Ragland’s Purple Devils host Gaylesville at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round of Class 1A playoffs, having capped a perfect regular season by defeating the third-ranked team in the state.

A 12-7 win against Collinsville last week placed Ragland among the 20 undefeated teams of any classification.  Only Maplesville also remains undefeated in Class 1A.

“Beating Collinsville was a big win for us,” said coach Brian Mintz.  “They were ranked third in the state, and we were fifth, so that was big.  Being 10-0 is an accomplishment for our guys to be proud of.  It’s something few people ever get to experience, and they’re only the third team in the history of Ragland to have done it.”

The Purple Devils defeated the Trojans at Gaylesville in Week 5 and have the home advantage for the rematch.  

“We’ve evolved a little since that game, and they probably have too,” Mintz said.  “We’re making some adjustments, but the motivation to be in the playoffs is strong with our guys.  They have a goal of what they want to do, and I’m proud of them and all of our coaches for coming out and doing the things we needed to do.  We’ve improved every week, and we hope things will continue in a positive direction.”