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






2026 Team Previews 

  


Saraland Spartans

Head Coach: Jeff Kelly (sixteenth season)
Career Record: 22 seasons, (205-72)
At Saraland: 15 seasons, (158-38)
Stadium: Spartans Stadium
2026 Enrollment:  837
Rank:  54th in the AHSAA, 22nd in Class 5A

 History 
Overall Record:   161-45   (78.0%)
Last 25 years:   161-45   (78.0%)  (Rank: 6th in the AHSAA, 2nd in Class 5A)
Since 2010:   161-45  (78.2%)  (Rank: 16th in the AHSAA, 5th in Class 5A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2025
Last Region Championship:   2025
Last Winning Season:   2025
Last Losing Season:   2010

 2025 
Class:  6A              Region:   1
Record:  13-1
Region Record:   8-0, (first)
Playoff Record:   Lost in the Class 6A State Championship game to Clay-Chalkville at the Alabama Super Seven 38-21 in Birmingham.
Final ASWA Poll:   2nd
Scoring:  565 (40.4)
Defense:  207 (14.8)


 2026 
Class: 5A              Region:   1
Strength of Schedule: 48-61 (44%) (304th in the AHSAA, 48th in Class 5A)
Region Strength:  21-52 (29%)
Non-Region Strength:  27-9 (75%)



 2025 Results 
 8/22  @ Jackson  (4A)   17-6   W  
 8/29  @ Blount  (6A)  *  46-0   W  
 9/5  vs. Gulf Shores  (6A)  *  43-14   W  
 9/12  @ Spanish Fort  (6A)  *  54-7   W  
 9/19  vs. McGill-Toolen  (6A)  *  43-10   W  
 9/26   OPEN 
 10/3  @ Baldwin County  (6A)  *  28-0   W  
 10/10  vs. St. Pauls  (6A)  *  42-10   W  
 10/16  vs. Murphy  (6A)  *  55-0   W  
 10/24  vs. Theodore  (6A)  *  38-14   W  
 10/31   OPEN 
 Playoffs 
 11/7  vs. Wetumpka    49-24   W  
 11/14  vs. Spain Park    35-31   W  
 11/21  @ Pike Road    56-32   W  
 11/28  vs. Benjamin Russell    38-21   W  
 12/5   Clay-Chalkville    21-38   L  

 2026 Schedule 
 8/21  @ Mary Montgomery  (6A)       
 8/28   OPEN 
 9/4  vs. Gulf Shores  (5A)  *      
 9/11  vs. Theodore  (5A)  *      
 9/18  @ Baldwin County  (5A)  *      
 9/25  @ Pell City  (5A)       
 10/1  vs. Elberta  (5A)  *      
 10/9  @ Murphy  (5A)  *      
 10/16  vs. Blount  (5A)  *      
 10/23  @ Spanish Fort  (5A)  *      
 10/30  vs. Auburn  (6A)       


Class  5A Region  1
Team 2025 Record Region Scoring                            
Saraland (6A) 13-1 8-0565-207
Theodore (6A) 8-4 7-1321-255
Gulf Shores (6A) 5-6 5-3252-203
Spanish Fort (6A) 4-6 3-5278-257
Baldwin County (6A) 2-8 2-6147-283
Blount (6A) 2-8 2-6136-270
Elberta (5A) 0-10 0-7119-408
Murphy (6A) 0-10 0-812-495

 2026 Preview 


       Saraland completed the 2025 season with a 13-1 record. The Spartans cruised through the regular season with a perfect 9-0 record going into the post season. Last year Saraland captured the region one title and a number one seed in the Class 6A playoffs. They finished region play with a 8-0 record. The Spartans won four consecutive playoff games to reach the Class 6A State Championship game only to fall just short of claiming a title. They were defeated by Clay-Chalkville at the Alabama Super Seven 38-21 in Birmingham.

