End of the 2021 Regular Season Notes

     The undefeated teams....... Our hats are off to the twenty-one teams that maneuvered the 2021 regular season without suffering a loss. A special congratulations to James Clemens and Spring Garden for their first ever perfect regular season. Now the quest for a state championship begins for each of these teams. Below is a list of undefeated teams along with the last time they were undefeated:
           7A - Central Phenix City 10-0 (2018), Hoover 10-0 (2013), James Clemens 10-0 (Never)
           6A - Clay-Chalkville 10-0 (2015), Hartselle 10-0 (2018)
           5A - Alexandria 10-0 (2006), Pike Road 9-0 (2020)
           4A - Brooks 10-0 (2006)
           3A - Catholic Montgomery 10-0 (2007), Winfield 10-0 (2018)
           2A - Spring Garden 10-0 (Never)
           1A - Brantley 9-0 (2020) , Sweet Water 9-0 (2007)
           AISA - Autauga Academy 10-0 (2017)

     Winning a region championship is a goal of every team in their quest for a state title. Ironically not a single team won their first region title in 2021. That is odd for sure. Several schools have gone a while since winning their last region title. They include; Keith (1997), Pisgah (2003) and  Lowndes Academy (2004).

     The longest streak among teams winning a region title this season belongs to Fyffe with six in a row. Chambers Academy also won their sixth in a row in the AISA. Lanett is close behind having won their fifth in a row.

     Brantley won their 32nd region championship since 1974. That ranks them at the top followed by R.A. Hubbard/Courtland (29), Sweet Water (27), Hazlewood (26), Deshler (26), Demopolis (25) and Fyffe (25).

     Fyffe did not finish the regular season undefeated this year. But, over the past eleven seasons the Red Devils have been undefeated eight times. They hold the record with fifteen undefeated regular seasons over Maplesville with fourteen. The Red Devils have owned the regular season the past eight seasons by going 77-2 during that span of time. That is really an amazing record. Oh yea, they also won five state titles along the way.

     Fyffe could tie Russellville for the most consecutive 10 win seasons if they win two playoff games this season. They already hold the state record for consecutive regular season victories with a total of 64 in a row.

     Columbia has lost sixty-two consecutive games over the past seven seasons. The Eagles have assumed third place on the all-time list for consecutive losses. The longest losing streak in history belongs to R.C. Hatch who lost 68 straight between 1997-2005. Barbour County, who lost 66 straight between 2013-2020, would have topped the list if not for a forfeit win over Stewart County GA in the opening weekend of this season.

     Maplesville has twenty-seven ten win seasons in the history of the school. They can chalk up another one if the win in the opening round of the playoffs. They can join Hoover at the top of that list with twenty-eight.

     The strongest region title goes to Class 3A region one with six teams winning at least half their games. They went 21-5 against non-region foes this year. Only Cottage Hill Christian, who won all three non-region games, finishing with a losing record at 3-6.

     Class 1A Region 8 saw only one team win more than six games as Decatur Heritage Christian finished 8-2. The region went 3-21 against non-region opponents in 2021.

     Gordo has a streak of 29 consecutive winning seasons. Others with long streaks, along with their last losing season, include; Demopolis (1994), Opelika (1995) and Fyffe (1996). Although they did not make this list, the T.R. Miller Tigers have suffered only three losing seasons in the past fifty-eight years.

     Teams that finished the 2021 football season with a winning record that have not enjoyed one in for a while with their last winning season include: Orange Beach 9-1 (Never), St. Michael 6-3 (Never), Douglas 6-4 (1998) and Russell County 6-4 (1998).

     Winless Vina (0-10) has a string of 31 consecutive losing seasons dating back to the 1989 season. The streak is the longest in the AHSAA.

     The Catholic Montgomery Knights allowed 20 points in ten games during the regular season. Fyffe allowed 23 in 2019 and UMS-Wright allowed 21 in 2018. Clay County gave up just 18 during the 1996 season.

     Barbour County, as mentioned above has really been struggling the past few seasons. The Jaguars scored just 6 points this season and allowed 512 in eight games they played.

     Teams that finished the 2021 football season with a losing record for the first time in a while with their last losing season include: Monroe Academy (2006), Red Bay (2010) and Blount (2010).

    After a turbulent 2020 football season that disrupted many programs, the biggest turnarounds this year belongs to Autauga Academy which went from 2-7 last year to 10-0 this season. Other notables include; Midfield 0-9 to 8-2, Meek 1-9 to 7-3, Moody 0-9 to 6-4, Orange Beach 3-6 to 9-1, Russell County 0-9 to 6-4 and Wadley 3-8 to 9-1.

    Orange Beach, Priceville, Randolph and Southside Selma all finished the regular season with 9-1 records. It is the best regular season record ever for these schools.

