Preseason Preview: Loaded Private Double-A Region Set for Year One Under New AHSAA Classification
A weekly region-preview series closed out its 2026 coverage with a look at the new Private Double-A Region 1, led by St. Michael, UMS-Wright, McGill-Toolen and other Mobile-area programs.
A new era of high school football begins this fall as the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s realignment separating public and private schools for state championship purposes creates the Private Double-A classification for the first time. A weekly region-preview series wrapped up its 2026 preseason coverage with a look at the loaded eight-team region, which includes St. Michael, UMS-Wright, St. Paul’s, McGill-Toolen, Faith Academy, Glenwood, Montgomery Catholic and Houston Academy.
With championship tradition running throughout the classification, the preview found no clear-cut easy path to the postseason. One of the top storylines centers on McGill-Toolen, where seniors Bo Miller and Davis Fisher are competing for the starting quarterback job. Programs across the region will also be tested by a demanding schedule, with some teams facing more than 20 hours of travel over the course of the season.
The preview identified the teams to watch as the classification opens its first season, with several programs bringing deep postseason experience into a region where any given week could decide playoff positioning.
How the new classification came about
The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Central Board approved the reclassification in January 2026 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years. Under the new alignment, public schools compete in Classes 1A through 6A, while private schools are placed in separate Private Single-A and Private Double-A classifications and crown their own state champions.
