Husband and wife Chris and Gabby Adcock will spearhead an enhanced British challenge at this summer's Olympics in Rio.

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The British Olympic Association has confirmed eight players have secured spots for the Games in Brazil, twice the number that competed in London four years ago.

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The Adcocks, ranked seventh in the world in mixed doubles, will be the chief medal hopes while men's singles player Rajiv Ouseph will also bring Olympic experience.

They will be joined by women's singles entrant Kirsty Gilmour and two other doubles pairings. Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis will feature in the men's doubles with Lauren Smith and Heather Olver playing in the women's event.

Team GB chef de mission Mark England said: 'I'm delighted to be able to welcome these eight players to Team GB and see another fine squad of athletes book their seats on the plane to Rio 2016.

'Chris and Gabby Adcock had a very strong year in 2015 and are one of the best mixed doubles pairs in the world while Rajiv Ouseph has long been our strongest men's singles player.

'There is plenty of talent in this squad and on their day any of these athletes can challenge the best in the world so we're looking forward to seeing them in action this summer.'

British players failed to make a significant impression at London 2012 and have not won an Olympic medal since Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms claimed silver in Athens in 2004.

But the Adcocks, Commonwealth Games gold medallists two years ago, could contend this time having won two Superseries titles, including last year's world finals in Dubai, since reforming their on-court partnership after the 2012 Games.

Chris Adcock competed in London alongside the now-retired Imogen Bankier, with whom he previously won World Championship silver, but failed to win a match.

Ouseph, ranked 14th in the world and a two-time Commonwealth silver medallist, narrowly missed out on a place in the last 16 at Wembley Arena four years ago.

Scotland's Gilmour, ranked 15th in the world, has since emerged as Britain's leading women's singles player.

The 22-year-old from Hamilton also won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

The pairings of Langridge and Ellis, and Smith and Olver are ranked 20th and 27th in their respective events.

Jon Austin, the badminton team leader, said: 'Eight players have qualified, which equals our team size in Beijing and will be the first time since Athens in 2004 that we will have representatives in every event.

'We are in the midst of final preparations, the team are in good shape and looking forward to what lies ahead.'

Langridge said: 'The Olympics is the biggest thing in badminton. I started playing at the age of 10 so to be selected for Team GB is what I've been working towards for 21 years. It's an amazing achievement.'

Decatur-Austin game was a classic

Both sides brought a load of emotion to the football field Friday night when city rivals Decatur High and Austin faced off at Ogle Stadium.

The Red Raiders were motivated to continue what has been a magical season. Some of their players even said they were nervous to keep the momentum going and further prove they are for real this season.

Meanwhile, Austin was a confident and determined team on a mission trying to win a second straight game over the Red Raiders for the first time since 1985.

But there was one thing the rivals had in common: Each side was playing for its seniors.

At the end of the game, 22 Decatur and 21 Austin seniors had plenty of reasons to be proud Friday night, leading the way in an exciting game that Decatur won 10-7 and 12th-year Red Raiders head coach Jere Adcock described as “two heavyweights going at it.”

It was scoreless at halftime before Decatur recorded 10 points in the third quarter, and Austin posted a touchdown in the fourth.

Fourth-year Austin head coach David Norwood said he thought Friday night’s installment of the annual city rivalry did its part to fuel the intensity of the matchup. The rival teams have now split the past two meetings, each by a three-point margin.

Austin won 17-14 in 2006.

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With the avenging win, the Red Raiders capped a region championship season with a nine-game win streak still alive.

Decatur (9-1), which has not lost to a Class 5A team all season, will host Gardendale (6-4) in the first round of the state playoffs this week.

“I’m tickled to death for this team because these seniors, at this stage of their career, have 23 wins as a senior class,” Adcock said.

“Any time you averaging over seven wins a year, that’s pretty good, and I hope they’re not done yet.”

Austin (4-6) did not qualify for the playoffs this season, and although the Black Bears’ season ended on Friday night, Norwood gave credit to his seniors for the kind of character they have instilled in the program the past four years.

Anyone inside Austin’s football program knew exactly what Norwood meant Friday night when he told his senior class: “What you’ve done is set the tone for the future of Austin High School. For that, I thank you.”

Speake goes one better: For the Speake Bobcats, last season was a dream. And after making it to the second round of the Class 1A state playoffs and hosting an opening-round contest for the first time since 1977, the Bobcats still haven’t waked up. And that’s a good thing.

Fifth-year head coach Heath Grimes said he thought the consensus was that his team was a one-year success story, but the Bobcats have surprised naysayers this season with an even better year. With Speake’s 40-14 win over Danville on Friday night, the Bobcats’ record is now 9-1, bettering last year’s regular-season record of 8-2.

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Speake will host a first-round state playoff game again,
playing Donoho (7-3) on
Friday.

Elkmont is in: For the first time since 1999, Class 3A Elkmont is in the state playoffs.

The Red Devils’ 28-26 win over 2A playoff team Tanner gave Elkmont the third seed out of Region 8.

Elkmont (5-5) will play at Sardis (7-3) in the first round.

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The Red Devils’ offensive production of 17.7 points a game has held up this season, scoring 21 points or more five times under first-year Elkmont head coach Don Jacobs, who
is a former Alabama quarterback and Troy offensive coordinator.

Hazlewood still undefeated: Hazlewood’s 61-8 win over Parrish on Friday put an exclamation point on the Golden Bears’ first undefeated regular season since 1996. That year, they finished the regular season 9-0 and advanced to the second round of the 2A state playoffs.

The Golden Bears gave up just 25 points in the regular season that year, while this year’s Hazlewood defense has surrendered an average of just 12 points a game, including four shutouts.

The 1A, Region 8 champion, Hazlewood (10-0), will host Appalachian (5-5) in the first round of the playoffs.

West Morgan’s Coggins cherishes win: Class 2A West Morgan’s impressive 24-6 win at 4A East Limestone on Thursday night was an especially meaningful victory for Rebels head coach Pierre Coggins, who got his coaching start on the late Phil Cavnar’s staff at East Limestone during 1990-93.

Coggins remains a close friend of the Cavnar family.

“I love this place — I really do,” Coggins told players from both teams huddled around him after Thursday night’s game. “I learned a lot about coaching here and I’m for you all to win every week, and I wish you the best of luck in the playoffs.”

The feeling is mutual, evident by an East Limestone player echoing Coggins statement with: “You, too, Coach.”

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West Morgan (6-4) will travel to Woodland (7-3) in the first round of the playoffs, while East Limestone (7-3) will play at Tarrant (6-4).