AISA readies for new-look football season

Story by Griffin Pritchard | Publisher

Photos by CAScoreboard Staff

CENTRAL ALABAMA SCOREBOARD OFFICE – After taking counts in September and February, the Alabama Independent School Association announced realignment in March and will welcome a first season of eight-man football on its smallest level.

According to AISA Athletics Director Roddie Beck: “The plan is to grow. We are excited about our inaugural 8-man football season. We have had discussions with other leagues as well as individual schools concerning the AISA 8-man football program.”

Starting the conversation with the AISA 8-Man League gives us an opportunity to introduce the players of sorts:

1.       Southern Preparatory Academy (known formerly as Lyman Ward)

2.       Springwood School

3.       Evangel Christian

4.       North River Christian

5.       Meadowview Christian

6.       Cornerstone Christian

With only one region and a round-robin schedule, the top four teams will advance to the AISA State Championship playoffs. Now getting there though is going to be an interesting path, as league officials – according to Beck – have given these schools an allowance to “participate against other conferences as well as play an 11-man game against an AISA Member school to fill their schedule.”

So with this change – what does the rest of the league look like?

Class A and Class AA have the traditional two-region setup.

Class A

·         Coosa Valley Academy (R1)

·         Jackson Academy (R2)

·         Crenshaw Christian Academy (R1)

·         Snook Christian Academy (R2)

·         Lakeside School (R1)

·         South Choctaw Academy (R2)

·         Lowndes Academy (R1)

·         Sparta Academy (R2)

·         Southern Academy (R1)

·         Wilcox Academy (R2)

Class AA

·         Abbeville Christian Academy (R1)

·         Banks Academy (R2)

·         Chambers Academy (R1)

·         Clarke Prep School (R2)

·         Edgewood Academy (R1)

·         Escambia Academy (R2)

·         Hooper Academy (R1)

·         Patrician Academy (R2)

·         Macon East Academy (R1)

·         Pickens Academy (R2)

In terms of football, Class AAA has gone from two divisions to one.. Beck said – following the realignment release – that one of the hardest parts of aligning the league for this next cycle was twofold: “the division breakdown as well as the concern for each school to fill a quality schedule.”

Class AAA rings the truest to that sentiment as league officials were left looking for a way to establish competition with the departure of Tuscaloosa Academy and Pike Liberal to the greener pastures of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. In its wake, schedule makers created a classification where all teams will battle head-to-head in one division.

The AISA’s largest classification looks like this:

Class AAA:

·         Autauga Academy

·         Bessemer Academy

·         Fort Dale Academy

·         Glenwood School

·         Lee-Scott Academy

·         Monroe Academy

·         Morgan Academy

·         Valiant Cross Academy

That’s a pretty stout schedule for any team bound to that division. However, those who rise will be rewarded as the top six advances to the postseason. Teams finishing No. 1 and No. 2 will advance to the semifinals while teams finishing 3-6 will be in a playoff for the two remaining semifinal spots.

Below is a link to the conference alignments for all other AISA sports: https://aisaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2022-2024-SPORTS-CLASSIFICATION-OF-ALL-SPORTS.pdf