Four Defending Champs Advance To Third Round

       Four of the six defending state champions captured second-round victories and advanced to the Alabama High School Athletic Association state football playoff quarterfinals Friday (Nov. 18). All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
          Prattville (9-2) knocked off defending 6A state champion Daphne 13-3 to set up the quarterfinal battle at Fairhope (10-2). And in Class 4A, unbeaten Dadeville (12-0) blocked a field goal in the waning moments to beat defending 4A state champion Thomasville 28-26 and set up a matchup at UMS-Wright (8-4) this week.

        Defending 1A state champion Sweet Water (9-3) beat previously unbeaten Winterboro 49-0 and will host Pickens County (11-1). Class 2A defending champ Leroy (8-4) stopped Highland Home 30-7 and will host American Christian (11-1). Class 3A defending champion Leeds (10-2) beat Gordo 21-6 and will go on the road against Region 3 rival Clay County at Ashland.  Class 5A defending champion Spanish Fort (9-3) defeated Valley 31-16 and will travel to Region 1 foe Vigor this week in a game scheduled for Prichard Stadium.

          Jackson (12-0) and Bibb County (12-0) each posted second-round victories over Beauregard and Lincoln, respectively, to set up a Class 4A match-up featuring unbeaten teams at Centreville.

        In Class 2A, Elba (12-0) remained unbeaten with a 59-20 win over Vincent in a game that set a state record with three consecutive kickoff returns for touchdowns to start the second half. The Tigers returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter for a TD, then Vincent returned the ensuing kickoff for a score before Elba regained the momentum by running back the next kickoff for a touchdown.

         A total of 13 unbeaten teams advanced to the second round. Those teams include:

Class 1A: Maplesville (12-0) and Ragland (12-0); Class 2A: Elba (12-0) and Tanner (11-0); Class 3A: Handley (12-0) and Piedmont (12-0); Class 4A: Jackson (12-0), Dadeville (12-0) and Bibb County (12-0); Class 5A: Hueytown (12-0) and Hartselle (12-0); Class 6A: Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-0) and Mountain Brook (12-0).
          The semifinals are scheduled Friday, Nov. 25, and the Super 6 state finals Dec. 1-2 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

2011 AHSAA Football Playoffs

Third-round pairings

All games are Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

Class 1A

Pickens County (11-1) at Sweet Water (9-3)

Maplesville (12-0) at Linden (11-1), Marengo HS Stadium, Dixons Mills

Collinsville (11-1) at Ragland (12-0)

Marion County (11-1) at Donoho (11-1), Anniston

Class 2A

Elba (12-0) at Flomaton (11-1)

American Christian (11-1) at Leroy (8-4)

Tanner (12-0) at Woodland (8-4)

Lineville (9-3) at Fultondale (10-2)

Class 3A

Handley (12-0) at Washington County (10-2), Chatom

Leeds (10-2) at Clay County (11-1), Ashland

Piedmont (12-0) at Rogers (10-2)

Lauderdale County (11-1) at Madison Academy (10-2), Madison

Class 4A

Dadeville (12-0) at UMS-Wright (8-4), Mobile

Jackson (12-0) at Bibb County (12-0), Centreville

Anniston (8-4) at Fayette County (9-3), Fayette

Deshler (11-1) at Oneonta (10-2)

Class 5A

Spanish Fort (9-3) at Vigor (10-2), Prichard

Hueytown (12-0) at Saint Paul’s (11-1), Mobile

Hartselle (12-0)  at Center Point (11-1)

Muscle Shoals (11-1) at Briarwood Christian (11-1), Birmingham

Class 6A

McGill-Toolen (11-1) at Central-Phenix City (10-2)

Prattville (9-2) at Fairhope (10-2)

Mountain Brook (12-0) at Oxford (11-1)

Hoover (11-1) at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (12-0)