Last Week’s scores

(6A) Pell City  34(6A) Helena  7    

(5A) Saint Clair Co.  26(5A) Springville  0   

(4A) Ashville  40   (2A) West End Walnut Grove  28

(1A) Victory Chr.  54 (2A) Vincent  38 

(3A) Plainview  25(5A) Moody  24  

Source: Talismanred.com

 

Final Regular Season Standings   

TeamWL    PF    PA

*Leeds          7  3   324  238

*St. Clair Co.    7  3   278  206

*Pell City          6  4   227  236

*Ragland5  5   295  262

Victory Chr.      5  5   319  317

Moody         4  6   147  202

Ashville            4  6   186  332

Springville        2  8   117  242   

* Qualified for AHSAA playoffs

Source: Talismanred.com

 

John Hughes

 

This Week: Pell City (6-4) vs. Shades Valley (7-3)

The Panthers have a very daunting challenge this week at Pete Rich Stadium when the Shades Valley Mounties, fresh off of a dominating performance against 7A Vestavia Hills, brings their very scary offense into this first-round playoff matchup.

Pell City’s defense will have to play at their highest level in order to contain senior quarterback (#1) Desmond Trotter, who has repeatedly confounded defenses with his balance of running the ball (i.e. 127 yards against the Rebels last week) and passing downfield to a variety of targets. Shades Valley has mastered a hybrid of spread and run/pass option attack that throws a blizzard of different looks and misdirection that will tax the Panthers’ linebacker corps.  Trotter will R/P/O through his elusive scatback (#9) Braelon Shields or will rollout and look for his favorite target in junior speedster WR (#3) Kei Andre Sanders or check down to Shields who is a constant threat on bubble screens. There is also Trotter’s designed runs that are very difficult to contain with all that is happening.  

Pell City’s performance last week did wonders to their offensive confidence, and Shades Valley has been spotty defensively. The Mounties best defensive weapons are their leader at middle linebacker (Senior #2) Terry Perry, and their defensive end (#51) Lamar Cannon, who is extremely fast off the flank. The Panthers coaching staff should plan for matchup advantages against strong safety (#7) Daundrae Williams, who at 5’5” can be exploited with Pell City’s taller receivers (namely Maleek Robinson and freshman Christian Burkhalter). The danger in that is that Williams may receive support from Shades Valley’s dynamic free safety (#23) Caleb Humphrey, who may be the best athlete on the Mounties’ defense. Pell City’s success will lie heavily on how well quarterback Braden Crow is able to exploit these potential mismatches and move the football down the field while avoiding costly turnovers.

The Panthers are the home team, but they need to go into the game believing they are the underdog with something to prove. The Mounties will score – that is inevitable. Pell City must score touchdowns, not field goals, and keep the game close going into the fourth quarter and feed off the home crowd to get through this round.

 

This Week: Saint Clair Co. (7-3) at Guntersville (9-1) 

The Saints will take a short trip north to face off against one of the elite programs in 5A football. Guntersville has been truly dominant this season, having lost only one game to Region 7 champ Etowah and boasting five consecutive shutouts coming into this week. Overall the Wildcats have scored 330 points while only surrendering 52. That lopsided ratio is better than one-loss Wenonah. It is better than undefeated Saks and Briarwood Christian. It is better than all the teams on St. Clair’s regular season who beat them.

At first look Guntersville’s offense is a little deceptive. Their offensive line is not particularly big, not compared to the grown men St. Clair Co. has across the front. The Wildcats like to put a split backfield on each side of their shotgun quarterback senior (#3) Jake Wisener in order to get him a little extra time. Whether it is through learning the hard way or just natural talent, Wisener doesn’t need much time – he reads the field as fast as any quarterback playing in the state and has a very fast trigger. Wisener is also adept at stepping out of trouble and being accurate with his passes. The most intriguing question will be the matchup between Guntersville’s best weapon in 6’4” senior wide receiver CJ Williamson and the Saints’ tall safeties. Since the Wildcats don’t utilize a tight end very much, St. Clair’s defense may be able to hamper Guntersville’s one-two running punch of junior fullback (#10) Kye Capolupo and outstanding senior tailback (#8) Archer Charles. If the Saints are able to do that with six in the box, they can put in a nickel package and roll down either Garrett Sanders or Grayson Beatty and stick to Williamson like glue. If the Saints can manage a Cover-2 on defense with Williams having to deal with double coverages all night, it could force Wisener into doing things he is not accustomed to. 

