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






2017 Team Previews 

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Russellville Golden Tigers

Head Coach: John Ritter (first season)
Stadium: Tigers Stadium
Career Record: 5 seasons, (33-23)
At Russellville: First season
2018 Enrollment:  529
Rank:  106th in the AHSAA, 21st in Class 5A

 History 
Overall Record:   614-345-31   (64.0%)
Last 25 years:   220-80   (73.0%)  (Rank: 23rd in the AHSAA, 4th in Class 5A)
Since 2010:   59-33  (64.0%)  (Rank: 83rd in the AHSAA, 15th in Class 5A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2016
Last Region Championship:   2015
Last Winning Season:   2016
Last Losing Season:   2017

 2017 
Class:  5A              Region:   8
Record:  3-7
Region Record:   3-4, (fifth)
Playoff Record:   Did not qualify.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  159 (15.9)
Defense:  329 (32.9)    (Team record for points allowed in a season)


 2018 
Class: 5A              Region:   7
Strength of Schedule: 47-50 (48%) (214th in the AHSAA, 34th in Class 5A)
Region Strength:  31-34 (48%)
Non-Region Strength:  16-16 (50%)



 2017 Results 
 8/25   OPEN 
 9/1  @ Deshler  (4A)   3-35   L  
 9/8  @ Lee Huntsville  (5A)  *  0-45   L  
 9/15  vs. Lawrence County  (5A)  *  6-25   L  
 9/22  @ Mae Jemison  (5A)  *  10-56   L  
 9/29  @ Hartselle  (6A)   0-51   L  
 10/6  @ St. John Paul II  (5A)  *  42-21   W  
 10/13  vs. Brooks  (5A)  *  21-54   L  
 10/20  @ East Limestone  (5A)  *  17-13   W  
 10/27  vs. Ardmore  (5A)  *  44-6   W  
 11/3  vs. Colbert County  (3A)   16-23   L  

 2018 Schedule 
 8/24   OPEN 
 8/31  vs. Deshler  (4A)       
 9/7  @ Corner  (5A)  *      
 9/14  vs. Hayden  (5A)  *      
 9/21  @ West Point  (5A)  *      
 9/28  @ Haleyville  (4A)       
 10/5  vs. Lawrence County  (5A)  *      
 10/12  vs. Hamilton  (5A)  *      
 10/19  @ Jasper  (5A)  *      
 10/26  vs. Dora  (5A)  *      
 11/2  @ Central Florence  (4A)       
 11/9  vs. Center Point        


Class  5A Region  7
Team 2017 Record Scoring                            
Corner (5A) 5-6223-240
Dora (4A) 9-3384-191
Hamilton (4A) 3-7226-269
Hayden (5A) 5-6276-331
Jasper (6A) 3-7147-311
Lawrence County (5A) 5-6279-241
Russellville (5A) 3-7159-329
West Point (5A) 6-5311-283

 2018 Preview 


       Russellville finished the 2017 season with a disappointing 3-7 record. Last year Russellville just missed making the playoffs with a fifth place finish in Class 5A region eight with a 3-4 region record.

       Russellville took a step backwards last year with their first losing season since 2013. The Golden Tigers lost as many games as in any season since 1997. The defense allowed a team record 329 points last season. The Golden Tigers hope to rebound after a down year. Last season they struggled winning just three games which followed a 8-4 record in 2016.

       Russellville was inconsistent offensively last year and they need some improvement if the Golden Tigers want to be competitive. They only averaged 15.9 points a game.

       Since 2010, Russellville has gone a combined 59-33. Their 64.0% winning percentage ranks 15th in Class 5A over the past eight seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Russellville has gone a combined 220-80. Their 73.0% winning percentage ranks 4th in Class 5A and 23rd in the AHSAA.




       The Golden Tigers will be under the direction of new head football coach John Ritter as they enter the 2018 season.

       Coach Ritter's overall record as a head football coach in five season stands at 33-23 (58.9%). Over the course of his career, Coach Ritter's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of four times and won one region championship.

       The Russellville Golden Tigers will play in Class 5A region seven during the 2018 season. Following realignment, the Golden Tigers remain in 5A but move from region eight over to region seven.

       With a little luck and some improvement, the Golden Tigers could find themselves challenging for one of the playoff spots for region seven this season. Russellville came up short of the playoffs last year but are optimistic of a return to the post season this year.

       The Golden Tigers open the 2018 season at home against non-region opponent Deshler on Friday, August 31 at Tigers Stadium. Last year the Deshler Tigers finished with an overall record of 7-4 and in third place in Class 4A region eight. The Tigers lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs to Dora by a score of 29-20.

       Russellville and Deshler have met a total of 98 times on the football field. The Golden Tigers have a 48-46-4 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2017 with Deshler winning by a score of 35-3.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Morris Higginbotham coached three different teams to divisional state championships in the 1950s. He won titles at Walnut Grove in 1952, West Blocton in 1955 and Enterprise in 1960.