ACA Patriots

The ACA Patriots earned their first win of the 2021 season, beating the Greensboro Raiders 34-20

Week 2 still doesn’t feature any region matchups, but several hyper-local showdowns will determine bragging rights for the rest of the season.

American Christian Academy head football coach Chris Smelley has resigned his position according to ACA Athletic Director Rob Cain and our own Gary Harris. Smelley's resignation comes just three weeks before the Patriots are set to open their 2021 season.

After taking down the American Christian Patriots (13-1, 7-0) 34-13, the Handley Tigers (11-1, 6-0) have punched a ticket to the 4A State Championship game in Bryant-Denny Stadium next week.

After a devastating loss to end a Cinderella season, the Northside Rams have been eliminated from playoff contention. Still, Gordo, ACA, and Pickens County all won and advanced to the semifinals of the AHSAA playoffs. With the turf fields of Bryant-Denny Stadium looking green as ever, it is crunch time for the three teams if they want to catch the elusive “blue map.”

As Round 2 of the playoffs looms, only one of the teams, ACA, will be playing from home. Every other team will be traveling to every corner of the state. From Madison County and Decatur in north Alabama to Opelika in east Alabama, teams around the Druid City are fighting hard to keep their hopes alive for a state title game appearance in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

American Christian Academy needed just nine plays to put its first playoff game out of reach, as the Patriots cruised to a 65-21 win over Geneva.

Now that region play is over, many teams across west Alabama are preparing for the first round of the playoffs. With that being said, the final week of the regular season stands in the way. From games that can determine a 10-0 perfect season to an intense cross-county rivalry, these games might not be regional, but they are still just as important.

As the end of the high school football season in Alabama approaches, schools are starting to get a better picture of what the playoffs will look like. With only two weeks of the regular season left, it’s anyone’s game in west Alabama.

Friday night, the American Christian Patriots (8-0, 6-0) dismantled the Dallas County Hornets (3-5, 3-3) 47-16. From start to finish, ACA dominated with over 330 total yards and seven total touchdowns. This eighth straight win secured ACA a third straight region title.