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






2026 Team Previews 

  


Dale County Warriors

Head Coach: Will Garner (first season)
Career Record: 3 seasons, (6-24)
At Dale County: First season
Stadium: Warrior Stadium
2026 Enrollment:  344
Rank:  151st in the AHSAA, 53rd in Class 4A

 History 
Overall Record:   412-493-20   (46.0%)
Last 25 years:   125-143   (47.0%)  (Rank: 220th in the AHSAA, 36th in Class 4A)
Since 2010:   87-86  (50.3%)  (Rank: 189th in the AHSAA, 28th in Class 4A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2025
Last Region Championship:   2025
Last Winning Season:   2025
Last Losing Season:   2023

 2025 
Class:  4A              Region:   2
Record:  7-3
Region Record:   6-1, (first)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Mobile Christian by a score of 15-13.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  262 (26.2)
Defense:  126 (12.6)


 2026 
Class: 4A              Region:   2
Strength of Schedule: 59-47 (56%) (98th in the AHSAA, 24th in Class 4A)
Region Strength:  37-35 (51%)
Non-Region Strength:  22-12 (65%)



 2025 Results 
 8/21  @ Headland  (5A)   20-33   L  
 8/29  @ G.W. Long  (2A)   25-0   W  
 9/5  @ Ashford  (4A)  *  19-12   W  
 9/12  vs. Straughn  (4A)  *  19-22   L  
 9/19  vs. New Brockton  (4A)  *  13-6   W  
 9/26   OPEN 
 10/2  @ Opp  (4A)  *  35-21   W  
 10/10  vs. Daleville  (4A)  *  28-6   W  
 10/17  @ Pike County  (4A)  *  28-11   W  
 10/24  vs. Geneva  (4A)  *  62-0   W  
 10/31   OPEN 
 Playoffs 
 11/7  vs. Mobile Christian    13-15   L  

 2026 Schedule 
 8/21  vs. G.W. Long  (2A)       
 8/27  @ Houston Academy  (AA)       
 9/4  vs. Headland  (4A)  *      
 9/11  vs. Straughn  (4A)  *      
 9/18  @ Eufaula  (4A)  *      
 9/25  @ Ariton  (2A)       
 10/2  @ Andalusia  (4A)  *      
 10/9  @ New Brockton  (4A)  *      
 10/16  vs. Carroll  (4A)  *      
 10/23  vs. Ashford  (4A)  *      
 10/30   OPEN 


Class  4A Region  2
Team 2025 Record Region Scoring                            
Dale County (4A) 7-3 6-1262-126
Andalusia (5A) 8-4 5-1315-201
Ashford (4A) 7-3 5-2219-147
Eufaula (5A) 6-5 4-2323-287
Headland (5A) 4-5 2-4234-215
New Brockton (4A) 6-4 3-4223-213
Carroll (5A) 1-9 1-5133-342
Straughn (4A) 5-5 3-4261-193

 2026 Preview 


       Dale County completed the 2025 season with a 7-3 record. Last year Dale County captured the region two title and a number one seed in the Class 4A playoffs. They finished region play with a 6-1 record. Dale County's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Mobile Christian by a score of 15-13.

       The defense was very stingy last season as Dale County ranked 16th in the AHSAA. The defense allowed only 12.6 points a game.

       Since 2010, Dale County has gone a combined 87-86. Their 50.3% winning percentage ranks 28th in Class 4A over the past sixteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Dale County has managed to compile a record of 125-143. Their 47.0% winning percentage ranks 36th in Class 4A and 220th in the AHSAA.

Coaching Change:
     Evan Ballard  leaves Dale County after only three seasons and took the head coaching job at Providence Christian. His three seasons produced an 18-13 record with a couple of first round playoff losses.

2026 Head Coach:
    Will Garner  joins the Warriors after a brief stint with the Dothan High School Wolves, where he served as one of the team's assistant defensive coaches. Garner also served as the Daleville Warhawks head coach and, prior to that, as Charles Henderson's defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.

Season Outlook:

       The Dale County Warriors will play in Class 4A region two during the 2026 season.

      

       The Warriors enter the 2026 season riding a 5 game regular season winning streak.

       It's been a dozen years since Dale County finished a season 14-1 losing only in the 3A state championship game to Madison Academy. That was five head coaches ago. Since then they have not won a playoff game in Midland City. But back-to-back winning seasons may have gotten them back on the right track the past two seasons.

       A coaching change is not what the fans wanted just when it seemed everything was going smoothly for the Warriors.

    The Warriors have a good shot at one of the last two playoff slots in region two this season.

Graduated All-State Players
2 DL Junior Smith Sr.


Season Opener:
       The Warriors open the 2026 season at home against non-region opponent G.W. Long on Friday, August 21 at Warrior Stadium. Last year the G.W. Long Rebels finished with an overall record of 7-5 and in third place in Class 2A region two. The Rebels lost in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs to Luverne by a score of 29-0.

       Dale County and G.W. Long have met a total of 17 times on the football field. The Warriors have a 10-7-0 record against the Rebels. They last met in 2025 with Dale County winning by a score of 25-0.

  


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.