FOX10 Big Friday Kickoff

This week, Emily and Robert talk about the 7v7 tournament hosted by the Univeristy of South Alabama. Who impressed? Who won? Who should we be excited about heading into the season.

Then, Emily talks about some of the practices she's been to for various schools over the last week and what she's learned about each team.

They wrap up by discussing the hire of Jason Phillips at Satsuma and why Robert thinks its a great hire for the Gators.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert are joined by Vlad Valasiuk, the founder of Bama Preps, a social media platform dedicated to changing the way Alabama high school football is covered.

From recruiting to the biggest storylines across the state, Vlad shares how Bama Preps got started, how it’s grown, and why social media has become such a powerful tool in high school sports.

They also discuss the transfer portal, the changing landscape of Alabama high school football, and what the future may hold for players, coaches, and fans.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert break down the latest coaching news.

McIntosh hires former Vigor coach John McKenzie and Rodney Jordan is out at Satsuma. We break down the latest coaching moves.

Then, we see our local players stand in the latest recruiting rankings.

We have instant reactions to the news that Mary G. Montgomery High School has been fined, placed probation and head coach Zach Golson has been suspended.

We break down the news and discuss what this means for the MGM football program going forward.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Robert Ristaneo and Emily Cochran break down the fallout surrounding the suspension of Mary G. Montgomery Head Coach Zach Golson before previewing some of the biggest local spring football games on the schedule.

Plus… why the Daphne vs. Gulfport matchup could be one of the Gulf Coast’s must-watch spring showdowns.

This week, Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo are breaking down the starting quarterbacks in class 2A and 1A.

Is Jace Sellers the best quarterback in 1A? Will Jayden Collins take another big step for Chickasaw? They break it all down.

Then, Big Friday Kickoff Photographer Hayden Hite joins the show to say goodbye. Hayden is following his dream of becoming a pilot so they talk about some of their favorite memories during his time with FOX10.

We have an emergency, breaking news episode of the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast as Mary G. Montgomery Head Coach Zach Golson has been placed on administrative leave.

FOX10 News reporter Claudia Nichols has been covering this story and joins the podcast to tell us what she’s found out.

We will have our regular Wednesday episode tomorrow afternoon.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo are highlighting the best returning skill players in Class 3A, 2A, and 1A.

All of the best running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and all-around gamechangers on offense, we'll discuss them in this episode.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Robertsdale Head Coach Justin Jones joins the show as he enters year two leading the Golden Bears. We’re talking expectations, the process of rebuilding a program, and the personal side of coaching his own son. From setting the standard to changing the culture, there’s a real buzz building in Robertsdale. You don’t want to miss this one.

This week, on a new episode of the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, it’s packed with high school football talk.

Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo break down the top offensive skill players to watch this season across Double A and Single A private schools. We also dive into the new playoff format and what it means moving forward.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo highlight some of best skill position players in 6A, 5A, and 4A for the 2026-2027 season.

We look at some of the best running backs, wide receivers, and playmakers who will make the biggest difference for their teams next season.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert rank the returning quarterbacks in Region One, class 4A, 3A, and the two private school divisions.

From Gunner Rivers, Shamar Toodle, and Davis Barnett to Tucker Wade and Jarrod Crook, we break down the numbers, success, and projected upcoming season to compile our first rankings of the offseason. 

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert talk about Saraland Quarterback Jamison Roberts and his performance at the Elite 11 camp.

Then they talk about Snook Christian joining the AHSAA before running through the latest ASWA rankings for baseball, softball, and soccer.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo sit down with T.P. Hammock — co-host of the Alabama High School Football History Podcast.

From his roots as a sports writer to helping build one of the most detailed archives of high school football in the state, Hammock shares the story behind the podcast and the passion it takes to track every game played on Friday nights across Alabama.

If you love Friday night lights, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert sit down with one of the most respected historians in the state of Alabama football.

On this week’s episode of the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Robert Ristaneo and Emily Cochran break down the biggest postseason storylines in high school basketball.

The Mobile Christian girls are playing for their first state title in program history, while the Alma Bryant girls are looking to punch their ticket to the championship game.

Plus, they dive into high school football recruiting rankings — highlighting the top prospects to watch across the Mobile area.

High school baseball is officially back in full swing, and we’ve got the perfect guest to kick off the season.

Mobile-area baseball guru Joey Warner joins Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo on this week’s episode of the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast — and trust us, he’s an encyclopedia of knowledge. We dive into the top teams, players to watch, and the biggest storylines shaping the season across Mobile and Baldwin County.

We also take a deep look at the Port City’s rich baseball history and break down what the public-private school split could mean moving forward.

And don’t leave early — Joey wraps things up by announcing his Top Pitchers and Players of the Week.

All that and more on this week’s episode of the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast. 

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff podcast, Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo break down the quarterbacks in 5A and 6A and give you our early rankings heading into next year. From proven playmakers to rising stars ready to take over under center, we’re stacking the top QBs and debating who deserves the No. 1 spot.

Who’s too high? Who’s too low? And who’s about to make a big jump? Tune in and join the debate.

The public versus private debate in Alabama high school sports just took another major turn and Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo are breaking it all down on this week’s Big Friday Kickoff Podcast. From the AHSAA’s decision to separate championship play… to the possibility of private schools gaining representation on the Central Board… and what the CHOOSE Act ruling means for athlete eligibility — this story is far from over. 

Area tournament time is almost here. On this week’s Big Friday Kickoff, Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo dive into high school basketball, sizing up contenders, key matchups, and the storylines you need to know heading into next week’s area tournaments.

This week on the Big Friday Kickoff Podcast, Emily and Robert recap the FOX10 Player of the Year Banquet where we celebrated some of the best players in our area before diving into the splitting of public and private schools in the latest reclassification.

This week, Sports Director Emily Cochran and Robert Ristaneo reveal part two of their All-Region One Teams, featuring 4A-1A.

Throughout the season, we kept a running list of the best players in region one from 1A to 7A.

Here are our picks for the 5A, 6A, and 7A All-Region teams and our All-Freshman teams. We will release 1A-4A next week along with our honorable mention list.