    The biggest disappointments this season include; Abbeville 12-2 to 2-7, Berry Fayette 11-2 to 2-8, Leroy 11-2 to 2-8 (includes 5 forfeits in 2021), Abbeville Christian 10-3 to 2-8, East Lawrence 9-2 to 3-7 and Randolph County 7-4 to 1-9.

    Some teams finished the season winless for the first time in the school's history. They include; Bessemer City, Georgiana and LeFlore.

    

     Playoff Notes

    Hoover, with 102 playoff wins, holds the record for most post season wins. The T.R. Miller Tigers (91), Colbert County (89) and UMS-Wright (87) are just behind the Bucs. The Tigers also hold the record with thirty-five first round wins.

    The Colbert County Indians have made the most playoff appearances with 45 and extended that streak this year. Sweet Water (42) follows closely. T.R. Miller, Fyffe, Brantley, Patrician Academy and Oxford are right behind with 41 post season appearances.

    The Hoover Bucs have won 23 consecutive opening round playoff games. They have won every first round game since 1992.

    Want some virtual locks for the playoffs in the first round? Spanish Fort has never lost a first or second round game going 26-0 in the first two rounds. UMS-Wright is 26-1 since 1990 and 20-0 at home in first round games. Maplesville is 25-1 all-time in first round games. Briarwood is 21-1 in the opening round at home since 1995. Fyffe is 18-1 since 1998 in first round home games. Don't bet the farm, just interesting facts.

    The toughest road to the championship game may belong to James Clemens. All they have to do is defeat a very good Oak Mountain team before facing Thompson and likely Hoover in the semifinals. Good luck with that schedule. Another tough bracket is the top of 6A where Arab, if they get past Homewood, has Hartselle (10-0), Clay-Chalkville (10-0) and Briarwood (9-1) as possible opponents to the semifinals.

    There are a few interesting teams this year that could pose problems for their opponents who have been overlooked in past seasons. Southside Selma, Keith, Hueytown, Orange Beach and Midfield. Midfield did not even field a team last year and bounced back nicely for a 8-2 record.

    One matchup will be interesting when Central Hayneville travels to Kinston. Central is 0-4 all-time in the playoffs and Kinston is 1-12. Someone will celebrate a long awaited playoff victory Friday night. Another is Randolph hosting Fayette County. Fayette has won 53 playoff games and Randolph none. I think they get that first win Friday night in their first playoff game ever at home.

    Orange Beach, Valiant Cross Academy and Banks Academy are teams which qualify for the playoffs for the first time. Douglas (1998), Baldwin County (2007) and Greene County (2011) ended playoff droughts this year.
    
    The Hoover Bucs hold another streak of winning 22 consecutive home playoff games between 1993-2018 season. That streak was broken when the Bucs fell to Thompson in the semi-finals.
    
    Eleven teams missed the post season despite winning six games. They include teams with a 6-4 record in the regular season; Gulf Shores, Russell County, Moody, West Point, Ashville, Chickasaw, Excel, Section, Vincent and Autaugaville. St. Michael will stay home despite a 6-3 record. Another fifteen teams won at least five games but failed to garner a playoff spot this year.

    Clarke Prep finished with 2-8 records but still managed to secure a post season spot in the AISA. Bessemer Academy finished 3-6 but squeaked into the post season. Woodland (3-7), B.C. Rain (3-6), R.C. Hatch (3-5) and Coosa Valley Academy (3-6) all grabbed a playoff spot despite a losing record. Fourteen other playoff teams won just four games during the regular season. In the AISA, six of the 24 teams making the playoffs finished with a losing record.

    Luverne continues their streak of consecutive playoff appearances with a state best thirty-nine straight appearances. The current next longest streaks belong to Briarwood (29), UMS-Wright (28), Demopolis (26), Aliceville (26), McAdory (25) and Brantley (25).

    Eufaula almost saw their string of 22 straight appearances snapped by finishing in fifth place in region two. But it was revealed that Sidney Lanier would forfeit all five region victories thus allowing the appearance streak to continue for Eufaula.

    Teams failing to gain a playoff spot after many consecutive seasons of post season play include; Monroe Academy (13), Addison (11), Pike County (8), and Randolph County (7).

    T.R. Miller has won 35 first round playoff games, the most all-time. Colbert County (33), Brantley (33), Maplesville (31) and Sweet Water (30) are close behind.

    Teams who have never won a first round game that qualified for the playoffs in 2021 include; Ardmore (0-5), Banks Academy (0-0), Central Hayneville (0-4), Douglas (0-2), Orange Beach (0-0), R.C. Hatch (0-3), Randolph (0-5), Southeastern (0-2) and Valiant Cross Academy (0-0). Each of these teams would like to get their championship hopes underway with a win next Friday night.

    We wish all the teams well in the post season. Good luck and see you at the 2021 AHSAA Super Seven Championships.