MONTGOMERY – High school football teams competing in the 2022 Alabama High School Athletic Association State Football Playoffs completed a wild and crazy third round this weekend with winners in classes 1A through 6A advancing to the state playoff semifinals on Friday, Nov. 25 at locations across the state.

The Class 7A and girls’ Flag football championship pairings have been set for the AHSAA 2022 Super 7 State Football Championships, however, with semifinals in those divisions concluding Friday.

Thompson High School, the Class 7A state champions in 2019, 2020 and 2021, clinched its fifth straight trip to the state finals with a 40-10 win over Hoover Friday night at the Hoover Met. The Warriors (10-3) of Coach Mark Freeman will take on Auburn (12-1), which beat Central-Phenix City 14-13. Both teams advanced to the finals beating teams that won their regions. Hoover downed Thompson 9-0 in the regular season to take the top seed in Region 3, and Central defeated Auburn, coached by Keith Etheredge, 38-17 in the regular season to capture the top seed in Region 2.

The AHSAA girls’ flag football program, now in its second season as an emerging sport, held semifinals earlier this week with Oxford (15-3) beating Vestavia Hills 18-6 and Auburn (14-1) shutting out Hoover 13-0.

AHSAA TV Network executive producer Vince Earley of WOTM TV announced Saturday at the AHSAA Playoff Coaches’ meeting that Class 4A Montgomery Catholic (13-0) versus Andalusia (12-1) set for Montgomery’s Cramton Bowl will be the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the Week. The game will also be featured live on the NFHS Network. The Knights won the Region 2 regular season championship with a 45-23 win over the Bulldogs. Catholic downed Handley Friday in the quarterfinals 21-14 and Andalusia battled back from a 21-0 halftime deficit to beat previously undefeated Anniston 35-28 to set up the rematch in the semifinals. The winner will meet either Cherokee County (11-2) or Oneonta (11-1). The two schools

finished tied with Etowah for the Region 2 title, but the Warriors won tie breaker to become region winner and No. 1 seed. Oneonta was the third seed.

Coach Phil Phillips’ Redskins made history in the quarterfinals with a 62-21 win over previously undefeated Deshler (12-1) to become the state’s all-time football wins leader. The victory was the school’s 719th since starting football in 1912. That pushed Oneonta (719-363-33 in 1,115 games) past previous leader T.R. Miller (718-331-30) to the top spot. The Redskins beat Cherokee County 17-14 in the regular season.

All twelve semifinal games in the remaining six boys’ classifications will be played Friday night with winners advancing to the Super 7 State Championships.

Classes 1A, 3A, and 5A will play championship games at Jordan-Hare Stadium Dec. 1, and Classes 2A, 4A, and 6A conclude the 2022 playoffs. The 3A finals kick off Thursday, Dec. 1 action at 11 a.m., followed by the 1A finals at 3 p.m., and the 5A championship at 7. Class 4A finals are set for Friday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m., with the 2A championship game at 3 p.m., and the 6A finals closing out the Super 7 at 7 p.m. All games will be televised over the AHSAA TV Network which now includes airing all finals over the Alabama Public Television (APTV) Network as well as being live streamed over the NFHS Network.

Only one defending state champion will be playing in the semifinals next week. Piedmont (11-2), last year’s 3A state champion, beat Gordo 27-14 in the quarterfinals and will host Sylvania (10-3) in a Class 3A, Region 6 rematch. The Bulldogs beat the Rams 40-7 in early September on the way to winning the region title. Two defending state champions that were beaten Friday night were Class 1A Sweet Water and Class 2A Clarke County. Millry (12-1) downed the Bulldogs 41-6 to set up a Class 1A, Region 1 rematch with Washington County rival Leroy (11-1) Friday. Highland Home (12-1) shut out Clarke County 19-0 and play B.B. Comer (11-2) Friday night at Legion Stadium at Sylacauga.

The complete semifinal pairings and round three results are listed below.

