Addison Bulldogs (12-0) @ Hubbertville Lions (10-1)
Class 1A
Wiley Hollingsworth Stadium – Hubbertville
Friday 7 p.m.
SERIES: Hubbertville leads 2-0
LAST TIME: Hubbertville defeated Addison 18-7 in 1949.
LAST WEEK: Addison defeated Spring Garden 42-26, Hubbertville defeated Hackleburg 27-22
RANKINGS: Addison # 3, Hubbertville # 10 in state prep poll.
Looking to end the Bulldogs' run this week will be a team from Fayette County that has enjoyed the same winning tradition Addison has through the years.
Lamar Harris has been the coach for Hubbertville since 1978, the second longest tenure to Woody Clements at Holt High in Tuscaloosa, who was there for 41 years.
In the last five years, Harris has led Hubbertville to 49 wins against 15 losses while David Smothers has been coaching at Addison and has compiled a won-loss record of 40-15.
Like Harris, Smothers has coached at one school and the success he has experienced at Addison follows the trend set by A.G. Hicks, Allen Stephenson, Steve Smothers, Randy White and Phil Wilson.
Hubbertville appeared in the 1A state championship in 2014, only to fall to Maplesville, a well-known small school from Chilton County, in the title game.
In the summer of 2015, Harris coached the North All-Stars in the Alabama High School All-Star game. He was joined on his staff by Mike Bates of Holly Pond and Danny Miller of Hanceville. The North defeated the South 14-13 at the Cramton Bowl on a day a heat advisory was in effect for Montgomery County.
The last time these two faced each other was 67 years ago. Hubbertville defeated the Bulldogs 18-7 on Nov. 3, 1949.
Hubbertville was second in Region 5 to Pickens County. The Lions lost to the Tornadoes 50-37 on Oct. 14 in the game that decided the region championship. Hubbertville has put together a four-game winning streak since the loss.
Against Hackleburg in the playoffs, the Lions got a 4-yard touchdown run by Dax Benton with 4:33 remaining that was the game winner.
The Lions stopped a Hackleburg drive by recovering a fumble at their 40-yard line and ran out the final 2:00 of the clock to return home and prepare for their next challenge.
Hubbertville rushed for 355 yards vs. Hackleburg with Benton scoring three times.
Addison overcame an 18-14 halftime deficit to Spring Garden with two touchdowns early in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead to stay against the sixth-ranked Panthers.
William Guthrie dashed 44 yards on a right end sweep on the third play of the third quarter with Addison on top 22-18 after a 2-point conversion from Zeb Maze.
Gage Gilliland recovered a fumble and ran 30 yards to the end zone, extending the Bulldogs lead to 28-18.
Addison added two touchdowns in the final quarter, a 14-yard run from QB Noah Rice and a 15-yard blast up the middle by Maze.
The TD by Rice capped off an 86-yard drive following a big interception from linebacker Ben Robinson at the Addison 14-yard line.
Addison outgained Spring Garden 195 to 147 in the second half. The Bulldogs held RB Dakota Lambert to 42 yards on 12 carries in the final half after he ran for 150 yards on nine attempts in the opening half and scored on a 64-yard run.
The Bulldogs forced three turnovers with two being converted into points. Guthrie intercepted a Panther pass at the Addison 37 with 2:07 left in the game to end the upset bid by the visitors from Cherokee County.
Addison will look to use its running game against Hubbertville. The Bulldogs will try to catch the Lions off guard with an occasional pass or two. Rice was two of two in the air for 22 yards and a 10-yard score to Logan Wilkins.
Rice ran for 98 yards in the second round, Maze gained 93 yards, Guthrie had 46, Chandler Cookenmaster 41 yards and Robinson 17 yards.
The ball control offense enabled Addison to pick up 20 first downs on the night, 14 in the second, and take advantage of field position.
Awaiting the winner of this game will be the winner of the Pickens County-Decatur Heritage game on Thanksgiving weekend with the site to be announced later.
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