Whether it was playing volleyball, or just losing the state title, the Fyffe Red Devils have had their ups and downs this season. And that’s no surprise to their head coach, Paul Benefield. Here are his thoughts on the team’s year, and where they may be headed next.
Having won seven of his eight seasons, Fyffe’s Coach Paul Benefield has established himself as one of the state’s most successful head coaches. He has been named one of the 13 nominees for induction into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame. He has a 332-55 record in his 30 years as a head coach.
Fyffe’s coach has led his team to six state championships. He’s also had one of the best playoff records in the state. Since 2010, Fyffe has won at least one playoff game in each of his 28 seasons as head coach.
Fyffe is coming off its most successful season since he took over as head coach. The Red Devils went 15-0 last season and finished a perfect 15-0 in the playoffs. They have beaten three opponents this season, and Benefield says they are looking to secure their seventh straight region title. He also says they have a very good team.
The Fyffe Red Devils started off the season with a victory over Sylvania. This game was the 300th win of Benefield’s career. He’s also won more games than any other high school in the state in this decade.
In the second quarter, Fyffe had an eight-point lead. Tyler Gore ran for two touchdowns. Ryder Gibson had one TD on the ground. The Red Devils led 19-8 at the half.
In the second half, Fyffe was on the attack. It started with a pair of long scoring drives. Hicks had four carries that went for more than 10 yards. He finished with 45 carries for 235 yards and five touchdowns.
The Fyffe Red Devils are ranked number one in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association’s class 2A rankings. It’s also the only Class 2A team that’s ranked in the top five.
Earlier today, the Fyffe Red Devils defeated the B.B. Comer Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, winning the Class 2A state championship for the sixth time in the last five years. This is the fourth time in the last seven years that Fyffe has gone undefeated, and the sixth time that it has won a state title in its own program.
Fyffe’s run-first attack was on full display during the championship game. The Red Devils finished with 277 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and held the Tigers to minus-one yard rushing in the first half. Moreover, Fyffe’s defense held the Tigers to just 2-of-8 on third down.
Fyffe’s defense held the Tigers out of the end zone, while Brodie Hicks took over the running game with five touchdowns. Hicks was named the Class 2A state championship game’s MVP. He finished with five touchdowns on 45 carries for 235 yards, and is the fifth player in AHSAA history to score five touchdowns in a championship game.
In the first half, Fyffe only completed one pass. But it didn’t take long for Hicks to start taking over the game. He led two 11-play drives in the second half. On one of them, he capped the drive with a 19-yard touchdown run. He added one more touchdown with under three minutes left in the game.
Brodie Hicks, who is averaging 8.5 yards per carry, finished with 235 yards on 45 carries. He also scored five touchdowns on kickoff returns. Hicks became the fifth player to account for five touchdowns in a state championship game, and is the first Fyffe player to do it since Logan Anderson in 2014.
The Red Devils also forced three turnovers. In addition, Fyffe recovered a muffed kickoff and scored on it. In the fourth quarter, Fyffe’s offense held the Tigers to 2-of-8 on third downs. In the end, Fyffe won the Class 2A state championship with a 40-28 victory.
During the past five seasons, Fyffe won four Class 2A and three Class 3A state titles. Fyffe has won 40 playoff games in that time span. They are now 125-5 since 2014. They have gone undefeated in each championship season.
The Fyffe Red Devils have been ranked No. 1 in the state 79 times. They have made eight title game appearances and have won all six of them. They will travel to Piedmont for a jamboree on August 19.
In the Class 2A title game, Fyffe beat No. 6 B.B. Comer 40-28. They had the lead with less than four minutes to play. Brodie Hicks rushed for 104 yards on three carries, scored twice on the ground and blocked a punt. He added two more touchdowns in the second half. He is now the fifth player in Fyffe history to score five touchdowns in a title game.
The Tigers had a chance to take the lead in the first half. They opened the game with a 67-yard touchdown run by Kamore Harris. They then got inside the Fyffe 20 after two plays. The Bulldogs turned over on downs and tried to set up a two-point conversion.
The Red Devils had three turnovers in the first half, including a muffed kickoff. They also held possession for more than twice as long as the Tigers. They closed out the first half with a seven-play, 33-yard drive.
In the second half, the Bulldogs were able to make a few plays in the red zone. They got the ball inside the Fyffe 20 four times. However, they missed opportunities. They turned the ball over on downs once and scored on another play.
Having won three state titles in a row, the Fyffe Red Devils were riding the longest streak in the state. But Friday night the streak was snapped in what was a memorable game against a rival that was vying to become the first team to beat them in more than a year.
The most impressive feat was that Geraldine didn’t commit a turnover on the night. The Bulldogs ran the clock down and claimed a 20-19 win over the Red Devils at Coolidge-Isbell Field. The win also ended Fyffe’s 51 game winning streak, which was second longest in the state.
Geraldine’s win was its first over Fyffe in over a year and a half. The Bulldogs were able to put a stop to a Red Devils rally and end a three game losing streak. In the process, Geraldine improved to 2-0 in Region 7 play. Fyffe’s lone loss was to Sulligent in the Class 2A playoffs on Nov. 24, 2017.
Geraldine High School senior Colton Lusher made a couple of key plays. He made a key interception in the red zone and hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jaxon Colvin. Other notable plays from the night included a 50-yard pass from Colvin to Kyle Dukes. The Bulldogs’ defense also had a big night, shutting down Fyffe’s most prolific rusher, Logan Anderson.
The Fyffe Red Devils won’t be back in the Region 7 title game until next year. In the meantime, they’re still playing in the 3A classification. The Red Devils have won 10 or more games in 17 of Paul Benefield’s 24 seasons at the school. The best season in Fyffe history was the 2010 team that went 13-1, and qualified for the playoffs.
During the last five years, the Fyffe Red Devils have dominated at the Class 2A level. The Red Devils won state titles in boy’s basketball, competitive cheer and boy’s basketball cheer.
In football, Fyffe won its fourth state title in five years. The Red Devils defeated B.B. Comer 40-28 in the state championship. This was the closest game of the season for the Red Devils. They were able to control the game with a run-first offense.
The team also had a stellar season in volleyball. They won a pair of state titles in 2018. Ann Cobern Chapman is now a Class 4A player. She led the team in kills and digs. She was also named as the CCC Player of the Year.
In volleyball, Freeman ranked in the top 10 in attack attempts at Georgia State. She also led Sparkman High School’s volleyball team in kills and digs. She currently serves as the head varsity volleyball coach at Decatur High School.
In football, Mars Hill Bible is still in the 2A final. The team has scored five TDs and has six 2A state titles in the last five years.
Fyffe had an impressive run in football over the last two seasons at the 3A level. The Red Devils have a 51-game winning streak. Paul Benefield, Fyffe’s head coach, led the team to 15-0 and perfect seasons in 2018 and 2019. The Red Devils are known for their run-first offense.
Fyffe had a chance to take a two-point lead in the third quarter against Vinemont. But Vinemont fought back. The Wildcats cut the lead to 23-20 at one point. The Red Devils regrouped and took control. They drove 41 yards in 10 plays on their next series. This time, Fyffe’s drive ended in a punt.
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