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






2024 Team Previews 

  


St. Paul's Saints

Head Coach: Ham Barnett (third season)
Career Record: 4 seasons, (18-26)
At St. Pauls: 2 seasons, (14-10)
Stadium: E.E. Delaney Field
2024 Enrollment:  380
Rank:  149th in the AHSAA, 58th in Class 6A

 History 
Overall Record:   422-173   (71.0%)
Last 25 years:   228-85   (73.0%)  (Rank: 27th in the AHSAA, 7th in Class 6A)
Since 2010:   145-39  (78.8%)  (Rank: 14th in the AHSAA, 5th in Class 6A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2020
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2008

 2023 
Class:  6A              Region:   1
Record:  7-4
Region Record:   5-3, (fourth)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Hillcrest Tuscaloosa by a score of 20-6.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  236 (21.5)
Defense:  189 (17.2)


 2024 
Class: 6A              Region:   1
Strength of Schedule: 71-46 (61%) (31st in the AHSAA, 5th in Class 6A)
Region Strength:  56-37 (60%)
Non-Region Strength:  15-9 (62%)



 2023 Results 
 8/25  @ UMS-Wright  (5A)   14-7   W  
 9/1  vs. McGill-Toolen  (6A)  *  14-6   W  
 9/8  @ Saraland  (6A)  *  3-47   L  
 9/14  @ Murphy  (6A)  *  24-8   W  
 9/22   OPEN 
 9/29  vs. Faith Academy  (5A)   40-7   W  
 10/6  @ Spanish Fort  (6A)  *  6-35   L  
 10/13  vs. Robertsdale  (6A)  *  54-14   W  
 10/20  @ Blount  (6A)  *  21-0   W  
 10/27  vs. Baldwin County  (6A)  *  44-25   W  
 11/3  vs. Theodore  (6A)  *  10-20   L  
 Playoffs 
 11/10  @ Hillcrest Tuscaloosa    6-20   L  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/23  vs. UMS-Wright  (5A)       
 8/30  @ Baldwin County  (6A)  *      
 9/6   OPEN 
 9/12  @ Murphy  (6A)  *      
 9/20  vs. Theodore  (6A)  *      
 9/27  @ Faith Academy  (5A)       
 10/4  @ Gulf Shores  (6A)  *      
 10/11  vs. Saraland  (6A)  *      
 10/18  @ McGill-Toolen  (6A)  *      
 10/25  vs. Blount  (6A)  *      
 11/1  vs. Spanish Fort  (6A)  *      
 11/8  @ Helena        
 11/15  vs. Pike Road        


Class  6A Region  1
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Gulf Shores (5A) 15-0 8-0576-138
Saraland (6A) 14-1 8-0754-220
Spanish Fort (6A) 9-3 7-1330-174
Theodore (6A) 7-4 6-2257-158
St. Pauls (6A) 7-4 5-3236-189
McGill-Toolen (6A) 5-5 4-4271-266
Murphy (6A) 2-8 2-6123-330
Blount (6A) 2-8 2-6129-274
Baldwin County (6A) 2-8 2-6213-317

 2024 Preview 


       St. Paul's completed the 2023 season with a 7-4 record. With their 5-3 region record and a fourth place finish in Class 6A region one, the Saints earned a spot in the playoffs in 2023. St. Paul's's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Hillcrest Tuscaloosa by a score of 20-6.

       As one of the best football programs in the state since 2010, St. Paul's has gone a combined 145-39. Their 78.8% winning percentage ranks 5th in Class 6A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, St. Paul's has finished a combined 228-85. Their 73.0% winning percentage ranks 7th in Class 6A and 27th in the AHSAA. The Saints have been successful on the football field with twenty-three winning seasons during this time. Their last losing season was 2008.

Graduated All-State Players:
       St. Paul's lost 6A All-State  offensive lineman Asher Hale to graduation. He was named to the second team last season.

Head Coach:
       The Saints are led by head coach Ham Barnett who is entering his third season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 14-10 over the past two seasons at St. Paul's. Under his direction the Saints have qualified for the playoffs a total of two times. They have not won a region crown with Coach Barnett. Over the course of his career, Coach Barnett's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of two times .

Season Outlook:

       The St. Paul's Saints will play in Class 6A region one during the 2024 season.

       The Saints have one of the toughest overall schedules in Class 6A. Their opponents had a combined record of 71-46 last season. That ranks 5th in Class 6A and 31st in the AHSAA.

       Last year the Saints finished with a record of 7-4 completing their fifteenth consecutive winning season. They have also reached the playoffs in each of the past fourteen seasons. The problem is that the competitive balance rules set up by the AHSAA is making a championship run more difficult for the Saints. Their semi-final run in 2022 kept them in 6A for another two years.

       As we all know 6A Region 1 is among the most difficult to navigate for any team much less one that should be in 5A. The addition of Gulf Shores to Region 1 will only make it more difficult for all the teams to grab one of the four playoffs spots going forward.

       The Saints will be experienced this fall with seven starters returning on offense and eight to the defense. Coach Barnett says they will also be counting on newcomer Will Abrams to add support to the team. Look for an improved team when the season opens in August.

       Coach Barnett had this to say about the 2024 Saints of St. Paul. ''The nucleus of this team has played a lot of football together.''

    The Saints should be in contention for a playoff spot in region one this season. Hosting a first round playoff game on their home turf would be an advantage. They have reached the playoffs every year since 2009 and will once again be in the hunt for a spot in 2024.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      LB Anthony Jones accounted for 90 tackles and 12 sacks last season for the Saints and will return to anchor the linebacking crew. Noah Abrams added 115 tackles and another 4 sacks on defense.

Returning Starters:
LB Anthony Jones Jr., P/K Drew Ginsberg, LB Noah Abrams, Anthony Frasier, WR Tate Johnston

Season Opener:
       The Saints open the 2024 season at home against non-region opponent UMS-Wright on Friday, August 23 at E.E. Delaney Field. Last year the UMS-Wright Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 7-5 and in fourth place in Class 5A region one. The Bulldogs lost in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs to Headland by a score of 35-21.

       St. Paul's and UMS-Wright have met a total of 46 times on the football field. The Saints have a 23-23-0 record against the Bulldogs. They last met in 2023 with St. Paul's winning by a score of 14-7.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The first football game played by a high school team in Alabama was in 1892 when Central Birmingham (Phillips) lost to Alabama 56-0 on November 11.