All 7 Defending AHSAA State Champs Earn Playoff Berths

Montgomery, AL – All seven of 2020’s state football champions return to the 208-team field as the AHSAA  State football playoffs get underway this week. The first round is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5, with two games, G.W. Long vs. B.B. Comer in Class 2A, Oak Mountain vs. James Clemens in Class 7A, set for Thursday, Nov. 4.

B.B. Comer shares Legion Stadium with Sylacauga, which hosts Andalusia on Friday night, and James Clemens shares Madison City Stadium with Bob Jones, which will be at home against Hewitt-Trussville Friday night in Class 7A.

The 2021 state football playoffs, which were first held 56 years ago in 1966, will culminate with the Super 7 State Championships at Birmingham’s new Protective Stadium December 1st, 2nd and 3rd as the AHSAA celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Alabama High School Athletic Association was formed originally by 87 public and private high schools in 1921.

The AHSAA set its official brackets Saturday morning at the Playoff Coaches’ Meeting held at Ralph Abernathy Auditorium on the campus of Alabama State University. WOTM TV, the AHSAA’s TV partner, televised the meeting live over the AHSAA TV Network and the NFHS Network platforms.

WOTM executive producer Vince Earley announced Saturday morning that the AHSAA TV Network would be featuring two playoff games of the week for the first round.  The TV crew will televise the G.W. Long (8-1) vs.  B.B. Comer (8-2) game on Thursday night from Sylacauga’s Legion Stadium and will also return Friday night to televise Andalusia (6-4) vs. Sylacauga (7-3).

“This gives us the opportunity to show two outstanding games this week,” Earley said. “We would love to do this every week if we could.”  The regular-season AHSAA TV Network/WOTM Game of the Week was shown each Thursday. Class 7A Central-Phenix City (10-0) closed out its regular season with a 53-7 win over Class 6A Oxford (6-4) in this week’s final GOW of the regular season. Both teams are in the state playoffs.

“I very excited to see our football playoffs get underway,” said AHSAA Executive Director Alvin Briggs, “and am also very proud of how our schools have worked so tirelessly to provide health and safety while getting back to unrestricted attendance and providing as much normalcy as possible in the lives of our students.”

All but one of the seven defending state champions will all be at home for the first round with Class 7A Thompson (9-1) hosting Florence (5-5); Class 6A Pinson Valley (7-3) travels to Muscle Shoals (9-1); Class 5A St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-3) hosts Selma (5-5); Class 4A Handley (7-2) hosts Geneva (6-4); Class 3A Fyffe (8-1) welcomes Walter Wellborn (5-4); Class 2A Mars Hill Bible (7-3) hosts Sand Rock (7-3); and Linden (5-4) hosts Samson (7-3).

Twelve teams will enter the postseason unbeaten including: Class 1A: Brantley (9-0); Sweet Water (9-0); Class 2A: Spring Garden (10-0); Class 3A: Montgomery Catholic (10-0); Winfield (10-0); Class 4A: Brooks (10-0); Class 5A: Alexandria (10-0); Pike Road (9-0); Class 6A: Clay-Chalkville (10-0); Hartselle (10-0); Class 7A: Central-Phenix City (10-0); Hoover (10-0); and James Clemens (10-0).

Approximately 90 of the 104 playoff games are expected to be live-streamed in the first round over the NFHS Network.

The first-round playoff pairings are listed below:

AHSAA 2021 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
First-Round Pairings | 
Nov. 5th | Kickoff 7:00 PM (unless otherwise noted)

CLASS 1A

SOUTH
McKenzie (6-3) at Keith (9-1)
Marengo (5-4) at Notasulga (8-1)
R.C. Hatch (4-5) at Brantley (9-0)
Loachapoka (6-3) at Millry (7-3)
Fruitdale (4-6) at Maplesville (9-1)
Samson (7-3) at Linden (5-4)
Billingsley (4-6) at Sweet Water (9-0)
Central-Hayneville (6-3) at Kinston (7-3)
NORTH
Woodland (3-7) at Cedar Bluff (6-4)
Meek (7-3) at R.A. Hubbard (6-4)
Gaylesville (6-4) at Wadley (9-1)
Hackleburg (6-4) at Hubbertville (7-2)
Marion County (7-3) at Decatur Heritage (8-2)
Ragland (8-2) at Valley Head (5-5)
Phillips (4-6) at Pickens County (8-2)
Sumiton Christian (7-3) at Winterboro (6-4)

