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






2022 Team Previews 

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Brilliant Tigers

Head Coach: Brian Gunnels (sixth season)
Career Record: 5 seasons, (16-37)
At Brilliant: 5 seasons, (16-37)
Stadium: Tiger Stadium
2022 Enrollment:  68
Rank:  380th in the AHSAA, 54th in Class 1A

 History 
Overall Record:   380-480-29   (44.0%)
Last 25 years:   88-172   (34.0%)  (Rank: 326th in the AHSAA, 49th in Class 1A)
Since 2010:   32-93  (25.6%)  (Rank: 355th in the AHSAA, 53rd in Class 1A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2020
Last Region Championship:   2001
Last Winning Season:   2020
Last Losing Season:   2021

 2021 
Class:  1A              Region:   6
Record:  2-8
Region Record:   2-5, (sixth)
Playoff Record:   Did not qualify.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  80 (8.0)
Defense:  378 (37.8)


 2022 
Class: 1A              Region:   5
Strength of Schedule: 47-51 (48%) (241st in the AHSAA, 27th in Class 1A)
Region Strength:  40-37 (52%)
Non-Region Strength:  7-14 (33%)



 2021 Results 
 8/20   OPEN 
 8/27  @ Hackleburg  (1A)   6-26   L  
 9/3  @ Meek  (1A)  *  26-46   L  
 9/10  vs. Lynn  (1A)  *  28-27   W (OT) 
 9/17  vs. South Lamar  (1A)  *  0-47   L  
 9/23  vs. Winfield  (3A)   0-51   L  
 10/1  @ Pickens County  (1A)  *  0-53   L  
 10/8  vs. Hubbertville  (1A)  *  0-33   L  
 10/15  vs. Berry Fayette  (1A)  *  14-7   W  
 10/22  @ Marion County  (1A)  *  6-46   L  
 10/29  @ Carbon Hill  (3A)   0-42   L  

 2022 Schedule 
 8/19  @ Waterloo  (1A)       
 8/26  @ Pickens County  (1A)  *      
 9/1  vs. Marion County  (1A)  *      
 9/9   OPEN 
 9/16  @ Sumiton Christian  (1A)  *      
 9/23  vs. Phillips Bear Creek  (1A)       
 9/30  @ Hubbertville  (1A)  *      
 10/7  vs. Lynn  (1A)  *      
 10/14  vs. Holy Spirit  (1A)  *      
 10/21  @ Berry Fayette  (1A)  *      
 10/28  vs. South Lamar  (1A)  *      


Class  1A Region  5
Team 2021 Record Scoring                            
Berry Fayette (1A) 2-8147-242
Brilliant (1A) 2-880-378
Holy Spirit () 0-00-0
Hubbertville (1A) 8-3364-169
Lynn (1A) 2-8204-290
Marion County (1A) 7-4312-209
Pickens County (1A) 11-3474-273
South Lamar (1A) 3-7228-270
Sumiton Christian (1A) 7-4322-168

 2022 Preview 


       Brilliant finished the 2021 season with a disappointing 2-8 record. Last year Brilliant finished sixth in Class 1A region six with a 2-5 region record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

       The Tigers hope to rebound after a down year. Last season they struggled winning just two games which followed a 7-6 record in 2020.

       The offense struggled putting points on the score board as Brilliant averaged scoring just 8.0 points a game. The Tigers also struggled on the defensive side of the football as they found little success in stopping opposing offenses and allowed an average of 37.8 points a game.

       Since 2010, the Brilliant football program has struggled with a record of 32-93.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Brilliant has not won much with a record of 88-172. Their 34.0% winning percentage ranks 49th in Class 1A and 326th in the AHSAA.




       The Tigers are led by head coach Brian Gunnels who is entering his sixth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 16-37 over the past five seasons at Brilliant. Under his direction the Tigers have qualified for the playoffs once. They have not won a region crown with Coach Gunnels.

       Coach Gunnels' overall record as a head football coach in five season stands at 16-37 (30.2%).

       The Brilliant Tigers will play in Class 1A region five during the 2022 season. Following realignment, the Tigers remain in 1A but move from region six over to region five.

       It will be an uphill battle for the Tigers if they hope to grab one of the four playoff slots in region five this season. After just 2 wins last year, Brilliant will be hoping to become more competitive in the region. Brilliant simply does not have the numbers to be competitive on the football field at this time. With just 68 students, the Tigers are one of the smallest schools playing the game and have little chance of being successful.

       The Tigers open the 2022 season on the road against non-region opponent Waterloo on Friday, August 19 at Waterloo Stadium. Last year the Waterloo Cougars finished with an overall record of 3-7 and in fifth place in Class 1A region eight. The Cougars closed out the regular season with a loss to Tanner by a score of 42-16.

       Brilliant and Waterloo have met a total of 12 times on the football field. The Tigers have a 7-5-0 record against the Cougars. They last met in 2019 with Waterloo winning by a score of 40-19.

  


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.