AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week

       MONTGOMERY – For high school football fans across Alabama, Thursday night’s AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week couldn’t have happened four years ago.
       That’s because Orange Beach High School didn’t start a football program until 2020 – just three years after St. Michael Catholic High School’s first season.
        The two teams are gearing up for a key Class 4A, Region 1 battle Thursday night that not only showcases two of the state’s youngest programs but also two of the AHSAA’s most high profile head coaches. Leading the Orange Beach Makos (4-1) is veteran Alabama high school football Jamey DuBose – who left powerful Lowndes County of Valdosta (GA) after two seasons and a 20-5 record to take over the gulf coast school’s program this year. He served as a head coach in Alabama won two state titles at Prattville and one at Central-Phenix City and has compiled a 161-46 overall record in 17 seasons as a head coach. His teams have won 10 or more games in 11 of his 17 seasons.
      St. Michael Catholic’s Cardinals (3-3) also went out of state to land its head coach – pulling NFL quarterbacking legend Philip Rivers away from the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. Rivers spent 17 seasons in the NFL – passing for 63,440 yards completing 5,227 passes in 8,134 attempts for 421 career touchdowns. He ranks sixth all-time in the NFL for career passing yardage behind Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Ben Rothlisberger, and sixth all-time in touchdown passes thrown.
      To put his fabled NFL career in perspective, the son of Alabama High School Hall of Fame football coaching legend Steve Rivers has passed for more 36 miles of yardage – four miles farther than it takes to drive from Orange Beach to Fairhope’s municipal stadium at Volanta Park where the Cardinals play their home games.
      Both coaches would agree, however, that neither of them will take a snap when this game gets underway.
     WOTM TV will be producing the clash which will be shown over the AHSAA TV Network’s participating stations. The contest will also be live streamed over the NFHS Network and over wotm.tv. Executive producer is Vince Earley of WOTM TV. The commentators will be longtime TV personality Mickey Shadrix and for high school and college coach Rick Rhoades. 
       Rivers, 9-6 in his second season, admits he has always wanted to be a high school coach once his NFL career concluded. He said the adjustment has been a challenge at times.
       “We are settled in pretty good in terms of who we are and how we operate,” Rivers told al.com earlier this season. “I think, foundationally, we are pretty well established. We have a good group of seniors who got a taste of winning some region games last year, of winning six games. There is a belief and hope that we can push it to the next step this year.”
       The Cardinals finished 6-3 in Rivers’ first season and had five wins in the three previous seasons total. The offense is averaging 28.5 ppg thanks in big part to quarterback Josh Murphy and all-purpose back Ezra Sexton. Linebacker Clay Barr has been a leader on defense. The Makos, averaging 30.2 ppg, counter with quarterback Cash Turner, wide receiver John Wallace Holladay and big play all-purpose back Chris Pearson.
       Both teams come in with plenty of optimism. St. Michael is 2-1 in Class 4A, Region 1 with region wins over Satsuma and Escambia County and a 17-14 loss to Bayside Academy. The Cardinals also opened the season with a narrow 34-28 loss to Class 5A Gulf Shores and lost to Class 6A McGill-Toolen Catholic in the first-ever meeting between the two parochial schools last week 27-7. Orange Beach  is also 2-1 in Region 1 with region wins over Jackson and Satsuma and a loss to current Region 1 leader T.R. Miller. The Makos also have non-region wins over Pensacola’s Pine Forest and beat Class 1A McIntosh 42-14 last week. Currently, T.R. Miller is 3-0 in the region followed  by St. Michael, Orange Beach, Bayside Academy and Escambia County – all tied at 2-1.
       Anniston beat Piedmont 30-28 in last week’s AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week. Next week’s Game of the Week will feature Fayette County (5-0) at Gordo (5-1) in a big Class 3A, Region 5 game that will go a long way in deciding the region champion.
     The AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week is one of 35 games set for tomorrow night. Several games were moved from Friday to Thursday due to weather concerns stemming from Hurricane Ian in the Gulf. Central-Phenix City (4-2), coming off a tough loss to IMG Academy, travels to Dothan (5-1) in a key Class 7A, Region 2 battle at Rip Hewes Stadium; Lynn (4-1) hosts Pickens County (4-2) in Class 1A, Region 5 with both teams still unbeaten in region play; and in Class 3A, Region 2, Houston Academy ((5-0) hosts Straughn (4-1) with both teams tied for the region lead at 3-0. Each of those games are also scheduled to be live streamed over the NFHS Network.
     WOTM TV has put together a strong network of cable affiliates across Alabama. Tonight’s game will be live on WOTM TV as well as WABM TV 68 in Birmingham and most Spectrum networks. Check out the listings on the AHSAA website at the following link:
https://www.ahsaa.com/Portals/0/Sports/Football/Super%207/WOTM-Cities-November2020.pdf?ver=OVOVtQ2dCsWzvgoL086upQ%3d%3d&timestamp=1605813191158

     To access the AHSAA Game of the Week over the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ahsaa/gam2aad388e8c

   The AHSAA Radio Network’s Scoreboard Show will also air across the state Friday night. Go to www.ahsaaradionetwork.com for network information.

2022 AHSAA TV NETWORK
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
SCHEDULE

All Games also airing Live at 7 p.m., on WOTM TV/
AHSAA TV Network, WABM TV MY68, and NFHS Network

Week   0:   Aug. 18          Helena 28, Chelsea- KICKOFF CLASSIC, CRAMTON BOWL

                   Aug. 19          Auburn 17, Hoover 14 – KICKOFF CLASSIC, CRAMTON BOWL

Week   1:   Aug. 25          Southside-Selma 42, Hokes Bluff 7

Week   2:   Sep. 1             Mountain Brook 49, Minor 14

Week   3:   Sep. 8             Valley 46, Sylacauga 14

Week   4:   Sep. 15           Auburn 58, Lee-Montgomery 7

Week   5:   Sep. 22            Anniston 30, Piedmont 28

Week   6:   Sep. 29            Orange Beach at St. Michael Catholic

Week   7:   Oct. 6              Fayette County at Gordo

Week   8:   Oct. 13            Sparkman at Huntsville

Week   9:   Oct. 20            Gulf Shores at Vigor
Week 10:   Oct. 27            Hueytown at Gardendale