PREP CAPSULES: High school season makes it to halftime
STAFF REPORT
It’s halftime for high school football.
The preps have made it through the difficulties of COVID-19 and reached the mid-point of the season.
Some said we’d never get here. Others said games shouldn’t be played.
Boy, we are glad they were wrong.
True, games have been cancelled – eight in all among River Region teams. A few more all already lost due to teams opting out of the season. (Two more were lost this week.)
Those that have played, win or lose, must be pleased to get this far. One coach stated he is thankful to play this season and that he wasn’t ready to give up back in early August when there was talk that the season might be lost. He said he wasn’t worried about winning or losing.
There are a few schools around the state that can only watch as their season has been taken away. A few have all but had the season removed due to decisions out of their control.
Hopefully parents and fans have been able to appreciate the efforts of those involved. Masks aside, the bleachers and stadia seats have been (basically) filled as much as possible. Thank you.
We head to Part 2.
There will be plenty of races for playoff bids and region titles. And yes, one or two teams look to be worthy of talk of a state championship.
This week’s schedule might give us a few clues as to who is ready to make moves to get into playoff mode.
Look no further than the matchup between 7A powers Prattville and Hoover, which meet in the regular season for the first time.
Montgomery Academy and Montgomery Catholic are having great seasons and meet this week for a tune-up for the second half of the season. A win would bolster the remaining schedule.
There is one region game in the area it could decide a region champion, even this early. St. James and Alabama Christian meet at Carlisle Field with a chance to get a leg up in Class 4A, Region 2. Both have rebounded after opening season losses.
One other game features an old rivalry in AISA. Hooper Academy and Lowndes Academy have had their differences over the years but meet Friday in a non-region tilt.
All games begin at 7 p.m.
JEFF DAVIS (7A) vs. G.W. CARVER (6A)
Friday at Cramton Bowl
2020 Records: JD (0-4, 0-2), Carver (2-2, 1-1)
Last year: Carver, 18-13
Series: JD, 36-15
Last week: Carver lost to Opelika, 24-7; JD lost to Auburn, 47-0
Key Numbers: JD has managed just 27 total points in four games this season. Ladamian Rowell had Carver’s lone points last week on a Pick-6.
The skinny: If we went back in time and had a choice of any rivalry among city schools, it’s doubtful this one would be picked. Frankly, this series has been extremely streaky with one or the other dominating. Most of the time, Jeff Davis has been in control, winning every game but two between 1970-2005 – most of them being commanding victories. Since then Carver has won all but three meetings and those losses came in succession between 2015-17. Right now, neither team has much of a leg up, at least talent-wise. That should lead to a competitive game on Friday. Carver has been erratic offensively while JD hasn’t had any success with the ball in-hand at all. That would seemingly pave the way for a Wolverine victory. They do have the better quarterback between the two in Marquarius Moore. The Vols have been roughed up by some pretty good opponents (Lee, Central-Phenix City, Auburn) and that might skew the impression of this team. But it doesn’t change the idea that Carver wins this game.
PREDICTION: Carver, 17-13
PRATTVILLE (7A) at HOOVER (7A)
Friday at Hoover Met
2020 Records: Hoover (5-0), Prattville (4-1)
Last meeting: 2014 – Hoover, 35-21 (7A Championship)
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last week: Hoover def. Oak Mountain, 42-7; Prattville def. Dothan, 35-0
Key Numbers: Hoover has allowed just 12.6 points per game. QB E.J. Ousley finished 18 of 25 for 297 yards and a school record five TDs in the win over Dothan last week.
The skinny: Seemingly hard to believe but this is the first time these two teams have met in a game that did not decide a state championship. There is a chance they could meet again in early December but ironically, neither is the favorite to represent their respective brackets. Yes, times have changed since these two met at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Prattville has suffered a bit of a lull, having missed the playoffs three times since then while Hoover did win back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 only to give way to Thompson as the favorite the last couple of years. But the Bucs seem to be righting the ship (no pun intended) with a dominant defense putting up more than 42 points per game. Ousely’s performance last week was special and gives the Lions another level of offense they haven’t had in a while. But is it enough to win at Hoover? It would be difficult to judge based on who the Bucs have beaten to this point. The win over Central-Phenix City to start the year was solid (albeit under strange conditions being a replacement game) but the rest of the opponents have been sketchy at best. We might be a bit biased but Prattville has played better group of teams with Auburn being the top opponent. That was also the Lions’ worst game. This has the makings of being a nail biter but give Hoover the edge due to homefield advantage and a slightly better defense.
