Select 7-on-7 Begins Tomorrow in Alabama

by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America

High school football teams from 13 different states converge upon Hoover, Alabama Thursday for the National Select 7-on-7 Championships.

The 32-teams, three-day tournament gets underway tomorrow with pool play.  George Washington Carver High School from Alabama is back to defend its 2010 title.

You can watch the games LIVE on the event's website at www.select7on7.com.

Here's the list of this year's participants:

Allentown Central Catholic (PA)
Angola High School (IN)
Aurora Christian (IL)
Bastrop High School (LA)
Brighton High School (TN)
Daphne High (AL)
Dorman High School (SC)
Fairhope High School (AL)
Fayetteville High School (AR)
Flowery Branch High School (GA)
George Washington Carver High School (AL)
Grayson High School (GA)
Hoover High School (AL)
Kenton High School (OH)
Lassiter High School (GA)
Mandeville High School (LA)
McGill-Toolen Catholic High School (AL)
McPherson High School (KS)
Memphis University School (TN)
North Gwinnett High School (GA)
Olive Branch High School (MS)
Oxford High School (AL)
Prattville High School (AL)
Shiloh Christian (AR)
Spain Park High School (AL)
Spanish Fort High School (AL)
Thomas Jefferson High School (PA)
Walker High School (AL)
Warren Central High School (IN)
West Monroe High School (LA)
West Rowan High School (NC)

Alabama High School Football Scoreboard - Quarterfinals

Alabama High School Football Scores
Friday, November 23, 2007

Quarterfinals

USA Today Super 25
#2 Prattville 38 Foley 14

Class 1A
Sweet Water 39, Wadley 7
Maplesville 34, Linden 14
Talladega County Central 21, Hazlewood 20
Sulligent 52, Shoals Christian 22

Class 2A
American Christian 48, Cottonwood 12
Leroy 18, Lanett 12, overtime
Red Bay 31, Piedmont 23
Fyffe 48, J.B. Pennington 7

Class 3A
Cordova 24, Pike County 0
Calera 20, Clarke County 7
Colbert County 31, Leeds 13
Clay County 28, Lincoln 13

Class 4A
Central-Tuscaloosa 47, Andalusia 7
Thomasville 49, Handley 12
Deshler 47, Madison County 28
Brooks 41, Guntersville 38

Class 5A
St. Paul's 49, Charles Henderson 11
Williamson 38, UMS-Wright 21
Cullman 42, Decatur 32
Briarwood 35, J.O. Johnson 20

Class 6A
Prattville 38, Foley 14
McGill-Toolen 16, Daphne 10
Vestavia Hills 21, Hoover 17
Spain Park 17, Mountain Brook 14

Alabama High School Football Playoff 1st Round Match-ups

The first round Alabama high school football playoff match-ups have been released. Action gets underway Thursday night with just a handful of games.

However, ll eyes will be on the Class 6A bracket where nationally ranked Prattville (#2 USA Today) is looking to defend its title. Most are interested to see if Hoover can shake-off the grade-fixing scandal and resignation (effective at the end of the playoffs) of head coach Rush Probst and make it back to the title game.

Hoover is in the other half of the 32-team bracket and can't face Prattville, the team it lost to last year, until the state title game. Thanks to having to forfeit four games because of using an ineligible player, the Bucs finished the year 4-5.

To check-out all of the pairings, please click here to be taken to the Alabama High School Football Huddle.

Commentary on Rush Probst Resignation from Hoover High

First, I applaud Hoover High School head football coach Rush Probst for having the decency to resign his position in light of the recent investigation into the program that found the school guilty of grade-fixing and allowing an ineligible transfer to play.

However, I want to blast the crazy school board that decided that it was okay to have the coach, who also admitted to having an affair and fathering a child during the affair, lead the team through the end of the year!!

What type of message is this sending?

To be honest, I CANNOT figure it out!!

Oh wait, I can...like Overstock.com's slogan...it's all about the "O". Yes, Hoover's slogan is it's all about the "W".

In addition to coaching through the end of the year, Probst will also be allowed to transfer to another job within the school district until his resignation takes effect August 31, 2008. Probst's salary will remain at $100,678!! He will also be given a $120,000 annuity by August 31, 2007, plus a one year of service transfer from the Georgia Retirement System to the Alabama Retirement System that is valued at $21,000.

Are you kidding me??

This "Leader of Young Adults" was also given a couple of standing ovations by supporters that turned out to watch his tearful address before the school board, which did accept his resignation unanimously.

"I admit mistakes," said Probst during a 45-minute statement. "I'm human. But I don't admit wrongdoing inside the halls of Hoover High School. What I'm guilty of is the last couple of years of not monitoring the day-in and day-out activity of my staff. That's where I failed as a football coach."

This guy is gutless!! Sack-up Rush and tell it like it is. It's YOUR fault.

The school board should have shown the power hungry coach the door. Yes Rush, don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out!!

Also, there should be a concerted effort by those in the sport, NOT to hire this guy for a period of five years.

As far as the school board...it should right this wrong by at least making sure that every other educator that was responsible for this mess gets shown the door! Of course, make sure you pay them a lot of money first to make sure that they learn their lesson!!

If the school board can't figure it out, then it should suspend the program permanently, and then the Alabama High School Athletic Association should allow all of the players an exemption to transfer to other local schools.

This is not about winning at all costs!!

Maybe MTV can come back an do a third year on the program focusing on how one power hungry, ego-maniac brought down a high school football program.

Hoover (AL) Wins, But Holding It's Breath On Whether It Will Have to Forfeit Four Wins

Hoover clinched the Region 6 championship Friday night...or did it?

Hoover, the #2 team in the latest 6A Alabama High School Football Rankings, beat Homewood 34-20, which improved the Bucs to 6-1 overall and 6-0 in the region. However, that could all change if the Alabama High School Athletic Association rules that the Bucs top receiver Tristan Purifoy, who transfered during the summer from Hanceville, was ineligible in four of the teams wins.

Forfeiting those victories would take Hoover's 6-1 mark and make it 2-5...thus ending the team's chances of playing in the post-season.

Of course all of this comes on the heels of the grade-fixing scandal that has many in the community and state questioning head coach Rush Propst's future. On Thursday, Hoover City Councilman Gene Smith recommended that Propst be placed on administrative leave in the wake of the investigative report that found grade-fixing had occured and that the coach seemed to be having an alleged affair with a former assistant principal, who stepped down after being named as a key person in the investigation.

The the 68-page report, which you can read by clicking here, also brought into question a "second family" that Propst supports in Pell County.