Unbeaten Mars Hill Bible puts title on the line against Bayside Academy in Class 3A championship game

FLORENCE — Mars Hill Bible has been here before.

And the last time, just about a year ago, the Panthers came home from Birmingham with the AHSAA’s Blue Map.

On Thursday, they’ll try to repeat in the AHSAA Class 3A state championship game at Protective Stadium. Kickoff is 11 a.m.

This year, though, Mars Hill Bible (14-0) faces a giant-killer in Bayside Academy. The Admirals (13-1) are on a roll, themselves, riding a 13-game winning streak after beating previously undefeated Southside-Selma (13-1) in the 3A South semifinal 51-20.

The Panthers, on the strength of a punishing run game led by Hudson Higgins, disposed of then-unbeaten Piedmont (14-1) in the North semifinal 48-16.

Mars Hill Bible piled up 442 yards on the ground with Higgins rushing for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The UAB-commit has scored at least two touchdowns in each of his last seven games.

Defending Class 7A state champion Thompson (10-3) opens the Super 7 championships tonight at 7 o’clock taking on Opelika (10-3) at 7 p.m.

This is the Warriors’ eighth consecutive Class 7A championship game, an AHSAA team record for all classes. The Bulldogs are playing in the Class 7A finals for the first time in school history.

• Of the six undefeated boys’ teams in the Super 7, two will be in Thursday’s Class 1A finals when defending state champion Wadley (13-0) faces Maplesville (14-0) in a rematch of last year’s 2024 finals at 3 p.m. The Bulldogs, coached by first-year head coach Dake Rivers, are averaging 49.3 points a game, and the Red Devils (14-0) have yielded only 45 points this season – 3.2 ppg. Maplesville is also scoring 47.8 ppg.
• Saraland (13-0), the 2023 and 2024 Class 6A state runner-up, takes on Clay-Chalkville (14-0) in the Class 6A finals Friday at 7 p.m. The two teams met in the 2023 championship with the Cougars winning 31-28. Spartans head coach Jeff Kelly has guided his program to the 6A finals for the fourth straight year – winning the state crown in 2022. During that four-year span, the Spartans have compiled as 54-3 record. Stuart Floyd, in his second season as Clay’s head coach, has the Cougars in the finals for the third time since 2021 – winning the 6A title in 2021 and 2023. Ironically, Floyd and Kelly were teammates at Southern Miss.
• Anniston (14-0) is in the state finals for the first time since 1994. The Class 4A Bulldogs clinched the berth Friday night with the game-winning touchdown coming with 2.3 seconds remaining to beat previously unbeaten Plainview 32-29. The task will not get any easier, however. Defending Class 4A state champion Jackson (11-2 avenged its only 4A loss this season by beating previously unbeaten St. Michael Catholic (13-1) in the semifinals last Friday, 44-23. The Cardinals won the regular-season game 49-39. That game will be at 11 a.m. Friday.
• The Class 5A finals Thursday night pits Moody (12-2), in its second straight championship game, taking on Vigor (12-2) at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils beat Scottsboro 35-10, and the Wolves downed Mobile rival Williamson 28-21 before a crowd estimated at 14,000 at Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the other semifinal.
• Coosa Christian (12-2), coached by Rush Propst, won a thrilling 44-36 victory over Pisgah (11-3) to clinch a berth in the Class 2A semifinals against Lanett (12-2) at 3 p.m. Friday. The Rams, coached by R.J. “Billy” McDonald, beat defending Class 2A state champion Reeltown (10-4) in last Friday’s semifinals. Propst is making his first appearance in the AHSAA state finals since 2006. He guided Hoover to the 6A championship game seven straight years from 2000-2006 – which ranks second to Thompson’s Mark Freeman overall.

Super 7 State Championships

Protective Stadium in Birmingham

• TODAY
  CLASS 7A 
  Thompson (10-3) vs. Opelika (10-3), 7 p.m.
• THURSDAY
  Class 3A
  Mars Hill Bible (14-0) vs. Bayside Academy (13-1), 11 a.m.
  Class 1A 
  Maplesville (14-0) vs. Wadley (13-0), 3 p.m.
  CLASS 5A 
  Vigor (12-2) vs. Moody 12-2), 7 p.m.
• FRIDAY
  Class 4A
  Jackson (12-2) vs. Anniston (14-0), 11 a.m.
  Class 2A 
  Lanett (12-2) vs. Coosa Christian (12-2), 3 p.m.
  Class 6A 
  Saraland (13-0) vs. Clay-Chalkville (14-0), 7 p.m.