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          According to the 1970 Fall Sports Book distributed by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, the rule for a championship game ending in a tie is simple. It states: If a final championship game ends in a tie, the teams will be declared co-champions.

          The rule first came into play during the 1971 season when Abbeville and Oneonta played to a 0-0 tie. It happened again in 1976 as Andalusia and Athens fought to a 7-7 tie. Two years later, in 1979, Jackson and Colbert County played to a 0-0 tie. All these teams were declared co-champions.

          On Dec. 3, 1982, Berry and Enterprise battled to a 10-10 tie on the rain-soaked turf at Legion Field in Birmingham leaving the Class 4A teams co-champions. Neither teams' fans cheered as the game ended. Some fans voiced their displeasure by booing when it was announced the teams would not play an overtime period.

          The players on both teams wanted to continue the game and neither wished to have the game end in a tie. Some even thought there would be overtime.

          The tie prompted the AHSAA to rethink the rule. The following season it was decided that all playoff games would be played out to determine a champion. This game was the last of four title matchups that ended in a tie score.

          A steady rain fell the entire game and assisted in creating seven turnovers between the usually high scoring offenses. The weather was a great equalizer as the score indicated. Enterprise gained 295 yards and 14 first downs as compared to 104 yards and only three first downs for Berry. Enterprise quarterback David Coffee completed only 2 of 13 passes with three interceptions. The Wildcats also fumbled twice.

          The rain stopped momentarily in the first quarter. Shawn Brady intercepted a Coffee pass and returned it 34-yards setting up a 23-yard field goal by Bob Garmon with 7:34 remaining in the first to give Berry a 3-0 lead.

          The Bucs retained the lead until the final minute of the first half when Dennis Lipford blocked a Berry punt to setup the Wildcats' offense on the 14-yard line. Carston Christiansen booted a 35-yard field goal just 19 second before the intermission to tie the game at 3-3.

          Enterprise turned the football over four times in the third quarter. The last was a fumbled punt by Phil Hooks that led to the first touchdown of the game. Clay Bittner raced nine-yards for the touchdown to give Berry a 10-3 lead following a five-play drive.

          Enterprise answered with an 80-yard drive that took 15 plays to reach the end zone. Carlos Robinson covered the last yard and the game was tied with 5:49 remaining to be played. Neither team could move the ball the rest of the game and a desperate Enterprise last ditch pass fell incomplete as the last seconds ticked off the clock.

          Technically both teams won a state championship in 1982. It was the second for Enterprise as they won a title in 1979. Berry also won a championship in 1977 with a 21-0 shutout of Walker.


Enterprise ....................................   3   0   7   0 -10
Berry ............................................   0   3   0   7 -10
 
Berry: Bob Garmon 23 yard field goal 7:34
Enterprise: Carsten Christiansen 35 yard field goal 0:19
Berry: Clay Bittner 9 yard run (Bob Garmon PAT)
Enterprise: Carlos Robinson 1 yard run (Carsten Christiansen PAT) 5:49

Berry
1982
8/27 3 Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
9/3 0 Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
9/10 10 Jess Lanier . . . . . . . 10
9/17 28 Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . 0
9/24 9 Mountain Brook . . . . . 20
10/8 14 Hueytown . . . . . . . . . . 8
10/15 13 Shades Valley . . . . . 10
10/22 26 Homewood . . . . . . . . . . 14
10/29 23 Erwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
11/5 21 Vestavia Hills . . . . . 3
11/12 24 Banks * . . . . . . . . . . . 6
11/19 32 Central Tuscaloosa * . 14
11/26 33 Anniston * . . . . . . . . 7
12/3 10 Enterprise # . . . . . . 10
246 9-3-2 132

* Playoff game
# State championship game
Enterprise
1982
8/27 10 Jess Lanier . . . . . . . 6
9/3 34 Selma . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
9/17 29 Lee Montgomery . . . . . 12
9/24 27 Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . 0
10/1 41 Carver Montgomery . . . 7
10/8 7 Sidney Lanier . . . . . 0
10/15 24 J.O. Johnson . . . . . . 13
10/22 44 Northview . . . . . . . . . 0
10/29 21 Prattville . . . . . . . . 9
11/5 27 Dothan . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
11/12 43 Ensley * . . . . . . . . . . 21
11/19 27 Jeff Davis * . . . . . . 20
11/26 22 Vigor * . . . . . . . . . . . 21
12/3 10 Berry Birmingham # . . 10
366 13-0-1 129

* Playoff game
# State championship game


  The Memorable Games, a series on the important and memorable games in high school football history

David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org



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