Southern powers Hoover (Ala.) and South Panola (Miss.) to face off

What do perennial state high school football champions normally have in common? Finding quality opponents to play.

That's a big reason Hoover (Ala.) and South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) have agreed to open the season with each other in 2011 and 2012 with home-and-home contests.

The Bucs have won 6A titles in Alabama six times this decade (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009).

South Panola won the Mississippi big-school title in 2009, 2007, 2006,2005, 2004 and 2003. 

Hoover hosts Mountain Brook in the 6A semifinals at Regions Park Friday night, and South Panola goes to Madison-Central in the semifinals of the MHSAA state playoffs Nov. 26 as well.

O'Neal captures 200th win in quarterfinal win

Jackie O'Neal was a young assistant coach at Reeltown (Notasulga) when the Rebels clinched the 1987 Class 2A state championship. That win proved to be the last for veteran Reeltown head coach Duane Webster. The legendary coach retired after that championship with a career 218-93-9 record.

O'Neal took over the next season – and now 23 years later, the Reeltown Rebels are still going strong as the defending Class 2A state champions after going 14-1 last year to capture the 2009 crown. O'Neal's Rebels are 12-1 this year with 12 wins in a row after a 34-0 rout of previously unbeaten Tanner last week. He is currently 200-89 with two state titles and three runner-up finishes in the state playoffs.

Reeltown will host Region 6 rival Lineville (10-3) Friday night in the AHSAA Class semifinals.

A total of 12 games are scheduled this Friday with all winners advancing to the Super 6 State Championships at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium on Dec. 2-3. The pairings include: Class 1A, Linden (12-1) at Sweet Water (10-3) and R.A. Hubbard (12-1) at Parrish (10-3); Class 2A: Leroy (12-1) at American Christian (12-1) and Lineville (10-3) at Reeltown (12-1); Class 3A: Leeds (13-0) goes to Gordo (12-1) and Hamilton (13-0) travels to defending champion Piedmont (12-1); Class 4A: Bibb County (12-1) hosts Thomasville (13-0) and Deshler (11-2) hosts North Jackson (13-0); Class 5A: Spanish Fort (11-2) at McAdory (11-2) and Briarwood Christian (12-1) at Hartselle (12-1); Class 6A: Daphne (13-0) hosts Davidson (12-1) and defending champion Hoover (13-0) puts its 20-game winning streak on the line at Regions Park against Region 6 rival Mountain Brook (11-2).

See Alabama football playoff bracket.

Former Spain Park coach claims AISA title

Vince Di Lorenzo, who guided Gadsden City to the AHSAA Class 5A state football championship in 1986 and later left to start the now powerful Spain Park High School football program in Hoover, has done it again.

Di Lorenzo took over Coosa Valley Academy's struggling football program two years ago and quickly built the Rebels into one of the Alabama Independent School Association's finest small-school squads.

Last Friday at Troy University's Veterans Stadium, he watched as Coosa Valley Academy (Harpersville) quarterback John Bullen completed 15-of-30 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 35-20 win over Sumter Academy in the AISA Class A state finals.

Coosa Valley (11-2) jumped to a 28-7 halftime lead and then cruised to the state title.

Edgewood Academy-Elmore (12-2) of Millrook blanked Springwood of Lanett, 41-0, to claim the AISA Class AAA state title at Troy, and Fort Dale Academy (10-3) of Greenville beat Monroe Academy (12-1) in the Class AA finals 49-20 – reeling off 28 straight points in the second half.

Class of 2011 AHSAA Hall of Fame announced

Fayette County (Fayette, Ala.) football coach Waldon Tucker and boys basketball coaches Joe Belyeu of Coosa-Central and long time Sumter County (York, Ala.) coach Johnny Patrick headline the Class of 2011 for the Alabama High School Athletic Association's Sports Hall of Fame.

Twelve major contributors make up the 21st class to be inducted into the AHSAA Hall of Fame. The induction banquet will be held at the Renaissance Center in Montgomery March 21.

Tucker became the state's winningest high school coach earlier this year when Fayette County beat Haleyville to give the legendary coach his 303rd career win and moved him past retired Luverne coach Glenn Daniel.

Tucker and the Tigers saw their Class 4A state championship hopes come to and end last week when North Jackson (13-0) beat the Tigers (10-3) in the state playoff quarterfinals. Tucker, who said earlier this season that 2010 would likely be his last, is now 309-126-3 overall. Tucker has won state titles at Gordo (1980) and Fayette County (1996). The Tigers finished 15-0 in the 1996 Super 6 state championship march.

Belyeu has compiled a 526-223 boys basketball coaching record, first at Goodwater and for the last two decades at Central-Coosa. His teams won state titles in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2004.

He has the rare distinction of coaching two players who squared off on opposite sides in Super Bowl XLII. Adalius Thomas and Justin Tuck, star forwards for Belyeu's Cougars, played for the New England Patriots and New York Giants, respectively. Thomas played collegiately at Southern Miss and Tuck at Notre Dame.

Patrick, who retired in Alabama and is currently coaching in Lauderdale County, Miss., became one of the state's premier boys basketball coaches from 1972-2004 where his teams were 497-124 with five state championships (1988, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2004). 

Joining the trio in the Class of 2011 are veteran contest official Tony Baggiano; boys basketball coaches George Hatchett and Gerald "Jerry" Weems; former girls basketball coach and current AHSAA Assistant Director Wanda Gilliland; baseball and cross country coach William "Bill" Murrell; track and cross country coach Jim Tate; football coaches Lester Smith and Lyle Underwood; and contributor Doug Barfield, former head coach at Auburn University and a very successful high school coach as well. Barfield has served in several capacities with the AHSAA including working in marketing.

Tate, the long-time St. Paul's High School track and cross country coach, has won more state championships than any other coach in AHSAA history.He has a total of 90 currently including a national record 16 consecutive girls state cross country championships from 1983-1998. He has also guided St. Paul's to 40 state runner-up finishes in track and cross country. He is a former Airborne U.S. Army Captain who earned the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for his service in Viet Nam.

Weems has compiled a 536-382 basketball coaching record with two boys titles in 1990 and 1991. Two of his players, Billy Ross (3,383 points) and later his son Lance Weems (3,660 points), finished their careers as the state's career scoring leaders before having outstanding careers at Appalachian State and Auburn, respectively. Weems also served as defensive coordinator for the Clay County football team that set a state record with 55 wins in a row from 1994-1997. His 1994 defensive unit set a state record (including playoffs) with only 22 points allowed in 15 games.

Basketball produces early buzzer-beaters

Calhoun (Letohatchee), a Class 2A power from Letohatchee in Lowndes County, downed Class 5A Greenville 81-80 last week when Devel Goldsmith hit the game-winning shot with 0:01 left to play. He finished with 13 points.
Terez Patton's 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left also lifted Lee (Montgomery) to a 76-73 win over Opelika.