PREP FOOTBALL: Addison, Meek, Cold Springs, Vinemont hitting the road Friday

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Cold Springs (left) and Addison (right) will each travel to Berry and Piedmont respectively this Friday. (Martha Needham for The Cullman Tribune)

With the opening week of high school football in the books, most local squads are preparing to hit the road for game two. The Addison Bulldogs thrashed Curry 37-0 at home last week to start things 1-0 and Cold Springs produced a similar result at Meek last Thursday, blanking the Tigers 25-0 to kick the year off. Meek has another big matchup on its plate this week. The Tigers will be travelling to face Winston County and the Vinemont Eagles will officially get their season underway after hosting a jamboree against East Lawrence last week.

Addison (1-0) (2A Region 7) at Piedmont (3A Region 6)

The 2019 season got off to a fast start for Addison. The Bulldogs hosted to Curry to start their schedule and blasted the Yellow Jackets 37-0 after a slow, scoreless first quarter. Addison ran the ball for just under 200 yards in the win and racked up 325 total yards while holding Curry to just 115 total yards and 61 on the ground.

Piedmont hosted a jamboree last week and will kick off the regular season this week against Addison. Piedmont finished the season 12-3 a year ago, fell one game short of a state title and has two All-State players returning on the defensive line. This is arguably the toughest matchup the Bulldogs will face in the regular season but after falling to Piedmont at home a year ago, Addison will be anxious for another crack at the state runner-up.

Meek (0-1) (1A Region 6) at Winston County (1-0) (2A Region 5)

The Tigers didn’t start things they way they wanted to last week against Cold Springs, being shut out at home and handed a loss to open the season. This week they’ll head to Winston County for another important showdown and the Yellow Jackets are coming off a season-opening 44-16 win at Hackleburg. Winston County is coming off a 6-5 season in which they fell to Red Bay in overtime in the opening round of the AHSAA state football playoffs. The Yellow Jackets have an All-State player returning at running back and at linebacker this season.

Meek’s offense was held in check throughout the night when it faced Cold Springs. Several three and outs led to an 18-0 halftime lead for the Eagles and the Tigers were unable to move the ball and get themselves back into the game. Meek will face another talented defense this week and if the Tigers can bounce back offensively, they’ll have a shot to pick up their first win of the early season.

Cold Springs (1-0) (2A Region 5) at Berry (0-1) (1A Region 6)

After putting down the Tigers last Thursday, the Cold Springs are preparing to travel once again and this time, the Eagles will take on the Berry Wildcats. Cold Springs’ defense put together a shutout performance at Meek last week and on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles took advantage of turnovers and hit wide out Lawson Burgess for a 62-yard touchdown to take an 18-0 lead in the opening half. Ayden Alexander’s second touchdown of the night made it a 25-0 game early in the third quarter and the Cold Springs defense held the Tigers in check the rest of the way.

Berry is coming off a 2-8 season in which they allowed just under 36 points per game and fell to Sulligent 33-8 in the season opener. The Eagles’ defense will be aiming for a repeat performance when they hit the field Friday night and if the offense can play another opportunistic game, Cold Springs will have a good shot to start things 2-0.

Vinemont (3A Region 5) at Falkville (1-0) (1A Region 7)

The Eagles hosted a jamboree game with East Lawrence last week and got some invaluable live reps but this week, it’s time for Vinemont to officially get 2019 underway. The Eagles are heading to Falkville for a matchup against the Blue Devils who got off to a 1-0 start last week with a 28-21 win over Danville. Falkville is coming off a stellar 2018 season in which they finished 11-1 and fell to Pickens County in the second round of the AHSAA state football playoffs. The Blue Devils averaged just under 48 points per game in 2018 and have All-State wide receiver Christian Angulo returning to the offense.

The Eagles were winless away from home a season ago and they’ll start this year with a true road test. Vinemont has some experience retuning at offensive skill positions and on the defensive side of the ball so the Eagles are hungry to get to the postseason in 2019 but Friday night will be a great test for head coach Stephen Robinson and his team to find out where they stand.

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