       The high-scoring Saraland offense ranked 27th in the AHSAA. They averaged 40.4 points a game.

       The Spartans defense dominated most opponents as they ranked 34th in the AHSAA. The defense gave up just 14.8 points a game.

       Over the past two seasons the Spartans have Finished 26-2 and will be looking to continue that winning tradition. Since 2010, Saraland has gone a combined 161-45. Their 78.2% winning percentage ranks 5th in Class 5A over the past sixteen seasons.

       Over the past 16 seasons, Saraland has finished a combined 161-45. Their 78.0% winning percentage ranks 2nd in Class 5A and 6th in the AHSAA. Their last losing season was 2010.

Head Coach:
       The Spartans are led by head coach Jeff Kelly who is entering his sixteenth season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 158-38 over the past fifteen seasons at Saraland. Under his direction the Spartans have qualified for the playoffs a total of fifteen times. They have won five region crowns with Coach Kelly. Coach Kelly led to a state championship in 2022. His 205 wins rank 13th among active coaches in the AHSAA. Over the course of his career, Coach Kelly's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of twenty times and won six region championships. He has a 41-19 record in the playoffs during his career. The playoff victories rank with the best among active coaches.

Season Outlook:

       The Saraland Spartans will play in Class 5A region one during the 2026 season.

      

       The Spartans enter the 2026 season riding a 29 game regular season winning streak. They have won 41 straight games on their home turf at Spartans Stadium.

       Three consecutive losses in the 6A state championship game to powerful Birmingham schools will do little to derail this train. Coach Kelly will have the Spartans back and ready for another championship run in 2026. Make no mistake about it.

       The Spartans have averaged over twelve wins a season over the past eight years and this year will be no different. Anything short of a return trip to the title game will be a disappointment in Saraland even if the trip to Hancock Whitney Stadium is very short.

       Saraland returns one of the top quarterbacks in the state this fall. Jamison Roberts completed 219 of 300 passes for 3,370 yards and 37 TDs and will return for his Senior season.

    While most teams rebuild during the off season, Saraland has been a consistent winner the past few years and will simply reload this season.

    The Spartans enter the season with expectations of not only a region crown but will be contending for a trip to the state championship game. They are considered one the favorites in region one and should be a team considered a favorite to reach the Class 5A AHSAA Championship game in December. The Spartans have succeeded in reaching the playoffs every year since 2010 and this year should be no exception.

Graduated All-State Players
1 WR Deshawn Spencer Sr.
1 LB Ayindae Pugh Sr.


Players to Watch in 2026:
  Offense:  (6) Jamison Roberts QB; Eddie Turner WR; Sye Byrd WR; Landon Law OL; JoJo Pasqarelli OL; Gunnar Brannon OL

  Defense:  (5) Keoni Snipes DE; Jakari Harris LB; Derrick Durgan DB; Keith Turner III DB; Ricky Strong LB

  Newcomers:  Chris Cunningham WR; Duece Scott TE; DaMario Lyons DL; Chad Witherspoon DB; Larry Pettway Jr WR; Braxton Holley LB; Ayden Pugh RB ATH; Wyatt Hurst OL

The Coach had this to say:
      Love this team. Jamison will give us a chance every Friday night. Defense will be led by Harris, Snipes, Turner, Durgan. I feel like the OL has a chance to be a good group. We will be in the mix again.

Season Opener:
       The Spartans open the 2026 season on the road against non-region opponent Mary Montgomery on Friday, August 21 at Grider Field. Last year the Mary Montgomery Vikings finished with an overall record of 10-2 and in second place in Class 7A region one. The Vikings lost in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs to Thompson by a score of 54-0.

       Saraland and Mary Montgomery have met a total of 3 times on the football field. The Spartans have a 2-1-0 record against the Vikings. They last met in 2013 with Saraland winning by a score of 35-0.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Marion County defeated Meek 83-6 in a playoff game in 2012. It is the most points scored by a team in a playoff game.