Collinsville (9-1, 7-0) is the Class 1A Region 7 champion and will entertain the Region 8 fourth-seed, Shoals Christian (5-4, 4-3).  Collinsville’s dream of an unbeaten regular season vanished Friday when they were ambushed by Ragland, 37-0. The Panthers will have a battle trying to extinguish the Flame as Shoals’ only losses were to powerhouse 1A teams Hubbard, Hackleburg, Addison, and Lynn.

Region 7 runner-up Cedar Bluff will host the third-seed Hackleburg Panthers (8-2, 5-2).  Hackleburg’s two losses came at the hands of Region 8 foes R.A. Hubbard (20-14) and Addison (35-21).  This will mark the fourth meeting between the two teams and the third time the Panthers have made the 150 mile-plus drive to visit Bruce Field.  The Tigers have never defeated the Panthers.  Hackleburg lost the 2009 1A State Title game to Brantley, 28-13.

As the third seed from Region 7, Gaylesville (6-4, 5-2) will travel to meet the Addison Bulldogs (8-2, 6-1).   Addison, the Region 8 No. 2 seed, lost close games to R.A. Hubbard (12-6) and Lynn (16-15).  The Trojans have been hampered by injuries and will find the going rough against a team that has been rated as high as number five in the 1A polls this season. Regardless of the outlook, coach Brian Clowdis and the Trojans battle from whistle to whistle and will give the Bulldogs a tussle. 

Gaston (5-5, 4-3), as the Region 7 number four team, also hits the trail and will run straight into the fifth-ranked R.A. Hubbard Raging Chiefs (9-1, 7-0).   Bulldogs’ first year head coach Josh Averett will have his hands full with a team whose only blemish was to Class 4A power North Jackson.   

In Class 3A, Region 5 fourth-seed Winston County (3-7, 3-4) will travel to Piedmont for a crack at the defending 3A state champions in round one. A potential second round match-up between Piedmont and Cordova has football fans salivating.  Last year, the Bulldogs took a bite out of Cordova in overtime to win the state title game. Realignment pushed Cordova north and set up a potential cross between the football powers early in this year’s playoffs. 

In the Class 4A, Cherokee County (5-5,  4-3) will hook up with the fifth-ranked Deshler Tigers (8-2, 7-0) out of Region 8. In 2009, the Warriors defeated Deshler 37-20 at Bobby Joe Johnson Field in Centre.  Cherokee County went on from there to edged Jackson 31-27 in the 4A title game.  Now it’s the Warriors turn to make the 165-mile trek to Tuscumbia. Deshler was stunned last Thursday by Class 5A Muscle Shoals, 8-7. 

The sixth-ranked Fort Payne Wildcats (10-0, 7-0) roll into the playoffs as the only undefeated team Class 5A.   The Region 7 champions welcome the fourth-seed from Region 8, the J.O. Johnson Jaguars (5-5, 4-3).  In 2006 and 2007, the Wildcats were able to reach the second round of the playoffs.  In 2008 and 2009 they were ousted in the first round.  This year, Fort Payne has posted solid numbers on offense and defense.  The offense is the No. 2 scoring team in 5A, averaging 41.3 points per game; the second-ranked defense is allowing only 12 ppg.

A week ago Gadsden City (7-3, 6-1) used an overtime win over Hewitt-Trussville to capture the 6A Region 7 championship.  With that win the Titans earned the right to host Region 8’s fourth-seed Huntsville (4-6, 3-4).  Gadsden City was humbled by the Lee Montgomery Generals on Friday in a non-region game, 13-3.

 

2010 Football Playoff First Round Pairings - (All first-round games are scheduled Friday, Nov. 5,  at 7 p.m. Any changes will be noted after Saturday's playoff organizational meeting.)

 

CLASS 1A

Region 1-4: Marengo at Region 2-1: McKenzie

Region 2-3: Kinston at Region 1-2: Linden

Region 3-4: Notasulga at Region 4-1: Maplesville

Region 4-3: Pickens County at Region 3-2: Loachapoka 

Region 2-4: Pleasant Home at Region 1-1: Sweet Water

Region 1-3: McIntosh at Region 2-2: Brantley

Region 4-4 Keith at Region 3-1: Saint Jude

Region 3-3: Wadley at Region 4-2: Autaugaville 

Region 5-4: Hubbertville at Region 6-1: Ragland

Region 6-3: Donoho at Region 5-2: Lynn

Region 7-4: Gaston at Region 8-1: R.A. Hubbard

Region 8-3: Hackleburg at Region 7-2: Cedar Bluff 

Region 6-4: Jacksonville Christian at Region 5-1: Marion County

Region 5-3: Parrish at Region 6-2: Appalachian

Region 8-4: Shoals Christian at Region 7-1: Collinsville

Region 7-3: Gaylesville at Region 8-2: Addison

 

