John Hughes offers his insights and opinions on this week’s local high school football games.

Last Week’s Scores

Moody 25 Springville 19

Ragland 26 Valley Head 14

Cherokee Co. 47 Ashville 22

Holtville 35 Leeds 7

Clay-Chalkville 49 Pell City 0

Spring Garden 47 Victory Christian 24

Central-Clay Co. 65 St. Clair Co. 0

2019 Football Schedule

Ashville Bulldogs vs. Cleburne County Tigers

Ashville’s defense will face a daunting challenge this week. The best athlete on the field will be Cleburne County quarterback Reese Morrison, a pure athletic talent with a rifle arm. Morrison projects a commanding presence behind center, and the colleges have noticed the 6-2, 195-pound junior. He will likely play baseball instead of football and has already accepted a scholarship from Jacksonville State University.

Setting aside Morrison, the rest of the Tigers do not seem to be anything that Ashville cannot handle. Morrison has come to rely on a young fullback to carry the load (freshman Matthew Brown), which has produced mixed results. This will give Ashville’s defense the opportunity to put a spy on Morrison and limit his effectiveness. Ashville’s offense thrives against undersized defenses, and that is exactly what the Tigers are on the field. Standout defenders like junior defensive end Cale Dinger and junior safety Zane Farr have the size and physicality to stop drives, but the rest of Cleburne County’s defense is undersized and vulnerable to Ashville’s athletes.

Leeds Green Wave vs. Handley Tigers

Playoff-bound Handley will be a stiff test for the Green Wave defense this week, mostly because of its breakout star and sensational sophomore Montavious Meadows. Playing out of the shotgun with speed-motion, pre-snap shifts and threatening, Wildcat quarterback-designed runs, Meadows is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball. Meadows needs a spy — and Leeds will need to take the risk of leaving some grass uncovered behind the defensive line to get that spy. It would be nice to see Leeds’ tough middle linebacker Jacob Chesnut get that job and just stick to Meadows like glue.

If Leeds can manage to bend but not break against Handley’s offense, it will be great to watch the Green Wave continue to spread out carries on offense between star Jakobi Hunter, fullback Cameron Dunklin and new up-and-comer tailback Rametrius Yelverton. Around these parts, Leeds has been a running back academy, sending players like Tre Nation to play at the next level. The Green Wave is working through a process of reconstituting the elite running game of years past, and new blood like Yelverton will help in that pursuit.

Running against Handley creates another set of challenges. Leeds will face the best defensive lineman it will see this season in Dylan Brooks, a four-star recruit being pursued by Clemson and Alabama; but it’s widely believed he will attend Auburn after graduation. Brooks will be headhunting with fellow defensive end Jake Cottle and standout linebacker Devontae Houston. Meadows also plays linebacker.

The Green Wave belongs at the top of the polls and the top of the standings — that is their natural home. To get there, they have to measure themselves against talented teams and work upwards. Handley offers a challenge to be overcome and, hopefully, a Leeds’ triumph on the field.

Moody Blue Devils vs. Center Point

Moody’s thrilling, last-minute stand last week against Springville gave the program its third win of the season and infused a shot of confidence as it turns back into the heart of its region schedule to Center Point, which tripped up last week against region opponent Sylacauga and comes into this week’s game hungry to secure a home game in the first round of the state playoffs. Moody’s thin playoff hopes hinge on an upset win over Center Point.

Moody hopes to take advantage of being at home for the last time this season, as well as a resurgent defense with the return of star linebacker Christian Archer. This good news is tempered by an Eagles squad which is 6-2 and off to its best start in a decade. Center Point is led by legendary head coach George Bates, who has developed star players on his team like quarterback Javon Davis, who has lit up defenses all season with his accurate arm. The one thing Moody’s seasoned defensive line can capitalize on is the Eagles’ offensive line, which lacks technique and is vulnerable to good defensive fronts. Center Point’s best athlete is cornerback (and part-time slotback) Jayson Jones, who is one of the three best all-around athletes in the region and is being heavily recruited by several FBS schools. A player on Center Point’s defense who is getting attention from a lot of college scouts is linebacker Noah Steen, a fierce run-stopper with great range to drop into coverage and disrupt slants and crossing routes.

Moody is an improving program but is still a member of the second-tier of its region, while Center Point has an argument to be ranked in the top 10 throughout the state. A victory by Moody would be a fantastic statement to the rest of Class 5A football, but on paper and on film, Center Point is a 10 to 14-point favorite.

Pell City Panthers vs. Pinson Valley Indians

Pell City welcomes into Pete Rich Stadium the Pinson Valley Indians, who are a 5-2 team that has definitely lost a step since losing their 2018 seniors, led by Bo Nix. This drop-off, evident in losses earlier this season to Hewitt-Trussville and Oxford, is not the kind of drop-off that will ruin their regular season — it is more like a drop-off that affects a run at a state championship.

What Panthers team is Pinson Valley facing on Friday? The team that made a meal of Etowah two weeks ago or the team that was shut out by Clay-Chalkville last week?

Pell City’s passing offense that showed so much promise two weeks ago against Etowah will be tested this week by Pinson Valley. The Indians have arguably the best defensive back in the state in cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry, who is rated as a 5-star athlete by several recruiting services and has received more than 100 offers from major programs all over the country, including Michigan, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. On the other side of McKinstry is senior Deshazio “Zo” Williams, who would be the best defensive player on Pinson Valley if it wasn’t for McKinstry.

