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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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Cleveland Panthers

Head Coach: Gardner Gilliland (sixth season)
Stadium: Michal Dixon Memorial Stadium
Career Record: 10 seasons, (81-35)
At Cleveland: 5 seasons, (41-17)
2018 Enrollment:  198
Rank:  285th in the AHSAA, 20th in Class 2A

 History 
Overall Record:   378-349-25   (52.0%)
Last 25 years:   130-129   (50.0%)  (Rank: 180th in the AHSAA, 25th in Class 2A)
Since 2010:   56-34  (62.0%)  (Rank: 101st in the AHSAA, 12th in Class 2A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2017
Last Region Championship:   2015
Last Winning Season:   2017
Last Losing Season:   2012

 2017 
Class:  2A              Region:   7
Record:  7-4
Region Record:   5-1, (third)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Lafayette by a score of 33-19.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  309 (28.1)
Defense:  199 (18.1)


 2018 
Class: 2A              Region:   6
Strength of Schedule: 42-55 (43%) (303rd in the AHSAA, 45th in Class 2A)
Region Strength:  25-39 (39%)
Non-Region Strength:  17-16 (52%)



 2017 Results 
 8/25   OPEN 
 9/1  @ Southeastern  (1A)   49-13   W  
 9/8  @ Falkville  (2A)  *  28-35   L  
 9/15  vs. West End Walnut Grove  (2A)  *  31-20   W  
 9/22  @ Winston County  (2A)  *  20-8   W  
 9/29  vs. J.B. Pennington  (3A)   10-42   L  
 10/6  vs. Tanner  (2A)  *  49-6   W  
 10/13  @ Locust Fork  (3A)   42-14   W  
 10/20  vs. Tarrant  (2A)  *  21-14   W  
 10/26  @ Cold Springs  (2A)  *  33-0   W  
 11/2  vs. Susan Moore  (3A)   7-14   L  
 Playoffs 
 11/10  @ Lafayette    19-33   L  

 2018 Schedule 
 8/24   OPEN 
 8/31  @ Locust Fork  (3A)       
 9/7  vs. West End Walnut Grove  (2A)  *      
 9/14  @ Ohatchee  (2A)  *      
 9/21  vs. Ranburne  (2A)  *      
 9/28  vs. J.B. Pennington  (3A)       
 10/5  @ Gaston  (2A)  *      
 10/12  @ Woodland  (2A)  *      
 10/19  vs. Douglas  (5A)       
 10/26  vs. Westbrook Christian  (2A)  *      
 11/2  @ Susan Moore  (3A)       
 11/9  @ Fyffe        


Class  2A Region  6
Team 2017 Record Scoring                            
Cleveland (2A) 7-4309-199
Gaston (2A) 1-983-361
Ohatchee (3A) 8-3300-172
Ranburne (2A) 5-7251-289
West End Walnut Grove (2A) 3-7202-310
Westbrook Christian (2A) 5-6203-257
Woodland (2A) 3-7142-314

 2018 Preview 


       Cleveland completed the 2017 season with a 7-4 record. With their 5-1 region record and a third place finish in Class 2A region seven, the Panthers earned a spot in the playoffs in 2017. Cleveland's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Lafayette by a score of 33-19.

       Since 2010, Cleveland has gone a combined 56-34. Their 62.0% winning percentage ranks 12th in Class 2A over the past eight seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Cleveland has managed to compile a record of 130-129. Their 50.0% winning percentage ranks 25th in Class 2A and 180th in the AHSAA.




       The Panthers are led by head coach Gardner Gilliland who is entering his sixth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 41-17 over the past five seasons at Cleveland. Under his direction the Panthers have qualified for the playoffs a total of four times. They have won one region crown with Coach Gilliland.

       Coach Gilliland's overall record as a head football coach in ten season stands at 81-35 (69.8%). Over the course of his career, Coach Gilliland's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of eight times and won two region championships.

       The Cleveland Panthers will play in Class 2A region six during the 2018 season. Following realignment, the Panthers remain in 2A but move from region seven over to region six.

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

       The Panthers open the 2018 season on the road against non-region opponent Locust Fork on Friday, August 31 at Pate Field. Last year the Locust Fork Hornets finished with an overall record of 4-7 and in third place in Class 3A region six. The Hornets lost in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs to Colbert Heights by a score of 28-0.

       Cleveland and Locust Fork have met a total of 63 times on the football field. The Panthers have a 37-25-1 record against the Hornets. They last met in 2017 with Cleveland winning by a score of 42-14.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

The first football game played by a high school team in Alabama was in 1892 when Central Birmingham (Phillips) lost to Alabama 56-0 on November 11.