TD in OT in 48-45 win over Madison Academy
(Photo | Courtesy | Kristy Gallagher)
AHSAA Football Playoffs to Set Third-Round Pairings
Auburn, Central-Phenix City, Hoover & Thompson in 7A Semifinals
MONTGOMERY – The AHSAA Stat Football Playoffs completed Round 2 Friday night with 52 schools advancing to Round 3 next week.
In Class 7A, which plays one less round than Class 1A through 6A, the four remaining teams move into the semifinals. Region 2 No. 1 seed Central-Phenix City (10-2) downed Enterprise 45-15 and Region 2 No. 2 seed Auburn (11-1) beat Dothan 48-20) to set up the Class 7A South semifinals at Central Friday night. In the North, Region 3 No. 1 seed Hoover (11-1) defeated Hewitt-Trussville 28-11, and Region 3 No. 2 seed Thompson (9-3), the defending state champs, beat Vestavia Hills 21-12. The Warriors and Bucs will play at the Hoover Met Friday in the semifinals.
One Thursday game is on tap due to stadium availability. UMS-Wright (12-0) will meet Charles Henderson (10-0) at Troy University’s Veterans Memorial Stadium on Thursday night, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. All other games in round 3 will be Friday night, Nov. 18.
Four defending state champions are among the teams advancing out of the second round. Defending Class 1A state champion Sweet Water (9-2) knocked previously unbeaten Elba 27-20 and host Millry (11-1) Friday in the quarterfinals. Defending 2A state champion Clarke County (7-5) beat Vincent 43-28 and will travel to Highland Home (11-1) this week. Class 3A Piedmont (10-2) topped Colbert County 42-20 and will host Gordo ((11-1) in the quarterfinals. Pike Road, last year’s Class 5A state champs, lost to Homewood in the Class 6A playoffs 24-21.Vigor, last year’s 4A state champs moved up to 5A and did not advance out of Region 1.
AHSAA TV Network executive producer Vince Earley of WOTM TV announced the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the Week for the third round will be the Class 7A semifinal clash between Region 2 foes Auburn (11-1) and Central-Phenix City (10-2) to be hosted by the Red Devils Friday night. A second small-school Game of the Week, which will be shown on a delayed basis over the AHSAA TV Network on Sunday, features B.B. Comer (10-2) versus Reeltown (10-1) at Sylacauga’s Legion Stadium. The games will also be featured live on the NFHS Network. All 26 games are expected to be aired live over the NFHS Network’s school broadcast program this week.
Seven unbeaten teams advanced to the third round, including: (Class 2A) Fyffe (11-0); (Class 4A) Montgomery Catholic (11-0); Anniston (10-0); Deshler (11-0); (Class 5A) Leeds (10-0); (Class 6A) Theodore (11-0); and Hartselle (11-0).
Some other notable notes from the second round:
- In the first round, 46 of 52 No. 1 seeds advanced to round 2. In Round 2, 25 No. 1 seeds posted wins and 20 No. 2 seeds won. While that means 21 No. 1 seeds got beat in Round 2, it also shows that No. 1 seeds won 48% of the games overall and No. 2 seeds won 38.5% — with the top two seeds combining to claim 86.5% of all wins in round 2.
- Four No. 3 seeds posted wins Friday night (Class 1A Marion County, Class 3A Geraldine, Class 4A Oneonta, and Class 5A Faith Academy).
- Three No. 4 seeds won in round 2 (Class 6A St. Paul’s Episcopal, and Class 3A Mobile Christian and Pike County.
- Speaking of Pike County, the Bulldogs, under the direction of new head coach Mark Hurt, finished 0-9 last season and are now 9-3 after winning dramatic 41-39 victory over Alabama Christian in round 2. Pike County’s offense rallied with a dramatic fourth-day TD pass in the final minute, and the defense then sealed the win by blocking Alabama Christian’s 40-yard field goal try in the final seconds to seal the win. Ironically, the two 3A No. 4 seeds play this week with Mobile Christian traveling to Brundidge Friday night.
- Hosting a playoff game is the goal of all schools, but based on Round 2, however, it does not necessarily guarantee a victory. In fact, road teams won 28 of the 52 games – (53.8%).
- Hoover, which hosts defending Class 7A state champion Thompson this week, improved its overall playoff win slate in 37 appearances to 106 wins, 24 losses and one tie – for an 81.5%overall post-season winning percentage. Both totals lead the AHSAA. Right behind Hoover is Class 5A UMS-Wright and defending Class 1A state champion Sweet Water with 91 playoff wins.
- UMS-Wright, which recorded the 348th career win of Coach Terry Curtis Friday night with a 48-30 victory over Beauregard, is 91-25 in 34 playoff appearances for a 78.4% winning percentage – second to Hoover.
- Sweet Water is 91-31 in 42 playoff appearances for 74.6% — third best winning percentage of all time.
AHSAA 2022 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Third-Round Pairings (all games, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.)
