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The best of the best in Alabama High
School Football over the past 100 seasons.
Rivalries
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Rivalry is defines as "competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field." When it comes to a high school football rivalry in Alabama, it means a little more. Just ask any fan of any team and they will tell you the dislike for their rival school goes way beyond anything that happens on a football field on a Friday night once every year. Most rivalries are lived out 365 days a year until that same Friday night rolls around again. Coaches are fired due to the lack of success against a rival. Fans take great pride in bragging about a win in the rivalry. Players are told from a young age all about the importance of defeating that hated rival team from down the road. When researching the rivalries, there are several things to look at in determining the best rivalries of all time. How long have the two teams played? Do the teams continue to play even when their classifications and regions are different? The most intense high school football rivalries often feature key ingredients: schools that aren't far apart, strong community involvement, competiveness, and bragging rights. These games have all those factors and more. Some rivalries are newer than others simply because the schools came into existence recently. These include; Hoover and Vestavia Hills, Daphne and Spanish Fort, UMS-Wright and St. Paul's. Our list is not necessarily about the most heated rivalries this season. We know who those teams are very well. It is about the rivalry between schools that have stood the test of time. There have been some rivalries lost to time forever due to the consolidation of the two schools. The Clay Bowl rivalry was dissolved when Clay County and Lineville were consolidated into Central Clay County in 2011. Hazlewood and Courtland became R.A. Hubbard, Alba and Grand Bay became Alma Bryant, Coffee and Bradshaw became Florence, Stevenson and Bridgeport became North Jackson. Other rivalries have just faded into history when the great teams of the past have lost their dominance in the sport. Banks and Woodlawn along with Lanier and Lee in Montgomery. Before we get into each rivalry, some of the important facts that are argued among the state schools about the rivalries. Here are a few facts about the state rivalries. The Oldest Rivalry - While Albertville and Guntersville (101 games) claim the oldest rivalry, Talladega and Sylacauga (96 games) began playing in 1911, three years earlier. The Longest Continuous Rivalry - Jackson and Clarke County have played every season since 1925 for a total of 91 seasons. Albertville and Guntersville have played every year since 1926 along with Geraldine and Crossville. Clay County and Lineville also played 90 consecutive seasons before the schools consolidated in 2011. The Most games played in a Rivalry - Gadsden and Etowah played a total of 103 times before Gadsden closed in 2005. Clay County and Lineville played 102 times while the only current teams in this list, Albertville and Guntersville, have played 101 times. Clarke County and Thomasville stand at 101 games and Clarke County and Jackson have played 100 games.
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David Parker
AHSFHS.org
dparker@ahsfhs.org
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
The Morgan Academy Senators have appeared in 14 state championship games from 1984-2008, winning the title 11 times.
The Morgan Academy Senators have appeared in 14 state championship games from 1984-2008, winning the title 11 times.
