Week 8: Saints previews and highlights
Alexandria 50 St. Clair County 21
Things looked promising for the Fighting Saints early on after quarterback Taylor Mickens touchdown run of 11 yards evened up the score 7-7 early, but then Alexandria’s Keenan Woodruff would roar through St. Clair’s defense with three of his five rushing touchdowns of the night, coming in the next three subsequent drives.
The Saints’ Justin May had an impressive outing, running for 125 yards on the night, but Woodruff and fellow Cubs’ running back Jamal Tucker combined for 346 yards and seven touchdowns, which overwhelmed the Saints and put them in a position in which they must win their last two regional games to have any hope of securing a playoff spot.
Week 8 matchup: St. Clair County (3-4) vs. Anniston (2-4)
Anniston must beat the Fighting Saints for any shot at the playoffs, and vise-versa. St. Clair needs to know that the Bulldogs get consistent production from their running game, and gave Moody all they could handle in an overtime loss last week. The Bulldogs’ number one offensive threat is junior tailback L.J. Heard, who has been the backbone of Anniston’s offensive production. Heard gets help from the young tailback Edward Montgomery, who is a fast and elusive runner who complements Heard’s more physical style.
St. Clair’s secondary needs to look for turnover opportunities this week. While senior quarterback Tae Miller is a dangerous threat running out of the backfield, he has an inconsistent arm and tends to throw into coverage more than he should.