This is an opinion piece.

We are now officially on the road to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The AHSAA and AISA playoffs start on Friday. They will conclude, for the AHSAA, the first week in December in Auburn. The AISA playoffs end Nov. 17.

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It seems like a long way from now, but it will go fast.

Just a few thoughts as we open the postseason and then a few games to watch in Round 1.

1. If I had to pick a clear favorite in any one class, I would go with Montgomery Catholic in Class 4A. The Knights have been dominant after jumping from Class 3A in the offseason. Behind QB Caleb McCreary and Auburn RB commit Jeremiah Cobb, Kirk Johnson’s team has outscored opponents 568-80 on the way to a 10-0 mark. Catholic hosts Bayside Academy on Friday.

1b. Having said that, the race in the South in Class 4A is brutal. All of these teams will be vying to get to Auburn – No. 1 Catholic, No. 2 Anniston, No. 4 Handley, No. 5 Andalusia, No. 6. T.R. Miller and No. 8 Jackson. Throw in Orange Beach and three-time state champion coach Jamey DuBose and whoever makes it to the title game in five weeks will definitely have earned it.

2. The Class 7A race is a little – stress on a little – more open in 2022. I would expect Hoover and Thompson to again decide the North and Auburn and Central-Phenix City to decide the South. I believe any of those four could win the title. Obviously, Thompson has won the last three.

3. Since the AHSAA went to seven classifications in 2014, Class 6A has been the deepest class with the most competitive title game. Expect nothing less this year. True title contenders include Theodore, reigning champ Clay-Chalkville, Saraland, Hartselle, Mountain Brook, Center Point and Hueytown among others. Unbeaten Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa also would have made that list two weeks ago, but the loss of QB Ethan Crawford to a torn ACL will likely hurt that team’s chances to play deep into November.

4. Only one reigning AHSAA state champion did not make the postseason. Class 4A champ Vigor moved to 5A this season and did not qualify for the playoffs. The other six champs – Thompson, Clay-Chalkville, Pike Road, Piedmont, Clarke County and Sweet Water are back in contention. Pike Road won the 5A title a year ago but made the playoffs in 6A this season.

Keep your eye on these three first-round games:

Class 3A: Mobile Christian (3-7) at Houston Academy (10-0): Mobile Christian is not your average 3-7 team. The Leopards forfeited their first four wins due to an eligibility issue but still qualified as the 4 seed from Region 1. They are much more talented than an average 4 seed. Houston Academy is undefeated and has outscored its opponents 402-83.

Class 6A: Benjamin Russell (8-2) at Hueytown (7-3): One of the better first-round matchups in any class. Hueytown finished as the state runner-up a year ago but lost three of its first four games this year. However, the Gophers – behind Jacksonville State QB commit Earl Woods – have found their stride and finished the season on a six-game win streak. Benjamin Russell’s only losses have come at Homewood and at Pelham.

Class 7A: Vestavia Hills (6-4) at Austin (7-3): In the recent past, Region 4 teams have had a difficult time making headway against Region 3 in the Class 7A playoffs. This will be a good gauge game to see if anything has changed in 2022. Austin won seven straight games before being upset by Huntsville in its regular-season finale. Vestavia Hills has won four of its last five.

Ben Thomas is the high school sportswriter at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected]. His weekly column is posted each Wednesday and Friday on AL.com. He can be heard weekly on the Cooper Restaurants “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.