The 2021 AHSAA Super 7 will be marked by a series of firsts

Birmingham, AL – The 56th AHSAA Football Championships promise to provide several  “firsts” as 14 high school football teams and two high school girls’ flag football squads prepare to clash at Protective Stadium this week in the Super 7 State Championships.

All championship games will be televised over the AHSAA TV Network and live-streamed over the NFHS Network.  The AHSAA Radio Network will broadcast all finals over its network of radio stations and the internet. Click here to check out the network of stations across the state who will be airing the Super 7 live in your area. Visit www.nfhsnetwork.com for more information on live streaming subscription options.

Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booths at Protective Stadium or through TicketMaster online.

Among the firsts are:

  • The first time the Super 7 State Championships is being held in Birmingham. The AHSAA began its championship series with all games played at one site in 1996 at Legion Field in the “Super 6” State Championships. However, the games moved to Tuscaloosa and Auburn on a rotating basis in 2009. The event went from six state championship games to seven in 2014, and the series has been absent from Birmingham ever since – until this year.  Protective now  joins Jordan-Hare and Bryant-Denny Stadiums on a three year Super 7 rotation. 
  • The 2021 Super 7 will also host the first AHSAA Girls’ Flag Football Championship with Hewitt-Trussville (10-0) and Smiths Station (10-2) meeting Wednesday at 3 p.m., at Protective Stadium as the first year of the AHSAA pilot program concludes its inaugural season. The winner will be the “first” girls’ state football champion.
  • Six teams will be vying for their first state football title – including Class 1A Wadley (13-1); Class 2A Clarke County (12-2) and Cleveland (12-2);  Class 5A Pleasant Grove (12-1) and Pike Road (13-0); and Class 6A Hueytown (13-1). Class 1A Sweet Water (13-0), on the other hand, will be vying for its 11th state crown.
  • Thompson (12-1) and Central-Phenix City (13-0) will kick off the boys’ action Wednesday night at 7 p.m. – the third time the two schools have met in the 7A title game since 2018. Central beat the Warriors in 2018 and Thompson won in 2019. The Warriors also posted an incredible comeback from a 28-19 deficit in the final 18 seconds last year to beat Auburn 29-28. The Warriors are the “first” 7A team to play in four straight state championship games.
  • When Clay-Chalkville and Hueytown meet in the 6A finals Friday night, it will be the “first” time two schools from the Jefferson County School system have met in the finals.  

The Flag football contest will feature a two teams with virtually every girl on the roster playing two or more sports for their respective schools.

The Super 7 Thursday schedule has Piedmont (12-2) facing Montgomery Academy (11-3) in the Class 3A championship game at 11 a.m., followed by Wadley (13-1) and Sweet Water (13-0) in the 1A finals at 3 p.m., and the Class 5A title game at 7 p.m. featuring Pleasant Grove (12-1) versus Pike Road (13-0). 

Friday’s schedule features Oneonta (13-1) and Vigor (13-1) in the 4A championship at 11 a.m. Clarke County (12-2) meets Cleveland (12-2) in the 2A finals at 3 p.m., and Clay-Chalkville (14-0) takes on Hueytown (13-1) in the 6A finals at 7 to close out the Super 7.