CLASS 1A
Brantley (10-2) at Leroy (10-1)
Millry (11-1) at Sweet Water (9-2)
Marion County (9-3) at Pickens County (9-3), Reform
Lynn (11-1) at Coosa Christian (8-4), Gadsden
CLASS 2A
Reeltown (10-1) at B.B. Comer (10-2), Sylacauga
Clarke County (7-5) at Highland Home (11-1)
Tuscaloosa Academy (10-2) at Fyffe (12-0)
Aliceville (11-1) at Pisgah (10-2)
CLASS 3A
Thomasville (9-3) at Saint James (10-2), Montgomery
Mobile Christian (5-7) at Pike County (9-3), Brundidge
Geraldine (8-4) at Sylvania (9-3)
Gordo (11-1) at Piedmont (10-2)
CLASS 4A
Andalusia (11-1) at Anniston (11-0)
Handley (11-1) at Montgomery Catholic (12-0)
Deshler (12-0) at Oneonta (10-1)
Cherokee County (10-2) at Randolph (10-2), Huntsville
CLASS 5A
Faith Academy (10-2) at Gulf Shores (11-1)
UMS-Wright (12-0) at Charles Henderson (10-1), Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Thursday, Nov. 17
Arab (11-1) at Pleasant Grove (10-1)
Leeds (10-1) at Ramsay (10-2), Birmingham
CLASS 6A
Homewood (10-2) at Saraland (11-1)
St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-5) at Theodore (12-0), Semmes
Hartselle (12-0) at Mountain Brook (10-2)
Muscle Shoals (10-1) at Gardendale (9-3)
CLASS 7A
Auburn (11-1) at Central-Phenix City (10-2)
Thompson (9-3) at Hoover (11-1)
AHSAA 2022 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Second-Round Results
CLASS 1A
Leroy (10-1) 33, Maplesville (8-4) 8
Brantley (10-2) 41, Linden (9-2) 20
Sweet Water (9-2) 27, Elba (11-1) 20
Millry (11-1) 62, Loachapoka (9-2) 12
Pickens County (9-3) 44, Meek (11-1) 36
Marion County (9-3) 27, Valley Head (10-2) 6
Coosa Christian (8-4) 31, Spring Garden (10-2) 28
Lynn (11-1) 41, Addison (9-3) 14
CLASS 2A
B.B. Comer (10-2) 22, Wicksburg (6-6) 14
Reeltown (10-1) 55, G.W. Long (8-4) 0
Highland Home (11-1) 44, Ariton (10-2) 28
Clarke County (7-5) 43, Vincent (10-2) 28
Tuscaloosa Academy (10-2) 23, Lexington (9-3) 20
Fyffe (12-0) 35, Winston County (7-5) 6
Pisgah (10-2) 48, Southeastern (9-2) 28
Aliceville (11-1) 38, Falkville (7-5) 21
CLASS 3A
Thomasville (9-3) 15, Dadeville (10-1) 14
Saint James (10-2) 42, W.S. Neal (7-5) 21
Mobile Christian (5-7) 27, Trinity Presbyterian (9-3) 13
Pike County (9-3) 41, Alabama Christian (8-4) 39
Geraldine (8-4) 17, Mars Hill Bible (10-2) 14
Sylvania (9-3) 48, Madison Academy (9-3) 45
Piedmont (10-2) 42, Colbert County (7-5) 20
Gordo (11-1) 44, Lauderdale County (7-5) 14
CLASS 4A
Anniston (11-0) 38, Booker T. Washington (6-6) 20
Andalusia (11-1) 31, American Christian (9-3) 7
Montgomery Catholic (12-0) 44, Jacksonville (8-4) 27
Handley (11-1) 27, T.R. Miller (10-2) 14
Oneonta (10-1) 34, Priceville (11-1) 20
Deshler (12-0) 36, Etowah (8-4) 33
Cherokee County (10-2) 42, West Morgan (10-2) 28
Randolph (10-2) 47, Dora (8-4) 37
CLASS 5A
Gulf Shores (11-1) 27, Central, Clay County (9-3) 21
Faith Academy (10-2) 36, Demopolis (10-2) 15
Charles Henderson (10-1) 34, Tallassee (7-5) 7
UMS-Wright (12-0) 48, Beauregard (10-2) 30
Pleasant Grove (10-1) 37, Russellville (7-5) 14
Arab (11-1) 42, Moody (10-2) 20
Leeds (10-1) 34, Scottsboro (7-5) 10
Ramsay (10-2) 45, Guntersville (9-3) 9
CLASS 6A
Saraland (11-1) 56, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (11-1) 31
Homewood (10-2) 24, Pike Road (7-5) 21
St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-5) 38, Pelham (6-6) 7
Theodore (12-0) 29, Hueytown (8-4) 18
Mountain Brook (10-2) 37, Gadsden City (7-5) 6
Hartselle (12-0) 36, Center Point (9-2) 27
Muscle Shoals (10-1) 31, Parker (7-5) 7
Gardendale (9-3) 31, Decatur (9-3) 7
CLASS 7A
Auburn (11-1) 48, Dothan (8-4) 20
Central-Phenix City (10-2) 45, Enterprise (8-4) 14
Hoover (11-1) 28, Hewitt-Trussville (8-4) 11
Thompson (9-3) 21, Vestavia Hills (7-5) 12
