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






2024 Team Previews 

  


Winfield Pirates

Head Coach: David McKinney (twelveth season)
Career Record: 17 seasons, (145-55)
At Winfield: 11 seasons, (93-33)
Stadium: Estes Hudson Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  279
Rank:  213rd in the AHSAA, 3rd in Class 3A

 History 
Overall Record:   612-371-48   (62.0%)
Last 25 years:   204-85   (71.0%)  (Rank: 40th in the AHSAA, 7th in Class 3A)
Since 2010:   110-47  (70.1%)  (Rank: 44th in the AHSAA, 6th in Class 3A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2021
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2012

 2023 
Class:  3A              Region:   5
Record:  10-2
Region Record:   5-1, (second)
Playoff Record:   Second round loss to Sylvania by a score of 35-10.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  446 (37.2)
Defense:  170 (14.2)


 2024 
Class: 3A              Region:   5
Strength of Schedule: 57-51 (53%) (122nd in the AHSAA, 17th in Class 3A)
Region Strength:  32-41 (44%)
Non-Region Strength:  25-10 (71%)



 2023 Results 
 8/24  vs. Dora  (4A)   23-20   W  
 9/1  @ Haleyville  (4A)   26-14   W  
 9/8  vs. Gordo  (3A)  *  18-25   L  
 9/15   OPEN 
 9/21  @ Midfield  (3A)  *  44-18   W  
 9/29  @ Hamilton  (4A)   50-0   W  
 10/6  vs. Tarrant  (3A)  *  52-6   W  
 10/13  @ Carbon Hill  (3A)  *  46-0   W  
 10/20  vs. Fayette County  (3A)  *  28-24   W  
 10/27  @ Oakman  (3A)  *  42-0   W  
 11/2  vs. Lamar County  (2A)   64-7   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/9  vs. Colbert County    43-21   W  
 11/17  @ Sylvania    10-35   L  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/22  vs. Corner  (5A)       
 8/30  @ Sulligent  (2A)       
 9/6  vs. Midfield  (3A)  *      
 9/13  vs. Gordo  (3A)  *      
 9/20  @ Phil Campbell  (3A)  *      
 9/26  @ Fayette County  (4A)       
 10/4  @ Carbon Hill  (3A)  *      
 10/11  vs. Oakman  (3A)  *      
 10/18  vs. Hanceville  (3A)  *      
 10/25  @ Vinemont  (3A)  *      
 11/1   OPEN 


Class  3A Region  5
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Gordo (3A) 10-2 6-0515-184
Winfield (3A) 10-2 5-1446-170
Oakman (3A) 7-4 4-2283-238
Phil Campbell (3A) 4-7 2-4216-425
Vinemont (3A) 4-7 3-3254-310
Midfield (3A) 3-5 2-4226-195
Carbon Hill (3A) 0-10 0-676-517
Hanceville (4A) 4-6 1-5193-305

 2024 Preview 


       Winfield completed the 2023 season with a 10-2 record. With their 5-1 region record and a second place finish in Class 3A region five, the Pirates earned a spot in the playoffs in 2023. Winfield reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to Sylvania by a score of 35-10.

       The defense was very stingy last season as Winfield ranked 30th in the AHSAA. The defense allowed only 14.2 points a game.

       Since 2010, Winfield has gone a combined 110-47. Their 70.1% winning percentage ranks 6th in Class 3A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Winfield has finished a combined 204-85. Their 71.0% winning percentage ranks 7th in Class 3A and 40th in the AHSAA. The Pirates have been successful on the football field with twenty-two winning seasons during this time.

Graduated All-State Players:
       Winfield lost 3A All-State  receiver DAngelo Bankhead to graduation. He was named to the honorable mention team last season.

Head Coach:
       The Pirates are led by head coach David McKinney who is entering his twelveth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 93-33 over the past eleven seasons at Winfield. Under his direction the Pirates have qualified for the playoffs a total of ten times. They have won four region crowns with Coach McKinney. His 145 wins rank 39th among active coaches in the AHSAA. Over the course of his career, Coach McKinney's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of sixteen times and won six region championships.

       Coach McKinney needs five wins this season to reach the 150 win milestone.

Season Outlook:

       The Winfield Pirates will play in Class 3A region five during the 2024 season.

      

       The Pirates enter the 2024 season riding a 7 game regular season winning streak.

       The Winfield Pirates are one of the better teams in northwest Alabama and have been very consistent winners the past few seasons under Coach McKinney. They play tough defensively and will score points in bunches.

       No doubt about it they will be in a battle to recapture a region title with Gordo and when the two teams meet on September 13th it will most likely be for the region crown.

    While most teams rebuild during the off season, Winfield has been a consistent winner the past few years and will simply reload this season.     The Pirates are considered one of the favorites for the region five championship this season and a home game in the first round of the playoffs. The Pirates have successfully qualified for the playoffs every year since 2017 and expect to be included again when November rolls around.

Season Opener:
       The Pirates open the 2024 season at home against non-region opponent Corner on Thursday, August 22 at Estes Hudson Stadium. Last year the Corner Yellow Jackets finished with an overall record of 10-2 and in third place in Class 4A region five. The Yellow Jackets lost in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs to West Morgan by a score of 35-14.

       Winfield and Corner have met a total of 2 times on the football field. The Pirates have a 1-1-0 record against the Yellow Jackets. They last met in 1979 with Winfield winning by a score of 59-14.

  


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.