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






2023 Team Previews 

  


Tuscaloosa County Wildcats

Head Coach: Adam Winegarden (third season)
Career Record: Total (126-50)
                           13 seasons, Alabama (112-43)
                           Out-of-State (14-7)
At Tuscaloosa County: 2 seasons, (7-13)
Stadium: Wildcat Field
2022 Enrollment:  1,307
Rank:  19th in the AHSAA, 19th in Class 7A

 History 
Overall Record:   561-415-31   (58.0%)
Last 25 years:   159-122   (57.0%)  (Rank: 121st in the AHSAA, 12th in Class 7A)
Since 2010:   54-83  (39.4%)  (Rank: 277th in the AHSAA, 27th in Class 7A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2014
Last Region Championship:   2008
Last Winning Season:   2022
Last Losing Season:   2021

 2022 
Class:  7A              Region:   3
Record:  6-4
Region Record:   3-4, (fifth)
Playoff Record:   Did not qualify.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  251 (25.1)
Defense:  295 (29.5)


 2023 
Class: 7A              Region:   3
Strength of Schedule: 51-60 (46%) (279th in the AHSAA, 30th in Class 7A)
Region Strength:  44-37 (54%)
Non-Region Strength:  7-23 (23%)



 2022 Results 
 8/19  vs. Central Tuscaloosa  (6A)   44-0   W  
 8/26  @ Bessemer City  (6A)   28-7   W  
 9/2  @ Chelsea  (7A)  *  42-41   W  
 9/8  vs. Hewitt-Trussville  (7A)  *  7-35   L  
 9/16  vs. Oak Mountain  (7A)  *  34-31   W  
 9/23   OPEN 
 9/30  @ Spain Park  (7A)  *  38-28   W  
 10/7  @ Hoover  (7A)  *  13-31   L  
 10/14  vs. Thompson  (7A)  *  7-49   L  
 10/21  @ Vestavia Hills  (7A)  *  18-59   L  
 10/28  @ Brookwood  (6A)   20-14   W  

 2023 Schedule 
 8/25  @ Central Tuscaloosa  (6A)       
 9/1  vs. Bessemer City  (6A)       
 9/8  vs. Chelsea  (7A)  *      
 9/15  @ Hewitt-Trussville  (7A)  *      
 9/22  @ Oak Mountain  (7A)  *      
 9/29   OPEN 
 10/6  vs. Spain Park  (7A)  *      
 10/13  vs. Hoover  (7A)  *      
 10/20  @ Thompson  (7A)  *      
 10/27  vs. Vestavia Hills  (7A)  *      
 11/3  vs. Brookwood  (6A)       


Class  7A Region  3
Team 2022 Record Region Scoring                            
Hoover (7A) 11-2 7-0358-152
Thompson (7A) 11-3 6-1413-181
Hewitt-Trussville (7A) 8-4 5-2410-223
Vestavia Hills (7A) 7-5 4-3411-234
Tuscaloosa County (7A) 6-4 3-4251-295
Spain Park (7A) 3-7 1-6177-245
Chelsea (7A) 1-9 1-6150-340
Oak Mountain (7A) 3-7 1-6140-304

 2023 Preview 


       Tuscaloosa County completed the 2022 season with a 6-4 record. Last year Tuscaloosa County just missed making the playoffs with a fifth place finish in Class 7A region three with a 3-4 region record.

       The Wildcats improved in 2022 with their first winning season since 2014. The Wildcats won as many games as in any season since 2014. The Wildcats hope to continue the success they had last season. Coach Winegarden saw improvement as they won six games following a 1-9 record in 2021.

       Since 2010, Tuscaloosa County has gone a combined 54-83. Their 39.4% winning percentage ranks 27th in Class 7A over the past thirteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Tuscaloosa County has managed to compile a record of 159-122. Their 57.0% winning percentage ranks 12th in Class 7A and 121st in the AHSAA.




       The Wildcats are led by head coach Adam Winegarden who is entering his third season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 7-13 over the past two seasons at Tuscaloosa County. The Wildcats have yet to reach the playoffs under his direction. They have not won a region crown with Coach Winegarden. His 126 wins rank 45th among active coaches in the AHSAA. The win total includes 112 wins in Alabama and 14 victories from outside the state. Over the course of his career, Coach Winegarden's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of eleven times and won four region championships.

       Coach Winegarden got the Wildcats back on the winning track in 2022 with a 6-4 record. Now they will be shooting for that elusive fourth playoff spot in region 3 this season.

       The Wildcats could find themselves challenging for one of the playoff spots for region three this season with a few breaks and a little improvement. Unfortunately, Tuscaloosa County finds themselves in a very competitive region with other playoff quality teams. They may need to pull off an upset or two to have any chance at the postseason. Tuscaloosa County has failed to qualify for the playoffs since 2014 but hope to return to the post season this year.

      RB Kevin Riley will return. As a junior, he totaled 1,306 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

       The Wildcats open the 2023 season on the road against non-region opponent Central Tuscaloosa on Friday, August 25 at Falcon Stadium. Last year the Central Tuscaloosa Falcons finished with an overall record of 2-8 and in sixth place in Class 6A region four.

       Tuscaloosa County and Central Tuscaloosa have met a total of 30 times on the football field. The Wildcats have a 16-14-0 record against the Falcons. They last met in 2022 with Tuscaloosa County winning by a score of 44-0.

       Tuscaloosa County lost 7A All-State  punter Cade Lancaster to graduation. He was named to the second team last season. Also graduating was teammate athlete Sawyer Deerman.

       The Wildcats return 7A All-State Senior running back Kevin Riley. He was named to the second team last season.

  


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.