Last week’s scores:

Pell City 20, Helena 14

Saint Clair Co. 28, Springville 22

Moody 41, Plainview 7

Ashville 35, West End Walnut Grove 28

Victory Christian 52, Vincent 39

This Week: Pell City (5-5) @ Austin (7-3)

On paper Pell City and Austin are almost identical. This year, the Panthers have scored 275 points in ten games while the Black Bears have scored 270 points. As for points allowed? Pell City: 206, Austin: 205.

The way that Austin looks on offense makes one think that the Panthers should have used their starting offense against their starting defense during practice this week. The reason? Black Bear quarterback Paxton Montgomery’s playing style and size is very similar to Pell City quarterback Hudson Hughes. Montgomery is a mobile, pocket expanding quarterback with an accurate intermediate passing range. Montgomery’s best target is senior number one Jalik Jaggwe, a solidly built and reliable wide receiver who has repeatedly beaten defenses on deep passes over the past two seasons. Defensively, the Black Bears have a very strong and solid core working from noseguard number 56 Rodney Fossett and back to the amazing senior playing free safety, number 23 Tyrese Swoopes.

Matching up against a similar opponent translates to a four-quarter game. Pell City will need to find success outside the hashes to maximize their chances for victory. If Pell City successfully executes quick routes and bubble screens, it may open up the running game inside and hot routes in open spaces to give the Panthers the edge they will need to win this game and bring a second round playoff game to Pell City.

This Week: Leeds (7-3) @ Greensboro (5-5)

Leeds could not ask for a more accommodating opponent in the first round of the playoffs. After starting the season 0-4 Greensboro rattled off a five game winning streak, all within their region, before losing last week to Carver (Birmingham) and finishing the season with a .500 record. The Raiders deserve credit for playing a very challenging non-regional schedule (Minor, Demopolis and Carver), but it exposed the team as one that is vulnerable to opponents with productive offenses. The Greenwave is averaging over 30 points a game and is loaded with offensive and special team players who gobble up yards and get into the end zone.

Greensboro’s best athlete is senior defensive back number two Li’cedric Varner. Versatility is Varner’s stock-and-trade, shifting from linebacker to strong safety to cornerback seamlessly. Varner is a hard hitter and has a keen ability to jump routes on pass plays. He also returns punts and kickoffs for the Raiders. The Greenwave’s secondary will have to be on top of its game because Greensboro fields two great receivers, senior number nine Kevin Lomax and senior number 10 Cedric Tabb who have over 70 receptions between each other.

The Greenwave has faced unfamiliar challenges this season after back-to-back state titles. This week should be a return to normal. Greensboro is a good team, but Leeds outmatches them on offense and defense. Expect the home field advantage to dissolve by halftime and a convincing Leeds win this Friday.

This Week: Ragland (7-3) vs. Notasulga (6-4)

Evaluating Class 1A opponents can be a lot trickier than looking at the win-loss record. A closer look at Notasulga shows that this season they beat the teams they were supposed to beat (tiny private schools that suffer double digit losses to nearly all public 1A schools) and lose to the teams that are supposed to beat them (1A powerhouses, Maplesville and Isabella).

The Blue Devils are a decent team with some very good players who play both sides of the ball. Notasulga has two outstanding seniors on their squad: outside linebacker number 10 Kobe Holloway, who occasionally relieves the Blue Devils’ stellar quarterback junior number four Tradarius Ezell. The other standout senior is the Blue Devils’ leading rusher and outside linebacker number 13 C.J. Cook. Holloway is an athletic and quick player who executes a very powerful read-option attack with Cook. When Ezell is under center Notasulga’s passing attack opens up with two excellent receivers in number nine Jimmy Pitts and number five Fredrick Stinson.

Ragland’s season is very similar to the Blue Devils. Expect a close game through the fourth quarter with both teams scoring into the thirties. This game will likely come down to how healthy the roster stays and physical conditioning deep into the game.