CLASS 2A

Region 1-4: Millry at Region 2-1: Elba

Region 2-3: Red Level at Region 1-2: Southern Choctaw

Region 3-4: G.W. Long at Region 4-1: American Christian

Region 4-3: Vincent at Region 3-2: Houston Academy 

Region 2-4: New Brockton at Region 1-1: Leroy

Region 1-3: Mobile Christian at Region 2-2: Goshen

Region 4-4 Isabella at Region 3-1: Cottonwood

Region 3-3:  Providence Christian at Region 4-2: Thorsby 

Region 5-4 Horseshoe Bend at Region 6-1: Westbrook Christian

Region 6-3: Ider at Region 5-2: Lineville

Region 7-4: West End at Region 8-1: Sulligent

Region 8-3: Lexington at Region 7-2: Westminster Christian 

Region 6-4 Pleasant Valley at Region 5-1: Reeltown

Region 5-3: Woodland at Region 6-2: Fyffe

Region 8-4: Red Bay at Region 7-1: Tanner

Region 7-3: Cleveland at Region 8-2: Colbert Heights

 

CLASS 3A

Region 1-4: T.R. Miller at Region 2-1: Daleville

Region 2-3: Luverne at Region 1-2: Trinity Presbyterian

Region 3-4: Walter Wellborn at Region 4-1: Gordo

Region 4-3: Aliceville at Region 3-2: Handley 

Region 2-4: Pike County at Region 1-1: Washington County

Region 1-3: Bayside Academy at Region 2-2: Abbeville

Region 4-4: Greensboro at Region 3-1: Leeds

Region 3-3: Clay County at Region 4-2: Hale County 

Region 5-4 Winston County at Region 6-1: Piedmont

Region 6-3: Susan Moore at Region 5-2: Cordova

Region 7-4: Pisgah at Region 8-1: Rogers

Region 8-3: Colbert County at Region 7-2: Plainview 

Region 6-4: Weaver at Region 5-1: Hamilton

Region 5-3: Winfield at Region 6-2: Glencoe

Region 8-4: Sheffield at Region 7-1: Madison Academy

Region 7-3: Geraldine at Region 8-2: Lauderdale County

 

CLASS 4A

Region 1-4: Escambia County at Region 2-1: Andalusia

Region 2-3: Ashford at Region 1-2: Jackson

Region 3-4: Calera at Region 4-1: Bibb County

Region 4-3: Greene County  at Region 3-2: Beauregard 

Region 2-4: Hillcrest-Evergreen at Region 1-1: Thomasville

Region 1-3: UMS-Wright at Region 2-2: Straughn

Region 4-4: West Blocton at Region 3-1: Dadeville

Region 3-3: Holtvilleat Region 4-2: Jemison 

Region 5-4: Dora at Region 6-1: Anniston

Region 6-3: Oneonta at Region 5-2: Oak Grove

Region 7-4: Cherokee County at Region 8-1: Deshler

Region 8-3: West Limestone at Region 7-2: Fairview 

Region 6-4: Alexandria at Region 5-1: Fayette County

Region 5-3: Tarrant at Region 6-2: Cleburne County

Region 8-4: Brooks at Region 7-1: North Jackson

Region 7-3: Guntersville at Region 8-2: Central-Florence

 

CLASS 5A

Region 1-4: LeFlore Magnet at Region 2-1: Eufaula

Region 2-3: Valley at Region 1-2: Vigor

Region 3-4: Selma at Region 4-1: Pleasant Grove

Region 4-3: McAdory at Region 3-2: Greenville 

Region 2-4: Charles Henderson at Region 1-1: St. Paul’s

Region 1-3: Spanish Fort at Region 2-2: Tallaseee

Region 4-4: Fairfield at  Region 3-1: Demopolis

Region 3-3: Paul Bryant at Region 4-2: Hueytown 

Region 5-4: Pinson Valley at Region 6-1: Hartselle

Region 6-3: Cullman at Region 5-2: Chelsea

Region 7-4: Etowah at Region 8-1: Russellville

Region 8-3: Athens at Region 7-2: Boaz 

Region 6-4: Mortimer Jordan at Region 5-1: Briarwood Christian

Region 5-3: Sylacauga at Region 6-2: Walker

Region 8-4: J.O. Johnson  at Region 7-1: Fort Payne

Region 7-3: Arab at Region 8-2: Muscle Shoals

 

CLASS 6A

Region 1-4: Blount at Region 2-1: Daphne

Region 2-3: Foley at Region 1-2: Murphy

Region 3-4: Smiths Station at Region 4-1: Wetumpka

Region 4-3: Prattville at Region 3-2: Central-Phenix City 

Region 2-4: McGill-Toolen at Region 1-1: Davidson

Region 1-3: Theodore    at Region 2-2: Fairhope

Region 4-4: Carver-Montgomery at Region 3-1: Auburn

Region 3-3: Opelika at Region 4-2: Stanhope Elmore 

Region 5-4: Gardendale at Region 6-1: Hoover

Region 6-3 Spain Park at Region 5-2: Tuscaloosa County

Region 7-4 Clay-Chalkville at Region 8-1: Bob Jones

Region 8-3: Buckhorn at Region 7-2 Hewitt-Trussville 

Region 6-4 Vestavia Hills at Region 5-1: Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa

Region 5-3: Northridge at Region 6-2 Mountain Brook

Region 8-4: Huntsville at Region 7-1: Gadsden City

Region 7-3 Oxford at Region 8-2: Decatur