The football teams in Selma and Dallas County may be on their way to achieving a rare accomplishment, although it’s one they would probably all rather avoid.

If the high school football playoffs started today, none of the teams in the county would qualify for the postseason — a feat that has only happened once in the last 30 years, according to data from the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.

In 2006, all seven teams missed the playoffs, but that’s the only time it has happened since the 1970’s.

Technically, none of the seven Dallas County teams are eliminated from playoff contention, but all of them have some catching up to do. Going into the final three weeks of the season, Selma and Ellwood Christian appear to be in the best spot to make a push, with both teams sitting only one game out of the four qualifying spots in their regions.

The Saints are off this week but will have their eyes set on Friday’s matchup between Bessemer City and Northridge, the teams currently sitting in the third and fourth spots in Class 5A, Region 4. If Northridge loses to the Tigers, it’s likely that the Selma-Northridge game Oct. 24 will be for a playoff spot.

Ellwood’s hope for the postseason may come down to a forfeit earlier this season against Sunshine, a team that currently sits in the fourth spot in the Class 1A, Region 4 standings.  The Eagles lone region game remaining is at A.L. Johnson Oct. 24. If Ellwood wins that game, it’s very possible the Eagles would find themselves in a two or three-way tie for the fourth spot in the standings.

Things are more complicated for Dallas County and Southside.

The Hornets are in fifth in Class 5A, Region 4, but Dallas County’s remaining two regional games are against the top two teams in the standings — Demopolis and Calera. The Panthers still play W.S. Neal and Clarke County.

It gets a little more complicated for one-win Keith and winless Morgan Academy. Both teams would need to win their remaining region games and get enough help from other teams to force a three-way tie for fourth in the region. Then, both teams would have to win the tiebreaker. In 8-man football, Meadowview Christian has one region game remaining, against East Memorial Christian Academy, and would likely need to win it to make the postseason.