Three Alabama football powers ranked in national top 100
Birmingham, AL – Three Alabama prep football powers made the 2017 High School Football America National Preseason Top 100.
Defending 7A state champion Hoover is the highest ranked Alabama squad sitting at No. 8. The Bucs only two losses in 2016 came at the hands of out-of-state teams who are also listed in this years top 100, the No. 3 Allen Eagles (TX) and No. 16 Grayson Rams (GA). This year, in addition to the meat grinder that is class 7A region 3, the Bucs will bookend their season with teams ranked in the top 20 nationally. Josh Niblett’s Bucs will kick off 2017 just east of Atlanta at 16th ranked Grayson. They will close out the year by welcoming Florida powerhouse IMG Academy, who will start the season ranked fifth in the country. Inside that nationally ranked sandwich, Hoover’s season will feature road contests with rivals Spain Park and Vestavia Hills and a late season home match-up with the surging Thompson Warriors. Also of interest to some Hoover fans, former Bucs head coach Rush Propst’s Colquitt County (GA) Packers made the list coming in at No. 29.
Phenix City’s Central Red Devils, in at No. 72, will look to bring home their fourth consecutive 7A region 2 crown in 2017. The Devils have only dropped one region contest in 18 tries under fourth year head coach Jamey DuBose. After falling to Hoover in last years opener Central rattled off 10 consecutive victories before closing out 2016 in the AHSAA semi-finals, loosing to eventual runner-up McGill-Toolen Catholic 35-21. The Red Devil’s 2017 campaign will be highlighted by home games against Bob Jones and Opelika and region clashes with Auburn and Enterprise on the road.
Rounding out Alabama’s presence on the national poll is Hewitt-Trussville at No. 91. After a strong showing on the summer 7on7 circuit Josh Floyd’s Huskies will look to duplicate their 2016 perfect regular season. Hewitt rattled off 11 straight victories, while setting several school records including points scored in a season, before falling to Gadsden City 29-28 in the second round of the AHSAA playoffs. Due to being slotted in 7A’s northern most region the road warrior Huskies will make the 200 mile, round trip, trek from Metro Birmingham to Huntsville four times in 2017. Games to circle for the Huskies this fall include the season opener at Melborne, Florida’s Holy Trinity Episcopal and region clashes with Bob Jones, James Clemens and Gadsden City.
Check out the full High School Football America Preseason Top 100.
High School Football America’s first in-season rankings will drop on August 20th and will be updated every Sunday throughout the high school football season.
