Postseason begins for 96

High school football in Alabama is a lot like the NHL - teams play for a long time to eliminate a scant few teams when the playoffs roll around.

A 10-week regular season has eliminated approximately half the state's teams as the postseason begins for 96 chosen programs.

The fun begins tonight at 7 p.m. around the state with a state championship dream still alive for the lucky 96.

Here's what to look for when the playoffs kick off:

Unbeatens abound

A total of 14 teams breezed through the regular season with unblemished records. The breakdown is as follows: 2 in Class 1A (Linden, Hackleburg);, 2 in Class 2A (Elba, Lamar County);, 3 in Class 3A (Trinity, Pike County, Madison Academy);, 3 in Class 4A (Bibb County, Handley, Cherokee County); 2 in Class 5A (Cullman, Greenville); and 2 in Class 6A (Auburn, Fairhope).

Three teams - Prattville, Leroy and Sweet Water - are seeking their fourth consecutive state titles, and all six defending champs are in the playoff field.

Conversely, nine teams are in the playoff field with losing records. Pelham (3-7) has the worst record in the field while all the other sub-.500 teams are 4-6.

One 4-6 team that could instill some fear in opponents is Colbert County. Three of the Indians' losses came against Deshler, Muscle Shoals and Russellville which had a combined 25-5 record in Class 4A and 5A.

Local first-round games worth paying to see

If you have no vested interest and want to avoid seeing some of the unavoidable first-round routs, check these games out:

n Lynn (8-2) at Shoals Christian (7-3): Shoals Christian made a five game improvement in the won-loss column this year while

Lynn finished third in a region that featured undefeated Hackleburg and once-beaten Berry.

n Haleyville (8-2) at Cherokee County (10-0): The Lions upset then-unbeaten Midfield two weeks ago. Can Haleyville shock the state with an upset of No. 1 Cherokee County?

n North Jackson (7-3) at Brooks (8-2): North Jackson is a perennial state power from northeast Alabama that never seems to be able to get past a team from the Shoals in the playoffs. Brooks qualifies as a local team with a good chance to advance to the third round.

n Muscle Shoals (8-2) at Fort Payne (8-2): How tough is Class 5A, Region 8? Trojans take their eight wins on the road as a No. 4 seed. This should be one of the best games of the night.

n Clay-Chalkville (8-2) at Florence (8-2): Falcons just missed an upset of Hoover two years ago in Braly Stadium. This wouldn't be an upset of that magnitude, but Alvin Briggs' team would love to log the first home playoff win in school history.

Watch these guys

n RB Beniquez Brown, Florence: If he has a big game, Florence has a great shot at beating Clay-Chalkville;

n DB-KR Deion Belue, Deshler: Might be the most dangerous kickoff and punt returner since former Cleburne County and Alabama standout Tyrone Prothro in that he can turn around momentum in the time it takes to race 80 or 90 yards on a kickoff.

n RB Brent Calloway, Russellville: Alabama commitment who's only a junior can carry a running game.

n QB Alex Mitchell, Brooks: He didn't play last week while nursing a high ankle sprain, but the dual-purpose threat can rack up 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in a heartbeat.

Here's how the state championships will pan out: Class 6A - Prattville defeats Hoover; Class 5A - Greenville defeats Cullman; Class 4A - UMS-Wright over Deshler; Class 3A - Pike County downs Hamilton; Class 2A - Clay County defeats Leroy; Class 1A - Sweet Water over R.A. Hubbard.