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






2016 Team Previews 

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Francis Marion Rams

Head Coach: Grady Griffin (first season)
Stadium: Rams Stadium
Career Record: 0 seasons, (0-0)
At Francis Marion: First season
2016 Enrollment:  180
Rank:  307th in the AHSAA, 41st in Class 2A

 History 
Overall Record:   259-544-29   (32.0%)
Last 25 years:   80-175   (31.0%)  (Rank: 340th in the AHSAA, 49th in Class 2A)
Since 2010:   18-43  (30.0%)  (Rank: 306th in the AHSAA, 48th in Class 2A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2015
Last Region Championship:   Never
Last Winning Season:   2000
Last Losing Season:   2015

 2015 
Class:  2A              Region:   4
Record:  4-7
Region Record:   3-3, (fourth)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to G.W. Long by a score of 55-0.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  278 (25.3)
Defense:  276 (25.1)


 2016 
Class: 2A              Region:   4
Strength of Schedule: 42-65 (39%) (357th in the AHSAA, 55th in Class 2A)
Region Strength:  33-34 (49%)
Non-Region Strength:  9-31 (22%)



 2015 Results 
 8/20  @ Ellwood Christian  (1A)   8-14   L  
 8/28  vs. Montevallo  (4A)   12-37   L  
 9/4   OPEN 
 9/11  @ Pickens County  (2A)  *  6-36   L  
 9/18  vs. R.C. Hatch  (2A)  *  36-23   W  
 9/25  vs. Greene County  (3A)   22-36   L  
 10/2  vs. Holy Spirit  (2A)  *  38-7   W  
 10/9  vs. Vincent  (2A)  *  64-0   W  
 10/16  @ Fayetteville  (2A)  *  8-19   L  
 10/23  vs. Thorsby  (2A)  *  28-41   L  
 10/30  @ Calhoun  (2A)   56-8   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/6  @ G.W. Long    0-55   L  

 2016 Schedule 
 8/18  @ Greene County  (3A)       
 8/26  vs. Ellwood Christian  (1A)       
 9/2  vs. Thorsby  (2A)  *      
 9/9  @ Aliceville  (2A)  *      
 9/16  vs. Billingsley  (2A)  *      
 9/23   OPEN 
 9/30  @ Keith  (2A)  *      
 10/6  @ Wilcox Central  (5A)       
 10/14  vs. Verbena  (2A)  *      
 10/21  @ R.C. Hatch  (2A)  *      
 10/28  @ Hale County  (4A)       


Class  2A Region  4
Team 2015 Record Scoring                            
Aliceville (3A) 6-5238-188
Billingsley (1A) 6-6341-338
Francis Marion (2A) 4-7278-276
Keith (1A) 4-7272-268
R.C. Hatch (2A) 3-7139-279
Thorsby (2A) 6-5324-185
Verbena (1A) 8-4425-266

 2016 Preview 


       Francis Marion completed the 2015 season with a 4-7 record. With their 3-3 region record and a fourth place finish in Class 2A region four, the Rams earned a spot in the playoffs in 2015. Francis Marion's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to G.W. Long by a score of 55-0.

       It marked the first time since the 2000 season that the Rams qualified for the playoffs. The Rams have never won a playoff game in the school's history. They would like to break through and pick up that first post season victory in 2016.

       Since 2010, Francis Marion has gone a combined 18-43. Their 30.0% winning percentage ranks 48th in Class 2A over the past six seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Francis Marion has not won much with a record of 80-175. Their 31.0% winning percentage ranks 49th in Class 2A and 340th in the AHSAA. The Rams have struggled on the football field with only four winning seasons during this time. Their last winning season was 2000.

Blake Thompson leaves Francis Marion after just two seasons as the head football coach. His teams went a combined 7-14 and lost the only playoff game they appeared in.


Grady Griffin will take over the football program in 2016. He graduated from Jackson-Olin in 2003 and received his Bachelors degree in physical education from Alabama State in 2008.

Griffin coached receivers at Jackson-Olin from 2009-2011. He served as the head football coach at Erwin Middle School between 2011-2014 and moved to Pickens County in 2015 where he worked as the offensive coordinator last season. This will be his first stint as a head varsity football coach.



       The Francis Marion Rams will play in Class 2A region four during the 2016 season. Francis Marion will face six opponents that reached the playoffs last season.

       With a little luck and some improvement, the Rams could find themselves challenging for one of the playoff spots for region four this season.

       The Rams open the 2016 season on the road against non-region opponent Greene County on Thursday, August 18. Last year the Greene County Tigers finished with an overall record of 1-9 and in seventh place in Class 3A region four. The Tigers closed out the regular season with a loss to A.L. Johnson by a score of 32-30.

       Francis Marion and Greene County have met a total of 6 times on the football field. The Rams have a 0-6-0 record against the Tigers. They last met in 2015 with Greene County winning by a score of 36-22.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Clay County shutout an amazing eleven opponents in 1996. The Panthers outscored their opponents 613-42 finishing the season 15-0.