Columbia Eagles End 101-Game Losing Streak With Historic Victory

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The wait is finally over.

The Columbia High School Eagles have won a football game. 41-14!

After 101 consecutive losses, Columbia ended one of the longest losing streaks in high school football history Saturday, snapping a drought that dated back nearly 11 years. The Eagles’ previous victory came on October 16, 2015, when Columbia defeated Ardmore, 34-16.

For a program that had endured years of losses, the significance of Saturday’s victory goes far beyond the final score.

The streak is over.

Columbia entered the 2026 season carrying the nation’s longest active losing streak at 101 games. Alabama High School Football History had Columbia listed at the top of the state’s consecutive-loss records entering the season.

But this season feels different.

Under head coach Sammie Coates, the Eagles entered the year with a renewed sense of purpose. Coates, a former Auburn standout and NFL player, took over the program in 2025 and immediately emphasized changing the culture and developing his players beyond the football field.

That culture began to show before the wins ever came.

Columbia’s roster grew from just 28 players in 2025 to approximately 60 players entering this season. Coates also pointed to the team’s strong academic performance and the development of his players as important signs that the program was moving in the right direction.

The Eagles also entered 2026 with a new classification. Columbia moved from Class 6A to Class 5A, giving the program a different competitive landscape after facing some of the larger programs in North Alabama.

That new beginning has now produced the result everyone around the program had been waiting for.

A WIN.

For the young men who suited up for Columbia, this victory represents more than ending a number on a scoreboard. It represents perseverance, commitment and believing in a program even when the results did not come quickly.

They kept showing up, kept working, and kept believing. Now they have something tangible to build on.

The 101-game losing streak will forever be part of Columbia football history, but Saturday’s victory marks the beginning of a new chapter.

The streak is broken. The monkey is off their back. And for these young men, there is only one direction to go from here: UP.

Congratulations to the Columbia Eagles. The wait is over.