5 things we learned from this week's AHSAA football action

We learned a lot during this week of football in the AHSAA. In a week full of teams fighting for the right to host a playoff game, there were some that passed the test and earned the right to host a game, others failed. Here's what we learned this week in AHSAA football

Opelika had a great season in 2024. The Bulldogs, a program that hasn't made the playoffs since the 2021 season, had a chance Friday to not only secure their playoff spot, but a playoff as well -To host the first round game. Mission accomplished.

The task was tall as they faced the Central Phoenix City Red Devils, who had won 19 of their last 20 games, but the Bulldogs set the tone early when they put together a long opening drive on their home field that went for one touchdown went into the end zone. Opelika never trailed the entire game and won 23-14 in a game where defense was the star. Opelika ended an excellent Red Devils offense to ensure a playoff game can take place there. Central-Phenix City will now travel to the first-round playoff game for the first time since 2012, when the Red Devils lost to Spain Park 43-13.

The Yellow Jackets enter Friday with a chance at a regional title and the potential to continue an undefeated season, and they did both with a win over Clay Chalkville. Clay Chalkville had previously won 20 straight games, but Oxford ended that streak.

Oxford took the lead late in the first half and never trailed again as they cruised to a 21-10 victory and the region title. Oxford could face Clay Chalkville again in the playoffs, but for now the Yellow Jackets will celebrate the win.

Mary Montgomery came down early and trailed Baker, who was hungry for his first regional title, for most of the evening. However, the Vikings kept fighting back and eventually took the game into overtime, where they won 34-31.

Mary Montgomery has been one of the best stories in Alabama high school football over the past few seasons. The Vikings were 0-10 in 2021 and have now won back-to-back region titles in 2023 and 2024. The Vikings will host someone from the vaunted 7A Region 3. Coach Golson and his team will try to prepare for this game when the time comes.

Guntersville was coming off an excellent win over Scottsboro, and perhaps they were still celebrating going into the game with Boaz on Friday. Well, the Boaz Pirates were the only ones cheering at the end of the night as they defeated Class 5A's second-ranked team in a stunning 42-35 victory.

Boaz has already suffered two losses this season, a tough loss to 3A Geraldine and a close loss to Scottsboro. But Boaz proved it will be a handful for any team they face in the 5A playoffs. Another question is, where does Guntersville go from here? With the playoffs so close, how does this affect their title chances? We'll see.

Hoover and Thompson are two of the best programs in the southeastern United States of America. These two have had some classic wars against each other, including several seasons where they also met in the postseason, with the regular season loser flipping the script and winning in the playoffs.

Another chapter in this rivalry was written on Friday and it was another classic in Alabaster, Alabama.

Hoover took a 10-0 lead, but Thompson equalized before halftime. The teams battled back and forth like two great boxers before taking more time to decide a winner. Hoover had the biggest play of the night, a blocked extra point in overtime. This helped set up the Bucs' 27-26 win with a walk-off PAT. They were able to celebrate a regional title on their rival's home court. It was an incredible job by Chip English and his team. The Bucs want to compete for a state title again and are on track to compete for the championship so far this season.