Bo Nix was replaced by senior quarterback Barry White, who has filled in nicely for the graduated All-American. White’s favorite target is Keyonteze Johnson, an athletic wideout who will likely end up playing for an FCS school after graduation. White also receives run support from senior tailback Jay Sharp, a potential game-breaker every time he gets his hands on the ball.

Pell City has proven two things in two weeks — it has the talent and game plan to dominate championship opponents, and an inconsistency in performance from week-to-week. Pinson Valley is the defending 6A state champion, so the first of those two things needs to emerge this Friday.

Ragland Purple Devils vs. Winterboro

Ragland’s dominant performance in its shocking upset win last week against Valley Head turned some heads in 1A football and was a great outcome for this 2-6 team. The win was a great way to glide into this week’s matchup with region opponent Winterboro (5-3). Ragland hosts a team that is fighting for a favorable playoff seed come November.

Ragland quarterback Elijah Ball and all-purpose athlete Nathaniel Kelley are the kind of athletes Winterboro’s defense has struggled against. Kelley’s counterpart for Winterboro is Jay James, a hard-charging tailback with a superior cutback move and excellent field vision and speed when he needs it. James backs up a bonafide game-carrier (Brody Hamm) in the backfield, who is usually good for 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns every week. Both backs run behind what may be the best offensive line in the region, featuring Darius Middlebrooks, Brandon Dandridge and Jay Garrett.

Ragland is in a perfect position to parlay its surprising win from last week into another winning effort against a beatable region opponent. The Purple Devils’ hopes for a playoff spot may have gone away for the season, but a strong finish against quality opponents would change everyone’s perception about the success of Ragland’s season.

Springville Tigers vs. Mortimer Jordan Blue Devils

Springville’s heartbreaking loss at the end of the Moody game last week will test the Tigers’ heart and desire as they turn around and host one of the elite teams in Class 5A, Region 5. The Blue Devils are currently in a four-way tie at the top of the region with a 4-1 record.

The Blue Devils’ biggest star may be Region 5’s offensive MVP — the dynamic quarterback Kourtlan Marsh. The fleet-footed quarterback consistently runs for more than 120 yards and two touchdowns per game on top of his passing productivity of over 180 yards in the air per game. Marsh has a lot of targets to distribute the ball, but his favorite is deep threat Garrison McCleney, who may be the best athlete on the team other than Marsh.

Springville started the season with a lot of promise and optimism. It has shown all year that it plays with heart, and many weeks this season has competed for all four quarters, generating three wins in the process. This week will be different — this week will test the old coaching axiom ‘It isn’t the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmies and Joes.’ Mortimer Jordan has a handful of next-level players who will be playing on Saturdays in the coming years. Springville’s undersized overachievers will be at a disadvantage and are the underdog this week — but they have defied the odds a few times this season.

St. Clair County Saints @ Munford Lions

Still in search of its first win, St. Clair County marches into Munford to play a team which is scrapping for the last playoff spot in Region 5.

Munford is a team that is penalty-prone and sloppy but manages to make up for it with the sprinkling of athletic playmakers on its roster. Unfortunately, the Saints have also been a team plagued with penalties and turnovers all year. St. Clair’s defense will have to contend with the Lions’ best athlete in senior Rodricous Dorman, who starts at cornerback but also comes in as a slotback/athlete on offense and special teams when they need a spark. Senior Jay Tuck has proven himself to be a solid starting quarterback who can run out of the pocket and throw effectively downfield to his favorite target — senior wide receiver LJ Flint.

Munford’s defense has been vulnerable all season. It does have a good leader in senior linebacker Justin Sistrunk, but it has shown inconsistency in blocking and secondary coverages this year, and has given up some big plays in every game.

St. Clair County has been working hard all season and needs some good news, but the Lions are playing for a playoff spot and will be highly prepared to take advantage of the Fighting Saints’ misfortunes. If the St. Clair defense can keep it low-scoring, there is a small chance for an upset.

Victory Christian Lions vs. Donoho Falcons

Class 1A is asking — How good is Lee Yeager and Co.? Who are these Victory Christian Lions? Are they the real deal or first-round wonders? Friday’s game should answer those questions when Victory Christian plays 5-1 Donoho, which leads the region and has played dominant defense this season, outscoring opponents 141-57.

Eyeballing the remaining schedule, Victory Christian will very likely secure a playoff spot after Week 9. But to see how it would do in the playoffs, you have to look at its performances against the better teams in the region — and that will include this week’s matchup against the Falcons. Being competitive against Donoho will mean the Lions are competitive against everybody, which bodes well for a run in November.

Victory Christian’s defense needs to go in Friday night dead set on stopping a superb running back in Donoho’s Rod Elston, who racked up more than 1,400 yards on the ground last year. Victory Christian’s on-again, off-again secondary will also be sorely tested by the Falcons’ new quarterback — sophomore Ridge Hopkins; he has a rifle arm and has found great targets early this season in receiver Amari Smedley, who also plays in the backfield from time to time. Hopkins should enjoy some protection in the pocket with experienced linemen Payne Golden, Edwin Connell and Jase Alderman helping out.

This week tells us who the real Victory Christian Lions are on the field. Donoho is solid on both sides of the ball and has some athletes that will test the Lions on every play. The Lions measure up in 1A if they measure up against the Falcons this week.