PREP CAPSULES (AISA Finals/AHSAA Quarters) Champions to be crowned at Cramton Bowl on Thursday
STAFF REPORT
The AISA championship games are set. The AHSAA moves into the third round.
Survival of the fittest for River Region teams is the appropriate term for this week.
First, the six best teams remaining in the AISA battle on Thursday at Cramton Bowl. Three champions will be crowned, of which three will be looking for a repeat.
Or in Lowndes Academy’s case, a four-peat.
The Rebels face South Choctaw in a winner-take-all matchup. South Choctaw features first-year coach Stacy Luker, who enjoyed plenty of success in the AHSAA. He has his team in the Class AA title game with an undefeated record.
Lowndes has won 30 straight games and looks to add what would be their fifth title in the school’s history.
Macon East has not played for a championship since it won it all in 2000. Glynn Lott has been there for all of wins, losses and the changes including the last-minute decision to play 8-man this season. The Knights face last year’s champion in 8-man, Cornerstone. The two finished the regular season with the Chargers winning by 26 points.
Chambers Academy will also look for a repeat performance, looking to win Class AAA, something the program has never done. The Rebels face upstart Bessemer Academy in the title game.
In AHSAA, Catholic faces Central-Clay County in one of the more interesting matchups in the state. It’s the “old vs. new” in a realm of dominance as the Knights have eyes set on a 5A title. So does Clay Central, which boasts of two championships under legendary coach Danny Horn.
PIke Road moved into the third round with an impressive win over St. Paul’s last week. It faces Hueytown in a battle of region champions.
Tallassee continues to roll and will face its toughest challenge this year with a trip to Jackson. The Aggies are considered the favorite to win Class 4A, but the Tigers may have something to say about that.
AISA CHAMPIONSHIPS
THURSDAY at CRAMTON BOWL
A-8-Man (12 p.m.) MACON EAST ACADEMY (8-2) vs. CORNERSTONE CHRISTIAN (11-0) – The two teams met in the last game of the regular season with Cornerstone winning in an 88-62 defensive battle… yes, that was an attempt at a joke but the way these two teams score, the expectation is to see plenty of offense in this one, as well. This is the first time the Knights have played for a championship since 2000, the only title won by the program. That’s also the last time they played in the championship game. The 2024 season was quite odd for the Knights and coach Glynn Lott, who made the decision late in the summer to switch to 8-man football, due to a numbers crunch. The program was all but finished before the season began until another 8-man school dropped football, leaving the Knights an opening to fill. The switch has done them well, winning their first five games by an average of 41 points. After a forfeit win, they fell to the “considered” favorites Springwood and Cornerstone, setting up what looked like a sure bet to reach the semis, but no more. But last week, the Knights got an all-star performance from Sam Wallace with four rushing TDs and three more passing scores in the win over Springwood. As good as Wallace was, it was the defense that rose to the occasion, keeping the top offensive team in AISA in-check. Springwood managed just 266 yards in offense, well below their average. That will be needed again against Cornerstone, which is going for the repeat. But if the Knights were able to slow down Springwood, why not expect them to do the same on Thursday? Take the upset pick…. MACON EAST , 76-67.
AA (3 p.m.) SOUTH CHOCTAW (12-0) vs. LOWNDES ACADEMY (11-0) – A chance for a fourth-straight title may not be a shock for the Rebels, considering how dominant they have been the last couple of years. That dominance continued this season, giving the program that opportunity to join a number of teams in AISA annals as a “kingpin.” Edgewood Academy, Morgan Academy and a few others have won consecutive titles over the years and Lowndes can be included in that list with a win on Thursday. Start with defense where the Rebels have allowed a total of 68 points this year. Last year the number was 51 points allowed so add the two together and it’s less than what has been allowed combined than any season going back to 2002. South Choctaw coach Stacy Luker knows all about winning titles. In his 28 years as a head coach, he’s won six of them, including five at Sweet Water. He took over the program in little Toxey and immediately made an impact as it has reached the title game for the first time since 2008. Last week’s win was his 250th in his career. The two teams did not meet this season. Familiarity with Cramton Bowl may give Lowndes an edge but the defense gives them a little more in what might be a closer game than most think. But make it four in a row for Shane Moye’s bunch . LOWNDES ACADEMY , 28-21.
