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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2017 Team Previews 

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Excel Panthers

Head Coach: Jason Wambles (second season)
Stadium: Panther Stadium
Career Record: 8 seasons, (33-53)
At Excel: one season, (1-9)
2017 Enrollment:  247
Rank:  250th in the AHSAA, 43rd in Class 3A

 History 
Overall Record:   427-356-22   (54.0%)
Last 25 years:   146-134   (52.0%)  (Rank: 163rd in the AHSAA, 28th in Class 3A)
Since 2010:   22-48  (31.0%)  (Rank: 302nd in the AHSAA, 45th in Class 3A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2009
Last Region Championship:   1997
Last Winning Season:   2013
Last Losing Season:   2016

 2016 
Class:  3A              Region:   1
Record:  1-9    (Team record for losses in a season)
Region Record:   0-7, (eighth)
Playoff Record:   Did not qualify.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  151 (15.1)
Defense:  366 (36.6)    (Team record for points allowed in a season)


 2017 
Class: 3A              Region:   1
Strength of Schedule: 65-49 (57%) (41st in the AHSAA, 12th in Class 3A)
Region Strength:  45-36 (56%)
Non-Region Strength:  20-13 (61%)



 2016 Results 
 8/19   OPEN 
 8/26  vs. Southern Choctaw  (2A)   15-34   L  
 9/2  @ Mobile Christian  (3A)  *  14-37   L  
 9/9  vs. Cottage Hill Christian  (3A)  *  28-34   L  
 9/16  @ Bayside Academy  (3A)  *  20-36   L  
 9/23  @ J.U. Blacksher  (2A)   40-33   W  
 9/30  vs. T.R. Miller  (3A)  *  8-41   L  
 10/7  @ Clarke County  (3A)  *  6-47   L  
 10/14  @ Flomaton  (3A)  *  0-29   L  
 10/21  vs. Hillcrest Evergreen  (3A)  *  8-49   L  
 10/27  @ Monroe County  (4A)   12-26   L  

 2017 Schedule 
 8/25   OPEN 
 9/1  @ Southern Choctaw  (2A)       
 9/8  vs. Mobile Christian  (3A)  *      
 9/15  @ Cottage Hill Christian  (3A)  *      
 9/22  vs. Bayside Academy  (3A)  *      
 9/29  vs. J.U. Blacksher  (2A)       
 10/6  @ T.R. Miller  (3A)  *      
 10/13  vs. Clarke County  (3A)  *      
 10/20  vs. Flomaton  (3A)  *      
 10/27  @ Hillcrest Evergreen  (3A)  *      
 11/2  vs. Monroe County  (4A)       


Class  3A Region  1
Team 2016 Record Scoring                            
Bayside Academy (3A) 8-5312-287
Clarke County (3A) 4-6271-271
Cottage Hill Christian (3A) 4-6242-351
Excel (3A) 1-9151-366
Flomaton (3A) 3-7247-233
Hillcrest Evergreen (3A) 5-7296-348
Mobile Christian (3A) 13-2485-170
T.R. Miller (3A) 8-3382-251

 2017 Preview 


       Excel finished the 2016 season with a disappointing 1-9 record. Last year Excel finished eighth in Class 3A region one with a 0-7 region record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

       The Panthers lost as many games as in any season since 1985. The defense allowed a team record 366 points last season. The Panthers have not qualified for the playoffs since the 2009 season and would love to end that streak this year. The Panthers last playoff victory came during the 1998 season. They would love to break through this year with a post season win.

       Excel was inconsistent offensively last year and they need some improvement if the Panthers want to be competitive. They only averaged 15.1 points a game.

       Excel struggled on the defensive side of the football last year. The defense found little success in stopping opposing offenses as they gave up an average of 36.6 points a game.

       The Panthers would prefer to forget the past two seasons as they have finished with a 3-17 record. Since 2010, Excel has gone a combined 22-48. Their 31.0% winning percentage ranks 45th in Class 3A over the past seven seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Excel has managed to compile a record of 146-134. Their 52.0% winning percentage ranks 28th in Class 3A and 163rd in the AHSAA.

       The Panthers are led by head coach Jason Wambles who is entering his second season at the helm. His team finished with a 1-9 record in his first season at Excel. The Panthers have yet to reach the playoffs under his direction. They have not won a region crown with Coach Wambles.

       Coach Wambles' overall record as a head football coach in eight season stands at 33-53 (38.4%). Over the course of his career, Coach Wambles' teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of six times .

       The Excel Panthers will play in Class 3A region one during the 2017 season.

       This season, the Panthers will be a long shot for one of the four playoff spots in region one.

       The Panthers open the 2017 season on the road against non-region opponent Southern Choctaw on Friday, September 1 at The Reservation. Last year the Southern Choctaw Indians finished with an overall record of 10-2 and in first place in Class 2A region one. The Indians lost in the quarter-finals round of the Class 2A playoffs to G.W. Long by a score of 42-14.

       Excel and Southern Choctaw have met a total of 15 times on the football field. The Panthers have a 6-9-0 record against the Indians. They last met in 2016 with Southern Choctaw winning by a score of 34-15.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Bart Starr received coaching from Kentucky great Babe Parilli his senior season at Sidney Lanier in hopes of joining Bear Bryant at Kentucky. He had to settle for Alabama.