28 Region Champs Reach Football Playoff Quarterfinals
Twenty-eight region champions survived round two of the Alabama High School Athletic Association 2013 state football playoffs Friday as 48 teams advance to this week’s quarterfinal round. All third-round games will be played Friday, Nov. 22, with 7 p.m. kickoffs.
Class 4A has the most regular season region champions still alive as six No. 1 seeds posted wins in the second round. Class 3A has the fewest with three, Class 6A four and Classes 1A, 2A and 5A still have five competing.
This week’s field is rounded out with 13 No. 2 seeds, five No. 3 seeds and two No. 4 qualifiers – Carver-Montgomery and Athens. The Class 6A Wolverines (10-2), the fourth qualifier in Region 3, knocked off Fairhope (9-3) at Cramton Bowl 33-6 and heads to Auburn (11-1) this week. The Tigers, the Region 3 winner, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 23-20 win over Foley.
Athens (9-3), the No. 4 qualifier from Class 5A, Region 8, shut out Pleasant Grove (10-2) 24-0 to set up a rematch at Region 8 winner Muscle Shoals (11-1). The Trojans beat Parker (8-4) at Birmingham 31-0.
Four regions still have three teams competing in round three. In Class 1A, Region 5 top seed Pickens County (12-0) will face Ragland (10-1) after beating Addison (9-2) 38-22. Ragland, the third seed from Region 6, advanced with a 42-8 win over the fourth team from Region 5 Brilliant. Region 5 No. 2 qualifier Hubbertville (10-2) knocked off Region 6 top seed Falkville (9-2) 50-14 and Region 5 No. 3 qualifier Berry (7-5) claimed the final 1A third-round slot with a 36-8 win over Region 8 champion R.A. Hubbard (8-4).
In Class 2A, Region 1 had three teams advance with No. 1 qualifier Sweet Water (9-3) beating G.W. Long 34-3, No. 2 Washington County shutting out Hale County 36-0 and No. 3 Mobile Christian (9-3) knocking off Lamar County 40-34. Washington County will host Mobile Christian Friday while Sweet Water is on the road at Region 3 champion Luverne (11-1). The Tigers beat Oakman 48-14.
In Class 3A, Region 1 also advanced three teams with regular-season champ T.R. Miller (12-0), No. 2 Straughn (9-2) and No. 3 Bayside Academy (8-4) posting wins over Midfield, Dale County and Pike County, respectively. Straughn will host Bayside Friday while T.R. Miller goes back on the road to face Leeds (10-2).
And in Class 6A, three schools from Region 3 are still playing, including No. 1 qualifier Auburn (11-1), No. 2 Smiths Station (10-2) and No. 4 Carver-Montgomery (10-2). Smiths Station, which needed two overtimes to beat Enterprise 41-34, will be at home against McGill-Toolen (11-1).
All six defending state champions survived the second round. Class 6A Hoover (12-0) won its 27th game in a row with a 33-14 win over Shades Valley. The Bucs travel to Braly Municipal Stadium to face the Florence Falcons (9-3) Friday. Class 5A Spanish Fort (12-0) beat Sylacauga 44-7 for its 21st straight win and will be at home against unbeaten Jackson (12-0).
Class 4A UMS-Wright (10-2) downed Beauregard 21-7 and will go on the road to Dadeville (10-2). Class 3A Madison Academy (12-0) beat Hamilton 43-12 for its 22nd straight triumph and will be on the road at Piedmont (11-1).
Class 2A defending champ Tanner (10-1) defeated North Sand Mountain 27-17 and will be on the road Friday at Montgomery Academy (11-1). And 1A defending champion Brantley (10-2 beat St. Luke’s Episcopal 40-3 and will travel to Loachapoka this week.
Undefeated teams advancing to the third round include: Class 1A: Maplesville (12-0) and Pickens County (12-0); Class 2A: Lanett (11-0); Class 3A: Madison Academy (12-0), T.R. Miller (12-0) and Saks (12-0); Class 4A: Charles Henderson (12-0); Class 5A: Spanish Fort (12-0), Jackson (12-0) and Southside-Gadsden (12-0); and Class 6A: Hoover (12-0).
A total of 24 games are scheduled this week with eight in each of the AHSAA’s six classifications. The 48th annual state playoffs began with four teams competing for one state championship in what was then Class 4A in 1966. Championship play for all schools was implemented the following year in 1967 with four divisions. The current six-class system began in 1984.
The semifinals scheduled Nov. 29 and the Super 6 state finals Dec. 5-6 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS
(All games set Friday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.)