On offense the Saints need to give Jayce Fisher a variety of plays that Guntersville has not seen in the film room. St. Clair’s coaching staff has proven to be very creative, out-of-the-box thinkers. This will be the time to pull out any plays they have kept in their back pockets this season. The Wildcats regularly put six defenders across their front, leaving big patches of grass open for tight ends to burst out on quick corner and out routes. Fisher could be very effective if the receivers are brought in tight, get physical off the snap, and find separation into open space three to five yards downfield behind that front.

 

This Week: Leeds (7-3) at UMS-Wright (8-2) 

Leeds will have to cope with a lot of built in disadvantages this week because they will have to spend hours on their busses as they make their way to Mobile for their matchup against powerhouse UMS-Wright, a group that has the dominant qualities teams have who vie for state championships.

The Green Wave’s defense must find a way to overpower the Bulldogs’ offensive line and get to star quarterback (#12) Dylan Casstevens before he can do what he is been doing all season – dismembering defenses and dumping them on the side of the road. UMS-Wright utilizes a lot of shifting and motions before the snap to give Casstevens that small moment of extra time to go after his opponents’ jugular. Leeds needs to shut out the distractions, leave the speed sweeps and pitches to their talented cornerbacks to handle and go terrorize #12. UMS-Wright’s talented quarterback loves to use play-action to set up his passing attack – and the kid throws dimes. Casstevens can throw a football down a chimney from forty yards and has a stable of sure-handed receivers (Wide receivers #9 Keyshawn Woodyard and #3 Trey Gerhardt, tight end #35 Angus Cooper) who can make catches in the tightest of coverages. Leeds needs to blitz, blitz, blitz this week. Casstevens will burn up some yards running out of pressure and hit some quick crossing routes, but the Green Wave’s collection of hits on the quarterback will be well worth that sacrifice as the game gets late. Take away the Bulldogs’ outside-shoulder fades and post routes, and an upset victory by Leeds is a real possibility.

UMS-Wright’s defense seems to favor an ‘over’ alignment with defensive end (#4) Brant Dixon lining up at the nine-technique and pushing action toward the Wildcats’ center and middle linebacker (#55) Russ Myers. The Green Wave’s running attack may find success going after the weak side until UMS-Wright adjusts to a five man front – which opens up short and intermediate passing routes.

 

This Week: Ragland (5-5) at Brantley (7-3) 

Don’t let the record of Brantley fool anyone – this school nestled down in Southeastern Alabama has a team with an explosive offense averaging more than 40 points per game and a stingy defense. 

The Purple Devils need to go into this game prepared to get into a high scoring shootout and will have to put on an offensive performance better than anything they have done all year – in other words make the plays they did against Coosa Christian and Appalachian earlier this year except against a much more talented defense. A tall order – yes – but doable.

Ragland’s defense will get hammered, and there is no avoiding that fact. The Bulldogs are abundantly armed with great skill on offense, beginning with their quarterback junior (#2) Parker Driggers. He reminds one of Victory Christian’s Harrison Cheatwood, except with more talent around him coupled with speed and power that leaves entire defenses helplessly chasing him when he gets away from pass rushes. Defenses get vexed because Driggers also has two excellent choices out of their read/option attack in running backs (#5) Mack Wise and (#35) Dandrea Owens. This trio of runners have forced defenses all season to stack the box,

which leaves Driggers to slice up secondaries by finding wide receivers (#22) D’Andre Sinclair, (#22) Tanner Spivey and (#8) Jake Kilcrease wide open against single coverage or Cover-3 packages. 

Ragland fans will need to hope for the best out of Noah Hollingsworth and company. The whole team needs to be in the mindset of ‘If Brantley hangs 45, we score 46 … hang 60? We put up 61.’ This seems to be the only way forward for the Purple Devils.