MONTGOMERY – All of the seven the defending state football champions and a total of 21 unbeaten teams advanced to the first round of the 2019 Alabama High School Athletic Association
(AHSAA) State Football Playoffs. First-round games are scheduled for Nov. 8, AHSAA Executive Director
Steve Savarese announced Saturday.
The first round of the playoffs was officially set Saturday morning at the AHSAA Coaches’ Playoff Meeting. And for the first time in AHSAA history, the event was televised live over the AHSAA TV Network. The three-hour telecast is also available on a delayed
basis on You Tube and on the WOTM network of cable stations. WOTM’s Vince Earley
produced the program with the help of Michael Giddens of WOTM and David Holtsford of the AHSAA. AHSAA TV Weekly host Jon Holder and al.com sports director
Josh Bean handled the plethora of interviews and gave their expert analysis of the first-round pairings in each classification.
All seven champions from 2018 are in the field, including: Class 7A Central-Phenix City (9-1); Class 6A Pinson Valley (7-2); Class 5A Central of Clay County (8-2); Class 4A UMS-Wright (9-0); Class 3A Flomaton (9-1); Class 2A Fyffe (10-0); and Class 1A Mars
Hill Bible (10-0).
Unbeaten teams by class in the playoffs include: Class 1A: Decatur Heritage (10-0); Isabella (10-0); Lanett (9-0); Mars Hill Bible (10-0); South Lamar (10-0);
Class 2A: Fyffe (10-0); Luverne (10-0); Ohatchee (9-0); Red Bay (10-0);
Class 3A: Pike County (10-0); Pike Road (10-0); Susan Moore (10-0); Class 4A:
Montgomery Catholic (10-0); UMS-Wright (9-0); Class 5A: Bibb County (10-0); Faith Academy (10-0); Jasper (10-0);
Class 6A: Muscle Shoals (10-0); Saraland (10-0); Etowah (10-0); Class 7A:
McGill-Toolen Catholic (10-0).
Montgomery Catholic’s unbeaten regular season is the first for the school since 1979.
Coach Aubrey Blackwell’s Knights will be at home next Friday in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs to face Williamson (7-3).
For Fyffe, it was the Red Devils’ 14 unbeaten regular season finish overall and fourth in a row.
Coach Paul Benefield, who has a 292-53 overall coaching record, has guided Fyffe to seven perfect regular seasons in the last nine years, and the Red Devils take a 25-game winning streak into their first-round battle with Sheffield (6-4) next Friday.
Fyffe will begin next season with a 48-game regular-season winning streak and 32-game winning streak in region play.
UMS-Wright, coached by Terry Curtis (312-85), has a 28-game winning streak overall, the AHSAA’s longest current winning streak overall. The Bulldogs have won seven championships and 235 games under
Curtis’ supervision. UMS hosts Dale County (4-6) in the first round of the 4A playoffs Friday.
Mars Hill Bible is currently riding a 20-game winning streak as the Panthers of
Coach Darrell Higgins heads into the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs next Friday at home against
Woodville (4-6).
The AHSAA’s all-time wins leader Coach Buddy Anderson of Vestavia Hills and his Class 7A Rebels (7-3) are making their 32nd playoff appearance in 42 years and are back for the first time since 2015. He owns a 342-153 overall record and
is just five games shy of coaching 500 games overall.
The AHSAA TV Network, produced by WOTM TV with executive producer
Vince Earley, will showcase Class 5A Sylacauga (8-2) at Alexandria (7-2) Friday in the AHSAA Network/NFHS Network Game of the Week.
Tommy Wood and Coach Rick Rhoades will be handling the announcing duties.
Approximately 50 playoff games are expected to be live-streamed in the first round over the NFHS Network.
The first-round playoff pairings are listed.
