AHSAA playoff schedule for round one
All seven defending state champions from 2014 are in the 208-team first-round field as the Alabama High School Athletic Association state football playoffs get underway this week. Two games will be played Thursday night with the rest on Friday. All games kick off at 7 p.m.
For the first time, seven defending state champs will be in the field as the AHSAA conducts its seven classification football playoffs for the second straight year. The playoffs began in 1966 with just four teams competing for the Class 4A state title. The playoffs expanded to four classifications in 1967, to six in 1984 and seven in 2014.
This year’s playoffs mark the 50th anniversary of the AHSAA’s playoff completion.
Classes 1A through 6A will compete in five playoff rounds culminating with the Super 7 State Championships at Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium Dec. 2-4. Class 7A will play four rounds with the championship game at Bryant-Denny set for Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
The seven defending state champions in the 2015 field include Class 1A Maplesville (8-1), Class 2A Fyffe (9-1), Class 3A Madison Academy (9-1), Class 4A Leeds (8-2), Class 5A St. Paul’s Episcopal (8-2), Class 6A Clay-Chalkville (10-0) and Class 7A Hoover (8-2). Coach Jerry Hood’s Cougars carry a 25-game winning streak, longest active streak in the AHSAA, into the postseason. Hoover and Madison Academy will be going for four straight state titles, the Mustangs in Class 3A, and Hoover, going for its second in 7A after winning the 2012 and 2013 titles in Class 6A.
In addition to Clay-Chalkville, other unbeaten teams in the 6A 32-team playoff field include Spanish Fort (10-0), Opelika (10-0) and Muscle Shoals (10-0). In 5A, five teams are unbeaten, Jackson (10-0), Greenville (10-0), Guntersville (10-0), Beauregard (9-0) and Wenonah (9-0).
Other unbeaten teams include, in Class 2A: Randolph County (10-0), Tanner (10-0), Cleveland (10-0), Red Bay (10-0) and G.W. Long (9-0); in Class 3A, Gordo (10-0); and in Class 4A, UMS-Wright (10-0) and Cordova (10-0).
Raycom Media, the AHSAA TV Partner, will be featuring Class 6A powers Bessemer City versus Park Crossing at Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl on Friday night as the Raycom AHSAA Game of the Week shifts to playoff games and moves to Friday night for the first four playoff rounds. Raycom will also broadcast all seven AHSAA state football championship games.
The NFHS Network plans to live-stream selected games each week with several member schools planning to live-stream contests over the NFHS Network School Broadcast Program as well.
All games will be listed at www.ahsaa.com as well www.nfhsnetwork.com. The AHSAA Radio Network will also host a statewide scoreboard show during the state playoffs. Check the AHSAA website for more details.
Second-round playoff games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, followed by the quarterfinals on Nov. 20, and the semifinals on Nov. 27.
AHSAA 50th Annual State Football Playoffs
First Round, Nov. 6
(All Games, Nov. 6, 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
CLASS 1A
Billingsley (5-5) at Millry (7-3)
Keith (4-6) at Georgiana (9-1)
Marengo (6-4) at Loachapoka (4-6)
Kinston (5-5) at Maplesville (8-1)
McKenzie (6-3) at Linden (7-2)
Chickasaw (4-6) at Notasulga (8-2)
A.L. Johnson (3-6) at Brantley (8-2)
Verbena (7-3) at J.U. Blacksher (7-3)
Woodville (4-6) at Victory Christian (7-2), Pell City
Vina (5-5) at Berry (8-2)
Talladega County Central (6-3) at Spring Garden (7-3)
Meek (7-3) at Decatur Heritage (9-1), Priceville Stadium, Thursday
Hubbertville (6-3) at Hackleburg (9-1)
