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






2024 Team Previews 

  


Leroy Bears

Head Coach: Chan Lowe (first season)
Career Record: 0 seasons, (0-0)
At Leroy: First season
Stadium: Bobby Farish Field at Palmer Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  115
Rank:  357th in the AHSAA, 28th in Class 1A

 History 
Overall Record:   581-405-26   (59.0%)
Last 25 years:   241-83   (74.0%)  (Rank: 21st in the AHSAA, 3rd in Class 1A)
Since 2010:   120-56  (68.2%)  (Rank: 59th in the AHSAA, 10th in Class 1A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2023
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2021

 2023 
Class:  1A              Region:   1
Record:  14-0
Region Record:   6-0, (first)
Playoff Record:   Won the Class 1A State Championship by defeating Coosa Christian at the Alabama Super Seven 28-21 in Birmingham.
Final ASWA Poll:   1st
Scoring:  523 (37.4)
Defense:  158 (11.3)


 2024 
Class: 1A              Region:   1
Strength of Schedule: 49-60 (45%) (312nd in the AHSAA, 37th in Class 1A)
Region Strength:  28-45 (38%)
Non-Region Strength:  21-15 (58%)



 2023 Results 
 8/25   OPEN 
 8/31  @ Clarke County  (2A)   26-13   W  
 9/7  vs. McIntosh  (1A)  *  41-0   W  
 9/15  @ Choctaw County  (1A)  *  48-6   W  
 9/22   OPEN 
 9/29  vs. St. Lukes  (2A)   42-10   W  
 10/6  @ J.F. Shields  (1A)  *  46-8   W  
 10/13  @ Southern Choctaw  (1A)  *  41-8   W  
 10/20  vs. Fruitdale  (1A)  *  42-16   W  
 10/27  vs. Millry  (1A)  *  26-0   W  
 11/2  vs. Washington County  (2A)   49-14   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/10  vs. Calhoun    40-7   W  
 11/17  vs. Georgiana    27-13   W  
 11/24  @ Brantley    40-18   W  
 12/1  vs. Elba    27-24   W  
 12/7   Coosa Christian    28-21   W  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/23  vs. Thomasville  (3A)       
 8/30  vs. Clarke County  (2A)       
 9/6  vs. McIntosh  (1A)  *      
 9/13  @ Sweet Water  (1A)  *      
 9/20  vs. J.F. Shields  (1A)  *      
 9/26  @ Washington County  (2A)       
 10/4  @ Marengo  (1A)  *      
 10/11  vs. Southern Choctaw  (1A)  *      
 10/18  @ Fruitdale  (1A)  *      
 10/25  @ Millry  (1A)  *      
 11/1   OPEN 
 11/8  vs. Pickens Academy        
 11/15  @ Georgiana        


Class  1A Region  1
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Leroy (1A) 14-0 6-0523-158
Sweet Water (1A) 9-2 5-0346-142
Millry (1A) 9-3 5-1508-164
Southern Choctaw (1A) 4-7 3-3239-319
Marengo (1A) 3-7 1-4140-312
McIntosh (1A) 2-7 2-4156-273
Fruitdale (1A) 1-9 1-590-395
J.F. Shields (1A) 0-10 0-692-467

 2024 Preview 


       Leroy completed the 2023 season with a 14-0 record. Last year Leroy captured the region one title and a number one seed in the Class 1A playoffs. They finished region play with a 6-0 record. The Bears reeled off five straight playoff wins to claim the Class 1A State Championship by defeating Coosa Christian at the Alabama Super Seven 28-21 in Birmingham.

       The Bears won as many games as in any season since 2010.

       The defense was very stingy last season as Leroy ranked 17th in the AHSAA. The defense allowed only 11.3 points a game.

       Over the past two seasons the Bears have Finished 27-1 and will be looking to continue that winning tradition. Since 2010, Leroy has gone a combined 120-56. Their 68.2% winning percentage ranks 10th in Class 1A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Leroy has finished a combined 241-83. Their 74.0% winning percentage ranks 3rd in Class 1A and 21st in the AHSAA. The Bears have been successful on the football field with twenty-two winning seasons during this time.

Graduated All-State Players:
       Leroy lost 1A All-State  quarterback Brayden Huebner to graduation. He was named to the first team last season. Also graduating were teammates offensive lineman Rob Moseley, athlete Malik Howell and athlete Jaquan Scott.

Coaching Change:
     Jason Massey  was deployed in the National Guard in early October and handed over the reins to a very capable Chan Lowe the remainder of the 2023 football season. After winning a state championship in 2022 under Massey, Coach Lowe did not disappoint his mentor and brought home a second consecutive title to the town of Leroy.

It seems Coach Massey will be deployed for a total of 18 months so Coach Lowe will likely fill that spot for the 2024 football season also. Coach Massey has compiled a record of 97-52 in a dozen seasons at Clarke County and Leroy.

2024 Head Coach:
    Chan Lowe  took over as the interim head football coach at Leroy when Jason Massey was deployed in early October. He led the Bears to their second straight state championship in 1A with a perfect 11-0 record as the Bears completed the season 15-0 for their seventh state title.

Season Outlook:

       The Leroy Bears will play in Class 1A region one during the 2024 season.

      

       The Bears enter the 2024 season riding a 20 game winning streak. They have also won 10 consecutive regular season games. Leroy has won 9 consecutive region games. They have won 14 straight games on their home turf at Bobby Farish Field at Palmer Stadium.

       Top priority this fall will be to find a replacement for graduated starting quarterback Brayden Huebner and the 1,827 yards and 28 touchdowns he threw for last season. The Bears also will be without the service of running back Malik Howell who graduated.

       One bright spot will be the defense as most of the starters on that side of the football will be back and ready to defend their 1A state championship in 2024. No less than six players who started the championship game last year will be back in their positions when fall practice begins in August. The offense will also return six starters.

       Fans should expect to see Leroy still playing football in late November and possibly into December as the Bears will reload and make a run at their third straight state championship in 2024.



    The Bears enter the season with expectations of not only a region crown but will be contending for a trip to the state championship game. They are considered one the favorites in region one and should be a team in the thick of the hunt to represent the South in the Class 1A Super Seven come December.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      SS Ja'Kavien Collins collected 127 tackles (93 solo) including 5 sacks and will be back for his junior season.

      MLB Sawyer Sullivan will also be returning after having 121 tackles (90 solo) including 3 sacks.

Returning Starters:
OFFENSE: TE- JC Foster, RB- Ja'Kavien Collins, OL- Javory Pugh, OL- Dylan Jackson, OL- Tyson Kimbrough, OL- Davin Chestang
DEFENSE: DE- Tim Parnell, LB- Sawyer Sullivan, LB- Ja'Kavien Collins, LB- JC Foster, DB Jason Byrd, DB Josh Reed

Season Opener:
       The Bears open the 2024 season at home against non-region opponent Thomasville on Friday, August 23 at Bobby Farish Field at Palmer Stadium. Last year the Thomasville Tigers finished with an overall record of 10-2 and in second place in Class 3A region one. The Tigers lost in the quarter-finals round of the Class 3A playoffs to St. James by a score of 28-26.

       Leroy and Thomasville have met a total of 53 times on the football field. The Bears have a 13-39-1 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2021 with Leroy winning by a score of 13-9.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Luverne 'Toad' Wise was the first female football player in Alabama and may have been the first in the country. She was a kicker for the Escambia County Blue Devils in 1939-40.