With the first three weeks of the 2022 season having officially passed in Alabama, now is a good time to look back at what we have seen so far. What we find are some teams who have struggled up to this point and some who have performed about as expected. Then there are some teams whose records may be a bit unforeseen. Here’s a look at seven Alabama high school football teams that are among the surprises of the early 2022 season.
7A – Tuscaloosa County
We begin in Class 7A with Tuscaloosa County, a Wildcats team that finished the 2021 season with a 1-9 record, as well as 0-7 in 7A-Region 3 play. The 2022 campaign for the Wildcats so far has been the exact opposite, however. Tuscaloosa County is off a 3-0 start (1-0 in 7A-Region 3 play), while having scored essentially the same amount of points as it did a year ago.
6A – Center Point
After a 9-4 season and a state quarterfinal appearance in Class 5A a year ago, Center Point is off to 3-0 start after reclassifying to 6A. Owning road wins over Jasper and Huffman, combined with a home victory over Aliceville, the Eagles are averaging a 45 PPG so far, in part due to the success on the ground from the duo of running back Troy Bruce Jr. and quarterback Jabari Collier.
5A – Williamson
Numerous teams from Class 5A are off to fast starts, including Moody, Gulf Shores, and Beauregard, but Williamson is a particularly notable surprise in 2022 After a 4-7 2021 season in which the Lions fell in the first round of the 4A playoffs, Williamson has almost equaled that win total as a member of Class 5A. They are currently 3-0, as well as 2-0 in region play.
4A – Deshler
Deshler finished the 2021 season with a 3-7 overall record, missing the Class 4A state playoffs in the process. The Tigers, however, are off to one of their best starts in recent years at 3-0, which includes wins over Russellville and West Limestone, two opponents whom they lost to a year ago, along with Madison Academy.
3A – Thomasville
After a 5-6 2021 season in which the Tigers fell in the first round of the 3A playoffs, Thomasville kicked off its 2022 campaign in late August with a dominant 34-0 win over defending 1A state champion Sweet Water. The Tigers enter Week 4 undefeated at 2-0, setting up an intriguing matchup against Hillcrest-Evergreen.
2A – West End
Class 2A is also a classification in which multiple teams are off to hot starts, but few stick out more than West End among early 2022 Alabama high school football surprises. After a 3-6 season a year ago, the Patriots have already equaled that win total in three weeks, outscoring. opponents by a combined 128-46 in the process.
1A – Linden
After winning the 2020 Class 1A state title, Linden had a down 2021, finishing the year with a 5-5 overall record. The Patriots, however, are among the Alabama high school football surprises so far in 2022. Their 3-0 mark includes wins over Choctaw County, Millry, and Keith.