Ragland (3-7) at Cedar Bluff 9-1)
Phillips (6-4) at South Lamar (6-4)
Valley Head (3-6) at Wadley (8-1)
CLASS 2A
Luverne (6-4) at Mobile Christian (9-1)
Francis Marion (4-6) at G.W. Long (9-0)
Flomaton (8-2) at New Brockton (9-1)
Arito(5-5) at Fayetteville (8-2)
Samson (7-3) at Pickens County (7-3)
Sweet Water (5-5) at Elba (9-1)
Thorsby 6-4) at Providence Christian (7-2)
Goshen (4-6) at Washington County (8-2)
Gaston (7-3) at Ranburne (8-1)
Phil Campbell (4-6) at Tanner (10-0)
LaFayette (6-4) at Fyffe (9-1)
Addison (5-5) at Red Bay (10-0)
Cold Springs (6-4) at Sulligent (7-3)
Reeltown (6-4) at Cleveland (10-0)
Hatton (5-5) at Falkville (8-2)
Collinsville (6-4) at Randolph County (10-0)
CLASS 3A
Fultondale (5-5) at Bayside Academy (7-3)
Greensboro (5-5) at Daleville (9-1)
Opp (7-3) at Midfield (6-3)
Wicksburg (7-3) at Gordo (10-0)
Slocomb (7-3) at American Christian (9-1)
Hillcrest-Evergreen (5-5) at Montgomery Academy ((-1)
Aliceville (6-4) at Pike County (8-1)
Central-Coosa (5-5) at T.R. Miller (8-2)
Plainview 6-4) at Oakman (7-3)
Lexington (6-4) at Piedmont (9-1)
Susan Moore (4-6) at North Sand Mountain (6-4)
Weaver (5-5) at Madison Academy (9-1)
Walter Wellborn(603) at Lauderdale County (7-3)
Winston County (7-3) at New Hope (6-4)
Colbert County (7-4) at Glencoe (9-1)
Geraldine (6-4) at Winfield (9-1)
CLASS 4A
Dadeville (5-5) at Thomasville (6-4)
West Blocton (5-5) at Andalusia (9-1)
W.S. Neal (8-2) at Munford (7-3)
Straughn (4-5) at Bibb County (7-3)
Saint James (6-4) at Montevallo (8-2)
Clarke County (4-6) at Leeds (8-2)
Northside (7-2) at Trinity Presbyterian (7-3)
Handley (8-2) at UMS-Wright (10-0)
DAR (8-2) at Fayette County (6-4)
Wilson (6-4) at Cleburne County (8-2)
Haleyville (6-4) at North Jackson (6-4)
Jacksonville (6-4) at Brooks (9-1)
Cherokee County (6-4) at Deshler (5-5)
Hamilton (4-6) at Priceville (8-2)
West Limestone (7-3) at Saks (8-2)
Oneonta (5-5) at Cordova (10-0)
CLASS 5A
Sylacauga (7-3) at St. Paul’s Episcopal (8-2)
Dallas County (6-4) at Greenville (10-0)
Vigor (6-4) at Central-Clay County (6-4)
Charles Henderson (5-5) at Demopolis (8-2)
Sidney Lanier (4-6) at Helena (8-2)
Williamson (5-5) at Beauregard (9-0)
Calera (7-3) at Eufaula (8-2)
Tallassee (5-5) at Jackson (10-0)
Madison County (6-4) at Pleasant Grove (7-3)
West Point (6-4) at Alexandria (8-1)
Parker (6-4) at Etowah (7-3)
Anniston (4-5) at Russellville (9-1)
Hayden (7-3) at East Limestone (8-2)
Ramsay (7-3) at Guntersville (10-0)
Lawrence County (6-4) at Mortimer Jordan (9-1)
Randolph (7-3) at Wenonah (9-0)
CLASS 6A
Chelsea (7-3) at Blount (8-2)
Bessemer City (6-4) at Park Crossing (8-2), Cramton Bowl, Montgomery
Saraland (8-2) at Benjamin Russell (9-1)
Wetumpka (4-6) at McAdory (9-1)
Northview (4-6) at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (7-3)
Daphne (6-4) at Opelika (10-0)
Northridge (8-2) at Dothan (6-4)
Pell City (4-6) at Spanish Fort (10-0)
Lee-Huntsville (6-4) at Homewood (8-2)
Cullman (6-4) at Clay-Chalkville (10-0)
Minor (6-4) at Albertville (7-3)
Huffman (4-6) at Muscle Shoals (10-0)
Pinson Valley (7-3) at Austin (7-3)
Briarwood Christian (4-6) at Fort Payne (8-2)
Hartselle (7-3) at Gardendale (8-2)
Scottsboro (5-5) at Walker (8-2)
CLASS 7A
Theodore (7-3) at Auburn (6-4)
Enterprise (5-5) at McGill-Toolen (9-1), Archbishop Lipscomb Complex, Mobile
Lee-Montgomery (7-3) at Murphy (7-3), Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile
Foley (6-4) at Central-Phenix City (7-3)
Hewitt-Trussville (6-4) at James Clemens (9-1), Madison City Stadium, Thursday
Hazel Green (5-5) at Spain Park (9-1)
Buckhorn (6-4) at Hoover (8-2), Hoover Met Stadium
Vestavia Hills (8-2) at Bob Jones (9-1), Madison City Stadium