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The best of the best in Alabama High
School Football over the past 100 seasons.
2024 Football Preseason Preview
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| 2024 Class 7A Top Ten | |||
| 1. Central Phenix City (13-0) | 6. Enterprise (9-3) | ||
| 2. Thompson (11-2) | 7. Hewitt-Trussville (9-4) | ||
| 3. Auburn (9-3) | 8. Carver (7-4) | ||
| 4. Mary Montgomery (12-1) | 9. Hoover (5-7) | ||
| 5. Hillcrest Tuscaloosa (12-1) | 10. Austin (8-3) | ||
| 2024/25 Reclassification | |||
| Teams Moving Out of 7A | New Teams to 7A | ||
| Chelsea | Carver Montgomery | ||
| Percy Julian | Hillcrest Tuscaloosa | ||
| Spain Park | Robertsdale | ||
| 2024 Predictions | |||
| Will
the outlook for 7A in 2024 be any different than the past few seasons
where regions two and three dominated the rankings and playoffs?
Let me just say that if you are a fan of a team in the
northeast or southwest corner of the state the more things change the
more they stay the same. Over the past three seasons regions one and four are a
dismal 2-22 in the first round of the playoffs. It does not seem
much will change this season as Mary Montgomery will roll through Region
One and poses the biggest threat once again to the established powers in
the middle of the state. The best 7A football teams will still be the usual four suspects in Thompson, Central Phenix City and Auburn along with newcomer MGM. If we include Hoover in the mix, since the 2017 football season only three teams, Lee Montgomery (2018), McGill-Toolen (2017) and MGM last year have reached the semi-finals that were not one of those four teams. Think about that. Of the 24 teams that reached the semi-finals only three were not one of the top four programs in 7A. The Central Red Devils lost a ton of talent on defense but will welcome back one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Andrew Alford along with a couple of excellent receivers. Thompson also has a star at QB in Trent Seaborn while the Hillcrest Patriots will rely on the magic of Bryson Kimbrough. I like teams with returning quarterbacks. Auburn will depend on Sophomore sensation Omar Mabson at running back and transfer athlete Peyton Plott when the season opens. The Tiger's defense will also be a strong point of the team. Mary Montgomery was the Cinderella team of 2023 and will be out to prove they were not a one hit wonder. We do not think they were. While most fans talked about their explosive offense it was the defense that was most impressive. The surprise team in 7A may just be the Carver Wolverines. They will be one of the most talented teams in the entire state with quality players at every skill position. If Coach Carr can get them playing as one unit by the end of October this will be a team to keep an eye on in November. So basically it will be more of the same in 7A. Regions one and four have just one team that has even won a state title since the playoffs began. That team was Daphne. It is really difficult to get this top ten down to just ten teams. Several others should have been on the list including Dothan High, Daphne and Vestavia Hills. We may be totally wrong about the Hoover Bucs but decided to install them back in the Top Ten although it may not be permanently. | |||
| Playoff Teams | |||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | ||
| Mary Montgomery | Central Phenix City | ||
| Daphne | Auburn | ||
| Baker | Enterprise | ||
| Foley | Carver Montgomery | ||
| Region 3 | Region 4 | ||
| Thompson | Austin | ||
| Hillcrest | Florence | ||
| Hewitt-Trussville | James Clemens | ||
| Hoover | Bob Jones | ||
| Most Difficult Schedules 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Hoover Bucs struggled through their worst
season in twenty-five years and made an off season coaching change. So how
do they rebuild? First they create the most difficult schedule in 7A. They
open the season against Western, Florida (9-4) before taking on Spain Park
and later Parker. Not far behind is Vestavia Hill who will open with Carver Montgomery and Auburn then host Clay-Chalkville to close out the regular season. Both schools reside in Region 3, which is arguably one of the toughest regions in any classification, making their region schedule difficult to navigate also. Opelika takes on Benjamin Russell, Callaway, Georgia (9-3) and Pike Road in non-region play. The Bulldogs also play eight playoff teams from last year. One note here is that all the schools on the weighted schedule list are in Regions two and three. The easiest schedules? Those belong to Huntsville, Foley and James Clemens in 7A. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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* Weighted schedule - AHSFHS.org uses a formula to better show teams with difficult schedule. Example: If a team plays an opponent from a higher classification they are awarded extra points above their opponents win total. If they play an opponent from a lower classification points are deducted from their opponents win total. If a team plays an opponent from two classifications lower than their own more points are deducted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most Victories 2010-2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thompson may have won the four
more recent championships in the state's highest classification but make no mistake about
who the most dominant program has been the past fourteen seasons. Hoover with
160 victories and four championships has proven to be the top football
program in 7A the last 14 years even with a down season for them in 2023.
Hillcrest joins 7A this year and comes in at number four on the list. This will be their first adventure into 7A but they should be more than a little competitive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Last 25 Seasons (1999-2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Once again the Hoover Bucs sit atop this list of the teams with the most
victories over the past 25 seasons. No surprise there. The 297
victories are the most of any team in any classification. The big
question is can the Bucs hold onto the lead on this list in the next few seasons? Central Phenix jumped a couple of spots from last year by posting a 13-0 record in 2023. The 224 wins by Opelika trails only American Christian and Russellville for the most wins among teams that have not won a state championship the past twenty five seasons. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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David Parker
AHSFHS.org
dparker@ahsfhs.org
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
Foley outscored their opponents 433-6 in 1961. The Lions were named state champions by the Alabama Sports Writers Association that season.
Foley outscored their opponents 433-6 in 1961. The Lions were named state champions by the Alabama Sports Writers Association that season.
