THE
2016
GAMES OF
Every four years the world watches as the Olympic games unfold, providing unique competition and match-ups that have never been seen before. Every two years the Alabama High School Athletic Association re-classifies all member schools creating new regions and fresh schedules. These two year cycles also often present unique match-ups and new competition, many for the first time ever. There will no doubt be many old rivals and long-time foes that will battle it out again in 2016 for region titles and bragging rights. However, I am always most excited every two years for the new match-ups that we have never seen before and the schools that are renewing rivalries for the first time in many years.
This football season holds no shortage of exciting, new games that should pique the interest of hard core high school football fans. I personally can’ t wait for the first ever Border Battle in Piedmont to kick off the season. A rare prep double header will feature Cherokee County versus Rockmart, GA, followed by the first meeting between Piedmont and Cedartown, GA in the modern era. This battle of Bulldogs happens for the first time since 1941 and features a 3A Piedmont squad taking on a Cedartown team that would be a 7A school in Alabama. Some other unique games include Darlington, GA at Gaston, Sumter Central at Oxford, 4A power Cleburne County traveling to 2A runner-up Fyffe, Carver-Birmingham coming to Cherokee County, 1A runner-up Cedar Bluff hosting Chattooga, GA, Fairley of Memphis, TN visiting Southside, and a rare neutral site game between Gadsden City and Park Crossing of Montgomery that will be played on a Thursday night at Samford University in Birmingham.
First time meetings are also sprinkled throughout the 2016 schedule. Anniston( once the largest school in East Alabama) will host White Plains( once the smallest public school in Calhoun County), Jacksonville will travel to Montgomery to open the season against Trinity Presbyterian, Cleburne County will face Central-Clay County in what promises to be an instant rivalry, and Munford will take on 4A power Cordova in what could be one of the top 4A games in the state this year.
I can’ t wait to see some schools meeting again for the first time in many years this football season. After a two-year hiatus, Alexandria and Cleburne County and Southside and Etowah renew two of the best rivalries in East Alabama this fall. Glencoe and Southside met every year from 1969-2009, but have not met since. That changes on October 28th when the Jackets and Panthers meet once again at Barney Hood Stadium. Cleburne County and Randolph County have played each other 37 times, but their September 30th meeting will be the first in 47 years! Other series set to resume in 2016 after long absences include Talladega-Wellborn, Oxford-Talladega, Sand Rock-Collinsville, Lincoln-Sylacauga, Pleasant Valley-Spring Garden, Saks-Anniston, and Collinsville-Crossville.
That is a great slate of games even apart from the usual yearly region and rivalry series. You can follow all of these great Games of 2016 on Pigskin Roundup every Friday night from 10:30 p. m. to 12:30 a. m. only on TV24. I can’ t wait to let The Games Begin as we kickoff the season with our first show on Friday night, August 19th. Have a Happy Football Season!
Jon Holder
8 | 2016 Pigskin Roundup the Magazine