Deshler (Tuscumbia) senior defensive back
Jamel Morris notched his 15th interception of the season in the Tigers' 55-22 Class 4A second-round state football playoff win last week.
That moves him to within three picks of the single season state record set by Blount's Darnell Hawkins in 14 games in 1992. Pervis Key of Courtland (1999), Jamie Sanders of Brilliant (1991) and Quinton Craig of Tarrant (1987) each had 17 in a season, and Greg Hoven of Oak Grove had 16 in 12 games in 1983.
Deshler (10-2) goes to Anniston (10-2) Friday night for a quarterfinal battle. Eight teams in each classification advanced from round two.
Click here to view MaxPreps' Alabama football playoff brackets.Four games are scheduled in each of the AHSAA's six classifications with winners advancing to the semifinals next week. The Super 6 state finals will be played Thursday and Friday, Dec. 2-3, at Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The headliner could be the only battle of unbeatens – set to take place in Class 4A at
Thomasville where the top-ranked Tigers (12-0) host undefeated
Dadeville (12-0). Rounding out the 4A contests are
Bibb County (Centreville) (11-1) at
Escambia County (Atmore) (9-3) and
North Jackson (Stevenson) (12-0) at
Fayette County (Fayette) (10-2).
Fayette coach Waldon Tucker will be going for the 310-win of his prep coaching career. Escambia, a fourth seed, pulled the state's biggest upset last week with a 22-21 win over Jackson at the Aggies' Legion Stadium.
Recruiting fanatics will be in for a treat at
Spanish Fort with
Hueytown (10-2) and fantastic junior quarterback
Jameis Winston taking on the Toros (10-2) and senior quarterback Ameriol Finley. Both are great runners and passers and will likely wind up in the SEC in the near future.
Other unbeaten teams and their matchups this week include:
* Class 1A – Maplesville (12-0) at
Linden (11-1).
* Class 2A – Cottonwood (12-0) at
Leroy (11-1) and
Tanner (11-0) at defending champion
Reeltown (Notasulga) (11-1).
* Class 3A – Leeds (12-0) at
Bayside Academy (Daphne) and
Hamilton (12-0) hosting
Madison Academy (10-2).
* Class 5A – Fort Payne (12-0) at
Briarwood Christian (Birmingham) (11-1).
* Class 6A – Wetumpka (10-1) at
Daphne (12-0) and
Hoover (12-0) at
Clay-Chalkville (Pinson) (9-3). Hoover will be riding a 19-game winning streak into the quarterfinals.
Conspicuously missing from the 6A quarterfinals is Prattville. The Lions, who fell to Wetumpka 26-23 in overtime last week, have reached the state finals every year but one (2005) since 2004. The Lions won titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and lost to Hoover in last year's finals. The last time the Lions failed to reach the quarterfinals was in 2000.
