Approaching the midway point of the 2023 Alabama high school football season, we offer our midseason predictions of state title favorites, beginning with Class 7A.
7A – Thompson Warriors
While the Central-Phenix City Red Devils are off to a noteworthy start to the year, it’s hard to not pick Thompson, which has won the last four 7A state titles, as one of the 2023 favorites in Alabama high school football. The Warriors are off to a 3-0 start, with victories over a trio of 7A programs: Opelika, Vestavia Hills, and Spain Park.
6A – Saraland Spartans
Programs such as Clay-Chalkville, Parker, and more have also impressed so far, but defending state champion Saraland has done nothing to this point to lose the label of state title favorite. Sitting undefeated at 4-0, including a 31-30 overtime win against Lipscomb Academy (TN), the Spartans have one of the state’s most talented offenses. They’re led by Ryan Williams and KJ Lacey, among others, and are averaging 45.3 PPG through four games.
5A – Ramsay Rams
Yet another defending state champion, Ramsay is likely the midseason state title favorite in 5A. The Rams sit at 3-1 on the year, having defeated Hueytown, Jasper, and Pleasant Grove, with their only loss coming to Parker, 20-17.
4A – Andalusia Bulldogs
Class 4A is probably a toss-up between Andalusia and Montgomery Catholic at the moment; our pick goes to the defending champion Bulldogs. Andalusia certainly can make a case as the classification’s most impressive team so far. The Bulldogs are 4-0 after outscoring opponents a combined 187-14.
3A – Saint James Trojans
A few other programs are also possible here, but the pick goes to defending state champion Saint James. The Trojans sit at 3-1, with their lone loss coming at the hands of 4A’s Handley, 55-27l. Their offense is averaging an impressive 47 PPG behind quarterback KJ Jackson.
2A – Highland Home Flying Squadron
The first non-defending state champion on this list is Class 2A’s Highland Home, which gets the nod over programs such as B.B. Comer, Fyffe, and more. Highland Home is 4-0 so far, with victories over Providence Christian, Ariton, Goshen, and Lanett.
1A – Leroy Bears
While other programs such as Elba and Pickens County have also impressed, it’s hard to pick against defending state champion Leroy. The undefeated Bears (3-0) have wins over Clarke County, McIntosh, and Choctaw County, and they have outscored their opponents a combined 115-19 in those games.
AISA 3A – Glenwood Gators
The pick for AISA 3A was decided just this past Friday night, as Glenwood defeated defending state champion Lee-Scott by a final score of 42-31. Glenwood (5-0) owns victories over Fort Dale, Bessemer, and Lee-Scott so far this season, as well as St. Anne-Pacelli and Georgia’s Brookstone.
AISA 2A – Chambers Rebels
Another toss-up comes in AISA 2A, where Chambers gets the nod at the moment. The Rebels sit at 4-1 with wins over Heritage (GA), Edgewood, Crenshaw Christian, and Banks, on the strength of an offense that’s averaging an impressive 40 PPG.
AISA 1A – Lowndes Rebels
We wrap up our predictions for 2023 Alabama high school football state title favorites with AISA 1A, where Lowndes is favored to repeat as state champions. The Rebels (4-0) have been one of Alabama’s most dominant teams among all classifications, outscoring opponents a combined 156-0.
