Reviewed by: Pat Byington
5 things you need to know about high school football in South Alabama
Reading time: 5 minutes
Kickoff is inching closer and closer for high school football teams around the state. We’ve already gone over some of the top stories around the state:
- Central-Phenix City’s chase for another title + previewing East Alabama
- How reclassification will play a major role in West Alabama + the Birmingham metro
- Fyffe’s dynasty + the other state contenders in North Alabama
With just two more sleeps until the first game, we’re diving into our final piece in this preview series: South Alabama.
There’s a lot of good football set to be played near the coast but somehow, we’re going to try to boil it down to five key points. Keep reading for a quick preview of the area for the 2024 high school football season.
1. Redemption for the Spartans
After winning its first state championship in 2022, Saraland rode a 20-game winning streak into last year’s title game before falling just short of a last-second touchdown against Clay-Chalkville.
Still, the Spartans have won 38 of their last 41 games and expectations remain high again for the program. Saraland is ranked #1 in Class 6A the preseason Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.
It helps to have some big time talent returning to the team. Even with Ryan Williams in Tuscaloosa now, the Spartans will get some offensive help from:
- Quarterback KJ Lacey
- Running back Santae McWilliams
- Wide receiver Dillon Alfred
- Wide receiver CD Gill
2. Can Gulf Shores continue success at the 6A level?
Under coach Mark Hudspeth, the Gulf Shores football program has put itself right in the middle of every conversation about high school football around the coast.
The Dolphins have won 26 games over the last two seasons including a perfect 15-0 record during a run to their first ever state championship in 2023. But those two years came at the 5A level and now, the program moves back to 6A where they have had a less-than-stellar record.
Gulf Shores has plenty of young talent to continue its success this year and into the future but 6A is a new level of competition. And sharing a region with Saraland will not be an easy task. The two teams will meet September 6.
3. Former powerhouses search for a return to glory
While Saraland and Gulf Shores are experiencing their first taste of sustained success, some other schools near the coast are hoping to get back to their old winning ways.
McGill-Toolen is one of four schools in the state to have a Class 7A championship. But the Yellow Jackets have fallen off a bit since dropping back to 6A, missing the playoffs in the last two seasons. Can they break through in a loaded region this year?
Terry Curtis is the winningest coach in Alabama high school football history but his UMS-Wright team has not made it past the quarterfinals since winning three straight 4A state titles from 2017 to 2019. The Bulldogs have 38 wins including seven playoff victories over four seasons in 5A but the search for Curtis’ first ever 5A title continues.
In similar fashion, Vigor is looking for some success in 5A after claiming the 4A championship in 2021. Coach John McKenzie returns after a two-year absence and the Wolves have high hopes for the 2024 season.
4. Is Mary Montgomery the real deal?
The battle for 7A seemingly belongs to the big schools in east and central Alabama but Mary G. Montgomery surprised many people in 2023 and the team may be back for more.
After two winless seasons in the last decade, the Vikings recorded the program’s first ever undefeated regular season + playoff victories last year. MGM put an end to the long run of Phenix City-Auburn semifinals.
Zach Golson, who took over the program after an 0-10 season in 2021, has the Vikings headed in the right direction. Their 18 wins over the last two seasons is the most for MGM in a two-year span in the school’s history.
5. Football off the coast
T.R. Miller is another team that could’ve been included in point 3. The Tigers have six state championships but have not won one since 2002. Still, winning three region titles in the last four years plus a return to 3A has expectations high—they are ranked third in the preseason poll.
In Class 4A, Jackson enters as the top-ranked team after an unbeaten regular season in 2023. The Aggies were eventually one of the upset victims in BTW-Tuskegee’s historic playoff run. But Jackson is out for redemption this year, searching for its first state title since 2011.
Leroy is going for its second three-peat in program history after claiming back-to-back championships in its first two seasons at the 1A level. The Bears enter the season with a 20-game winning streak.
What are you most looking forward to this season in Alabama? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
