High school football returned to Alabama Thursday night, and it delivered a little bit of everything — a marquee statewide showcase, a coastal rivalry decided in the final two minutes, weather delays that suspended multiple games, and a coaching change that landed just one day before kickoff.
The headline attraction was the AHSAA Kickoff Classic in Phenix City, where new coach Cody Flournoy’s Central-Phenix City Red Devils hosted reigning Class 7A state champion Thompson. On the Eastern Shore, rivals Daphne and Spanish Fort met for the 14th California Dreaming Bowl, while Parker traveled to face Vestavia Hills and Benjamin Russell was scheduled to meet Alabama quarterback commit Kingston Preyear and Mae Jemison in Huntsville.
Thompson Rolls Past Central-Phenix City in Kickoff Classic
Thompson dominated the second half of the AHSAA Kickoff Classic to beat Central-Phenix City 41-14, a rematch of last fall’s Class 7A state semifinal, which Thompson also won, 35-34.
The first half was tight. Central sophomore Braylen Averett hauled in a 43-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 14-14, and receiver Mike Bass made a highlight-reel catch to help set up another Red Devils score. But Thompson answered before halftime on a fourth-down touchdown pass from Trent Seaborn to CJ Cowley, taking a 21-14 lead into the break. At the half, Alabama commit Seaborn was 9-of-14 for 198 yards and three touchdowns, while Georgia State commit Bobby Coleman was 9-of-14 for 148 yards and a score for Central.
From there, it was all Thompson. The Warriors scored on their opening drive of the third quarter and kept adding to the lead, eventually holding Central to just 3:47 of possession time in the second half. Cowley added another touchdown run in the fourth quarter as Thompson pulled away for the 27-point win.
Spanish Fort Stuns Rival Daphne in California Dreaming Bowl
On the coast, Spanish Fort pulled off an upset over rival Daphne, winning 18-15 in the 14th edition of the California Dreaming Bowl and improving to 13-1 all-time in the series. The Toros outgained Daphne 354-188 in total yardage despite fielding a roster with just five seniors.
The game started slowly after a lightning delay pushed back kickoff. Spanish Fort led 3-0 at halftime on a 25-yard field goal from Zach Megie — the only points of a first half in which the Toros outgained Daphne 100-69. Spanish Fort coach Chase Smith, who returned to coaching after a health scare earlier this month, called the game from the press box.
Daphne, led by South Alabama commit Christian Segar, took its first lead of the night in the third quarter when Myles Hankins returned an interception for a touchdown, making it 9-3 after a missed extra point. Spanish Fort answered when JJ Thibodeaux capped a long drive with a short touchdown run, putting the Toros back on top 10-9. Daphne retook the lead 15-10 early in the fourth quarter on a Segar touchdown pass, though a two-point try failed.
Spanish Fort then drove the length of the field in the closing minutes, with Thibodeaux converting a fourth-down run to reach the Daphne 9-yard line. With 1:39 left, Thibodeaux scored on a 9-yard touchdown run and added the two-point conversion to put Spanish Fort up 18-15. Daphne got the ball back for one final chance, but Segar was intercepted on fourth down near midfield to seal the win for the Toros.
Vestavia Hills Handles Parker; Weather Wreaks Havoc Elsewhere
Vestavia Hills built an early lead behind multiple touchdowns from Charlie Taaffe and held off Parker for a 32-14 win.
Weather was the story in several other games. In Huntsville, the Benjamin Russell-Mae Jemison matchup at Alabama A&M was postponed after a transformer blew near the stadium, leaving it too dark to play; coaches hope to reschedule the game for a Week 10 open date for both teams. Nearby, North Jackson led Grissom 19-6 late in the first half when that game was suspended for the night amid repeated lightning delays; it is expected to resume in Week 11. Elsewhere around the state, East Limestone at Ardmore and Elkmont at Tanner were both postponed to Friday, and Lauderdale County at Lexington was delayed deep into the night before resuming the second half shortly after 10 p.m.
Other Opening Night Storylines
St. John Paul II opened its season against Whitesburg Christian just a day after coach Kevin Creehan resigned, saying the job was “no longer the right fit” for him. Whitesburg Christian went on to win big, leading 35-0 when that game was called.
Earlier in the day, the two-time defending national champion Central-Phenix City flag football team opened its season with a 38-0 win over Montgomery Catholic, extending its winning streak to 58 straight games.
In other statewide news that shaped the week leading into the opener, the AHSAA’s Central Board of Control voted Wednesday to lift restrictive probation from the Pell City football program, restoring the Panthers’ playoff eligibility.
Thursday’s Final Scores
- Thompson 41, Central-Phenix City 14
- Spanish Fort 18, Daphne 15
- Vestavia Hills 32, Parker 14
- American Christian 28, Northridge 14
- Carroll-Ozark 31, Rehobeth 24
- Childersburg 35, B.B. Comer 6
- Cleburne Co. 21, Etowah 0
- Cleveland 37, Susan Moore 0
- Cordova 48, Oakman 7
- Gaston 36, Spring Garden 12
- Greenville 44, Hillcrest-Evergreen 20
- Hope-Oxford 48, Donoho 7
- Huffman 41, Hazel Green 3
- Ider 34, Valley Head 0
- Lincoln 36, Talladega 29
- Ramsay 35, Jackson-Olin 13
- Randolph 47, Pisgah 0
- St. Clair Co. 34, Gardendale 7
- Thorsby 46, Jemison 20
- Trinity 26, Bibb Co. 16
- Wadley 46, Horseshoe Bend 13
- Whitesburg Chr. 35, St. John Paul 0
Postponed or suspended: Benjamin Russell at Mae Jemison (postponed, date to be announced); East Limestone at Ardmore and Elkmont at Tanner (both postponed to Friday); North Jackson at Grissom (suspended, to resume Week 11); and Lauderdale Co. at Lexington, which resumed its second half at 10:10 p.m. after a weather delay.