touchdowns while playing a new position. Photo: Kevin Qualls. If any two people in Northeast Alabama were drawing attention in the preseason, it was Clay County head coach Danny Horn and Cleburne County all-purpose player Tyrone Prothro. Horns bunch was coming off a .500 season, but had dropped down from Class 2A to 1A. Some said he had the chance to take home his fifth state championship, but others reminded them that he was still coming off a 5-5 season. For Prothro, it was his last shot. His standout performances had made him a target of every defense on the Tigers schedule. If you dont stop him, you dont have much of a shot to win. Today, with the football season well over, the two are drawing attention once again. Prothro and Horn take home The Stars All-Area Coach and Player of the Year honors. The two earned the nods, not just for some of the best performances in the area, but in the state.

Clay County coach Danny Horn and his Panthers won the Class 1A state championship. Photo: Stephen Gross. Horn led his Clay County Panthers to the Class 1A State Championship and Prothro ended an ultra successful career with one of his best seasons ever. Prothros senior season started out a little different than the rest. Hed made a name for himself as a do-it-all-type player. You never knew where he was going to line up, but you knew youd better be there or a touchdown was soon to come. But after an automobile accident sidelined several starters from Cleburne Countys roster before the season even began, adjustments had to be made. One of the first was Prothro. Instead of lining up all over the field, the senior was moved to tailback full-time. On paper, it looked like the move would make it easier for teams to defend against him. In real life, it was still Prothro, and nothing is easy when it comes to defending him. He rushed for 1,902 yards on 255 carries and scored 28 touchdowns. Statistically, it was the most successful seasons in a career that totaled 8,099 yards and 92 touchdowns. For his senior-season performance , Prothro took home the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State honors, the ASWA Class 4A Back of the Year award and a spot on the ASWAs Super 12 team. I knew the pressure was on this season, Prothro said. If I hadnt done well and won the awards, people would have looked at it as a disappointment. I really dont think this was my best season because we didnt get back to the state championship game but it was still pretty good. For Horn, his performance may not have been his best ever, either. But pretty good would have still been an understatement. In 2001, Clay County went through the worst season in Horns tenure. The Panthers were 5-5 and ended their season in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. Horn didnt waste time making excuses for the season. He just got to work to make sure it wouldnt happen again. We started to work, he said. Getting stronger, practicing everything. And it didnt take long for Horn to see the results. Not too long after the Panthers began to go through spring drills, he thought it all could happen again. I knew then that we could have a shot at (a state championship), Horn said. Or at least make a run at it. And the Panthers proved him right, leaving very little doubt with anyone in the state. Clay County ripped through the regular season undefeated, and only allowed two touchdowns in the entire five rounds of the playoffs. That run ended with a 29-0 win over Autaugaville in the Class 1A Super Six final and another trophy in the Clay County trophy case.