36 Miles of Hate. The Story of Auburn vs Central Phenix City

All historical information was found on AHSFHS.org

The Battle of Tigers and Red Devils

With the ever-changing classifications in the state of Alabama, there is one thing that has not changed: these two schools. They are divided by 36 miles on a road that barely has any cell service. That road is US Highway 280. You’re more likely to find a deer on the side of the road than a house in some parts. These schools play each other in just about every sport possible: baseball, basketball, soccer, and the most important sport in Alabama, football.

Depending on who you talk to, some say this isn’t their main rival. Some people on the Auburn side believe there is nothing worse on this earth than an Opelika Bulldog. Some Central Phenix City fans would argue Smiths Station, while those fans from the 2010s might say the McGill-Toolen Yellow Jackets caused a grave amount of pain to all Red Devil fans.

In the end, it all comes back to one thing: these two always get in each other’s way. They are always battling for a football region title or an area championship in other sports, which naturally leads you to hating one another. Which is where we are today.

On Friday night in Phenix City, Alabama, there will be the 67th installment of this rivalry. So how did we get here? Well, we will start back in 1930.

Halloween of 1930

When kids were running around screaming, “Trick or Treat!” somewhere nearby in Auburn, Alabama, a group of Auburn High Tigers were facing the Central Phenix City Red Devils. W.G. Granger led the Auburn Tigers out to an 18-6 victory over Kenner Kimbrough and his Red Devils that day.

The Tigers and Red Devils would not play on the field again until 23 years later, when the game ended in a 6-6 tie in 1953.

The 1950s were owned by Central Phenix City, winning every matchup until 1962, when Auburn, led by Bobby Beaird, led the Tigers to a 20-19 thriller over the Red Devils.

The Tigers had snapped their nearly decade-long losing streak and claimed a victory over Central for the first time in 33 years.

Red Devils Owning the Tigers

Throughout the history of this rivalry, after that fabled night in 1962, the Red Devils really took care of Auburn. Up until 2004, the Red Devils went 21-5-2 over Auburn.

The 1990s were when Central Phenix City really took control of this series. They lost in 1990 and 1991, but would go on to win 12 consecutive games over their rivals. This game wouldn’t even really be considered a rivalry, as the Red Devils consistently beat Auburn.

2004 is when Auburn finally got one over on Central Phenix City again, winning 10-7 on the road. And suddenly, the series became back and forth, with teams winning over each other. The series went from lopsided to nearly even, with the Red Devils winning six out of the 10 matchups with Auburn.

However, in 2013, it would be the last time Auburn would defeat Central Phenix City for quite some time, in a 23-17 victory for Auburn.

Playoff Battles for the Ages

It wasn’t until 2016 that these schools found themselves in the playoffs. Which is where one of the two had the pleasure of ending the other’s season.

A region title means a lot, but advancing and beating your rival in the playoffs to end their season means more.

Their first playoff matchup went the way many of these matchups have gone: a Central Phenix City win. The Red Devils won 48-9. Central continued to control this matchup, winning in the 2019 7A State Semi-Finals, 38-0.

Auburn finally got one over on Central after seven years in 2020. Auburn got it done not only once, but twice that season against Central Phenix City.

With a 29-28 win in the regular season, then a 35-17 win to advance them to the 2020 7A State Championship Game, Auburn had flipped the script.

The Red Devils would exact revenge, doing the exact same thing in 2021, sweeping both the regular season and ending Auburn’s season in a 28-17 win.

14-13

If Central Phenix City didn’t consider Auburn a rival before this game, they did after.

During the 2022 season, The Central Phenix City Red Devils had dominated their regular-season matchup 38-17 against Auburn. It was Auburn’s loss of the season, and Central had fallen in an upset to Opelika and was defeated by IMG Academy.

They would meet again in Phenix City for the 7A State Semi-Final. With Phenix City red hot, many thought this team could be one of their best ever, regardless of two losses.

Turns out it didn’t matter, as Auburn would stun the Red Devils 14-13 on their own home turf.

Many fans asked, “We beat them by 21 on the road. How did we lose to them?”

Auburn would go on to lose to Thompson in the state championship game. But it sent a message: this would always be a battle, regular-season and playoff-wise.

Central Phenix City would go on to defeat them four out of the next five times, including a 36-0 shutout in the 2025 season. It was the first time the Tigers had been blanked since Central Phenix City did it back in the 2019 playoffs.

When these two schools play on Friday night, you won’t want to miss it. It is always a sellout crowd, and it will be very competitive.

Regardless if you consider it a rivalry or not, there is one thing you cannot deny.

They keep getting in each other’s way.