End of the 2017 Regular Season Notes

     The undefeated teams....... Our hats are off to the teams that maneuvered the 2017 regular season without suffering a loss. A special congratulations to Pinson Valley for their first ever perfect regular season. Now the quest for a state championship begins for each of these teams along with the last time they were undefeated:
           7A - Thompson 10-0 (1982), Hewitt-Trussville 10-0 (2016), McGill-Toolen 10-0 (2016), Central Phenix City 9-0 (1995)
           6A - Austin 10-0 (1983), Oxford 10-0 (2016)
           5A - Carroll 10-0 (2016), Briarwood 10-0 (2007)
           4A - Saks 10-0 (2013), Rogers 10-0 (2016)
           3A - Fultondale 10-0 (1976)
           2A - Fyffe 10-0 (2016), Lanett 10-0 (2013)
           1A - Maplesville 9-0 (2016) , Lynn 10-0 (2000), Georgiana 10-0 (2016), Wadley (9-0 (2016)

     Winning a region championship is a goal of every team in their quest for a state title. Teams that won their first region crown in 2017 include: St. Luke's and Mae Jemison. Several schools have gone a while since winning their last region title. They include; Thompson (1997), Pinson Valley (1999), Montgomery Catholic (1989), Wicksburg (1999), Hillcrest Evergreen (1999) Ariton (1998) and Haleyville (1993).

     Maplesville won their eighth consecutive region title in 2017. The longest streak among teams winning a region title this season.

     Gordo has a streak of 25 consecutive winning seasons. Others with long streaks, along with their last losing season, include; Demopolis (1994), Opelika (1995), Cullman (1996), Fyffe (1996) and McAdory (1996). Although they did not make this list, the T.R. Miller Tigers have suffered only three losing seasons in the past fifty years.

     Vina has a string of 26 consecutive losing seasons dating back to the 1989 season. The streak is the longest in the AHSAA only surpassed by Lyman Ward with a streak of losing 26 seasons. Curry also has a streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons. One long streak was broken this year as Talladega completed the regular season with a record of 6-4 for their first winning season since 1994.

    St. Luke's won the first region championship in school history by capturing the Class 2A region one title. Mae Jemison accomplished the same feat by taking the Class 5A region eight crown. Others with long region championship droughts that won titles this year include; Ariton (1998), Hillcrest Evergreen (1999), Wicksburg (1999), Montgomery Catholic (1989), Pinson Valley (1999) and Thompson (1997).

    The biggest turnarounds this year belong to Thompson which went from 5-5 last year to 10-0 this season. Other notables include; Colbert Heights 4-6 to 9-1, Fairhope 2-8 to 8-2, Thorsby 1-9 to 7-2, St. Luke's 2-8 to 8-1 and Lee Montgomery 0-9 to 6-3.

    Washington County finished 3-6. It is the school's worst season since 1999.

     Playoff Notes

    Hoover, with 92 playoff wins, surpassed Hazlewood in 2014 for the most in Alabama high school football history. Colbert County (88) and the T.R. Miller Tigers (87) are just behind the Bucs. The Tigers also hold the record with thirty-three first round wins.

    The Colbert County Indians have made the most playoff appearances with 40. Sweet Water and T.R. Miller are right behind with 37.

    The Hoover Bucs have won 19 consecutive opening round playoff games. Cedar Bluff (15) is next in line. The record belongs to Hazlewood with a string of 20 consecutive first round wins from 1970-1996.

    Mars Hill becomes the only team to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. Mars Hill is only in the fourth season of fielding a football team. The Panthers had won just three games prior to a 7-3 regular season in 2017.
    
    The Hoover Bucs hold another streak of winning 23 consecutive home playoff games.

    Teams that missed the playoffs with the best overall records include; Baldwin County (7-3), Gevena (7-3), Hartselle (6-4), Jackson-Olin (6-4)and Greene County (5-4).

    Luverne continues their streak of consecutive playoff appearances with a state best thirty-five straight appearances. T.R. Miller was right behind with a string of 33 consecutive seasons qualifying for the playoffs before the Tigers failed to reach the post season this year. Other teams failing to gain a playoff spot after many consecutive seasons of post season play include; Red Bay (18), Loachapoka (14), Washington County (12) and Hartselle (11).

    Hazlewood won 24 first round playoff games against a single loss before the school closed. Cedar Bluff is 23-0 at home in the first round.

    The playoffs began in 1966 and since that time only one team has fielded a football each season yet has never qualified for a post season spot. That team would be Bullock County.

    Teams who have never won a first round game that qualified for the playoffs in 2016 include; Coosa Christian, Holly Pond, Holy Spirit, Mae Jemison, Mars Hill, Northside, Paul Bryant, Prattville Christian, R.C. Hatch, Randolph, Sipsey Valley, Talladega, Waterloo, Westminster Christian and Woodville. Each of these teams would like to get their championship hopes underway with a win next Friday night.