Not many new football champs in Alabama

The Alabama High School Athletic Association's first Super 6 state football championships at Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium last week attracted almost 46,000 fans over the two-day event.

Six new state champions were crowned but most of the victors were old hat at capturing state titles.

MaxPreps' Alabama football playoff brackets

Sweet Water won its ninth state title and extended its Super 6 scoreless quarter string to 10 with a 36-0 win over R.A. Hubbard in the 1A finals. Coach Stacy Luker's Bulldogs (12-3) have lost just two games to 1A teams since the start of the 2004 season. That streak includes state titles in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2004 in addition to this year's crown. The Bulldogs did not play in the 2009 Super 6 but won the 2008 title with a 42-0 shutout of Speake.

Sweet Water also won in 2007 over Talladega County-Central 42-7 – giving up the long touchdown in the second quarter. Add the 2006 48-0 victory over Cedar Bluff in the Super 6 finals and the streak is 15 scoreless quarters allowed in the last 16.

LEROY WINS ... AGAIN
Leroy (14-1) won its fourth Class 2A state title in five seasons with a 34-7 win over defending champion Reeltown. Coach Danny Powell's head-coaching record is 64-7 with four state championships. He has almost as many state titles as he does losses.

Like Sweet Water, the Bears rarely lost to 2A teams. This year, Powell's squad lost 28-24 in week five of the regular season to Class 4A Jackson, a team that reached the 4A finals in 2009. Luker's Bulldogs lost three games – to 2010 Class 4A state champion Thomasville (26-8) in week 1, to Class 3A quarterfinalist Handley (41-27) and to Leroy (27-7) week 10.

LEEDS FINISHES PERFECT
In Class 3A, Leeds (15-0) closed out a perfect season for the second time in three years with a 42-32 victory over Hamilton (14-1) in the Class 3A finals at Jordan-Hare. Green Wave senior defensive all-star Jonathan Rose, an Auburn commitment, returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Running back Ladarius Rodgers, the third-leading rusher for Coach Keith Etheredge's Wave coming into the game, ran for 256 yards on 13 carries with touchdowns of 87 and 75 yards among his impressive runs.

THOMASVILLE TAKES OUT DESHLER IN A SHOOTOUT
Thomasville also went 15-0 en route to the 4A state title with its record-setting 59-34 win over Deshler. This game was made for TV – all six contests were televised live over the AHSAA TV Network put together by flagship CBS 42 of Birmingham. Deshler scored on its first offensive play when William Minor raced 75 yards for a touchdown.

Tyler Hayes, named MVP of the 4A finals, returned the following kickoff 77 yards to tie the score. Thomasville Coach Jack Hankins ordered an onside kick that was successful but the Tigers were flagged for being offsides forcing Thomasville to kick again. Another onside kick was tried but Deshler recovered near midfield. On the next play, Deshler (12-3) fullback James Gardiner, who became the school's all-time career rushing leader with 109 yards for the game, ran untouched off tackle for a 49-yard touchdown. Deshler then tried an onside kick that failed, but with just 44 seconds gone in the game, Coach John Mothershed's team led 14-7.

Thomasville settled down to rush for 447 yards in the game with 40 more yards passing to seal the win. Michael Thornton was the game's leading rusher with 157 yards on 24 carries. Deshler finished with 424 total yards with Justin Cantrell throwing for three touchdowns.

SPANISH FORT FOLLOWS DISMUKES TO CHAMPIONSHIP
Spanish Fort senior quarterback Ameriol Finley had 37 carries in the Toros' spread offense to finish with 174 yards and both touchdowns in a 14-0 win over Briarwood Christian (13-1) in the 5A finals. Coach Bryant Vincent called most of Finley's carries to run behind the blocking of center Reese Dismukes, a big 6-4, 295-pound Auburn commitment. Finley estimated that at least 75 percent of the plays were designed to follow Dismuke's crushing blocks.

The championship was the first in school history for Spanish Fort, which finished 0-10 in its first season in 2006. Vincent has been the head coach the last four seasons.

DAPHNE SLUGS OUT 1-POINT WIN OVER HOOVER 
Hoover and Daphne both came into the Class 6A finals at 14-0. Coach Josh Niblett's Bucs were ranked 12th in one national poll and owned a 21-game winning streak.

It was Daphne's quick, strong defense that won out in the end in the 7-6 defensive slugfest. The Trojans (15-0) of Coach Glenn Vickery forced Hoover, which drove to the Daphne 1-yard line, to settle for a field goal attempt in the final minute. The potentially game-winning kick sailed wide after a high snap.

T.J. Yeldon scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 10:57 to play.

Daphne linebacker Michael Pierce had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery to help the Trojans hold Hoover to just 32 yards rushing, and earned 6A game MVP. Russ Mosley was 17 of 28 passing for 187 yards. Israel Lamprakes had four catches for 66 yards.

Hoover quarterback Ryan Carter was 13 of 23 passing for 222 yards with senior Jaylon Denson, another Auburn commitment, making eight grabs for 124 yards.

The championship was the second for Daphne. The first was won in 2001. Hoover has played in the 6A finals every year but 2007 since 2000 and won state titles six times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2009) in that span. 

ALABAMA-MISSISSIPPI FOOTBALL CLASSIC SET FOR DEC. 11
Team Alabama puts its two-winning streak on the line Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the 24th Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic.

Players for both squads reported Monday for the annual event. Alabama won last year's contest 21-13 and holds a 16-8 edge in the series which began in 1988 with Alabama winning a thrilling 24-21 triple-overtime contest. The All-Star Classic was played in June from 1988-2007 and then moved to December in 2007, the only year two games were played.

Alabama has won four of the last five contests, 10 of the last 12 and 12 of the last 15.

Coach Fred Yancey of Briarwood Christian is the head coach for the Alabama squad. Louisville's M.C. Miller is serving as head coach for the Mississippi All-Stars.

Team Alabama added two new players to its roster on Monday when the players reported to USA-Brookley Center in Mobile. Receiver Jaylon Denson of Hoover, an Auburn commitment, stepped down from the squad for personal reasons and defensive back Christion Jones of Minor, an Alabama commitment, was removed from the squad due to an injury.

Replacing the two are defensive back Ellis May of McGill-Toolen Catholic in Mobile and tight end Kyreek Brown of Stanhope Elmore in Millbrook.

Stephen Rivers, a 6-7 senior from Athens and the younger brother of San Diego Chargers star Philip Rivers, is quarterbacking the Alabama team along with Jacob Coker of St. Paul's. Rivers has committed to LSU while the 6-5 Coker has committed to Florida State.