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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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Russellville Golden Tigers

Head Coach: Mark Heaton (fourth season)
Stadium: Tigers Stadium
Career Record: 9 seasons, (71-33)
At Russellville: 3 seasons, (27-9)
2017 Enrollment:  538
Rank:  103rd in the AHSAA, 12th in Class 5A

 History 
Overall Record:   611-338-31   (64.0%)
Last 25 years:   241-83   (74.0%)  (Rank: 13th in the AHSAA, 3rd in Class 5A)
Since 2010:   56-26  (68.0%)  (Rank: 60th in the AHSAA, 9th in Class 5A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2016
Last Region Championship:   2015
Last Winning Season:   2016
Last Losing Season:   2013

 2016 
Class:  5A              Region:   8
Record:  8-4
Region Record:   6-1, (second)
Playoff Record:   Second round loss to Briarwood by a score of 33-13.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  397 (33.1)
Defense:  313 (26.1)

College Signees lost to Graduation
      Austin Stidham,   OL  [Troy]

 2017 
Class: 5A              Region:   8
Strength of Schedule: 50-58 (46%) (276th in the AHSAA, 47th in Class 5A)
Region Strength:  30-44 (40%)
Non-Region Strength:  20-14 (59%)



 2016 Results 
 8/19   OPEN 
 8/26  vs. Deshler  (4A)   31-15   W  
 9/2  vs. Lee Huntsville  (5A)  *  38-35   W  
 9/9  @ Lawrence County  (5A)  *  43-27   W  
 9/16  vs. Mae Jemison  (5A)  *  21-20   W  
 9/23  vs. Hartselle  (6A)   38-45   L  
 9/30  vs. St. John Paul II  (5A)  *  54-7   W  
 10/7  @ Brooks  (5A)  *  21-31   L  
 10/14  vs. East Limestone  (5A)  *  42-14   W  
 10/21  @ Ardmore  (5A)  *  40-17   W  
 10/28  @ Colbert County  (3A)   21-41   L  
 Playoffs 
 11/4  vs. Guntersville    35-28   W  
 11/11  @ Briarwood    13-33   L  

 2017 Schedule 
 8/25   OPEN 
 9/1  @ Deshler  (4A)       
 9/8  @ Lee Huntsville  (5A)  *      
 9/15  vs. Lawrence County  (5A)  *      
 9/22  @ Mae Jemison  (5A)  *      
 9/29  @ Hartselle  (6A)       
 10/6  @ St. John Paul II  (5A)  *      
 10/13  vs. Brooks  (5A)  *      
 10/20  @ East Limestone  (5A)  *      
 10/27  vs. Ardmore  (5A)  *      
 11/3  vs. Colbert County  (3A)       


Class  5A Region  8
Team 2016 Record Scoring                            
Ardmore (5A) 2-8233-399
Brooks (5A) 9-3434-258
East Limestone (5A) 3-7215-267
Lawrence County (5A) 5-6314-317
Lee Huntsville (5A) 5-5263-248
Mae Jemison (5A) 6-5342-278
Russellville (5A) 8-4397-313
St. John Paul II (5A) 0-1099-442

 2017 Preview 


       Russellville completed the 2016 season with a 8-4 record. With their 6-1 region record and a second place finish in Class 5A region eight, the Golden Tigers earned a spot in the playoffs in 2016. Russellville reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to Briarwood by a score of 33-13.

       Since 2010, Russellville has gone a combined 56-26. Their 68.0% winning percentage ranks 9th in Class 5A over the past seven seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Russellville has gone a combined 241-83. Their 74.0% winning percentage ranks 3rd in Class 5A and 13th in the AHSAA. The Golden Tigers have been successful on the football field with twenty-one winning seasons during this time.

       The Golden Tigers are led by head coach Mark Heaton who is entering his fourth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 27-9 over the past three seasons at Russellville. Under his direction the Golden Tigers have qualified for the playoffs a total of three times. They have won one region crown with Coach Heaton.

       Coach Heaton's overall record as a head football coach in nine season stands at 71-33 (68.3%). Over the course of his career, Coach Heaton's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of seven times and won one region championship.

       The Russellville Golden Tigers will play in Class 5A region eight during the 2017 season.

       The Golden Tigers should be considered one of the favorites for the region eight championship this season and a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

       The Golden Tigers open the 2017 season on the road against non-region opponent Deshler on Friday, September 1 at Howard Chappell Stadium. Last year the Deshler Tigers finished with an overall record of 2-8 and in fifth place in Class 4A region eight. The Tigers closed out the regular season with a loss to Muscle Shoals by a score of 35-7.

       Russellville and Deshler have met a total of 97 times on the football field. The Golden Tigers have a 47-46-4 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2016 with Russellville winning by a score of 31-15.

       Russellville returns 5A All-State Senior linebacker Landon Ezzell. He was named to the second team last season.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Luverne 'Toad' Wise was the first female football player in Alabama and may have been the first in the country. She was a kicker for the Escambia County Blue Devils in 1939-40.