AL HS Team Preview: Donoho Falcons

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA state championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason Top 10 in each AHSAA classification. 

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each AHSAA classification as well as a Power 25. One thing that you especially don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state as well as recaps and previews of big games across the state.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

High School Name: Donoho Falcons 

Coach’s Name: Steve Gendron 

Classification: AHSAA 2A 

2022 Record: 21-7

Area Number: Class 2A , Area 13 

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5 

No. of Returning Pitchers: 5 

Team Strengths: Hitting, Defense 

Top Returning Players:

• C Lucas Elliott (Wallace-Selma CC, 2023)
• INF Nic Thompson (2024)
• OF/RHP Peyton Webb (2024)
• INF Blake Sewell (2024)

Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects:

• RHP/OF Hayes Farrell (2025)
• INF Marcus Lawler (2026)

Team Outlook

The Donoho Falcons continued their streak of consecutive years last spring of making it deep into the Class 1A playoffs, as they made it to the Final Four once again. Now moving up to Class 2A starting in 2023, the Falcons are looking forward to the challenge of facing a new classification and will look to be in the mix once the end of the season comes around in 2023.

The Falcons won their area with relative ease last spring, going a perfect 8-0 and being able to host the 1st round of the Class 1A playoffs. After reaching the Class 1A State Finals back in 2021, the Falcons were eager to make another run, and they did, as they swept their way through the 1st, 2nd and 3rd round of the playoffs. Setting up a highly-anticipated Final Four series with a spot on the line in the state finals, the Falcons were unfortunately defeated by Lindsay Lane Christian Academy to close their season with a 21-7 record. Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Falcons look up for the challenge of being one of the more competitive teams in Class 2A. They will be placed in a five-team Area 13 with Collinsville, Gaston, Sand Rock and Pleasant Valley with a spot in the playoffs up for grabs at the end of the year. Returning a strong group from last year's team, C Lucas Elliott (Wallace-Selma CC signee, 2023) will look to be once again be one of the leaders for this team after catching every game last season. Elliott was named to the Class 1A All-State team during his junior season, and will look for that same type of success during his senior season. Also coming back and once again being featured at the top of the order, INF Nic Thompson (2024) is another player for the Falcons that earned Class 1A All-State honors during his sophomore campaign. Thompson will once again be looking for an even bigger season, as he's now expected to be one of the leaders for the Falcons. OF/RHP Peyton Webb (2024) was also featured on the Class 1A All-State team last spring, and is looking to provide even more offensive production in his senior season. Webb has a strong arm both from the outfield and on the mound, while also showing some power hitting from the right side. Rounding out the players who received Class 1A All-State honors in 2022, INF Blake Sewell (2024) was the fourth Falcon to receive post-season honors after a strong sophomore campaign. Sewell is a speedy infielder that also provides plenty of leadership now serving as an upperclassmen.

‘24 3B Blake Sewell (@BlkSwll05; @DonohoBaseball) collects his 2nd hit of the day but is left stranded in the 6th. Falcons trail 4-3.

Athletic sophomore, showing solid plate discipline is an intriguing young prospect. pic.twitter.com/nVf0GEPTTQ

— PBR Alabama (@PBR_Alabama) May 12, 2022

INF Blake Sewell (5/12/22)

Another upperclassmen to watch for the Falcons this spring will be RHP/OF Hayes Farrell (2024), who provides a big boost to this year's pitching staff. During his sophomore season, Farrell provided plenty of quality innings on the mound, and will be expected to do the same in 2023. INF Marcus Lawler (2026) may be still be a young player, but he brings back two years of experience after serving as a starter ever since seventh-grade year. They will once again expect big things out of the freshman this spring. The Falcons will look to make another deep run through the playoffs this spring, and even though they slide up into a new classification, the future continues to look bright for Donoho heading into 2023.