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The best of the best in Alabama High
School Football over the past 100 seasons.
Rivalries
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Gadsden and Etowah was always a special rivalry, especially when the teams met in the Charity Bowl. It was high school football at its best. The stars of those games were considered heroes around town. Businesses would decorate their windows with school colors and player's photos. Many would close early so their employees could attend the games. There have been stories about fights breaking out between the fans after some of the games. There was one fight following the 1932 game that caused the series to be cancelled from 1933-1937. The teams first played in 1924 with Etowah winning 3-0. The two teams met again in 1928. They played every year since, except when the series was suspended in the 1930s, until Gadsden high school closed following the 2006 school year. The Gadsden Quarterback Club started the Charity Bowl in 1949 to raise money for local charities. It was one of the biggest bowl games in the state until the playoffs and the AHSAA put an end to it in the 1980s. These two teams played a total of twenty-five times in the Charity Bowl. One of the most memorable games came in 1967. Etowah was undefeated and had beaten Gadsden 21-14 in the regular season but saw themselves pitted against the Tigers in the Charity Bowl. Quarterback Mike Douglas tossed two touchdown passes in the final seven minutes to give the Tigers a hard fought 20-7 win. The next season Gadsden was undefeated and headed for the playoffs after defeating Etowah 35-7 in the regular season. The Tigers were expecting to win their rematch in the Charity Bowl but Coach Jim Glover had the Blue Devils ready and upset Gadsden 6-0 to derail their undefeated season and playoff hopes. In 1992, Gadsden was the defending state champions and looking to return to the title game when the two met in the third round of the playoffs. Etowah had won 17-13 in during the season as Freddie Kitchens tossed a touchdown pass to Bobby Hill to pull out the victory. In the playoff game, Etowah dominated winning 28-18. On Nov. 27, 1998 a crowd of 10,000 packed Murphree Stadium to watch the Blue Devils edge arch-rival Gadsden 27-26 in double overtime in the semi-finals of the Class 5A state playoffs. Gadsden had won the regular season game 28-21 but fell short of the hopes for a state championship. Etowah lost to Blount 27-20 the following week in the title game. The final game between the two rivals saw Etowah come from behind to secure a 27-21 victory over the Tigers. The Blue Devils will have eternal bragging rights with a 56-41-6 advantage in the series. All week the Etowah players had heard about how this would be the final game between the two schools and much it would mean to win. Some of the players from both schools that participated in the game include: Patrick Nix, Freddie Kitchens, Tyrone Nix, Toderick Malone, Wayne Owen, Steve Clay, Carnell Williams, David Beddingfield, Danny Ford, Bobby Payne, Jerry Watford, Harry Littleton, Wyman Townsel, Wayne Proffitt, Kenneth Scissum and John Croyle. Total Meetings: 103 Series Record: Gadsden leads 56-41-6 First Meeting: 1924, Etowah 0, Gadsden, 19 Last Meeting: 10/21/2005, Etowah 27, Gadsden, 21 Longest Winning Streak: Etowah 4 (1949-1950), Gadsden 11 (1980-1986) Biggest Wins: Etowah 36-0 (1999), Gadsden 70-6 (1982) Biggest Upsets: 1957 - Gadsden (9-0-1) was tied by Etowah (2-6-1) 0-0
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David Parker
AHSFHS.org
dparker@ahsfhs.org
Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History
The first night game played between high school teams in the state occurred on September 23, 1927 when Pike Road and Cloverdale met in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.
The first night game played between high school teams in the state occurred on September 23, 1927 when Pike Road and Cloverdale met in the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.
