Auburn High has date with destiny

Two more victories is all that separates Auburn High from a trip to Birmingham and the Class 6A state championship game.

But in order for that to happen, the Tigers will first have to get through one of the nation’s premier football powers on its home turf.

Prattville enters Friday’s Class 6A third-round playoff showdown with visiting Auburn as the top dog in Alabama football.

The Lions are the two-time defending state champion in 6A and haven’t lost to a team from Alabama since 2005. That’s a streak of 39 games to in-state foes, with their only loss in three years coming to national power St. Xavier (Ohio) in the first week of this season.

Prattville advanced to the third round by whipping up on Opelika last Friday, 44-11.

“It’s a great challenge for us, but we want to embrace it,” Auburn head coach Tim Carter said. “This is a great moment in our program’s history.

“We’ve got a very special season going on, and this is a great time to play them in the great atmosphere they’ll have there in Prattville.”

The special season for the Tigers has included several milestones.

Auburn’s 12 wins this season are the most of any Auburn High team in its history, and the 12-game winning streak is the longest in school history.

The Tigers are also in the third round for just the second time in school history.

The only other time Auburn reached the third round (2001), it took down Baldwin County, 20-10, before falling in the state semifinals.