Was there ever a doubt that Fyffe would be here? Other than Jake Harris, I haven't heard anyone say they didn't expect Fyffe to make a run at the State Championship.
Coach Paul Benefield takes his boys to Jordan-Hare as the favorite...something a DeKalb County team has never experienced in a title bout. The 07' Fyffe team was great, but the depth wasn't there. This Red Devil squad has as good of a mix of depth, size, strength and speed as you could hope for...not to mention true leaders like Dakota Newsome and Austin Stiefel that I'd go to battle with any day. So now the pressure is on. It isn't a team that's happy to be here, it's a team that has to win.
This isn't an accident. They've worked for this. Blood, sweat and tears isn't just an overused sports cliche, it's the 365 day program that a Fyffe football player commits to. It's the system that future Hall of Fame Coach Paul Benefield has built and perfected. The community sees it. The surrounding schools see it. Now the state of Alabama is about to see it.
I can give you the numbers.
Fyffe:
- 14-0, Ranked #1 in the State
- 52 Points Scored Per Game
- 11 Points Allowed Per Game
- 41 Point Margin of Victory
- A State Record 45 TDs by Austin Stiefel
- 226-50 Career Record for Coach Paul Benefield and a 4th State Championship Appearance (1990 & 1991 as Plainview OC)
Elba:
- 14-0, Ranked #6 in the State
- Defeated #3 G.W. Long in the Quarterfinals, Defeated #2 Washington Co. in the Semifinals
- 42 Points Scored Per Game
- 12 Points Allowed Per Game
- 30 Point Margin of Victory
- A big, fast, angry squad that defeated 6A Daleville in the regular season
- The last team not named Tanner to win the 2A State Championship
But the truth of the matter is that after watching Fyffe all season, and the film on Elba, this isn't about the matchup. This is about Fyffe. If the Red Devils play this game with the consistency they've played the last 14, Coach Benefield will leave Jordan-Hare covered in Gatorade on Friday night.
Fyffe -11
