Holly Pond standout to play football at Murray State University:
Cade Allbright shows how work can be rewarded in his future life:
GDW Analysis:
HOLLY POND: As a student athlete, Cade Allbright is well aware of facing adversity and conquering it in tremendous fashion.
In his sophomore football season at Holly Pond, Allbright sustained a broken leg.
Allbright then went through the process of rehab as showed strength and character to reach a goal he had set for his future.
On Wednesday, the Holly Pond Bronco signed a letter of intent to play at Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky.
Murray State is in NCAA FCS (formerly known as Division 1-A) with the Racers a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Holly Pond principal Nate Ayers described the Wednesday morning signing as "awesome day."
Allbright is part of a program that made progress while he donned the green and white as a junior and senior in 2024 and 2025.
Holly Pond was only 2 & 18 on the gridiron in 2022 and 2023.
Will McDaniel was hired and has guided improvement with the Broncos winning 9 games the two seasons while Allbright has played the position of tight end and defensive end.
Holly Pond just missed out on making the playoffs the past two years by one game, taking its opportunity to the final game in AHSAA 3A, Region 8.
The 2025 season for Allbright and the Broncos featured 5 victories with the team scoring 42 vs. Asbury, 58 vs. Cleveland, 60 vs. Brindlee Mountain and 74 against Hanceville.
Holly Pond also claimed a 24 to 21 first ever upset victory against Sylvania.
Beating Cleveland 58 to 40 on Halloween night at Thomas/Michelfelder Field closed the chapter on progress for the Broncos having their best season on the gridiron since 2018.
Allbright praised of being blessed to be part of the Holly Pond community that is special to him.
His parents are former Holly Pond student athletes. His dad Heath is a former school board member and now the Alabama House of Representatives District 11.
His mother Breann excelled in athletics as a Bronco. She is now the school's golf coach and serves as an assistant with the volleyball program.
Cade's younger sister Lily is currently playing junior varsity basketball for the Lady Broncos.
Allbright will major in Agri business at Murray State as his father told Gameday Weekly he has been accepted in the school's program.
For Allbright going to Murray State, the 2026 season will begin for the Racers September 5 at Middle Tennessee State University.
The home opener will be September 12 at Roy Stewart Stadium vs. Valparaiso University.
Allbright is currently playing hoops for Holly Pond with the Broncos beating Locust Fork 55 to 50 December 2 to go 2 & 0 in 3A, Area 13 play.
Allbright and the Broncos will deal with the Good Hope Raiders in their next game Friday at Good Hope at 7:30 p.m.
The game will be available on hollypondbroncos.com
Photo from left, Lilly Allbright, Heath Allbright, Cade Allbright, Breann Allbright.
On the back is Holly Pond assistant principal Adrianna Skutchan and principal Nate Ayers.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
