THURSDAY FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Vina looks for homecoming win versus 0-5 Cherokee
Football season is on the downhill side with some big region games still on the schedule.
Phil Campbell will travel to Lauderdale County this week to try to avenge a lopsided loss last year and make a bid to host a play-off game. Red Bay will try to stay unbeaten, going into a top-five matchup against Mars Hill next week.
Tharptown and Vina are both looking for their first region wins, with the playoffs out of the picture.
All games this week have been moved to Thursday, in light of the inclement weather moving into the area Friday from Hurricane Delta.
Russellville is off this week and will host East Limestone next week for homecoming.
PCHS (4-2) HOSTS LAUDERDALE COUNTY (6-1)
Phil Campbell got a big play-off boost with a gutsy goal-line stand win against Colbert Heights Friday night. The win pushes the Bobcats to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in region play.
Phil Campbell travels to Lauderdale County Thursday night. The Tigers beat Clements 49-16 Friday night – a team the Bobcats lost to early in the year.
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, and Phil Campbell has won only one of those contests – a 7-0 win, back in the days of the Lyndon Johnson presidency in 1966.
Lauderdale County shut out Phil Campbell 55-0 last year.
RED BAY (5-0) AT HATTON (2-4)
Red Bay has gotten off to some rough starts in games this year, but a strong defense and running game have been able to propel the Tigers to convincing wins. Red Bay travels to Hatton this week.
Red Bay has dominated Hatton through the years. The Tigers are 30-9 overall but have won the past 24 consecutive games dating back to 1994. Red Bay shut out Hatton 24-0 in 2019.
Hatton and Red Bay have only played one common opponent thus far – Lexington. Hatton lost to Lexington 13-12, while Red Bay beat the Golden Bears 40-13.
THARPTOWN (3-3) AT SHEFFIELD (2-5)
Tharptown has done well out of region, going 3-0; in region, however, has been another story.
The Wildcats have been outscored on average 54-0 in three games. After an off week last week, Tharptown will travel to Sheffield Thursday night for another shot at a region win.
Sheffield’s 2-5 record is a little deceiving, with those five losses coming to Brooks, Mars Hill, Colbert County, Central and Red Bay.
Tharptown is 0-2 against the Sheffield Bulldogs. The Wildcats and Bulldogs have been in the same region for two years, and Sheffield has outscored Tharptown 105-24. Sheffield won last year’s matchup 56-24.
Sheffield went 6-5 last year with a blistering first-round loss to Fyffe 48-0.
VINA (0-6) HOSTS CHEROKEE (0-5) (HOMECOMING)
The Red Devils have struggled this year, scoring 16 points thus far this season. This week will be one of Vina’s best chances to put a notch in the win column, hosting Cherokee for homecoming.
The Indians have scored 24 points so far this year. They lost 40-6 to Shoals Christian, a team Vina lost to 20-8.
Vina is 7-12 against the Cherokee Indians. Last year Vina pummeled Cherokee 58-18, but prior to that meeting, Cherokee had won 11 in a row dating back to 1951.
