The Week That Was: Thompson Flexes, Fyffe Survives and a 101-Game Losing Streak Ends

Week 1 of the 2026 Alabama high school football season delivered everything from a heavyweight statement to an overtime thriller — and one victory that was more than a decade in the making.

Thompson looked every bit like a national championship contender, Fyffe survived Central-Clay County in a showdown of legendary coaches, and Columbia finally ended a 101-game losing streak that dated to 2015.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from an eventful opening week across Alabama.

EAST ALABAMA

Fyffe Holds On, Jacksonville Sends a Message, Dupree Leaves His Mark and Oxford Rolls

The two winningest coaches in Alabama high school football history squared off Friday night in one of the most anticipated season openers in recent memory.

Paul Benefield’s Fyffe Red Devils escaped with a 21-20 overtime road victory over Danny Horn’s Central-Clay County Volunteers. The game lived up to every bit of its offseason hype.

Jacksonville marched into the Field of Champions and stunned Piedmont with a 34-8 rout that sent shock waves across Calhoun County.

Is Jacksonville for real? It certainly looked that way Friday night.

The last time Piedmont lost a regular-season home game by more than 20 points was in 2014, when Leeds handed the Bulldogs a lopsided defeat.

Gaston running back Zyen Dupree introduced himself to the state in a big way Thursday night, rushing for 223 yards in the Bulldogs’ 36-13 win over Spring Garden.

Dupree, who transferred from Texas for his senior season, gives Gaston a difference-maker in the backfield and could help make the Bulldogs a legitimate playoff contender in Class 2A, Region 6.

Oxford raced to a 42-7 halftime lead before taking its foot off the gas in the second half, cruising to a 56-28 win over Gadsden City.

Karman English and Josh Dupree combined for 271 rushing yards and three touchdowns, leading the Yellow Jackets to an emphatic Week 1 victory.

AROUND THE STATE

Thompson is a national championship contender, Spanish Fort wins a close one. Columbia finally gets the “W”

Between them, Thompson and Central-Phenix City have combined to win the past eight state championships in Alabama’s largest classification. The two heavyweights squared off Thursday night in a highly anticipated regular-season showdown before a national television audience.

Thompson dominated from the start in a game that was never in doubt.

The Warriors put the rest of the country on notice: This team isn’t merely good. It looks capable of competing for a national championship.

While Thompson was taking apart Central near Birmingham, two Gulf Coast rivals collided in another made-for-television matchup.

Spanish Fort held off Daphne 18-15 in a bruising battle between two of South Alabama’s top programs.

And finally, the most meaningful result of the weekend came at Columbia.

The Eagles overwhelmed Greensboro 41-14 to snap the longest losing streak in Alabama high school football history at 101 games.

Before Friday night, Columbia had not walked off the field victorious since Oct. 16, 2015, when the Eagles defeated Ardmore 34-16.

Tip of the cap to Sammy Coates and his staff for getting it done.

Cougars Carry the Banner for Alabama

Clay-Chalkville carried the banner for Alabama teams playing out of state, knocking off Atlanta-area powerhouse Creekside 29-20.

As a whole, however, Alabama teams did not fare as well against out-of-state competition, finishing 6-9 in those matchups.

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