CLASS 2A

SOUTH
J.U. Blacksher (4-6) at Isabella (7-3)
G.W. Long (8-1) at B.B. Comer (8-2) Thurs., Nov. 4
Thorsby (6-4) at Clarke County (8-22)
LaFayette (7-3) at Ariton (9-1)
Geneva County (5-5) at Lanett (8-2)
Greene County (5-5) at Luverne (8-1)
Ranburne (6-4) at Elba (9-1)
Highland Home (5-5) at Orange Beach (9-1)
NORTH
Sulligent (6-4) at Pisgah (7-3)
Southeastern (6-4)at Lexington (7-3)
North Sand Mountain (4-6) at Midfield (8-1)
Colbert County (6-4) at Cleveland (8-2)
Sand Rock (7-3)at Mars Hill Bible (7-3)
Lamar County (7-3) at Tanner (7-3)
Hatton (5-5) at Spring Garden (10-0)
Ider (7-3) at Aliceville (7-3)

CLASS 3A

SOUTH
Flomaton (6-3) at Montgomery Academy (7-3)
Wicksburg (7-3) at Trinity Presbyterian (8-2)
Hale County (5-5) at T.R. Miller (8-2)
Reeltown (6-4) at Opp (8-2)
Houston Academy (6-4) at Montgomery Catholic (10-0)
Bayside Academy (8-2) at Southside-Selma (9-1)
Dadeville (6-3) at Slocomb (7-3)
Thomasville (5-5) at Hillcrest-Evergreen (5-5)
NORTH
Walter Wellborn (5-4) at Fyffe (8-1)
J.B. Pennington (7-3) at Phil Campbell (7-3)
Plainview (7-3) at Saks (9-1)
Colbert Heights (5-5) at Oakman (8-2)
Vinemont (5-5) at Lauderdale County (9-1)
Piedmont (8-2) at Sylvania (8-2)
Clements (4-6) at Winfield (10-0)
Geraldine (7-3) at Ohatchee (8-2)

CLASS 4A

SOUTH
Williamson (5-5) at American Christian (9-1)
Alabama Christian (7-3) at Jacksonville (6-3)
West Blocton (6-4) at Vigor (9-1)
Cherokee County (6-3) at Straughn (7-3)
Geneva (6-4) at Handley (7-2)
Mobile Christian (5-5) at Bibb County (8-2)
Anniston (5-4) at Saint James (9-1)
Montevallo (8-2) at Jackson (8-2)
NORTH
Hamilton (4-6) at  Madison Academy (9-1)
Etowah (6-4) at  Priceville (9-1)
Madison County (5-5) at Northside (9-1)
Central-Florence (7-3) at  Good Hope (7-3)
Dora (6-4) at Brooks (10-0)
Fayette County (6-4) at  Randolph (9-1)
Rogers (5-5) at  Oneonta (9-1)
North Jackson (5-5) at  Gordo (8-2)

CLASS 5A

SOUTH
B.C. Rain (3-6) at Demopolis (6-4)
Andalusia (6-4) at Sylacauga (7-3)
Marbury (4-6) at UMS-Wright (9-1)
Tallassee (7-2) at Greenville (7-3)
Carroll (4-6) at Central, Clay County (8-2)
Faith Academy (5-4) at Shelby County (5-4)
Holtville (5-5) at Pike Road (9-0)
Selma (5-5) at St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-3)
NORTH
Ramsay 5-4) at Guntersville (9-1)
Center Point (7-3) at East Limestone (5-5)
Douglas (6-4) at Pleasant Grove (8-1)
Lee-Huntsville (5-5) at Leeds (9-1)
Lincoln (6-4) at Russellville (8-2)
Fairfield (7-3) at Fairview (9-1)
Ardmore (7-3) at Alexandria (10-0)
Boaz (6-4) at Parker (9-1)

CLASS 6A

SOUTH
Baldwin County (7-3) at Helena (9-1)
Carver-Montgomery (7-3) at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (8-2)
Wetumpka (5-5) at Saraland (8-2)
McAdory (7-3) at Lee-Montgomery (7-2)
Eufaula (5-5) at Hueytown (9-1)
McGill-Toolen Catholic (6-4) at Pelham (7-3)
Northridge (7-3) at Opelika (7-3)
Calera (7-3) at Spanish Fort (9-1)
NORTH
Chelsea (4-6) at Oxford (6-4)
Pinson Valley (7-3) at Muscle Shoals (9-1)
Southside-Gadsden (5-5) at Mountain Brook (9-1)
Cullman (7-3) at Jackson-Olin (8-2)
Gardendale (8-2) at Hartselle (10-0)
Homewood (5-5) at Arab (8-2)
Decatur (4-6) at Clay-Chalkville (10-0)
Fort Payne (6-4) at Briarwood Christian (9-1)

CLASS 7A

SOUTH
Daphne (5-4) at Central-Phenix City (10-0)
Prattville (7-3) at Theodore (9-1)
Enterprise (7-3) at Fairhope (9-1)
Baker (7-3) at Auburn (8-2)
NORTH
Oak Mountain (6-4) at James Clemens (10-0), Thurs., Nov. 4
Florence (5-5) at Thompson (9-1)
Sparkman (4-6) at Hoover (10-0)
Hewitt-Trussville (8-2) at Bob Jones (5-5)

Open