A Historic Night in Huntsville

Columbia High School's football team ended a 101-game losing streak — the longest active in the nation — with a 41-14 victory over Greensboro on Saturday night at Milton Frank Stadium. The win was the Eagles' first since October 2015 and snapped an Alabama High School Athletic Association record losing streak that had spanned more than a decade.

The streak had become a defining story for the Huntsville school, drawing national attention over the years. As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Columbia had lost 101 games in a row, and according to a 2024 MaxPreps report, the streak was the longest all-time. The report noted that Glascock County in Georgia held the second-longest at 82 games (1990-1999). However, MaxPreps writer Kevin Askeland later clarified that Red Lake High School in Minnesota had lost 150 games in a row since 1999, though that team has fielded teams inconsistently.

A Comeback Sealed in the Second Half

The game did not start well for Columbia. As reported by Live 5 News WCSC, Columbia fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter, and the very first offensive play was a pick-six by Greensboro. But thanks to Raiders turnovers, the Eagles tied the game in the second quarter and took a 20-14 lead at halftime. In the second half, Columbia held Greensboro scoreless and added three more touchdowns, with the final score reading 41-14.

Leading the offensive charge was senior running back Christian Richey, who accounted for more than 200 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, according to al.com. Rivals reported Richey had 163 yards and three scores in the first half alone. Quarterback Deuce Wilson threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns, with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Semaj James and later a scoring strike to AJ Williams, as reported by multiple outlets. Columbia's defense also came up big — al.com reported that Joshua Chapman made a critical fourth-down stop.

Columbia scored 41 straight points to close the game, and fans rushed the field to celebrate, while coach Coates received a Gatorade bath.

A Culture Change Under Sammie Coates

Sammie Coates, a former Auburn University standout and third-round NFL draft pick, was hired as head coach in January 2025 — as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is a second-year coach for Columbia, having led the team to a 0-10 record in his first season. Rivals reported that Coates was hired when the streak was at 91 games, making the current snap even more historic.

Coates credited his players and the support of the administration for the win. "All the glory to God," he told AL.com after the game. "God has blessed me to be in this situation to bring this to this school, to this community. I want to say thank you to the administration, to the school supporting me, having my back the whole time, and the players showing up and fighting every single day throughout the spring, throughout the summer, everything they have done."

He also directed attention to the players, as reported by Essentially Sports, saying, "I'm just happy for the kids, man. It ain't about me. It's about those kids who worked their tail off. The whole time being here, they never gave up."

Coates, who played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, as detailed by Essentially Sports, has been vocal about the need to build a winning culture. He told AL.com about his roster growth, which was a key factor: "People here inside the building are getting guys to actually come out and play for us that are already there. Getting the kids going to school, getting their friends to play. Everybody in the building is seeing how we've changed the atmosphere, the culture, and people wanted to be a part of it."

The roster expansion from about 30 to just under 60 was pivotal. Live 5 News reported the team had played at 2025 with about 28 players, half the size of typical opponents. Coates said of the influx of players, "They seen the culture change, they seen the shift and what we was trying to build. More guys came out. That was huge. That was my biggest problem last year – numbers. They buying in because we show we really care about them."

The principal Lenoise Richey, who took over about seven months after Coates arrived, also emphasized that the win was no coincidence. "Clear vision, no matter what happens... When we got down 14-0, I was like, 'No, that's not the vision God gave me' I'm standing strong on the vision. No matter what happens, I knew what the end was going to be today," he told AL.com.