Undefeated Red Bay, No. 2 RHS host region foes
By Staff
Kim West, Franklin County Times
When the new AHSAA poll was released Wednesday, no one was suprised that Russellville slid into the No. 2 spot behind Briarwood Christian in Class 5A. With a Briarwood loss, the undefeated Golden Tigers will claim the top ranking.
Russellville faces playoff nemesis No. 8 J.O. Johnson. The Jaguars (2-1, 1-1) lost to Russellville last season but won the playoff quarterfinal game against Russellville last November.
Russellville (3-0, 2-0) had an off night against Hartselle last Friday night, but the defense shut down the Tigers' offense with a 14-0 final score.
Former No. 1 J.O. Johnson's lone loss came against Decatur last week. If Russellville can down the Jaguars, it will more than likely make the Golden Tigers' home matchup with Decatur on Oct. 12 the deciding game for the Region 8 regular-season championship, which Russellville has claimed the last six seasons.
Kick-off for tonight's rematch is 7 p.m. at RHS Stadium.
The 2A poll once again left out the underrated Red Bay Tigers, who have opened their season 3-0 thanks to wins against Shoals Christian and county rival Phil Campbell and an upset of No. 5 Tanner last Friday.
The Tigers (3-0, 2-0) host West Morgan (2-1, 1-1) tonight, and the Mustangs are coming off a big 49-13 win at Phil Campbell after opening their season with losses against Munford and Tanner.
The Red Bay defense is holding teams to less than 10 points per game, and the offense has flourished thanks to multiple options for the running attack (Josh Senkbeil, Pablo Makepeace, Cody Armstrong and Anthony Horton) and passing game that has been able to complement the Tigers' running prowess.
The Class 2A, Region 8 game kicks off at Fred Bostick Jr. Memorial Stadium tonight at 7 p.m.
