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





Coaching State Championships

    
(Updated 12/20/2024)

          The high school football playoffs began in Alabama in 1966 with a single game following that season to determine the state champion.

          Sidney Lanier defeated Lee Montgomery 9-7 in a much anticipated rematch for the title. In 2014, champions were crowned in seven classifications for the AHSAA schools and three classes for the AISA schools.



 
Super Seven State Championship
          Every team begins the season with the state championship as their goal only to fall short somewhere along the way. It seems more and more that the same teams make their way through the season and reach the title game. The other trend is that more often that not the same teams appear in the title games over and over again.

          This could be attributed to demographics, location of the school or coaching. Some teams win championships due to their location. Do you think it is a coincident that Hoover, Prattville, Thompson and Spanish Fort are all within twenty miles of the three biggest cities in the state?

        Many fans have felt for a long time the private schools have an advantage because their teams have no school districts. These could include Briarwood, UMS-Wright, and Madison Academy. Another possibility could just simply be better coaching.

          One coach for years dominated the ranks of the AISA when it comes to winning titles. Robby James has won nine titles at several schools. Coach James' teams appeared in seventeen state championship games. Bobby Carr topped that record with his tenth title at Autauga Academy in 2021.

          Among AHSAA coaches Danny Horn won six championships at Clay County before moving on to Benjamin Russell and then back to Central Clay County where he has added two more championships. His Clay County teams also appeared in two other title games that they lost. Mark Freeman won four AISA championships at Bessemer Academy before taking his talents to Spanish Fort for another two titles. He has won five at Thompson for a total of eleven state championships. Josh Niblett won a championship at Oneonta and another six as the head coach at Hoover. Terry Curtis won his seventh championship at UMS-Wright in 2018.

          Following these coaches are eleven coaches with five championships under their belt.





State Playoff Championships Won    
Titles Coach Teams Playoff Record    
11 Mark Freeman Bessemer Academy, Spanish Fort, Thompson 61-12    
10 Bobby Carr Edgewood Academy, Autauga Academy 45-10    
9 Robby James Catherine Academy, Morgan Academy, Marengo Ac. 46-19    
           
8 Danny Horn Clay County, Benjamin Russell, Central Clay County 77-25    
8 Terry Curtis UMS-Wright 84-25    
7 Josh Niblett Oneonta, Hoover 60-14    
7 Paul Benefield Sylvania, Fyffe 70-24    
7 Robert Gartman Morgan Academy, Wilcox Academy 36-17    
           
7 Stacy Luker Sweet Water, Clarke County, South Choctaw 56-16    
6 Wayne Grant Pike County 53-18    
5 Danny Powell Lee-Scott, Leroy, Jackson 43-12    
5 Steve Smith Piedmont 62-22    
5 Billy Hamilton Grove Hill Academy, Clarke Prep 28-22    
           
5 Bob Newton Homewood 34-4    
5 Jimmy Warr Thomasville Academy, Patrician Academy 16-5    
5 Mac Champion Lowndes Academy, Monroe Academy 23-11    
5 Rush Propst Hoover 42-8    
           
5 Bobby Wasden Meadowview Christian 19-6    
4 Steve Mask St. Paul's 42-17    
5 Lynn Wright Pickens Academy 27-10    
5 Keith Etheridge Leeds, Oxford, Auburn 47-16    
           
4 Mitchell Tuberville Monroe Academy 24-11    
4 Ben Harris Blount 31-9    
4 George Cochran Hooper Academy, Eufaula 21-8    
4 James Carter Autauga Academy, Billingsley 32-14    
           
4 Jamie Riggs T.R. Miller 69-25    
4 Jessie Little Marengo Academy 11-5    
4 John Niblett South Mont. Ac., Demopolis Ac., Glenwood Ac. 16-11    
4 Louis White Courtland 45-14    
           
4 Rickey Johnson Hazlewood 38-11    
4 Nolan Atkins Sweet Water 35-19    
4 Shaun Bonds Southern Academy 31-15    
4 Jason Allen Chambers Academy 29-16    
4 Josh Wright Bessemer Academy, Tuscaloosa Academy 35-12    



State Championship Game Appearances    
Titles Coach    
17 Robby James      
15 Mark Freeman      
14 Bobby Carr      
13 Robert Gartman      
         
11 Josh Niblett      
11 Danny Horn      
11 Josh Wright      
9 Paul Benefield      
         
9 Nolan Atkins      
8 Jamie Riggs      
8 Terry Curtis      
7 Stacy Luker      
7 Keith Etheredge      
         
7 Billy Hamilton      
7 Steve Smith      
7 Mac Champion      
7 Mitchell Tuberville      
         
7 Rush Propst      
7 John Mothershed      
7 Hugh Fountain      
7 Wayne Grant      



David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org






Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The first night game played between high school teams in the state occurred on September 23, 1927 when Pike Road and Cloverdale met in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.