Teams prep for key opponents
Two key games this week will be Red Bay at Colbert County and Phil Campbell at Danville. Both games have big play–off implications.
Russellville should have an easy one on the road at Lee-Huntsville. Tharptown has the unenviable task of playing probably the best team in northwest Alabama other than Florence – Mars Hill. Vina will travel to Phillips for an old rivalry that could mark the close of the season for the winner.
PCHS (4-4) AT DANVILLE (2-6)
Phil Campbell will be back in action this week at Danville after having to forfeit last week’s game to East Lawrence because of coronavirus quarantines. The Bobcats are 3-3 in actual games played, with a forfeit win to Phillips to start the season.
Phil Campbell is averaging 28 points per game while giving up 29 points per game. While Danville doesn’t look particularly strong on paper, the Hawks played a superior Clements team close last week, losing 28-25. Danville has scored 14.5 points per game while giving up 38 points per game, also losing to Colbert Heights 37-0, a team the Bobcats beat 34-30.
RBHS (5-0) AT COLBERT CO. (7-1)
Red Bay has to regroup from the pounding the Tigers got last week against the Mars Hill Panthers to face another tough opponent this week. Red Bay will travel to Colbert County, with home field in the playoffs at stake.
Colbert County routed Lexington last week 35-0 to tune up for this game. The Indians didn’t fare any better against Mars Hill earlier in the season, however, losing 42-14.
Red Bay and Colbert County had not played since 1961 until a couple of years ago. The two teams started playing again in 2017 when they landed in the same region.
The Tigers have won both modern meetings, 20-14 and 12-7. The Indians went 6-5 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Collinsville, 63-18.
RHS (5-1) HOSTS LEE-HUNTSVILLE (2-6)
Russellville locked up the top seed in the region with a 35-19 win over East Lawrence last week. The Golden Tigers should cruise to another win Thursday night at Milton Frank Stadium against the Generals.
Lee has had to forfeit three games because of coronavirus quarantines. The Generals have played one game since Sept. 18, and that was a 36-25 win over a weak Brewer team.
THS (3-4) AT MARS HILL (7-1)
Mars Hill and Tharptown are 1-1 against each other. They last played in 2015, when the Panthers won 13-6. The Panthers have now established themselves as the clear leader in this region, easily beating Red Bay 35-8 last week in the clash of top five teams. Tharptown lost to Hatton last week, 52-6. Those six points were the first the Wildcats have scored in a region contest this year.
VHS (1-7) AT PHILLIPS (2-6)
Vina versus Phillips is a long–running series, with the two teams usually in the same region. Phillips is 38-16 in the two teams’ historical matchups.
Vina lost last week to Hackleburg 48-12.
Vina has picked it up offensively the past two weeks. The Red Devils scored 16 points in the first six games of the year but have scored 44 in the past two games. They need to keep the offense going this week against the Bears.
Vina won this game last year 8-7. It was the Red Devils’ first win since 2005, ending a 14-game win streak by the Bears.
