High School State Champs

Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama was for many years the site of the Iron Bowl, the annual clash between state ultra-rivals Auburn and ‘Bama. The Tide and War Eagles have moved to a home-and-home series, but that doesn’t mean the legendary Legion lies fallow. Saturday afternoon, it will host the Alabama state championship, and Hoover High is back in its accustomed place in the final.

Josh Niblett is in command, and has his team back in the groove. The Buccaneers lost an early encounter with one of Georgia’s best pigskin sides, but since then have reeled off eleven straight wins. If they can get to a dozen, they will be 6A champs once again, after taking a sabbatical after the six in a row run that ended in 2005.

It won’t be easy, though—the opponent is another perennial power, these dudes. The Lions are defensive monsters, and have 12 on the trot themselves, their only loss being an encounter with defending Ohio state champs St. Xavier. They are defensive monsters, responding to the St. X loss with five straight shutouts, and have pitched seven clean slates overall. The key will be Hoover’s running game—if the Bucs can establish something on the ground, which few have been able to do against the 11th ranked team in the MaxPreps national countdown, they have a good chance at the W.

Over in South Carolina, another state title game will be played simultaneously—Byrnes of Duncan, the 6th ranked squad in the nation, will go for its second straight 4A-I championship at Death Valley in Clemson. Last week, the Rebels avenged their only loss in two seasons by smacking this school 24-13 to advance to the championship game. The opponent is the rep from the city where the Civil War began, Sumter.

Byrnes has been a team that has been toughened by out of state competition, beating a pair of Florida schools and one from Georgia this season. The Fighting Gamecocks, their title game opposition, have played an in-state schedule only. Saturday’s game will be a small referendum on the wisdom of scheduling toughies from across the border.

The #1 team in MaxPreps, and leading contender for best team in the country (mythical division), St. Thomas Aquinas, continues to cruise toward the Florida state championship. Next up, the quarterfinals, and a date with this school, who will try to stop the Raider machine, seemingly on an unstoppable route toward another 5A title.

The Ft. Lauderdale powerhouse is waxing the opposition by an average score of 45.7 to 6.8 this season, and only a top school from Ohio scored more than 10 points on them. Oddly, there have been several Raiders to commit to the Big 10, including this stud, who will be a Buckeye next fall. This junior might be STA’s best player, however, a slasher who will be a fixture on Saturday highlight shows starting in 2010. Arch-rivals Lakeland High is also into the round of 8, and should the two schools square off for the title, we’ll have to head down to the Sunshine State for a live report for you.

That’s in 5A—in 6A, Miami Northwestern is also in the state quarterfinals, despite losing most of its title team from 2007 to The U. The Bulls advanced after a scintillating 36-32 win in the Round of 16 over a long-time Miami rival. Another is on tap, and though MNW is young, don’t bet against another crown for Billy Rolle’s crew.

Deep inahearta, Katy’s Tigers were expected to likewise fall off from the level of last season’s Texas 5A Div. 2 championship team, but here they come again. Quarterfinals there too, as Katy battles for a spot in the semis. It’s been a 42-7, 51-10, 38-7 cakewalk thus far through the playoffs for the Stripes, but this week should be a tougher test.

Long Beach Poly’s Jackrabbits are making their way through the playoff competition out west, although the games have been much closer than those of their southern brethren. Next up, a battle with the Lancers from this school. It’s a battle for the CIF Southern Section finals.

In Georgia, the favorites to repeat didn’t. Lowndes’ luck ran out. Georgia’s defending 5A champs couldn’t get it done in ’08, bowing out in the state quarterfinals, 17-7 to this squad of giant-killers. The Vikes 17-game playoff win streak is now kaput.