PREP CAPSULES (Week 6): Hang on for another big week of meaningful football
STAFF REPORT
Gather ‘round high school football fans. The season is about to get interesting.
No less than five games in the River Region this week will have a direct influence on which team leads their respective region. While we are still five Fridays away from the end of. the regular season, it’s not too early to see what might be in store thanks to the outcome of this week’s contests.
Start at Cramton Bowl on Thursday night where G.W. Carver faces Enterprise in what is most definitely the toughest game of the season for the Wolverines - so far. Even though they sit atop the region (with Central-Phenix City and Auburn), they are in no position to fall in this game since Enterprise has two losses and both are to the teams the Wolverines are tied with for first.
Carver will face Central and Auburn in back-to-back weeks beginning next Friday. They also have a game left with Opelika making Thursday’s tilt a must win.
On Friday, Trinity visits Montgomery Academy for an important Class 3A, Region 2 game. Currently, the Wildcats are alone in first with four other teams sitting behind them at 2-1. MA is one of those teams with its lone loss coming to Wicksburg a couple of weeks ago. A win for the Wildcats will put more distance between them and the other contenders while an MA win gives the Eagles a leg up on the others.
Russell County sits atop Class 6A, Region 2 along with Pike Road. The Warriors are the suprise of the region and face Stanhope Elmore, which needs a win to get back into the race for the playoffs. Stanhope has never lost to the Warriors in 19 meetings. That streak is in danger this weekend.
St. James and Booker T. Washington face off in another battle for first place. The Golden Eagles lost their coach, LA O’Neal, to Tallassee but have continued their winning ways after a deep run in last year’s playoffs. St. James has turned its fortunes around after a slow start.
Elmore County is currently trailing both Beauregard and Central-Clay County in Class 5A, Region 4 but has the chance to make a move up the standings with a win over the Volunteers this week.
Week 6
All games begin at 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise
ENTERPRISE at G.W. CARVER (7A-R2)
Thursday at Cramton Bowl
2024 Records: Enterprise (3-2, 1-2), Carver (5-0, 3-0)
Last week: Enterprise and Carver did not play
Last Meeting: 2021, Enterprise, 28-12
Series: Enterprise leads, 19-1
Key Numbers: Carver’s lone win in the series came in 1995 and that was not a region game. The two have played nine regional games between 1975 and 1984.
The skinny: Calling this a new era in Carver football makes sense considering this series as a stand alone. The history of the program includes plenty of opponents where the wins and losses are lopsided. This one with Enterprise needs little explanation since it was a dominant force in the 1970s through the mid-90s but has fallen off lately. While the Wildcats’ program has shown improvement in the last few years, it has not been what it was when legendary coach Bill Bacon was calling the shots. When Carver enjoyed an upswing, the two were not in the same classification or if it was, they weren’t in the same region. Now the two meet when both are at a premium, and that should lead to an interesting matchup on Thursday. Bobby Carr, in his first season with the Wolverines, seems to have made the right impression on his team and has it running on all cylinders, altough the Wolverines were dangerously close to losing their first game two weeks ago at Dothan. Enterprise is solid as well, but apparently not as solid as the top two teams in the region, Central-Phenix City and Auburn. Those two teams handed Enterprise their losses and were dominant in both. Carver will have to deal with them later in the month but for now, the focus is on winning this one, which may have a bearing on the playoff picture. The difference in this one might be the Carver defense, which had shown big play ability early. Enterprise has put up solid offensive numbers, including in the two losses. Turnovers will be the key and Carver has gotten better at protecting the ball. The Wolverines need to continue that trait in order to win. The call here is they will.
PREDICTION: Carver, 31-28
TRINITY at MONTGOMERY ACADEMY (3A-R2)
Friday at McLemore Field
2024 Records: TPS (5-1, 3-0), MA (5-1, 2-1)
Last week: Trinity def. St. James, 28-7; MA def. Luverne, 36-8
Series: Trinity leads, 27-21
Last year: Trinity, 34-7
Key Numbers: This is the first time the two programs have met as regional foes since 2011. Two of the last six meetings have come in the playoffs (2020 and 2021).
