This past Friday, two teams from West Alabama advanced to the third round of the AHSAA state football playoffs. Both teams were winners of their respective regions and hosted their first two AHSAA playoff games.

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The two teams in question are the Class 3A Gordo Greenwave, who were the champions of Region 5, and the Tuscaloosa Academy Knights, who won the championship in Region 5 for Class 2A. Both teams secured victories in their second-round games by a margin of at least two possessions.

We will preview the upcoming third-round matchup between both teams and provide a brief recap of how they advanced this far.

Gordo Greenwave (10-1) @ Piedmont (12-0)

The Greenwave, who are led by first-year head coach Chris Chambless, and Gordo’s incredible rushing offense that wears down teams with the Greenwave implementing a two-quarterback system of two brothers: senior Ryder Robertson and Junior McCain Robertson, who does a great job keeping the defense on its toes with both brothers being very athletic and shifty runners. This was demonstrated in Greenwave’s two playoff wins, with Gordo outscoring both opponents (Walter Wellborn and Colbert County) 98-29. The Greenwave took a commanding 49-29 second-round victory over Colbert County to secure their ticket to the quarterfinals.

Gordo will take on undefeated Piedmont, which, in its third year under head coach Jonathan Miller, has won the Region 6 championship and has been just as dominant as the Greenwave in their two playoff wins, with the Bulldogs outscoring their opponents (Phil Campbell and Fyffe) 95-19, with Piedmont’s second round victory coming from a 36-point shutout over Fyffe.

These two teams have faced off once before Friday’s meeting, with the last time being in the third round of the 2022 3A AHSAA playoffs, where Gordo fell to Piedmont 27-14 on the road.

This quarterfinal matchup will take place at the Bulldogs' Field of Champions in Piedmont, Alabama, on November 20. The two regional champions will compete to see who earns a spot in the semifinals. The winner will go on to face the victor of the Mars Hill Bible (13-0) versus Geraldine (11-1) game.

Tuscaloosa Academy (9-3) @ Coosa Christian (10-2)

The Knights are currently led by fifth-year head coach Josh Wright, who has guided Tuscaloosa Academy to its third consecutive quarterfinal appearance. Last season, the Knights lost in the state championship game to Reeltown, with a final score of 49-13. In 2023, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Pisgah, losing 36-29.

This year, the team is adjusting to the absence of former quarterback Preston Lancaster, who is now a freshman at Tarleton State. Instead, Tuscaloosa Academy has been relying on the strong performance of junior quarterback Mark Norris, who has been exceptional for the Knights. During the playoffs, Norris has accounted for six touchdowns over the course of two games, leading Tuscaloosa Academy to outscore their opponents, Susan Moore and Pleasant Valley, with a combined score of 58-27.

Tuscaloosa Academy will face off against Coosa Christian in a highly anticipated rematch. Coosa Christian is led by the renowned high school head coach Rush Propst, who previously coached at Hoover and Colquitt County High School in Georgia. During his tenure, he won five AHSAA Class 6A state titles with Hoover and two GHSA Class 6A state titles with Colquitt County. Currently, in his first season as the head coach of the Conquerors, Propst has guided the team to a Region 6 championship in Class 2A.

The last matchup between these two teams took place on October 24th, where Coosa Christian dominated Tuscaloosa Academy on the road, winning with a final score of 56-21.

This quarterfinal matchup will occur at Coosa Christian's Phillip Ellen Stadium in Gadsden, Alabama, on November 20 at 7:00 p.m. The winner will face the winner of the Southeastern (10-2) vs. Pisgah (10-2) game.

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