News

We now have 832 teams &  
189,846 games on AHSFHS.org.



Search Site

AHSFHS Article Series


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






Rivalries 


     Share on Facebook         
      



 


    
          Since 1923 Deshler and Russellville have met each year except the 1933, 1943, 1986 and 1987 seasons. They have played a total of 89 times with Deshler holding a 46-39-4 advantage in the series. Russellville has closed the gap by winning thirteen of the past seventeen games in the rivalry. It must be noted that Russellville has played in Class 5A since 1984 while Deshler has remained mostly in Class 4A.

          The two programs are some of the winningest in the history of high school football in the state of Alabama. Deshler has won 646 games while Russellville is close behind with 603 victories. No other teams in our rivalry series have won more combined football games.

          The schools are about 24 miles apart and over the years have met in many epic battles. In 1941 Deshler (8-1) handed the Golden Tigers their only defeat of the season 20-0. In 1954 they did it again with a 26-7 victory. In 1961, the Golden Tigers (8-0-2) tied Deshler (8-1-1) in one of the best games in the series.

          Beginning in 1999 the two teams became powerhouses in northwest Alabama. Regular appearances in championship games were common for both programs. Several times the loser of this game would not lose another contest that season. This occurred in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

          The two teams have played in a total of seventeen state championship games since 1987. In 2003 Deshler (14-1) defeated Russellville (13-2)34-32 during the season as both teams were on their way to championship games. Deshler won the Class 4A title while Russellville fell in the title game.

          In 2004, The Tigers again defeated Russellville 23-13 in the regular season and again both teams reached the Super Six championship game.
         




Total Meetings:  89
Series Record:  Deshler leads 46-39-4
Home Record: Deshler: 23-17-2
                        Russellville: 21-21-2
First Meeting:  10/5/1923, Deshler 38, Russellville, 0
Last Meeting:  8/28/2015, Russellville 42, Deshler, 12
Longest Winning Streak:  Deshler 8 (1947-1954), Russellville 6 (2005-2010)
Biggest Wins:  Deshler 59-0 (1935), Russellville 43-6 (1983)

Biggest Upsets:  1926 - Russellville (2-4) upset Deshler (6-3-1) 19-0
                         1999 - Russellville (7-3) upset Deshler (14-1) 35-32



Deshler vs. Russellville
2015 Russellville 42-12 Deshler
2014 Russellville 36-12 Deshler
2013 Deshler 20-17 Russellville
2012 Russellville 34-14 Deshler
2011 Deshler 41-21 Russellville
2010 Russellville 34-13 Deshler
2009 Russellville 26-21 Deshler
2008 Russellville 26-14 Deshler
2007 Russellville 34-28 Deshler
2006 Russellville 28-20 Deshler
2005 Russellville 32-16 Deshler
.
2004 Deshler 23-13 Russellville
2003 Deshler 34-32 Russellville
2002 Russellville 48-28 Deshler
2001 Russellville 28-7 Deshler
2000 Russellville 28-0 Deshler
1999 Russellville 35-32 Deshler
1998 Deshler 39-14 Russellville
1997 Deshler 42-0 Russellville
1996 Deshler 14-13 Russellville
1995 Russellville 14-13 Deshler
.
1994 Russellville 16-0 Deshler
1993 Deshler 26-14 Russellville
1992 Russellville 22-8 Deshler
1991 Deshler 22-14 Russellville
1990 Deshler 28-14 Russellville
1989 Deshler 14-7 Russellville
1988 Russellville 10-9 Deshler
1985 Russellville 18-14 Deshler
1984 Russellville 20-6 Deshler
1983 Russellville 43-6 Deshler
.
1982 Deshler 28-27 Russellville
1981 Russellville 20-14 Deshler
1980 Deshler 14-11 Russellville
1979 Deshler 28-6 Russellville
1978 Deshler 36-0 Russellville
1977 Deshler 19-8 Russellville
1976 Deshler 29-0 Russellville
1975 Russellville 31-27 Deshler
1974 Deshler 13-12 Russellville
1973 Russellville 0-0 Deshler
.
1972 Deshler 13-11 Russellville
1971 Deshler 34-0 Russellville
1970 Deshler 27-12 Russellville
1969 Russellville 35-20 Deshler
1968 Russellville 7-0 Deshler
1967 Russellville 50-17 Deshler
1966 Russellville 18-7 Deshler
1965 Deshler 21-7 Russellville
1964 Russellville 26-21 Deshler
1963 Deshler 16-14 Russellville
.
1962 Deshler 20-0 Russellville
1961 Russellville 7-7 Deshler
1960 Russellville 20-0 Deshler
1959 Deshler 26-13 Russellville
1958 Deshler 13-6 Russellville
1957 Russellville 31-14 Deshler
1956 Russellville 20-0 Deshler
1955 Russellville 14-0 Deshler
1954 Deshler 26-7 Russellville
1953 Deshler 33-14 Russellville
.
1952 Deshler 7-6 Russellville
1951 Deshler 40-12 Russellville
1950 Deshler 25-21 Russellville
1949 Deshler 27-0 Russellville
1948 Deshler 25-0 Russellville
1947 Deshler 31-0 Russellville
1946 Russellville 6-0 Deshler
1945 Russellville 18-0 Deshler
1944 Deshler 34-7 Russellville
1942 Deshler 63-12 Russellville
.
1941 Deshler 20-0 Russellville
1940 Russellville 12-6 Deshler
1939 Russellville 7-0 Deshler
1938 Deshler 31-7 Russellville
1937 Deshler 34-14 Russellville
1936 Deshler 57-0 Russellville
1935 Deshler 59-0 Russellville
1934 Deshler 27-0 Russellville
1932 Deshler 44-0 Russellville
1931 Deshler 18-0 Russellville
.
1930 Russellville 7-6 Deshler
1929 # Deshler 25-0 Russellville
1928 Russellville 20-0 Deshler
1927 Russellville 8-6 Deshler
1926 Russellville 19-0 Deshler
1925 Russellville 0-0 Deshler
1924 Russellville 0-0 Deshler
1923 Deshler 38-0 Russellville

# Playoff game


David Parker
  AHSFHS.org
  dparker@ahsfhs.org




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.