2019 AHSAA State Football Playoffs
First-Round Pairings
All first-round games are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Georgiana (5-5) at Sweet Water (8-1)
Billingsley (5-50 at Maplesville (7-2)
Fruitdale (5-5) at Brantley (9-1)
Linden (5-4) at Notasulga (5-4)
Keith (6-4) at Lanett (9-0)
Marengo (6-4) at Elba (7-3)
Wadley (5-4) at Isabella (10-0)
Florala (7-3) at Millry (9-1)
Hubbertville (6-4) at Spring Garden (9-1)
Hackleburg (4-6) at Valley Head (6-4)
Victory Christian (6-4) at Pickens County (8-2)
Falkville (6-4) at Waterloo (8-2)
Woodville (4-6) at Mars Hill Bible (10-0)
Appalachian (6-4) at South Lamar (9-1)
Vina (3-7) at Decatur Heritage (10-0)
Berry (6-4) at Donoho (8-1)
CLASS 2A
Daleville (7-3) at Leroy (8-2)
Thorsby (6-4) at Goshen (7-3)
Chickasaw (6-3) at Ariton (8-2)
New Brockton (5-5) at LaFayette (5-4)
Zion Chapel (6-4) at Reeltown (9-1)
J.U. Blacksher (8-2) at Abbeville (8-2)
Fayetteville (6-4) at Luverne (10-0)
G.W. Long (8-2) at Cottage Hill Christian (8-2)
Westbrook Christian (7-3) at Aliceville (8-2)
North Sand Mountain (7-3) at Addison (8-2)
Southeastern (5-5) at Ohatchee (9-0)
Colbert County (6-4) at Collinsville (9-1)
Sheffield (6-4) at Fyffe (10-0)
Cold Springs (5-5) at Ranburne (9-1)
Cedar Bluff (7-3) at Red Bay (10-0)
Cleveland (5-5) at Sulligent (8-2)
CLASS 3A
Opp (4-6) at Flomaton (9-1)
Oakman (6-4) at Saint James (9-1)
T.R. Miller (6-4) at Pike County (10-0)
Montgomery Academy (6-4) at Winfield (7-3)
Bullock County (6-4) at Gordo (10-0)
Bayside Academy (5-5) at Providence Christian (9-1)
Carbon Hill (4-6) at Pike Road (10-0)
Geneva (8-2)at Mobile Christian (5-4)
B.B. Comer (5-5) at Fultondale (8-2)
Clements (6-4) at Geraldine (6-4)
J.B. Pennington (3-7) at Piedmont (9-1)
Sylvania (7-3) at Lauderdale County (8-2)
Pisgah (4-6) at Westminster Christian (7-2)
Midfield (6-3) at Randolph County (9-1)
Colbert Heights (6-4) at Susan Moore (10-0)
Walter Wellborn (9-1) at Locust Fork (6-4)
CLASS 4A
Dale County (4-6) at UMS-Wright (9-0)
Talladega (6-5) at Montevallo (6-4)
Williamson (7-3) at Montgomery Catholic (10-0)
West Blocton (5-5) at Handley (6-4)
Dallas County (4-6) at Lincoln (8-2)
Andalusia (7-3) at Trinity Presbyterian (6-4)
Holtville (6-4) at American Christian (9-1)
Alabama Christian (6-4) at Hillcrest-Evergreen (6-4)
Hokes Bluff (703( at Northside (9-1)
Rogers (3-6) at Priceville (7-3)
Cordova (5-5) at Jacksonville (8-2)
St. John Paul II Catholic (8-2) at Brooks (6-4)
Danville (5-5) at Deshler (7-3)
Good Hope (8-2) at Oneonta (7-3)
Central-Florence (3-7) at Fairview (8-2)
Anniston (6-4) at Fayette County (8-2)
CLASS 5A
Charles Henderson (4-5) at Faith Academy (10-0)
Pleasant Grove (9-1) at Chilton County (6-4)
Vigor (4-6) at Valley (6-4)
Demopolis (7-3) at Ramsay (8-2)
Marbury (6-4) at Briarwood Christian (9-1)
Jackson (5-5) at Rehobeth (7-2)
Parker (5-5) at Bibb County (10-0)
Greenville (6-4) at Citronelle (7-3)
Boaz (4-6) at Mortimer Jordan (8-2)
Guntersville(7-2) at Hamilton (8-2)
Center Point (7-3) at Etowah (9-1)
Russellville (8-2) at Scottsboro (8-2)
Corner (7-3) at Madison County (8-2)
Sylacauga (8-2) at Alexandria (7-2)
Madison Academy (5-5) at Jasper (10-0)
Sardis (5-5) at Central-Clay County (8-2)
CLASS 6A
Park Crossing (3-7) at Saraland (10-0)
Paul Bryant (7-3) at Stanhope Elmore (8-2)
Spanish Fort (5-4) at Dothan (8-2)
Wetumpka (5-5) at Bessemer City (8-2)
Selma (6-3) at Hueytown (9-1)
Blount (8-2) at Eufaula (8-2)
McAdory (6-4)at Opelika (8-1)
Sidney Lanier (3-5) at St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-3)
Clay-Chalkville (8-2) at Helena (9-1)
Buckhorn (4-6) at Athens (7-3)
Chelsea (5-5) at Oxford (9-1)
Cullman (5-5) at Mae Jemison (5-5)
Hartselle (4-6) at Fort Payne (8-2)
Homewood (4-6) at Pinson Valley (7-2)
Albertville (5-5) at Muscle Shoals (10-0)
Gardendale (7-3) at Minor (6-4)
CLASS 7A
Fairhope (6-4) at Central-Phenix City (9-1)
Prattville (8-2) at Theodore (8-2)
Enterprise (5-5) at McGill-Toolen Catholic (10-0)
Murphy (6-4) at Auburn (7-3)
Vestavia Hills (7-3) at James Clemens (8-2)
Sparkman (8-2) at Hoover (8-2)
Austin (7-3) at Thompson (8-1)
Mountain Brook (8-2) at Florence (6-4)
