End of the 2024 Regular Season Notes

     The undefeated teams....... Our hats are off to the nineteen teams that maneuvered the 2024 regular season without suffering a loss. A special congratulations to Spain Park and Highland Home for their first ever perfect regular seasons. Now the quest for a state championship begins for each of these teams. Below is a list of undefeated teams along with the last time they were undefeated:
           7A - Auburn 9-0 (2009)
           6A - Oxford 10-0 (2017), Saraland 10-0 (2023), Spain Park 10-0 (Never)
           5A - Catholic Montgomery 9-0 (2023),  Central Clay County 10-0 (2023), Fairview 9-0 (Never)
           4A - West Morgan 10-0 (2023)
           3A - Glenwood  School 9-0 (2020), Piedmont 10-0 (2016), T.R. Miller 10-0 (2013), Thomasville 11-0 (2010)
           2A - Cottonwood 10-0 (2010), Highland Home 10-0 (Never), Winston County 10-0 (1981)
           1A - Spring Garden 10-0 (2021) , Wadley 8-0 (2017)
           AISA - Lowndes Academy 9-0 (2023), South Choctaw Academy 10-0 (2007)

     Winning a region championship is a goal of every team in their quest for a state title. Several schools have gone a while since winning their last region title. They include; Spain Park (2015), Moody (2004), Corner (1987), Good  Hope (2007), Tallassee (2014), Thomasville 2010), Winston County (1997) and McKenzie (2010).

     The longest streak among teams winning a region title this season belongs to Fyffe with nine in a row. Chambers Academy also won their ninth in a row in the AISA. Catholic Montgomery won their sixth in a row.

     Brantley has won 32 region championship since 1974. That ranks them at the top followed by R.A. Hubbard/Courtland (29), Sweet Water (28), Fyffe (28), Demopolis (28), Deshler (27),  Reeltown (27) and Hazlewood (26).

     Fyffe finished the regular season 7-2 this year. Over the past fourteen seasons the Red Devils have been undefeated in the regular season nine times. They hold the record with sixteen undefeated regular seasons over Maplesville with fourteen. The Red Devils have owned the regular season the past eleven seasons by going 103-5 during that span of time. That is really an amazing record. Oh yea, they also won seven state titles along the way.

     If the Red Devils win two playoff games they will secured their fourteenth consecutive ten win season which is the state record. 

     T.R. Miller holds the record with twenty-nine ten win seasons. Maplesville and Hoover have twenty-eight ten win seasons in the history of the schools. The Bucs and Red Devils will need to win two playoff games each to tie T.R. Miller.

     The toughest region title goes to Class 3A region six with six teams winning at least half their games. They went 13-4 against non-region foes this year. J.B. Pennington (6-4), Westbrook Christian (6-4) and Walter Wellborn (5-4) will miss the playoffs this year.

     Class 4A Region 1 saw only two teams win more than four games. W.S. Neal (4-6) and Mobile Christain (3-6) finished third and fourth in that region. Class 4A region six also had only two teams win more than four games.

     Gordo has a streak of 32 consecutive winning seasons. Others with long streaks, along with their last losing season, include; Demopolis (1994) and Fyffe (1996). Although they did not make this list, the T.R. Miller Tigers have suffered only three losing seasons in the past sixty years.

     Teams that finished the 2024 football season with a winning record that have not enjoyed one for a while with their last winning season include: University Charter School who enjoyed their first ever winning season at 7-2. The Vina Red Devils broke a string of losing season by finishing the season 6-4.  Their last winning season was way back in 1989. That was the longest streak in AHSAA history.

     Teams that finished the 2024 football season with a losing record for the first time in a while with their last losing season include: Pickens County 4-6 (2004), UMS-Wright 4-6 (2007). Both teams could finish with winning records if they win a few playoff games.

     The biggest turnarounds this year belongs to a group of two teams who improved by seven wins from the 2023 football season. Ardmore went from 1-9 last year to 8-2 this season and Hamilton 1-9 to 8-2.  Other who increased their win total by six games include: Russell County 2-8 to 8-3, Jasper 1-9 to 7-3, Williamson 3-7 to 9-1, Shelby County 2-8 to 8-2, Tallassee 1-9 to 7-2, Good Hope 3-7 to 9-1, Alexandria 1-9 to 7-3, and Verbena 2-8 to 8-2. Congrats to these coaches and teams for improving their programs in 2024.

     The biggest disappointments this season include; B.B. Comer 13-1 to 3-7, Gulf Shores 15-0 to 4-6,and Mobile Christian 15-0 to 3-6. Ironically all three schools moved up in classification during the off season.

