We’re halfway through the 2019 high school football season in Alabama and we have a few local teams hitting a bye this week. (3-2) Fairview, (2-3) West Point and (5-0) Good Hope will be off this week but there are still several important matchups coming up for teams across the county. (0-5) Meek will travel to Sumiton Christian after falling in a thriller to Berry at home, (3-2) Cold Springs will be back at home after losing a tight game to Aliceville last week and (3-2) Cullman is riding a three-game win streak into a home contest with Hueytown.
(3-2) Cold Springs (2A Region 5) vs. (4-1) Appalachian (1A Region 5)
The Eagles jumped out to an early lead in their matchup with Aliceville last week but couldn’t keep the Yellow Jackets contained for four quarters and dropped their first region game of the season. They’ll have to shake off the loss and prepare to host once again this week as the Appalachian Eagles come to town for homecoming.
Appalachian defeated Cold Springs in its own homecoming game a season ago, 35-34, so the hometown Eagles will definitely be excited to see this team again and exact some revenge. Appalachian is averaging over 36 points per game this season but was held to just 21 in its first loss of the season to Woodville last week. Cold Springs has also found some success moving the ball this season but ran into a stout Aliceville defense last week that held the Eagles to just 19. Now, both offenses are coming off disappointing performances and will be anxious to find the end zone Friday night. It’ll come down to which defensive unit can make enough stops throughout the game to create separation and pull away with a win.
(0-5) Meek (1A Region 6) at (0-5) Sumiton Christian (2A Region 5)
This week’s showdown between Meek and Sumiton Christian will yield the first win of the season for one of these teams. Both the Tigers and Eagles are entering this week winless but determined to turn things around for the second half of the season.
Meek has not had a lot of tight games so far this season but last week’s matchup with Berry was one of them. The Wildcats traveled to Arley as the favorite but got all they could handle from the Tigers, pulling ahead 36-30 late in the fourth quarter and escaping with a win. With the 30-point showing against Berry and 24 points at Hubbertville the week before, Meek tripled its scoring output from the first three games combined. Sumiton Christian’s defense has been suspect through the first half of the season, allowing over 40 points per game, so hopefully the Tigers can ride some momentum they’ve built offensively and collect their first win in Sumiton this week.
(3-2) Cullman (6A Region 7) vs. (4-0) Hueytown (6A Region 4)
After falling on the road in back to back games to open the season 0-2, the Bearcats have won three straight to move to 3-2 at the midway point of the season. Cullman is coming off a 31-7 win over Albertville in which it ran the ball for over 300 yards and kept the Aggies off the scoreboard until late in the game. The Bearcats have racked up 921 yards on the ground in their last three outings, are scoring 40 points per game in that stretch and allowing just eight points per game, but they’ll be lining up against a strong defensive front this week.
The Golden Gophers were a playoff team a season ago and have started things 4-0 in 2019 thanks in large part to star running back and Alabama Football commit Roydell Williams. Hueytown defeated Cullman 42-7 last year and look like a solid team once again this fall, scoring nearly 38 points per game so far while holding opponents to under 17. Both teams have some momentum coming into this week, but something will have to give when they face off at Oliver Woodard Stadium Friday night.
Look for previews on Hanceville, Holly Pond, Vinemont and Addison in Thursday’s edition of The Cullman Tribune.
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