SCHEDULE PREVIEW: Phil Campbell football gets set for fall 2020

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Phil Campbell will be competing in Class 3A Region 8 this year. The Bobcats went 4-6 last year with wins over Lexington, Vina, Phillips and Hackleburg. A strong group of seniors returns this year, and the schedule sets up well for the Bobcats to get off to a good start.

AUG. 21 – HOSTS PHILLIPS

The Bobcats kick off the season against rival Phillips.

The Bears will compete in Class 1A Region 8 this year. Last year they went 2-8. Their only two wins came against Shoals Christian and Cherokee, and their closest loss was 8-7 to Vina. The rest of their losses were fairly lopsided, with the Bears getting outscored 306-85.

The Bobcats won this game last year easily, 29-0. Phil Campbell is 24-18-5 overall against Phillips.

AUG. 28 – AT LAMAR COUNTY

Lamar County is another team on the Bobcats’ schedule that had 2019 troubles. The Bulldogs went 1-9 last year.

Their only win was a 34-0 shellacking of Hale County. The other nine games were pretty bad, with the Bulldogs getting outscored 292-92.

The Bobcats are 6-12 against the Bulldogs historically. The two teams did not play each other last year and historically only play when it is region contest.

SEPT. 4 – HOSTS ELKMONT (REGION GAME)

Phil Campbell’s first region game will be at home against a team the Bobcats have never faced – Elkmont. Here again, the Bobcats seem to have an easy early-season opponent. Elmont went 1-9 last year, with the only victory a 16-14 win over Lexington. Elkmont was outscored in the other nine games 501-70. In fact, Elmont was shut out twice and held to less than 10 points in seven games.

SEPT. 11 – AT CLEMENTS (REGION GAME)

The Bobcats’ schedule gets a little tougher in week four when they face the Clements Colts. This has been a balanced matchup, with a historical record of 3-3 against each other. The two schools have split the past two years, with Phil Campbell winning in 2018 and Clements returning the favor last year, beating the Bobcats 44-27. If the Bobcats can get this win on the road, they should go into an open week undefeated.

SEPT. 25 – AT HALEYVILLE

After an open week, the Bobcats renew a rivalry with the Haleyville Lions. Phil Campbell and Haleyville haven’t faced each other since 2007.

The Bobcats had lost six consecutive games to the Lions dating back to 2002. The last time Phil Campbell beat Haleyville was when Brett Borden led the Bobcats to a 33-19 win back in 2001. Haleyville won three games last year – Central, Oak Grove and Curry.

Phil Campbell should come into this game with a lot of confidence, but the Bobcats have only nine of the 52 matchups between the two schools.

OCT. 2 – HOSTS COLBERT HEIGHTS (REGION)

This is another intriguing matchup for Phil Campbell.

The Bobcats and Wildcats are 13-13 against each other historically – that is a little misleading, though. Phil Campbell has lost nine consecutive games to the Wildcats.

The Bobcats almost put that streak to bed last year but lost in overtime 31-28.

The last time Phil Campbell won this game was in 2004.

The Wildcats went 6-5 last year, losing in the first round of the playoffs to Susan Moore handily.

OCT. 9 – AT LAUDERDALE COUNTY (REGION GAME)

This game got a little ugly last year, with fists and helmets flying at midfield after the game.

Phil Campbell hasn’t had much success against Lauderdale County. The two teams have faced each other 14 times, dating back to 1947. Phil Campbell has won only one of those contests – a 7-0 win back in the days of the Lyndon Johnson presidency in 1966.

The Tigers went 9-3 last year and lost in the second round of the playoffs. Lauderdale County shut out Phil Campbell 55-0.

OCT. 16 – HOSTS EAST LAWRENCE (REGION GAME)

East Lawrence is another team Phil Campbell has struggled against in the past. The two schools haven’t met many times, but when they have, the Eagles have usually gotten the better of the Bobcats.

East Lawrence is 5-1 in games dating back to 1986, with the Bobcats’ only victory coming in 1987.

East Lawrence and Phil Campbell were in the same region the last two year, with the Eagles winning 32-26 in 2018 and 21-19 last year. East Lawrence went 5-5 last season overall.

OCT. 23 – AT DANVILLE (REGION GAME)

Phil Campbell and Danville only play when they have to.

The two teams were in the same region from 2000-2003, and the Bobcats manhandled the Bulldogs in the first three contests 40-0, 45-0 and 39-0. Danville finally got a win in 2003, 47-14. The two schools haven’t met since.

This year they will close out the region schedule against each other. Danville went 5-6 last year, with a loss to Deshler in the first round of the playoffs.

OCT. 29 – AT HACKLEBURG

This rivalry dates back to 1928. Hackleburg has owned this series lately, winning 16 in a row before the Bobcats put an end to the streak last year with a 42-8 victory.

Phil Campbell and Hackleburg have played 84 times, with the Panthers leading the series 49-34-1.

Hackleburg went 5-7 last year in Class 1A, losing in the second round of the playoffs.