PREDICTION: Hoover, 21-20
CATHOLIC (3A) at MONTGOMERY ACADEMY (3A)
Friday at McLemore Field
2020 Records: Catholic (4-1), MA (5-0)
Last meeting: 2015 – MA, 26-14
Series: MA leads, 29-13-1
Last week: Catholic def. Beulah, 41-7; MA def. Prattville Christian, 38-7
Key Numbers: Catholic has won just twice in this series since 1997.
The skinny: It’s not a region game but could be a preview of a playoff game later on this season. At the moment, these two teams are the favorite to win their region (yes, Trinity may have something to say about Catholic and MA must deal with Thomasville). But the point is made how well these two teams have played. The loss to Pike Road didn’t tarnish Catholic’s season, considering how the Patriots are playing at this moment. Offensively, they’ve been super. MA has been a complete team but hasn’t faced quite the competition. The two coaches are providing a snapshot of their mentors – Aubrey Blackwell from Jimmy Perry and Robert Johnson from John Tatum. It’s a neat sight to see and will continue to have a positive impact on local football. But something has to give here. The Eagles are good enough to keep the record perfect in this fight but the Knights land a few more punches and take a close one.
PREDICTION: Catholic, 31-27
ALABAMA CHRISTIAN at ST. JAMES
Class 4A, Region 2
Friday at Carlisle Field
2020 Records: ACA (3-1, 2-0), STJ (4-0, 2-0)
Last meeting: 2017- STJ, 49-14
Series: STJ leads, 28-11
Last week: ACA def. Dale Co, 40-20; STJ def. Straughn, 41-0
Key Numbers: Since the opening loss to Trinity, the Eagles have averaged 41 points per game offensively. Last week, STJ’s defense enjoyed its first shut out since 2018.
The skinny: Game was originally scheduled for Sept. 4 but was moved due to COVID-19. Hat tip to STJ coach Jimmy Perry who worked out the schedule to move this game to Friday and the Trojans’ game with Trinity to the end of the season. It might work against the Trojans in the long run. ACA didn’t have the best of starts, looking out of sorts against Trinity. But the Eagles have enjoyed a nice turnaround. But so has St. James, which was shut out by Montgomery Academy in the opener. It’s hard to lose sight of the fact that this game is key for the region race. A win gives one of these teams a leg up in what looks like an average region. ACA might have the advantage offensively but the Trojans are at home and may have an advantage on the sideline with Perry. That’s enough.
PREDICTION: St. James, 24-20
KEY GAMES
Sidney Lanier (6A) at Bessemer City (6A) – Lanier looking for the program’s 600th victory in its illustrious history. The Poets might catch a break in that the Purple Tigers are dealing with similar struggles offensively. Lanier gets it done. . Lanier, 12-8.
Stanhope Elmore (6A) at Eufaula (6A) – This has the making of the best game of the night. Eufaula turned it around with a win over Park Crossing last week. SE did the same. Similar teams with both playing solid on defense for the most part. Tigers are home and get the nod. Eufaula, 28-25
Marbury (5A) at Holtville (5A) - A confidence boost for the winner. Marbury especially needs one after dropping two of its three region games. Holtville has shown the ability to bounce back after the disappointment against Beauregard two weeks ago. Bulldogs get the win based on a little more offensive punch. Holtville, 28-20.
Tallassee (5A) at Pike Road (5A) – The Tigers have played one of the toughest schedules in the River Region. It certainly doesn’t get any easier on Friday. Pike Road has been a juggernaut on offense and should roll. Pike Road, 44-16.
Lowndes Academy (A) at Hooper Academy (AAA) – An old fashion rivalry that spans almost 50 years. There have been a few headbangers in this one. Expect nothing less, this time with Hooper getting the win. Hooper, 20-16.
THE REST
Elmore County over White Plains, 21-11; Prattville Christian over Thorsby, 23-22; Bessemer Aca over Autauga Aca, 31-28; Macon East over Monroe Aca, 28-15.
BYE: R.E. Lee; Park Crossing; Trinity; Autaugaville (forfeit win from Francis Marion); Edgewood Academy; Valiant Cross; Wetumpka (forfeit loss to Greenville); Billingsley (forfeit loss to Isabella)
RECORD: Last week 16-5; Season 75-23 (.790)