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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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Fort Dale Academy Eagles

Head Coach: James Sampley (twentieth season)
Stadium: Fort Dale Stadium
Career Record: 24 seasons, (181-96)
At Fort Dale Academy: 19 seasons, (140-78)

 History 
Overall Record:   308-214-1   (59.0%)
Last 25 years:   171-102   (63.0%)  (Rank: 9 in the AISA)
Since 2010:   53-37  (59.0%)  (Rank: 12 in the AISA)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2017
Last Region Championship:   2009
Last Winning Season:   2017
Last Losing Season:   2014

 2017 
Class:  AAA              Region:   2
Record:  7-4
Region Record:   3-2, (third)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Bessemer Academy by a score of 49-6.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  305 (27.7)
Defense:  259 (23.5)


 2018 
Class: AAA              Region:   2
Strength of Schedule: 57-46 (55%) (12th in the AISA, 8th in Class AAA)
Region Strength:  30-17 (64%)
Non-Region Strength:  27-29 (48%)



 2017 Results 
 8/18   OPEN 
 8/25  vs. Evangel Christian Academy  (AA)   48-30   W  
 9/1  vs. Wilcox Academy  (A)   35-6   W  
 9/8  @ Pike Liberal Arts  (AAA)  *  14-20   L  
 9/15  @ Northside Methodist Academy  (AAA)  *  29-14   W  
 9/22  @ Sparta Academy  (A)   34-18   W  
 9/29  vs. Lee-Scott Academy  (AAA)   25-13   W  
 10/6  vs. Morgan Academy  (AAA)  *  24-7   W  
 10/13  @ Monroe Academy  (AAA)  *  33-54   L  
 10/20  vs. Hooper Academy  (AAA)  *  50-27   W  
 10/27  vs. Lakeside  (AA)   7-21   L  
 Playoffs 
 11/3  vs. Bessemer Academy    6-49   L  

 2018 Schedule 
 8/17   OPEN 
 8/24  @ Lee-Scott Academy  (AAA)       
 8/31  @ Wilcox Academy  (A)       
 9/7  @ Macon-East Academy  (AAA)  *      
 9/14  vs. Success Unlimited  (AAA)  *      
 9/21  vs. Sparta Academy  (A)       
 9/28  @ Hooper Academy  (AA)       
 10/5  vs. Pike Liberal Arts  (AAA)  *      
 10/12  @ Northside Methodist Academy  (AAA)  *      
 10/19  vs. Monroe Academy  (AAA)  *      
 10/26  vs. Escambia Academy  (AA)       


Class  AAA Region  2
Team 2017 Record Scoring                            
Fort Dale Academy (AISA-AAA) 7-4305-259
Macon-East Academy (AISA-AA) 10-2380-170
Monroe Academy (AISA-AAA) 13-0538-151
Northside Methodist Academy (AISA-AAA) 0-1063-392
Pike Liberal Arts (AISA-AAA) 7-5284-235
Success Unlimited () 0-00-0

 2018 Preview 


       Fort Dale Academy completed the 2017 season with a 7-4 record. With their 3-2 region record and a third place finish in Class AAA region two, the Eagles earned a spot in the playoffs in 2017. Fort Dale Academy's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Bessemer Academy by a score of 49-6.

       Since 2010, Fort Dale Academy has gone a combined 53-37. Their 59.0% winning percentage ranks 5th in Class AAA over the past eight seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Fort Dale Academy has managed to compile a record of 171-102. Their 63.0% winning percentage ranks 4th in Class AAA and 9th in the AISA. The Eagles have been successful on the football field with twenty-one winning seasons during this time.




       The Eagles are led by head coach James Sampley who is entering his twentieth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 140-78 over the past nineteen seasons at Fort Dale Academy. Under his direction the Eagles have qualified for the playoffs a total of seventeen times. They have won two region crowns with Coach Sampley. Coach Sampley led Fort Dale Academy to a state championship in 2010.

       Coach Sampley's overall record as a head football coach in twenty-four season stands at 181-96 (65.3%). His 181 wins rank 3rd among active coaches in the AISA. Over the course of his career, Coach Sampley's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of twenty-two times and won four region championships. Coach Sampley won a state championship at in 1997.

       The Fort Dale Academy Eagles will play in Class AAA region two during the 2018 season.

       Region two will be one of the most competitive regions in any classification this season. The Eagles will be in the mix for one of the last two playoff spots in region two this season.

       The Eagles open the 2018 season on the road against non-region opponent Lee-Scott Academy on Friday, August 24 at Judd Scott Field. Last year the Lee-Scott Academy Warriors finished with an overall record of 6-5 and in fourth place in Class AAA region one. The Warriors lost in the first round of the Class AAA playoffs to Monroe Academy by a score of 39-10.

       Fort Dale Academy and Lee-Scott Academy have met a total of 13 times on the football field. The Eagles have a 8-5-0 record against the Warriors. They last met in 2017 with Fort Dale Academy winning by a score of 25-13.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Morris Higginbotham coached three different teams to divisional state championships in the 1950s. He won titles at Walnut Grove in 1952, West Blocton in 1955 and Enterprise in 1960.