AAA (7 p.m.) CHAMBERS ACADEMY (11-1) vs. BESSEMER ACADEMY (6-5) – Like Lowndes, Chambers Academy has the chance to repeat as champions against a program that, at one time, ruled Class AAA under Mark Freeman, who is now at Thompson. The Rebels won four titles under Freeman and then won four more under Josh Wright, who now coaches at Tuscaloosa Academy. Bessemer last won a championship in 2019. Chambers has been dominant defensively, allowing just 11 points per game. Although they have just one shutout, in seven other games they’ve allowed single digits in scoring. Bessemer’s season started slow with two losses and then losing three out of four mid-season. They finished in a three-way tie for second in the region but put together two of their best games, defeating Ft. Dale and Morgan Academy in the playoffs. But Chambers will be a different animal and will provide a much-larger challenge for the Bessemer offense. They managed just six points in the previous meeting back on Sept. 20. Ironically, this is a similar spot Chambers was in last year when it beat Banks Academy in a rematch in the championship game after Banks had won convincingly in the earlier meeting. No doubt Jason Allen is preaching that message this week to not allow a past meeting dull their senses. The message should reach his players and Chambers should repeat. CHAMBERS ACADEMY , 31-17.
PLAYOFFS - 3rd ROUND
Games begin FRIDAY at 7 p.m. unless stated otherwise.
CLASS 6A
(1st-R4) HUEYTOWN (9-3) at (1st-R2) PIKE ROAD (9-3) – Pike Road keeps proving the naysayers wrong and also proving it’s become a post-season dominant team. It’s the second year in a row the Patriots are saving their best for last with a convincing win over St. Paul’s a week ago. All phases seem to be on cue and that’s bad news for Hueytown, which has squeaked past its two playoff opponents by a touchdown. There are a lot of similarities in the two teams’ season. The records are the same. Both went undefeated in their respective region. Neither one has been overpowering but figuring out ways to win. An edge goes to the Patriots, who have yet to lose at home. That’s enough to make the pick… PIKE ROAD, 31-27.
CLASS 5A
(1st-R4) CENTRAL-CLAY COUNTY (12-0) at (1st-R2) CATHOLIC (11-0) – The Knights will face their toughest opponent of the season. And, arguably, the best coach since they faced Fyffe in the 2020 state championship game (Paul Benefield). Clay-Central’s Danny Horn is certainly one of the most celebrated coaches in state history. He’s won eight state titles as a head coach, mostly with the former Clay County program. He coached nine years at Benjamin Russell before taking. the job at Clay-Central, where he won two more championships. His forte’ - he demands discipline from his teams and usually gets it. While it’s subjective, Catholic will have more athletes but that’s not always the deciding factor. The Knights will need to limit mistakes and create a few by the Vols. Everything points to a barn burner in this one. But Catholic has enough to get past a legend. CATHOLIC, 25-17.
CLASS 4A
(1st-R4) TALLASSEE (8.-2) (1st-R1) at JACKSON (11-1) – If the season ends Friday, Tallassee will have completed a great turnaround. But that is not preferred. Nor is it expected by the Tigers. They have a habit of winning now. They’ve been behind in numerous games and they expect to win. No matter the opponent, they believe in themselves and LA O’Neal has done a great job in instilling that attitude. Yes, that’s all cliche’ but few expect them to get past Jackson, which has been dominant all season. The Aggies have yet to give up a point in the playoffs while scoring a combined 106 points in two games. They scored 40 or more points in nine games so far and many of their points allowed were given up in mop-up duty. That leaves Tallasee with a two-fold problem. Can they slow down Jackson and can they score on Jackson? The 40 points scored last week against Ashford is the second-most this season. They’ve given up double digits in all but two games. It sounds like the math doesn’t add up to a Tiger win and maybe it doesn’t but don’t be surprised if it comes down to a last-second score to win it. JACKSON, 31-24.
OTHERS
7A: Thompson over Enterprise, 30-21; Hoover over Central-PC, 29-27; 6A: Saraland over Spain Park, 34-30; 5A: Vigor over UMS-Wright, 33-24; 4A: St. Michael over Fairfield, 27-24; 3A: T.R. Miller over Houston Aca, 31-24; 2A: Reeltown over Cottonwood, 25-21; Highland Home over Ariton, 28-14; 1A: Maplesville over Millry, 31-23; Elba over Georgiana, 22-20.
SEASON COMPLETED: G.W. Carver; JAG; Park Crossing; Prattville; Stanhope Elmore; Marbury; Prattville Christian; Billingsley; Autaugaville; Edgewood Academy; Hooper Academy; Percy Julian; Wetumpka, Holtville; Elmore County; St. James; Autauga Academy; Valiant Cross; ; Alabama Christian; Trinity; Montgomery Academy; Montgomery Academy; Evangel Christian.
RECORD: Last week 20-8; Season 220-68 (.764)