AHSAA 2022 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS SEMIFINAL PAIRINGS CLASS 1A

Leroy (11-1) at Millry (12-1)

Coosa Christian (9-4) at Pickens County (10-3), Reform

CLASS 2A

Highland Home (12-1) at B.B. Comer (11-2), Sylacauga

Pisgah (11-2) at Fyffe (13-0)

CLASS 3A

Saint James (11-2) at Mobile Christian (6-7)

Sylvania (10-3) at Piedmont (11-2)

CLASS 4A

Andalusia (12-1) at Montgomery Catholic (13-0)

Oneonta (11-1) at Cherokee County (11-2), Centre

CLASS 5A

Charles Henderson (11-1) at Faith Academy (11-2), Mobile

Pleasant Grove (11-1) at Ramsay (11-2), Birmingham

CLASS 6A

Saraland (12-1) at Theodore (13-0), Semmes

Mountain Brook (11-2) at Muscle Shoals (11-1)

2022 SUPER 7 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

At Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn University

(All Games televised live over the AHSAA/APTV Network and live streamed over the NFHS Network)

Wednesday, Nov. 30 Schedule

AHSAA GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL

Super 7 Finals

Oxford (15-3) vs. Auburn (14-1), 2 p.m.

BOYS’ SUPER 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS CLASS 7A

Thompson (10-3) vs. Auburn (12-1), 7 p.m.

Super 7 Championships

Thursday, Dec. 1 Schedule

CLASS 3A Finals, 11 a.m.

CLASS 1A Finals, 3 p.m.

CLASS 5A Finals, 7 p.m.

Super 7 Championships

Friday, Dec. 2 Schedule

CLASS 4A Finals, 11 a.m.

CLASS 2A Finals, 3 p.m.

CLASS 6A Finals, 7 p.m.

AHSAA 2022 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS Third-Round Results CLASS 1A

Leroy (11-1) 42, Brantley (10-3) 14

Millry (12-1) 41, Sweet Water (9-3) 6

Pickens County (10-3) 40, Marion County (9-4) 14

Coosa Christian (9-4) 46, Lynn (11-2) 29

CLASS 2A

B.B. Comer (11-2) 28, Reeltown (10-2) 22

Highland Home (12-1) 19, Clarke County (7-6) 0

Fyffe (13-0) 35, Tuscaloosa Academy (10-3) 7

Pisgah (11-2) 26, Aliceville (11-2) 22

CLASS 3A

Saint James (11-2) 40, Thomasville (9-4) 15

Mobile Christian (6-7) 27, Pike County (8-4) 7

Sylvania (10-3) 27, Geraldine (8-5) 7

Piedmont (11-2) 27, Gordo (11-2) 14

CLASS 4A

Andalusia (12-1) 35, Anniston (11-1) 28

Montgomery Catholic (13-0) 21, Handley (11-2) 14

Oneonta (11-1) 62, Deshler (12-1) 21

Cherokee County (11-2) 35, Randolph (10-3) 21

CLASS 5A

Faith Academy (11-2) 20, Gulf Shores (11-2) 14

Charles Henderson (11-1) 19, UMS-Wright (12-1) 16

Pleasant Grove (11-1) 41, Arab (11-2) 38 (2 OT)

Ramsay (11-2) 27, Leeds (10-2) 19

CLASS 6A

Saraland (12-1) 57, Homewood (10-3) 56 (OT)

Theodore (13-0) 28, St. Paul’s Episcopal (7-6) 0

Mountain Brook (11-2) 49, Hartselle (12-1) 30

Muscle Shoals (11-1) 38, Gardendale (9-4) 7

CLASS 7A Semifinals

Auburn (12-1) 14, Central-Phenix City (10-3) 13

Thompson (10-3) 40, Hoover (11-2) 10

AHSAA GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL Semifinals

Auburn 13, Hoover 0

Oxford 18, Vestavia Hills 6