The 2020 season begins this week with a partial schedule of games. Here are a few tidbits entering the season.

   *  Before we get to the usual things here, I want inform our fans that we are still here. While it has been an unusual and strange off season, we are looking forward to a different and much better season.

   *  A couple of new schools join us this year with Orange Beach and Whitesburg Christian will play a full varsity schedule in Class 2A. Northside Methodist Christian will play a schedule of AHSAA schools but will not be included in any region this season. Valiant Cross will play in the AISA.

   *  The season will open with a few schools not playing football for various reasons. The schools in Greene, Sumter, Perry and Barbour Counties will not field teams due to the COVID-19 virus. Ellwood Christian has announced they have cancelled all fall sports. As it appears right now Success Unlimited will play 8 Man football and Snook Christian (AISA) will try and field a team this fall after a year away.

   *  Hoover has been ranked by the ASWA for an amazing 220 consecutive polls dating back to the 2000 season. The Bucs open the 2020 season as the #4 team in 7A and face Dothan High on August 22.

   *  UMS-Wright is coming off a state championship season and enter this year with a thirty-three game winning streaks which leads the AHSAA schools. Should the Bulldogs stumble against a much tougher schedule in 5A, Fyffe with a string of thirty victories will be waiting in the wings.

   *   Barbour County had high hopes to end a string of sixty consecutive losses this season. They are followed by Columbia (42) and Brindlee Mountain (24). Barbour County, who is not playing a schedule this year, could surpass the state's longest losing streak in history without playing a game. The AHSAA has declared that any game not played will be forfeited so the Jaguars could top the record held by R.C. Hatch at 68 losses in a row.

   *   Fyffe has a streak of 33 consecutive region wins with no signs of slowing down this year. The Red Devils open region play in a couple of weeks. Aliceville, Central Phenix City and Fultondale are tied for second with strings of 24 consecutive region wins. Monroe Academy has a string of 28 straight in the AISA.

   *   Brindlee Mountain has lost 44 consecutive region games but do not begin region play for a couple of weeks. Barbour County has lost 39 straight region contests.

   *  The Fyffe Red Devils have won 48 straight regular season games. They are well short of the 56 game mark set by Prattville a few years ago. Ohatchee is well behind with a string of 20 consecutive regular season wins.

   *   Fyffe also enters the 2020 season with a string of 40 consecutive home wins. Autauga Academy leads the AISA schools with a streak of 28 straight home victories.

   *   UMS-Wright has won 16 consecutive road games. Chambers Academy leads the AISA schools with a streak of 26 straight road victories.

   *   Gordo will try to extend their streak of 27 straight winning seasons. Gordo has won at least ten games in the last six seasons so they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The Green Wave last suffered through a losing season way back in 1992 when they finished with a 4-6 record. Oneonta owns the longest streak all-time when they won more games than they lost every year between 1956-1994.

   *   Fyffe hopes to avoid the dreaded shutout and extend their streak of consecutive games scoring. They are currently sitting on a string of 263 games without being shutout. T.R. Miller sits atop this list with a string of 354 games.

   *   The Luverne Tigers will be working hard to extend their string of qualifying for the playoffs to 38 consecutive seasons with a new coach in Jason Rowell. He is the eighth different coach during the streak. The last time they did not qualify for the playoffs was way back in 1982.

   *   Vina has suffered through thirty consecutive losing seasons. The Red Devils finished last year with a 3-8 record. That is the second longest in history behind only R.C. Hatch with a string of 36 straight losing seasons.

   *   With a record of 696-350-35, Fayette County could very well become the first team to reach 700 victories this season. T.R. Miller has a shot with 689 wins.

   *   No less than seven different coaches will be in search of their 100th win as a head football coach once the season opens. All have over 90 victories during their careers.

Team approaching the 500 win club
  496  -  Haleyville  (496-403-23)
  495  -  McAdory  (495-395-25)
  491  -  Fairfield  (491-431-26)
  490  -  Vigor  (490-270-12)

Coaches approaching the 100 win club
  97  -  Brian Seymore (Demopolis)  (97-58)
  95  -  Gene Hill (Sardis)  (95-74)
  94  -  Bruce Breland (Victory Christian)  (94-114)
  93  -  Rod Hudson (Hackleburg)  (93-37)
  93  -  Adam Winegarden (Auburn)  (93-28)
  91  -  Gardner Gilliland (Cleveland)  (91-47)
  90  -  Melvin Pete Jr. (Aliceville)  (90-63)