Ranking the top 7 Alabama high school football programs of all time

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, AL.com will explore the best of high school sports in Alabama. This week, we look back at some of the best football programs of all time. We hope you join the conversation.

Who has the greatest high school football program in the state of Alabama?

Let the debate begin.

AL.com analyzed the list based on certain criteria that included overall wins, state titles, head coach pedigree and top players.

Here is our countdown of the top seven programs of all time.

Readers have their chance to vote for their No. 1 program at the bottom.

7. Thompson

The Warriors, under coach Mark Freeman, have become the state’s most successful large-school team in the last decade. Thompson became the first team to win four straight Class 7A state titles from 2019-2022. The Warriors have played for the last six 7A state titles. Since 2017, Freeman’s team has racked up an 84-10 record and hasn’t lost more than three games in a single season. The Warriors also have produced a bevy of future college players during that time including QB Taulia Tagovailoa, DL Peter Woods, QB Conner Harrell, WR Ryan Peppins and LB Jeremiah Alexander.

6. UMS-Wright

Head coach Terry Curtis has the most wins in AHSAA history (355), the last 278 of which – along with 8 state titles – have come as head coach of the Bulldogs. The team has nine state titles overall – the first coming in 1987 and the last one coming in 2019. UMS has made the playoffs in each of Curtis’ 25 years as head coach, including a run of three straight 4A state titles from 2017-2019. Top players have included Jay Prosch, Brandon Gibson, Preston Dial, Chris Dukes, Cole Blaylock, Will Breland, Symon Smith and Troy Dixon.

5. Courtland

Courtland won three straight state titles from 1988-1990 and five overall from 1988-1999 before the name of the school was changed to R.A. Hubbard in 2004. The Courtland teams in the late 1980s were legendary, dominating 1A competition and playing any large school that would play in the regular season. Coach Louis White went 181-83 overall and 45-14 in the playoffs. He had a 56-19 region record. The team’s top players included Louis’ sons, Laron and Kelvis. The team hasn’t been nearly as successful since the name change, but the domination of the 80s and 90s was impressive.

4. Clay County/Central-Clay

Clay County won six state titles from 1994-2005 before merging with rival Lineville to become Central-Clay County following the 2011 season. The Volunteers added titles in 2018 and 2019. Hall of Fame coach Danny Horn has been the key to both runs. At Clay County, he went 225-40 in 20 years and won 53 of 66 playoff games. In six years since returning to take over Central, he is 64-14 with a 14-4 playoff record.

3. Fyffe

No team has had more success in the past decade than the Fyffe Red Devils. Paul Benefield’s squad has won seven state titles since 2014, including three in a row from 2018-2020. The Red Devils have won at least 11 games in each season since 2011. That run includes six 15-0 seasons. Benefield is a remarkable 306-45 in 27 years as the coach and has a 63-19 playoff record. His top players have included Logan Anderson, Austin Stiefel, Ike Rowell and Tucker Wilks.

2. Hazlewood

Hazlewood dominated the 80s and early 1990s with stars like Pierre Goode, Antonio Langham, Montoya Madden, Chris Hood and Courtney Rose. Between 1980 and 2002, three coaches (David Hogan, Jackie Ferguson and Rickey Johnson) combined to go 255-46. The team won nine of its 11 state titles during that span and was ranked in 212 of a possible 222 Top 10 polls. The school closed in 2008 and was consolidated into Courtland/R.A. Hubbard.

1. Hoover

Hoover (formerly Berry High) owns 13 state titles and dominated most of the 2000s under former coaches Rush Propst and Josh Niblett. Those two combined to win 11 state titles from 2000-2017. Surprisingly, the Bucs have had just one Mr. Football (QB Jarod Bryant in 2004) but have had multiple class players of the year including QB John Parker Wilson, WR Chad Jackson, WR Cornelius Williams and OL Ryan Pugh. Other former Bucs include Marlon Humphrey, George Pickens and Rob Selby. The program has won 74 percent of its games in 62 years.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association and the Alabama High School Football Historical Society contributed statistical information to this report.

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