Fourteen high school football teams take unbeaten records into the 2012 AHSAA state football playoffs, which begin Friday night with 96 first-round games. 

In addition, five of the 2011 state champions return. None of them, however, are unbeaten after Jackson (9-1) and Marion County (9-1) fell in week 10 to Thomasville and Red Bay, respectively, snapping the state’s current two longest winning streaks.

 

Coach Danny Powell’s Aggies had won 24 straight games since he moved from neighboring Leroy to take over the Jackson program last season. He led the Aggies to a 15-0 record and the 4A state title and will lead his team into the 5A state playoffs this week. Marion County (9-1) had won 16 straight before the Red Bay loss.

Defending Class 2A state champion Elba (6-4) returns to the 2A playoffs. Class 3A state champion Handley (6-4) moved up to 4A and made that 32-team field, while defending 5A state champion Hartselle qualified again. Prattville, the 2011 Class 6A state champion, did not make the field.

Classes 1A, 3A and 5A have the most unbeaten teams heading into the state playoffs with three each. Classes 2A and 6A have two each and Class 4A has one, Oneonta (10-0). The Redskins reached the 4A finals last season and have now won 16 of their last 17 contests. 

Unbeaten teams through the regular season include: Class 1A: Brantley (10-0), Ragland (10-0) and Cedar Bluff (9-0); Class 2A: Fyffe (10-0) and 2011 runner-up Tanner (9-0); Class 3A:  Daleville (10-0), Piedmont (10-0) and Hamilton (10-0); Class 5A: McAdory (10-0), Fort Payne (10-0) and Muscle Shoals (10-0); and Class 6A: 2011 runner-up Hoover (10-0) and McGill-Toolen (10-0).   

This year’s playoffs mark the 29th year since the six-classification format was introduced in 1984. A four-class format was used during the first 20 years of the playoff system that began in 1966.

The top four finishers from each of the eight regions are paired in a 32-team, rotating bracket by classification for the five rounds of the competition. 

Second-round games are scheduled for Nov. 16, with the quarterfinals Nov. 23, the semifinals Nov. 30 and the Super 6 state finals Dec. 6-7 at Auburn University’s Jordan-Hare Stadium.

 

 

AHSAA Football State Playoff Pairings

First Round (Nov. 9, all games 7 p.m.)

Class 1A

Kinston (5-5) at Linden (9-1)

St. Jude (6-4) at Keith (8-2), Memorial Stadium, Selma

Fruitdale (4-6) at Brantley (10-0)

Billingsley (7-3) at Loachapoka (6-4)

Winterboro (3-7) at Maplesville (9-1)

Pleasant Home (4-6) at St. Luke’s Episcopal (8-2), Mobile

Ellwood Christian (5-5) at Notasulga (7-3)

McIntosh (5-5) at Geneva County (8-2), Hartford

Meek (5-5) at Marion County (9-1), Guin

R.A. Hubbard (6-4) at Collinsville (8-2)

Hubbertville (7-3) at Ragland (10-0)

Spring Garden (8-2) at Shoals Christian (6-4), Florence

Phillips (5-5) at Cedar Bluff (9-0)

Falkville (7-3) at Pickens County (8-2), Reform

Donoho (5-4) at Hackleburg (9-1), Vina HS Stadium

Berry (6-4) at Addison (7-2)

 

Class 2A

Samson (6-4) at Sweet Water (8-2)

Aliceville (6-4) at Elba (6-4)

Southern Choctaw (7-3) at G.W. Long (9-1), Skipperville

New Brockton (4-6) at Lamar County (7-3), Vernon

Hale County (4-6) at Luverne (7-3)

Houston Academy (6-3) at Washington County (9-1), Chatom

Goshen (5-5) at Oakman (9-1)

Mobile Christian (7-3) at Providence Christian (7-2), Dothan

Vincent (7-3) at Reeltown (9-1)

Sheffield (5-5) at North Sand Mountain (8-2), Higdon

Randolph County (5-4) at Woodland (8-2) 

Westbrook Christian (7-3) at Red Bay (7-3)

Lexington (5-5) at Fyffe (10-0)

Fultondale (8-2) at Lanett (8-1) 

Sand Rock (5-5) at Tanner (9-0)