Class 1A
South
Brantley (10-2) at Loachapoka (10-2)
Linden (9-3) at Maplesville (12-0)
North
Berry (7-5) at Hubbertville (10-2)
Pickens County (12-0) at Ragland (10-1)
Class 2A
South
Mobile Christian (9-3) at Washington County (11-1), Chatom
Sweet Water (9-3) at Luverne (11-1), Glenn Daniel Stadium
North
Tanner (10-1) at Montgomery Academy (11-1)
Lanett (12-0) at Fyffe (11-1)
Class 3A
South
Bayside Academy (8-4) at Straughn (9-2)
T.R. Miller (11-0) at Leeds (10-2)
North
Madison Academy (12-0) at Piedmont (11-1)
Saks (12-0) at Colbert County (11-1), Leighton
Class 4A
South
Charles Henderson (12-0) at Central-Clay County (10-2), Lineville
UMS-Wright (10-2) at Dadeville (11-1)
North
Oneonta (11-1) at Cleburne County (8-4), Heflin
Munford (11-1) at J.O. Johnson (11-1), Huntsville, Milton Frank Stadium
Class 5A
South
St. Paul’s Episcopal (10-2) at Saraland (10-2)
Jackson (12-0) at Spanish Fort (12-0)
North
Athens (9-3) at Muscle Shoals (11-1)
McAdory (10-2) at Southside-Gadsden (12-0)
Class 6A
South
McGill-Toolen (11-1) at Smiths Station (10-2)
Carver-Montgomery (10-2at Auburn (11-1)
North
Vestavia Hills (10-2) at Bob Jones (11-1), Madison City Stadium
Hoover (12-0) at Florence (9-3), Braly Stadium
SECOND-ROUND RERSULTS
Class 1A
South
Brantley (10-2) 40, St. Luke’s Episcopal (8-4) 3
Loachapoka (10-2) 22, Autaugaville (8-4) 0
Linden (9-3) 42, McKenzie (9-3) 16
Maplesville (12-0) 41, Geneva County (9-3) 7
North
Hubbertville (10-2) 50, Falkville (9-2) 14
Berry (7-5) 36, R.A. Hubbard (8-4) 8
Pickens County (12-0) 38, Addison (9-2) 22
Ragland (10-1) 42, Brilliant (7-5) 8
Class 2A
South
Washington County (11-1) 36, Hale County (7-5) 0
Mobile Christian (9-3) 40, Lamar County (10-2) 34
Sweet Water (9-3) 34, G.W. Long (10-2) 3
Luverne (11-1) 48, Oakman (10-2) 14
North
Montgomery Academy (11-1) 54, Ranburne (10-2) 44
Tanner (10-1) 27, North Sand Mountain (9-3) 17
Lanett (12-0) 46, Fultondale (10-2) 41
Fyffe (11-1) 35, Walter Wellborn (8-4) 21
Class 3A
South
Straughn (9-2) 29, Dale County (11-1) 20
Bayside Academy (8-4) 32, Pike County (7-5) 18
T.R. Miller (12-0) 41, Midfield (7-5) 6
Leeds (10-2) 30, Fayette County (10-2) 0
North
Piedmont (11-1) 20, Deshler (8-4) 19
Madison Academy (12-0) 43, Hamilton (9-3) 12
Saks (12-0) 36, Lauderdale County (9-3) 21
Colbert County (11-1) 45, Glencoe (8-4) 44 (OT)
Class 4A
South
Charles Henderson (12-0) 35, Childersburg (9-3) 0
Central-Clay County (10-2) 23, Bibb County (10-2) 6
UMS-Wright (10-2) 21, Beauregard (9-3) 7
Dadeville (11-1) 35, Calera (10-2) 24
North
Oneonta (11-1) 56, Jacksonville (8-4) 7
Cleburne County (8-4) 21, Central-Florence (9-3) 7
Munford (11-1) 26, Guntersville (10-2) 16
J.O. Johnson (11-1) 58, Haleyville (10-2) 14
Class 5A
South
St. Paul’s Episcopal (10-2) 20, Benjamin Russell (10-2) 14 (OT)
Saraland (10-2) 21, Homewood (9-3) 14
Spanish Fort (12-0) 44, Sylacauga (8-4) 7
Jackson (12-0) 24, Briarwood Christian (9-3) 7
North
Athens (9-3) 24, Pleasant Grove (10-2) 0
Muscle Shoals (11-1) 31, Parker (8-4) 0
McAdory (10-2) 34, Pinson Valley (7-5) 17
Southside-Gadsden (12-0) 28, Cullman (8-4) 21
Class 6A
South
McGill-Toolen (11-1) 24 , Wetumpka (7-5) 20
Smiths Station (10-2) 41, Enterprise (7-5) 34 (2 OT)
Carver-Montgomery (10-2) 33, Fairhope (9-3) 6
Auburn (11-1) 23, Foley (6-6) 20
North
Vestavia Hills (10-2) 31, Bessemer City (10-2) 28
Bob Jones (11-1) 28, Oxford (9-3) 24
Hoover (12-0) 33, Shades Valley (10-2) 14
Florence (9-3) 37, Clay-Chalkville (10-2) 30