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

2024 Team Previews




Pinson Valley Indians
Head Coach: James Thompson (first season) Career Record: 6 seasons, (50-23) At Pinson Valley: First season Stadium: Willie Adams Stadium 2024 Enrollment: 750 Rank: 70th in the AHSAA, 38th in Class 6A

History

Overall Record: 299-274-3 (52.0%)
Last 25 years: 171-117 (59.0%) (Rank: 94th in the AHSAA, 18th in Class 6A)
Since 2010: 118-52 (69.4%) (Rank: 55th in the AHSAA, 11th in Class 6A)
Last Playoff Appearance: 2023
Last Region Championship: 2020
Last Winning Season: 2022
Last Losing Season: 2023

2023

Class: 6A Region: 6
Record: 4-6
Region Record: 3-3, (fourth)
Playoff Record: First round loss to Muscle Shoals by a score of 42-7.
Final ASWA Poll: Not Ranked
Scoring: 204 (20.4)
Defense: 259 (25.9)

2024

Class: 6A              Region: 6
Strength of Schedule: 69-47 (60%) (39th in the AHSAA, 9th in Class 6A)
Region Strength:  36-31 (54%)
Non-Region Strength:  33-16 (67%)

2023 Results

8/25	vs. Florence (7A)	18-3	W
9/1	@ McAdory (6A)	17-28	L
9/8	OPEN
9/15	@ Clay-Chalkville (6A) *	0-41	L
9/22	vs. Oxford (6A) *	6-40	L
9/29	vs. Homewood (6A)	7-10	L
10/6	@ Huffman (6A) *	61-0	W
10/13	vs. Center Point (6A) *	19-32	L
10/20	@ Shades Valley (6A) *	28-25	W
10/26	vs. Pell City (6A) *	41-38	W (2OT)
11/3	OPEN
Playoffs
11/10	@ Muscle Shoals	7-42	L

2024 Schedule

8/23	@ Central Phenix City (7A)
8/30	@ Gardendale (6A)
9/6	vs. Huffman (6A) *
9/13	@ Oxford (6A) *
9/20	@ Shades Valley (6A) *
9/27	vs. Hewitt-Trussville (7A)
10/4	OPEN
10/11	@ Mountain Brook (6A) *
10/18	vs. Pell City (6A) *
10/25	vs. Clay-Chalkville (6A) *
11/1	vs. Hueytown (6A)

Class 6A Region 6
Team	2023 Record	Region	Scoring
Clay-Chalkville (6A)	14-0	6-0	551-166
Mountain Brook (6A)	8-4	5-1	386-209
Oxford (6A)	9-3	5-1	395-192
Pinson Valley (6A)	4-6	3-3	204-259
Shades Valley (6A)	4-5	2-4	229-280
Pell City (6A)	1-9	1-5	290-290
Huffman (6A)	0-10	0-6	0-578

2024 Preview

       Pinson Valley completed the 2023 season with a 4-6 record. With their 3-3 region record and a fourth place finish in Class 6A region six, the Indians earned a spot in the playoffs in 2023. Pinson Valley's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Muscle Shoals by a score of 42-7.

       Pinson Valley took a step backwards last year with their first losing season since 2014. The Indians lost as many games as in any season since 2014.

       Since 2010, Pinson Valley has gone a combined 118-52. Their 69.4% winning percentage ranks 11th in Class 6A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Pinson Valley has managed to compile a record of 171-117. Their 59.0% winning percentage ranks 18th in Class 6A and 94th in the AHSAA.

Coaching Change:
     Gentrell Eatman after rebuilding the Woodlawn football program over the course of three seasons could not find the winning formula at Pinson Valley and was dismissed following the 20223 football season. His line squad finished 4-6 losing in the first round of the playoffs.

The Indians won three state championships between 2017-2020 but have failed to find that winning edge since. Since 2016 when Patrick Nix left for Central Phenix City the Indians will be searching for their fourth head coach in five seasons.

2024 Head Coach:
    James Thompson accepted the head coaching job at Pinson Valley in February. He was previously the head football coach at Carver Montgomery for three seasons between 2018-2020 and Pickens County 2015-2017. His Tornadoes fell in the state championship games in 2016 and 2017. His overall record as a head coach is 50-23 in six seasons. Over the course of his career, Coach Thompson's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of five times and won two region championships.

Season Outlook:

       The Pinson Valley Indians will play in Class 6A region six during the 2024 season.

       The Indians have one of the toughest overall schedules in Class 6A. Their opponents had a combined record of 69-47 last season. That ranks 9th in Class 6A and 39th in the AHSAA.

       Pinson Valley has qualified for the playoffs every season since 2009 but has slipped a bit since their back-to-back championship season of 2017-18 and 2020. They are on their fourth head coach since then and while they are competitive in 6A they are not the championship caliber team of years gone by. Can they recapture those glory days once again? First year head coach James Thompson hopes he has a winning formula for the Indians in 2024.

       The Indians have the second most difficult schedule in 6A this season. Playing in region six is tough enough but with non-region games against 7A Central Phenix City, 7A Hewitt-Trussville, Gardendale and Hueytown the schedule will be tougher than ever. In 2024 the Indians will face seven teams that qualified for the playoffs last year.

    The Indians have a good shot at one of the last two playoff slots in region six this season. They have qualified for the playoffs every year since 2009 and are hopeful to continue that streak in 2024.

Season Opener:
       The Indians open the 2024 season on the road against non-region opponent Central Phenix City on Friday, August 23 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium. Last year the Central Phenix City Red Devils finished with an overall record of 13-0 and in first place in Class 7A region two. The Red Devils won the Class 7A State Championship last season when they defeated Thompson by a score of 21-19 in the Super Seven finals in Birmingham.

       This will be the second meeting between Pinson Valley and Central Phenix City on the football field. The Indians have a 0-1-0 record against the Red Devils. They last met in with

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