Horseshoe Bend (8-2) at Walter Wellborn (8-2), Anniston 

 

Class 3A

Abbeville (5-5) at T.R. Miller (9-1), Brewton

Midfield (6-4) at Gordo (8-2)

Straughn (6-3) at Daleville (10-0)

Northside (6-4) at Trinity Presbyterian (8-2), Montgomery

B.B. Comer (5-5) at Fayette County (8-2), Fayette

Slocomb (6-4) at W.S. Neal (8-2), East Brewton

Sipsey Valley (6-4) at Leeds (9-1)

Bayside Academy (6-4) at Dale County (6-4), Midland City

J.B. Pennington (4-6) at Piedmont (10-0)

Deshler (7-3) at Hanceville (7-3)

Glencoe (5-5) at Geraldine (8-2)

Vinemont (8-2) at Lauderdale County (9-1), Rogersville

Colbert County (6-4)  at Hamilton (10-0)

Sylvania (8-2) at Saks (8-2), Anniston

Winston County (5-5) at Madison Academy (8-2)

Susan Moore (6-4) at Plainview (8-2), Rainsville 

 

Class 4A

St. James (6-4) at UMS-Wright (8-2), Mobile

Corner (7-3) at Dadeville (9-1)

Andalusia (6-4) at Beauregard (9-1)

Handley (6-4) at Calera (8-2)

Jemison (5-5) at Central of Clay County (9-1), Lineville

Charles Henderson (7-3) at Thomasville (8-2)

Childersburg (6-4) at Dora (9-1)

Clarke County (6-4) at Tallassee (8-2)

St. Clair County (5-5) at Alexandria (6-4)

Haleyville (7-3) at J.O. Johnson (9-1), Milton Frank Stadium, Huntsville

Anniston (5-5) at Oneonta (10-0)

North Jackson (6-4) at Central-Florence (7-3)

Rogers (6-4) at Madison County (9-1), Gurley

Sardis (6-4) at Lincoln (5-5)

DAR (5-5) at Brooks (9-1), Killen

Munford (7-3) at Fairview (7-3)

 

Class 5A

Carroll (6-4) at Spanish Fort (9-1)

Sylacauga (8-2) at Demopolis (8-2)

LeFlore (3-7) at Benjamin Russell (9-1), Alexander City 

Saraland (7-3) at Chilton County (9-1), Clanton

Briarwood Christian (4-6) at Jackson (9-1)

Valley (5-5) at Vigor (8-2), Prichard Memorial Stadium

Greenville (5-5) at Homewood (9-1)

St. Paul’s (8-2) at Eufaula (8-2)

Mortimer Jordan (5-5) at McAdory (10-0), McCalla

Russellville (8-2) at Etowah (7-3), Attalla

Central-Tuscaloosa (6-4) at Walker (7-3), Jasper

Arab (8-2) at Cullman (8-2)

Hartselle (6-4) at Fort Payne (10-0)

Center Point (4-6) at Wenonah (9-1), Birmingham

Boaz (7-3) at Muscle Shoals (10-0)

Pleasant Grove (7-3) at Pinson Valley (7-3)

 

Class 6A

Enterprise (7-3) at McGill-Toolen (10-0), Archbishop Lipscomb Complex, Mobile

Oak Mountain (7-3) at Auburn (9-1) 

Blount (6-4) at Daphne (7-3)

Opelika (6-4) at Pelham (7-3)

Stanhope Elmore (8-2) at Carver-Montgomery (9-1), Cramton Bowl

Fairhope (7-3) at Davidson (8-1), Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile

Central-Phenix City (7-3) at Spain Park (8-2), Hoover

Baker (7-3) at Foley (7-3)

Shades Valley (5-5) at Hoover (10-0)

Austin (8-2) at Pell City (6-4) 

Hueytown (6-4) at Vestavia Hills (8-2)

Huntsville (6-4) at Florence (7-3)

Decatur (7-3) at Clay-Chalkville (9-1)

Gardendale (7-3) at Tuscaloosa County (8-2), Northport

Gadsden City (6-4) at Bob Jones (7-3), Madison City Stadium

Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (6-4) at Mountain Brook (9-1)

Ron Ingram is the directr of communications fo rthe AHSAA. He was the longtim prep sports editor of The Birmingham News.