High school basketball teams across Mobile and Baldwin counties are shifting into the most unforgiving stretch of the season this week as the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs move from area tournaments into sub-regional and regional competition.
For Class 1A through 6A programs, that means sub-regional games on Monday and Tuesday, with the surviving teams advancing into regional play beginning Thursday. Class 7A schools skip the sub-regional round entirely and jump straight into regional tournament games on Thursday. From this point forward, the format is single elimination — win and the season continues, lose and it’s over.
The regional round is set for Feb. 18-25, with later rounds shifting to neutral sites in Montgomery, Hanceville and Jacksonville. Teams that survive regional play will advance to the state’s Final Four, scheduled for Feb. 26 through March 5 in Birmingham, with games split between Bill Harris Arena and UAB’s Bartow Arena.
Several area programs kept their championship hopes alive by getting through the area tournament round, and a full slate of games is on tap over the coming days for local fans.
In Class 7A, regional play tips off Thursday with Smiths Station traveling to Fairhope, Murphy heading to Auburn, Jeff Davis visiting Mary G. Montgomery and Davidson taking on Enterprise, all with 6:30 p.m. tipoffs on the opening night. A second round of Class 7A regional matchups follows, also Thursday at 6:30 p.m., pitting Central-Phenix City against Foley, Fairhope against Auburn, Dothan against Baker and Theodore against Enterprise.
Class 6A sub-regional action features Robertsdale traveling to Saraland and McGill-Toolen facing Spanish Fort, both Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Those winners will turn around quickly, with a Spanish Fort-McGill-Toolen rematch set for Monday at 4 p.m. and Blount facing Gulf Shores Monday at 6 p.m. in the next round of sub-regional play.
In Class 5A, St. Paul’s hosts LeFlore and B.C. Rain visits Faith Academy on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Those games set up a busy Monday slate as well, with Elberta traveling to St. Paul’s at 6 p.m. and UMS-Wright facing LeFlore at 6:30 p.m.
Class 4A play sends Vigor to Jackson on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., while Williamson faces Jackson on Monday at 6:30 p.m. Vigor has already secured a bye into the next round.
Class 3A sub-regional matchups include Flomaton at Cottage Hill Christian and Chickasaw at Hillcrest-Evergreen, both Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The following round has Flomaton facing Bayside Academy and Cottage Hill Christian squaring off against T.R. Miller, both Monday at 6:30 p.m.
In Class 2A, Washington County travels to Orange Beach on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., with the two programs meeting again in reverse Monday at 6:30 p.m. when Orange Beach visits Washington County. Also in Class 2A, Clarke County faces St. Luke’s on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
With the postseason now down to single-elimination games, coaches across the area have stressed the importance of the coming week, when depth, foul trouble and a hot shooting night can end a season in an instant. Fans are encouraged to check with individual schools for any changes to tipoff times or ticket policies ahead of the games.