MOBILE, Ala. — Sixteen high schools from Mobile and Baldwin counties will open the AHSAA girls flag football playoffs next week, a larger local contingent than in past seasons in a sport that has grown rapidly along the Gulf Coast. First-round games begin Tuesday, Nov. 3, and for the first time the road to a state title will end at home: all four championship games will be played Dec. 1 at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.
The number of area schools fielding flag football teams has climbed over the past year, and interest in the sport has followed. With more programs and more players, the talent level has risen, and more local teams than ever have earned spots in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) state playoffs.
Four classifications, double the champions
This fall’s postseason looks different from previous years. The AHSAA reclassified its member schools this year and, for the first time, separated public and private schools when deciding state championships. In flag football, that change doubled the number of classifications from two to four.
Three public school champions will be crowned, in Class 1A-4A, Class 5A and Class 6A. A fourth title will go to the winner of a single private school bracket that combines Class A and Class AA programs.
The flag football finals will share a stage with the tackle football state championships, which are also coming to Hancock Whitney Stadium this year. Hancock Whitney Stadium, which opened on the South Alabama campus in 2020, is home to the Jaguars’ football program.
Flag football playoffs: Area teams in the field
The 16 local qualifiers span every classification:
- Class 1A-4A: Vigor, LeFlore and Satsuma
- Class 5A: Blount, Spanish Fort, Baldwin County and Theodore
- Class 6A: Alma Bryant, Baker, Mary G. Montgomery, Robertsdale, Daphne and Fairhope
- Private A-AA: Mobile Christian, McGill-Toolen and St. Michael
Class 6A has an expanded field this season. Six teams from each region advance to the playoffs instead of the usual four, and the top two seeds in each region receive first-round byes. In the local region, Fairhope earned the No. 1 seed and Daphne the No. 2 seed, so both will wait until Nov. 10 to play.
In the private school bracket, St. Michael also earned a first-round bye.
Class 1A-4A first round
All three local teams in the smallest public school classification play Tuesday. Vigor goes on the road, while LeFlore and Satsuma play at home:
- Vigor at Brewbaker Tech, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.
- Holtville at LeFlore, Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m.
- Marbury at Satsuma, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.
Class 5A first round
Spanish Fort, the Class 5A, Region 1 champion, enters the playoffs as one of the area’s hottest teams. The Toros had won 12 straight games as of last week, including a 33-12 win over Blount, which also qualified for the postseason. Two of the four local Class 5A teams will host first-round games:
- Blount at Homewood, Nov. 3, 5 p.m.
- Pelham at Spanish Fort, Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m.
- Hueytown at Baldwin County, Nov. 3, 5 p.m.
- Theodore at Helena, Nov. 3, 5 p.m.
Class 6A first round
The largest local group comes from Class 6A, where six area teams qualified. Fairhope, which was 12-1 and ranked eighth in the state’s Large Schools poll as of last week, and Daphne, which was 10-2 after a shutout at Saraland, earned the region’s top two seeds. Alma Bryant and Mary G. Montgomery will host first-round games, while Baker and Robertsdale travel.
- Opelika at Alma Bryant, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.
- Baker at Auburn, Nov. 3, 5 p.m.
- Carver-Montgomery at Mary G. Montgomery, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.
- Robertsdale at Enterprise, Nov. 3, 4 p.m.
- Fairhope vs. Robertsdale-Enterprise winner, Nov. 10, time TBA
- Daphne vs. Baker-Auburn winner, Nov. 10, time TBA
Because the bye teams face the winners of local first-round games, there is a chance of all-Baldwin County or Mobile-Baldwin matchups in the second round. If Robertsdale wins at Enterprise, it would meet Baldwin County neighbor Fairhope on Nov. 10. If Baker wins at Auburn, it would face Daphne.
Private A-AA first round
All three local private schools play in Private School, Region 1, which is the smallest region in the classification. McGill-Toolen travels to Phenix City, while first-year program Mobile Christian hosts a playoff game:
- McGill-Toolen at Glenwood (Phenix City), Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m.
- Northside Methodist at Mobile Christian, Nov. 3, 6 p.m.
- St. Michael vs. McGill-Toolen-Glenwood winner, Nov. 10, time TBA
Mobile Christian’s postseason berth caps a remarkable first season. The Leopards nearly did not field a team this year; the program began when the school’s athletics director circulated a sign-up sheet, and the roster that remained was made up largely of freshmen and middle school students with no seniors.
If McGill-Toolen wins at Glenwood, it would meet region rival St. Michael in the second round. Glenwood is also St. Michael’s first-round opponent in the tackle football playoffs, where the Cardinals are scheduled to host Glenwood.
Championship day in Mobile
The four state title games will be played back to back on Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Hancock Whitney Stadium:
- 10 a.m.: Private A-AA championship
- 1 p.m.: Class 1A-4A championship
- 4 p.m.: Class 5A championship
- 7 p.m.: Class 6A championship
Playing the finals in Mobile gives Gulf Coast families a rare chance to watch state championship games without a long trip, and it rewards a region where participation in the sport has surged. With 16 local teams in the field, the area has a realistic chance of sending at least one team to play for a title in its own backyard.
A fast-growing sport
Girls flag football is one of the newest sports sanctioned by the AHSAA, and it has spread quickly through schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties. New programs, including Mobile Christian’s, joined the ranks this fall, and established teams such as Spanish Fort, Fairhope and Daphne have built strong local rivalries.
The growth has also produced standout individual performances this season. Spanish Fort junior quarterback K.C. Slaton accounted for four touchdowns in the win over Blount, and Alma Bryant’s Danejah Foster set her school’s single-season rushing record earlier this fall.
How fans can follow along
First-round games are played on the home field of the higher seed. Fans planning to attend should check with the host school for ticket and parking details, and the AHSAA posts brackets and results on its website as the postseason unfolds. Times for the Nov. 10 second-round games will be announced once first-round results are final.
