Carson Football Shuts Out San Pedro 35-0, Wins Second Straight Marine League Title

Senior quarterback Chris Fields III sparks the Colts with two early rushing touchdowns as Carson strengthens its case as the Los Angeles City Section's top team.

Piedmont quarterback Cole Austin makes a pass during high school football action against Gordo in Piedmont, Alabama November 21, 2025. (Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One is the loneliest number.

And that's all that remains of the Alabama high school football regular season.

One more week of practice. One more week of games. Then the real season begins.

The Week That Was: Week 9 of Alabama High School Football

Before turning the page to Week 10, let's look back at a memorable Week 9.

As region play wound down, big games unfolded across East Alabama and the rest of the state.

And what a week it was.

Defense Lifts Prattville To Class 6A Region 3 Crown

No. 1 Prattville 13 No.4 Vestavia Hills 0

A week after upsetting longtime Alabama big-school boss Thompson, Prattville wrapped up its first region title in 15 years with a gutsy win over fourth-ranked Vestavia Hills.

It wasn't pretty.

Prattville’s Will McKay (10) and Deshawn Hall (8) celebrate their touchdown connection as Thompson takes on Prattville football at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala. on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. Prattville leads Thompson 21-14 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Prattville slogged it out with the Rebels in a 13-0 defensive grind. Style points aside, the Lions accomplished their mission.

Vestavia Hills kept the Lions' prolific offense at bay for most of the night. But Prattville's defense proved it could go the distance when called upon.

Seven days after intercepting Thompson's five-star quarterback Trent Seaborn four times, the Lions forced the Rebels into three turnovers. The first, a 14-yard pick-six by defensive back Kolby King, supplied Prattville with all the points it would need.

Twice, Vestavia Hills reached Prattville's 2-yard line. Twice, the Lions slammed the door.

Two trips. Two yards away. Zero points.

Over the last eight quarters against two of the state's top programs, Prattville has forced seven turnovers, blocked a field goal, scored a defensive touchdown and pitched a shutout.

Offense. Defense, This is a special team.

Late Game Heroics Propel Hokes Bluff Past Glencoe in Backyard Brawl.

Hokes Bluff 14 Glencoe 7

Hollywood would have a hard time writing a better story — or a more fitting ending — than the one that unfolded Friday night at Mike Robertson Field in Hokes Bluff.

Scoreless for 38 minutes, Hokes Bluff and Glencoe showed us what a Backyard Brawl is all about.

Hokes Bluff Quarterback Dean Morgan makes a pass during high school football action in Hokes Bluff, Alabama August 27, 2026. (Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After a pair of goal-line stands and a night dominated by defense, the archrivals found themselves deadlocked at 7-7 with just 15 seconds remaining.

Hokes Bluff's Allen Cox trotted onto the field for a potential game-winning 22-yard field goal.

What happened next was pure theater.

On the field-goal attempt, Hokes Bluff quarterback and holder Dean Morgan took the snap. But instead of putting the ball down for the kick, Morgan stood, rolled right and fired a dagger to a wide-open Cole Cochran.

Touchdown.

Hokes Bluff 14, Glencoe 7.

Ballgame.

The Eagles won their 11th straight over their archrivals on a fake field-goal touchdown pass in what could’ve been Mike Robertson's final Backyard Brawl as head coach — on the very field that bears his name.

It doesn't get much better than that.

Three-Peat. Bulldogs Cruise To Third Straight Region Title

No. 5 Piedmont 48 No. 10. Wellborn 6

Whether its class 2A or 3A the Piedmont standard remains the same.

Strong. Unified. Almost impossible to beat. At least that's the way its been the last 20 plus years.

Piedmont Coach Jonathan Miller walks the sideline during high school football action against Gordo in Piedmont, Alabama November 21, 2025. Piedmont defeated Gordo 28-20 to advance in the playoffs. (Dave Hyatt / Hyatt Media LLC) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Class 2A or 3A, Piedmont is still Piedmont. A lesson Wellborn learned the hard way Friday night in front of a partisan home crowd at "The Hill."

Long one of Alabama's kings of small-school football, Piedmont added Walter Wellborn to a growing list of victims.

The Bulldogs terrorized 10th-ranked Wellborn on both sides of the ball, just as they have every other region opponent this season, officially claiming the Class 2A Region 6 championship.

Piedmont has now won three straight region championships and five in the past six years.

Quarterback Cole Austin hushed Wellborn's notoriously hostile home crowd with a scintillating performance that produced 370 yards of total offense and six touchdowns.

As good as Austin was, Piedmont's defense was even better.

A Wellborn offense that entered the game averaging 50.6 points per contest was reduced to rubble by the Bulldogs' "Junkyard" defense.

Holes closed. Gaps sealed shut. Eleven men arrived at the ball in a bad mood.

Through six region contests, Piedmont has allowed a grand total of 32 points.

That's 5.3 points per game.

If defense wins championships, Piedmont is the runaway favorite in Class 2A.

Finally! Westbrook Christian Wins First Region Title In 16 Years

No. 1 Westbrook Christian 31 Whitesburg Christian 21

Westbrook Christian won its first region title in 16 years, improving to 9-0 for the first time in school history.

WestbrookÕs Read Barber makes a field goal during high school football action in Rainbow City, Alabama September 20, 2024. (Dave Hyatt / Special to the Gadsden Times) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Early Whitesburg turnovers opened the door for a 10-0 Westbrook lead, courtesy of a field goal by all-state kicker Reid Barber and a touchdown run by quarterback Brody Blevins.

Whitesburg roared back with 14 straight points in the second quarter to take a 14-10 lead. Barber's field goal just before halftime trimmed the deficit to 14-13.

For the first time this season, Westbrook trailed at the break.

It didn't stay that way long.

Westbrook scored 18 unanswered points in the second half before a 69-yard touchdown strike from Whitesburg quarterback Greer Lovell to wide receiver Graeme Williams accounted for the final 31-21 margin.

With its first region championship since 2010 secured, the boys from Rainbow City chase perfection next week with a trip to Sand Mountain, where Paul Benefield's Fyffe Red Devils await.

That one should be a dandy.

For more on that showdown and the rest of Week 10's biggest games, check back later this week for the final regular-season edition of "The Week That Will Be."