5 Takeaways from Week 2 of Alabama high school football

Mars Hill is ascending; Pisgah breaks through against Fyffe and more

Logan McCrary of the Pisgah Eagles are flying high after breaking through with a win over Fyffe and moving to an impressive 2-0 start this season. / Pisgah Football Facebook

Week 2 of the 2024 Alabama high school football season provided plenty of excitement and more information to analyze as we continue to learn which teams are on the rise, which ones are falling back and which ones remain at the top of their game.

Here are 5 Takesaways from this week's action:

Clay Chalkville is proving the doubters wrong; remains a state championship contender

Clay Chalkville went 14-0 and won a state championship last year. However, the way fans were discussing the Cougars during the offseason, you might have believed they didn't even make the playoffs.

Granted, they lost a lot of talent, with their 5-star talent Jaylen Mbakwe taking his talents to the University of Alabama and other stars signing with division one programs to continue their playing careers. They also lost head coach Drew Gilmer who took the Hoover job before ultimately resigning from that position in August after being placed on administrative leave.

Despite all of this, the Cougars have bounced back and have yet to lose any of that momentum from last season. Last week they defeated Hueytown 28-7 and this week put the state on notice after dismantling Ramsay, 62-7. Ramsay, which was the Class 5A Runner-up last season had no answers for Aaron Frye and the Cougars. Clay Chalkville will take on Pell City, and will look to continue to prove all doubters wrong. 

Mars Hill is firmly in contention for the Class 3A state crown

The Panthers from Florence, Alabama came into this season off back-to-back disappointing finishes to what appeared to be incredible seasons. Both ended in the second round of the playoffs.

The Panthers have started this season by proving that those two disappointing ends don't mean anything. Last week, Mars Hill crushed the team that put them out of the playoffs last year, Madison Academy, 34-7. This week the Panthers proved it is going to be a long night for anyone who unfortunately has to see the name "Mars Hill" on the schedule, even including higher classification foes.

Friday night, Russellville played Mars Hill and lost as the Panthers continued to march onward toward redemption. With Fyffe falling to Pisgah this week, is Mars Hill the favorite to win 3A? I am not sure, but it is not as far-fetched as it was just seven days ago. 

The Ramsay Rams have a lot of work to do

The Ramsay Rams have gone on an incredible run these last few years, largely through the support of great senior leadership. The problem is, they lost 26 seniors to graduation last year and Ramsay have looked lost at times this season.

With big time programs wanting their shot against Ramsay, things have gone south for the Rams early on in the season, being outscored 103-19 in their first two games. Granted, both squads, Parker and Clay Chalkville, are excellent teams and will be title contenders in 6A. Ramsay has just not looked the same, and with the 5A North always being strong, so far the Rams do not look like the championship contenders. The good news for Ramsay fans is that none of these games were region games, and the season is still very much salvageable, but it's time to head back to the drawing board before things get too late. 

Pisgah proved it is the team to beat in Class 2A

Pisgah has been haunted by one team for the last two years: the Fyffe Red Devils. The Pisgah Eagles had faced Fyffe four times in the last four years and went 0-4.

Pisgah, led by quarterback Luke Gilbert said enough is enough on Thursday night and got the victory over Fyffe, 30-22, in an instant classic. It wasn't like this was a bad Fyffe team, far from it. Fyffe came into this as the top team in Class 3A and was returning nearly all its starters from a 14-1 state championship team. Luke Gilbert accounted for over 350 total yards over a historically stingy defense and got the Eagles their first victory over Fyffe since 2003. Pisgah can't enjoy the victory too much, as region play begins next week, but for now, Pisgah will celebrate. 

Central Phenix City is one of the best teams in the Southeast

The Red Devils are on their longest win streak in school history after hosting Lutheran North, out of St. Louis, Missouri, and went 11-2 last season. It was unique challenge for Central Phenix City, as teams from Alabama will typically go against out of state teams from the likes of Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi and, once in a blue moon, Louisiana. So when the Red Devils announced they would be facing a powerhouse from St. Louis, not many people from the area knew what to expect.

St. Louis is a huge city compared to the likes of Phenix City, Alabama. The Red Devils took this challenge and conquered it, like the last 16 games they have played. Central defeated the Crusaders, 30-12. They have proved they are one of the best programs in the Southeast United States along the likes of Thompson. If Central Phenix City wants to be one of the best teams in the country, no worries, a test comes later this season when the Red Devils host IMG Academy. The Red Devils begin region play against Smiths Station this week, but many will be looking forward to the heavyweight class of the Red Devils vs. the Ascenders