    

     Playoff Notes

    Hoover, with 107 playoff wins, holds the record for most post season wins. The T.R. Miller Tigers (95), Sweet Water (92) and UMS-Wright (92) are just behind the Bucs. The T.R. Miller Tigers also hold the record with thirty-eight first round wins.

    The Colbert County Indians have made the most playoff appearances with 48 and extended that streak this year. Sweet Water (45) follows closely. T.R. Miller, Fyffe and Oxford are right behind with 44 post season appearances.

    The Hoover Bucs have won 26 consecutive opening round playoff games. They have won every first round game since 1992. Even with a 4-6 regular season record last season they won their opening round game.

    Want some virtual locks for the playoffs in the first round? Spanish Fort has only lost a first round playoff game once last year and are 28-3 in the first two rounds. UMS-Wright is 29-1 since 1990 and 22-0 at home in first round games. Maplesville is 28-1 all-time in first round games played on their home turf. Fyffe is 21-1 since 1998 in first round home games. Don't bet the farm, just interesting facts.

    Last season the number four seeds knocked off the number one seeds in six games. That is about the average since 2000 when the AHSAA went to the current playoff format. The most in any season was 2013 and 2018 when nine number four seeds pulled off the upsets.

    More numbers from a few first round playoff matchups this week. All these are first round records only.
            * Auburn is 13-5 at home, Bob Jones is 1-11 on the road.
            * Thompson is 11-1 at home, Daphne is 4-5 on the road.
            * Hoover is 28-3 at home, Fairhope is 3-20 on the road.
            * Opelika is20-1 at home, Florence is 0-5 on the road.
            * Spanish Fort is 11-0 at home, Benjamin Russell is 3-8 on the road.
            * Oxford is 17-7 at home, Buckhorn is 0-14 on the road.
            * Vigor is 22-1 at home, Sipsey Valley is 0-6 on the road.
            * Russellville is 25-3 at home, Wenonah is 4-7 on the road.
            * Ramsay is 8-0 at home, Ardmore is 0-5 on the road.
            * Leeds is 20-1 at home, Guntersville is 2-13 on the road.
            * Jackson is 17-4 at home, Bullock County is 0-1 on the road.
            * T.R. Miller is 29-1 at home, Thorsby is 0-6 on the road.
            * Piedmont is 21-2 at home, Collinsville is 3-11 on the road.
            * Cottonwood is 16-1 at home, Lanett is 3-6 on the road.
            * Maplesville is 28-1 at home, Florala is 3-12 on the road.
    
    Which teams have a winning record on the road in the first round? Here are some of the best first round road records for teams that travel this week. Vestavia Hills (10-7), St. Paul's (7-5), Athens (8-7), Mountain Brook (6-5), UMS-Wright (9-2), W.S. Neal (9-9) and Colbert County (13-8).

    Teams who qualified for the playoffs for the first time in a while include: Russell County (2013), Ashford (2014) and Horseshoe Bend (2016) ended playoff droughts this year.
    
    The Hoover Bucs hold another streak of winning 22 consecutive home playoff games between 1993-2018 season. That streak was broken when the Bucs fell to Thompson in the semi-finals.

    Eleven teams missed the post season despite winning six games. Jasper won seven games in the regular season. Teams winning six games included; Hillcrest Tuscaloosa, Deshler, Flomaton, J.B. Pennington, Westbrook Christian, Wicksburg, Greene County, Brantley, Vina and Carver Montgomery. Another twenty-four teams won at least five games but failed to garner a playoff spot this year.

    2A Red Bay finished the regular season with 2-7 records but will still be making a playoff appearances in 2024. Pickens Academy won a tie breaker situation with a 2-8 record to advance to the post season. Three other teams finished the regular season with three vctories but somehow managed to win the right games to qualify for a playoff spot. Mobile Christian and Dadeville won just three games but they made those victories count the most. Nine other playoff teams in the AHSAA won just four games during the regular season.

    Luverne continues their streak of consecutive playoff appearances with a state best forty-two straight appearances. The current next longest streaks belong to UMS-Wright (31), Demopolis (29), Aliceville (29) and McAdory (28). Brantley saw their string of 28 consecutive playoff appearances snapped this season.

   Etowah and Pinson Valley also saw their fourteen season playoff runs ended in 2024.
    
    T.R. Miller has won 38 first round playoff games, the most all-time. Brantley (35), Colbert County (34), Maplesville (34), Gordo (33) and Sweet Water (33) are close behind.

    Teams who have never won a first round game that qualified for the playoffs in 2024 include; Arab (0-6), Bullock County (0-1), Pleasant Valley (0-5), Sipsey Valley (0-6), St. Michael (0-1) and University Charter School (0-1). Each of these teams would like to get their championship hopes underway with a win next Friday night.

    We wish all the teams well in the post season. Good luck and see you at the 2024 AHSAA Super Seven Championships.