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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2024 Team Previews 

  


Vigor Wolves

Head Coach: John McKenzie (third season)
Career Record: 4 seasons, (24-20)
At Vigor: 2 seasons, (19-6)
Stadium: Prichard Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  506
Rank:  112nd in the AHSAA, 23rd in Class 5A

 History 
Overall Record:   521-283-12   (65.0%)
Last 25 years:   197-99   (67.0%)  (Rank: 56th in the AHSAA, 9th in Class 5A)
Since 2010:   107-59  (64.5%)  (Rank: 85th in the AHSAA, 14th in Class 5A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2021
Last Region Championship:   2021
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2019

 2023 
Class:  5A              Region:   1
Record:  7-3
Region Record:   5-3, (fifth)
Playoff Record:   Did not qualify.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  277 (27.7)
Defense:  139 (13.9)


 2024 
Class: 5A              Region:   1
Strength of Schedule: 50-57 (47%) (248th in the AHSAA, 38th in Class 5A)
Region Strength:  35-41 (46%)
Non-Region Strength:  15-16 (48%)



 2023 Results 
 8/26  vs. Blount  (6A)   26-6   W  
 9/1  vs. B.C. Rain  (5A)  *  26-18   W  
 9/8  vs. Citronelle  (5A)  *  34-28   W (OT) 
 9/15  @ Williamson  (5A)  *  12-0   W  
 9/22  vs. UMS-Wright  (5A)  *  31-9   #Lost  
 9/29   OPEN 
 10/6  @ Faith Academy  (5A)  *  13-21   L  
 10/13  vs. LeFlore  (5A)  *  31-0   W  
 10/20  @ Elberta  (5A)  *  46-7   W  
 10/27  @ Gulf Shores  (5A)  *  12-42   L  
 11/2  vs. Sidney Lanier  (6A)   46-8   W  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/23  @ Blount  (6A)       
 8/30  vs. Tuscaloosa County  (7A)       
 9/6  @ LeFlore  (5A)  *      
 9/13  vs. UMS-Wright  (5A)  *      
 9/20  @ Citronelle  (5A)  *      
 9/27   OPEN 
 10/4  vs. Elberta  (5A)  *      
 10/11  @ Faith Academy  (5A)  *      
 10/18  vs. Williamson  (5A)  *      
 10/25  vs. B.C. Rain  (5A)  *      
 10/31  vs. Baker  (7A)       


Class  5A Region  1
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Faith Academy (5A) 8-4 6-2286-236
B.C. Rain (5A) 8-4 5-3343-226
UMS-Wright (5A) 7-5 5-3206-201
Vigor (5A) 7-3 5-3277-139
Citronelle (5A) 6-4 4-4184-217
Williamson (5A) 3-7 2-6119-198
Elberta (5A) 2-8 1-7157-376
LeFlore (5A) 1-9 0-887-282

 2024 Preview 


       Vigor completed the 2023 season with a 7-3 record. Last year Vigor just missed making the playoffs with a fifth place finish in Class 5A region one with a 5-3 region record.

       The defense was very stingy last season as Vigor ranked 29th in the AHSAA. The defense allowed only 13.9 points a game.

       Since 2010, Vigor has gone a combined 107-59. Their 64.5% winning percentage ranks 14th in Class 5A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Vigor has finished a combined 197-99. Their 67.0% winning percentage ranks 9th in Class 5A and 56th in the AHSAA. The Wolves have been successful on the football field with twenty-one winning seasons during this time.

Graduated All-State Players:
       Vigor lost 5A All-State  linebacker Brandon Purifoy to graduation. He was named to the first team last season. Also graduating was teammate athlete Jerrian Graham.

Coaching Change:
     Marcus Cook  was notified in June that his services were no longer need at Vigor as they decided to go in a different direction.

2024 Head Coach:
    John McKenzie  returns to Vigor where he spent two season in 2020 and 2021. His last team finished 14-1 and took home the Blue Map for 4A. After leaving Vigor he spent one season and Murphy and last year at Paul Bryant. Coach McKenzie led to a state championship in 2021. Over the course of his career, Coach McKenzie's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of two times and won one region championship.

Season Outlook:

       The Vigor Wolves will play in Class 5A region one during the 2024 season.

      

       The Wolves have the services of an excellent quarterback in Sammy Dunn who transferred from Bayside Academy over the summer. They also return eight starters on offense and eight on defense so this will be a veteran team with plenty of experience.

       A 7-3 record in 2023 was not good enough for the Wolves to qualify for the playoffs. A forfeited loss to UMS-Wright in the middle of the season spoiled what could have been another banner year in Pritchard. Missing the playoffs the last two seasons was something unusual at Vigor. They had not missed the post season in consecutive seasons since 1981.

       A couple of non-region opponents include 7A Tuscaloosa County and Baker so those games will give the Wolves some great experience against quality teams.

    The Wolves are considered one of the favorites for the region one championship this season and a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      RB Carlos Benjamin Jr. will be returning for his senior season after rushing for 1,023 yards and 15 TDs last season.

      WR Gerritt Holcombe will also be back for his junior season after catching 22 passes for 318 yards and 3 TDs last season.

      QB Sammy Dunn transferred from Bayside Academy for his junior season after completing 120-of-166 passes for 1,777 yards and 18 TDs last season.

Returning Starters:
RB Carlos Benjamin Jr., MLB Greg Crosby, LB Emmanuel Gales, OL Micah BeBose, DL Devin Whitsett

Season Opener:
       The Wolves open the 2024 season on the road against non-region opponent Blount on Friday, August 23 at Harris-Terry Stadium. Last year the Blount Leopards finished with an overall record of 2-8 and in seventh place in Class 6A region one. The Leopards ended last season on a positive note with a win over Murphy by a score of 26-6 after failing to gain a playoff spot.

       Vigor and Blount have met a total of 53 times on the football field. The Wolves have a 39-14-0 record against the Leopards. They last met in 2023 with Vigor winning by a score of 26-6.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Homewood defeated Benjamin Russell in five overtimes during the Class 5A Super Six state championship game in 2000.