The Maplesville football program has a shot at a third consecutive state title in Class 1A when the Red Devils (13-0) take on the Pickens County Tornados (11-3), as part of AHSAA Super 7 on Thursday at 3 p.m. at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

It has been another magical season for Maplesville and the type of season that has become expected in recent years.

However, this year’s run began with a hint of uncertainty to accompany the heightened expectations.

“After you graduate a big senior class, there are always questions,” Maplesville head coach Brent Hubbert said. “They’ve [players] stepped up and proven all the doubters wrong throughout the year.”

Maplesville enters the championship game undefeated and has outscored opponents by an average of 42.6 points per game.

The Red Devils are riding a wave of momentum with back-to-back road wins over Sweet Water (60-34) and Linden (36-14) to secure a spot in the title game.

It has been difficult to score points against the Maplesville defense throughout the season.

Opposing teams have only managed to score 89 points in 13 games, an average of just under a touchdown per game.

“These kids just understand,” Hubbert said. “They’ve built a work ethic and a mindset required.”

The Tornados earned a title trip by defeating Addison 23-6 in the semifinals last Friday.

The last meeting between the two teams was the 2013 state championship that Pickens County won 38-18.