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46 top seeds advance
Contributed
Forty-six of the 52 region champions posted first-round wins and advance to next week’s second round of the AHSAA 57th State Football Playoffs.
Six No. 4 seeds posted victories, however, and move forward in the field which was trimmed from 208 teams to 104 as the official second-round pairings were announced Saturday morning through a virtual meeting from the AHSAA office hosted by AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs with all schools advancing in attendance. All games next week are scheduled for Friday, November 17 at 7 p.m.
A total of 36 No. 2 seeds posted first-round victories and 16 No. 3 seeds emerged with victories. The six No. 4 seeds posted victories included Winterboro (6-5) beating Decatur Heritage (9-2) in Class 1A 42-37; Flomaton (7-4) over Walter Wellborn (7-4) 34-0 in Class 3A; Priceville (5-6) over Dora (8-3) in Class 4; UMS-Wright (7-4) beating previously undefeated Central, Clay County (10-1) 7-0 and Boaz (6-5) edging Southside (8-3) 10-7 in Class 5A; and Hoover (5-6) beating James Clemens 42-16 in Class 7A. No four seeds advanced in in classes 2A and 6A.
All seven defending state champions posted first-round victories with Class 7A four-time defending state champion Thompson (9-1) beating Florence 42-0 defending Class 6A state champion Saraland (11-0) downing McAdory 56-14; defending 4A state champ Andalusia (10-1) defeating Sipsey Valley 43-6; defending 3A champion Saint James (9-2) downing Opp 41-7; Class 2A defending champion Fyffe (10-1) blanking West End 48-0; and defending 1A state champion Leroy (10-0) toppling Calhoun 40-7.
AHSAA TV Network executive producer Vince Earley of WOTM TV announced the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the Week for the second round will be a Class 7A rematch between Thompson and Vestavia Hills (9-2) at Alabaster Friday night.
Bibb County (10-1), coached by Matt Geohagan, posted the school’s 599th all-time victory with the Choctaws’ first-round Class 4A playoff win over Montgomery Academy 56-6. Bibb County (599-430-38) is vying to become the 40th school in AHSAA history to win 600 football games in school history with next week’s second round at Jacksonville (9-2).
Paul Benefield recorded his 347th victory of his coaching career with the Red Devils’ 498-0 win over West End, improving his overall football coaching record to 347-56-0. He moved past Vestavia Hills’ Buddy Anderson (346-160) into third place in the AHSAA. UMS-Wright’s Terry Curtis, who leads the AHSAA in football coaching wins, improved his career slate to 355-97-0 with the Bulldogs’ 7-0 victory over Central of Clay County Friday night in the first round of the 5A state playoffs. Danny Horn, who ranks second all-time with a 351-97-0 career record, coaches the Volunteers – marking the first time in state history that the two winningest coaches in the AHSAA squared off in a contest.
A total of 47 of this week’s 52 games are set to be shown over the NFHS Network with most also having radio/audio broadcasts as well. A total of 19 teams in this year’s field entered the state playoffs undefeated, and all but one advanced to the second round. Sarland (11-0) posted its 16th straight win beating McAdory 54-14 in the Class 6A opening round, and Leroy (10-0) downed Calhoun 40-7 in Class 1A for its 15th straight victory – the two longest current winning streaks in the AHSAA.
Unbeaten teams moving to the second round include: (Class 1A) Leroy (10-0); Elba (11-0); Loachapoka (10-0); (Class 2A) B.B. Comer (11-0); Reeltown (10-0); Locust Fork (11-0); (Class 3A) Mobile Christian (11-0); Lauderdale County (11-0); (Class 4A) Montgomery Catholic (11-0); Jackson (10-0); West Morgan (11-0); (Class 5A) Gulf Scores (11-0); (Class 6A) Saraland (11-0); Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (11-0); Muscle Shoals (10-0); and Clay-Chalkville (10-0); (Class 7A) Mary Montgomery (11-0) and Central-Phenix City (10-0).
AHSAA 2023 STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
AHSAA STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
SECOND-ROUND PAIRINGS
(second-round games are Nov. 17 unless otherwise denoted. Remaining rounds will be Nov. 24, Dec. 1, and Super 7 Championships at Tuscaloosa, Dec. 6-7-8)
CLASS 1A
South
Georgiana (10-1) at Leroy (10-0)
Loachapoka (10-0) at Brantley (7-4)
Maplesville (7-4) at Sweet Water (9-1)
Millry (9-2) at Elba (11-0)
North
Lynn (10-1) at Coosa Christian (6-5), Gadsden
Valley Head (8-3) at Hackleburg (10-1)
Winterboro (6-5) at Pickens County (8-3), Reform
South Lamar (8-3) at Wadley (10-1)
CLASS 2A
South
Clarke County (6-5) at Goshen (9-2)
Highland Home (10-1) at B.B. Comer (11-0), Sylacauga
Thorsby (9-2) at Reeltown (10-0)
Cottonwood (9-1) at Isabella (9-2)
North
Southeastern (7-3) at Tuscaloosa Academy (9-2)
Pisgah (10-1) at Tanner (8-3)
Lexington (7-4) at Fyffe (10-1)
Sulligent (9-2) at Locust Fork (11-0)
CLASS 3A
South
Houston Academy (10-1) at Mobile Christian (11-0)
Trinity Presbyterian (10-1) at Flomaton (7-4)
Randolph County (10-1) at Saint James (9-2), Montgomery
Thomasville (9-1) at Straughn (10-1)
North
Geraldine (10-1) at Gordo (10-1)
Lauderdale County (11-0) at Piedmont (6-5)
Mars Hill Bible (10-1) at Madison Academy (11-0), Madison
Winfield (10-1) at Sylvania (9-2)
CLASS 4A
South
Andalusia (10-1) at Jackson (10-0)
Handley (10-1) at B.T. Washington (7-4), Tuskegee
Jacksonville (9-2) at Bibb County (10-1), Centreville
T.R. Miller (8-3) at Montgomery Catholic (11-0), Montgomery
North
Priceville (5-6) at Brooks (7-4), Killen
Deshler (8-3) at Westminster Christian (9-2), Huntsville
West Morgan (11-0) at Corner (10-1)
Haleyville (8-3) at Cherokee County (10-1), Centre
CLASS 5A
South
Charles Henderson (7-3) at Gulf Shores (11-0)
UMS-Wright (7-4) at Headland (9-2)
Demopolis (9-2) at B.C. Rain (8-3), Mobile
Faith Academy (8-3) at Eufaula (8-3)
North
Leeds (9-2) at Ramsay (9-2), Birmingham
Russellville (9-2) at Moody (9-2)
Guntersville (10-1) at John Carroll Catholic (9-2), Birmingham
Pleasant Grove (9-1) at Boaz (6-5)
CLASS 6A
South
Saraland (11-0) at Briarwood Christian (6-5)
Helena (9-2) at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (11-0)
Hueytown (8-3) at Benjamin Russell (9-2), Alexander City
Spanish Fort (9-2) at Pike Road (9-2)
North
Oxford (9-2) at Parker (10-1), Birmingham
Hartselle (9-2) at Gadsden City (8-3)
Fort Payne (7-4) at Muscle Shoals (10-0)
Mountain Brook (8-3) at Clay-Chalkville (10-0)
CLASS 7A
South
Auburn (9-2) at Central-Phenix City (10-0)
Enterprise (9-2) at Mary Montgomery (11-0), Semmes
North
Hoover (5-6) at Hewitt-Trussville (8-3)
Vestavia Hills (9-2) at Thompson (9-1), Alabaster |