The skinny: Take out the 2020 season - when the two were in the same classification but not in the same region - and it’s hard to get these two programs on the same page. Either they have been in different classes or one was up while the other was down. Finally, the two meet with major regional implications on the line and both are playing premium football. Both entered the season with a few holes to fill and both have done that admirably. Both are scoring at a solid clip (Trinity averaging 30 ppg while MA is averaging 28 points). Both had done a decent job in limiting turnovers. Both have game stoppers but in a matchup like this, the top players usually rise to the top. The line of scrimmage might be the difference, although both claim a solid group. It’s a tough pick but MA gets a slight edge. Eagles win a close one.
PREDICTION: Montgomery Academy, 27-26
RUSSELL COUNTY at STANHOPE ELMORE (6A-R2)
Friday at Foshee-Henderson Stadium, Millbrook
2024 Records: Russell Co (5-1, 3-0), SE (4-1, 3-0 3A R3)
Last week: Russell County def. Valley, 45-27; SE def. Smiths Station, ,20-0
Series: Stanhope Elmore leads, 19-0
Last year: Stanhope Elmore, 24-21
Key Numbers: Russell County is off to its best start to the season since 2021 when it opened 4-0 with two of the wins being forfeits... Last week’s win over Smiths Station was Stanhope Elmore’s first win over a Class 7A school since 2016, and that was a forfeit by Prattville.
The skinny: At the end of last season, Russell County coach Dillon Griggs wanted to make sure his quarterback, Bryson Riggins, got the accolades he believed was due. Even though the Warriors finished 2-8, Riggins was confident the next season - this season - would be much better. So far, he’s correct. The Warriors are leading the way in the region along with Pike Road, and have been putting up haughty offensive numbers to this point (38.8 points per game). The highlight came a couple of weeks ago with a 49-19 win over Percy Julian. At the same time, the Mustangs have struggled at times, particularly on defense. But last week, the preverbal light may have flickered in a shutout of Smiths. It was the first shutout SE has enjoyed since the first game of the 2021 season (Selma). Is this the beginning of a turnaround? The next four games will answer that question. All four are region games and will determine the Mustangs’ playoff fate. Based on the inconsistency of the offense, it doesn’t make much sense to pick the home team. But the trend doesn’t lie. Russell County was very close to winning this matchup last year but a crazy finish handed the Mustangs the win. For whatever reason, the expectation is the same this year.
PREDICTION: Stanhope Elmore, 33-28
KEY GAMES
Vestavia Hills at Prattville (at Wetumpka) (7A R2) - A win keeps Prattville solidly in the playoff hunt. A loss might make it difficult considering the future schedule. Prattville, 27-19.
Smiths Station at JAG (7A R2) – Can JAG make it two in a row? Why not…. JAG, 20-16.
B.T Washington at St. James (4A R3) – The Trojans are 3-3 with all wins coming in region play. At the moment, this one is for the lead but there are plenty of key games left on both schedules. That’s good news for STJ BTW, 23-20.
Tallassee at Cleburne County (4A R3) – After an open week, the Tigers get a chance to strengthen their playoff aspirations. Traditionally Cleburne County is solid but not lately. Tallassee, 35-14.
P. Julian at Rehobeth (6A R2) - A couple of weeks ago, the Phoenix looked to be in good shape for the playoffs. Now, they are in a must win situation headed to the south part of the state. They need a turnaround win and they get it, barely. Julian, 27-25.
Central-Clay County at Elmore County (5A R4) - If the Panthers are to make waves in who wins the region, they need a win this one against the favorite. Alas… Central-Clay, 30-17.
THE REST
Pike Road over Park Crossing, 35-6; Beauregard over Holtville, 27-14; Houston Academy over Alabama Christian, 41-25; Wicksburg over PCA, 34-14; Autauga Academy over Keith, 45-6; Maplesville over Autaugaville, 35-13; Billingsley over Ellswood Christian, 47-12; Crenshaw Christian over Edgewood Academy, 24-21; Morgan Academy over Hooper Academy, 28-15; Lowndes Academy over Clarke-Prep, 50-7; Macon East over North River, 38-15; Springwood over Evangel Christian, 29-16.
OPEN: Wetumpka; Marbury; Valiant Cross
RECORD: Last week 6-5; Season 76-30 (.717)