Fort Dale Academy head football coach James &#8220Speed” Sampley knew it was just a matter of time.

That time has come.

Fort Dale and Sampley will be looking for a new assistant football coach following the announcement on Wednesday that Eagle assistant Clint Lowery was named Prattville Christian Academy's first head football coach.

&#8220I knew at some point that he would get back into being a head football coach,” Sampley said. &#8220Prattville Christian is not only getting a good football coach, but a good person. He'll do a really good job for them up there.”

Prattville Christian is expected to field a junior varsity and a varsity team next season and play on their newly constructed home field by 2007, according to the school's president Ron Mitchell.

&#8220Football adds another dimension to what we offer here,” Mitchell said.

Lowery will conduct a spring practice with those who have signed up for football at Prattville Christian sometime in late May.

&#8220I am thrilled with this opportunity and look forward to many years of winning football at Prattville Christian Academy,” said Lowery, who spent four seasons at Fort Dale, during Wednesday's press conference. &#8220Prattville Christian is a growing school with an exciting spiritual atmosphere that will be a great place to coach football.”

This will mark Lowery's second head coaching job in his career. He compiled a 24-4-2 record at Bullock Memorial School in Union Springs.

&#8220He's a good Christian man first and foremost,” Mitchell said about Lowery. &#8220And he came highly recommended by some of the best coaches around the state, including the man he's worked for.”

Lowery, who also serves as the Eagles head baseball coach, will stay on through the remainder of the school year. He officially reports to work as head football coach at Prattville Christian on June 1.

With Lowery moving on, Fort Dale now must find an assistant football coach and head baseball coach. Sampley said that he has no timeline in place as to when that position or positions will be filled.