With most of the regular season in the books, several local teams have already punched their tickets to the playoffs and more still have a chance to play their way in these last two weeks. Addison will play on Thursday this week and host Tharptown, West Point will be at home against Corner, Good Hope will welcome Curry to campus, Cold Springs will host Tarrant and Hartselle is making the trip to Oliver Woodard Stadium to face the Cullman Bearcats.
(6-2) Addison (2A Region 7) vs. (1-5) Tharptown (2A Region 7)
The Addison Bulldogs have won four straight games since falling to Red Bay in September and are outscoring their opponents 135-49 in that stretch. Tharptown on the other hand, has lost five in a row after winning its season opener at Shoals Christian and have had some real struggles on both sides of the ball.
Red Bay will be tough to overcome in region 7 but Addison is still in good shape to secure the second spot in the region if they can continue to win. The Wildcats are giving up nearly 40 points per game this season and scoring under 10 so the powerful Bulldogs running game and stout defense will get some favorable matchups Friday night.
(6-1) Good Hope (4A Region 5) vs. (0-7) Curry (4A Region 5)
Last week was a low-scoring, physical affair for the Good Hope Raiders and now they’ll return home to face Curry in another regional clash. The Raiders have already secured a playoff spot this season but will need to avoid an upset Friday night to maintain their current position in the region standings. Good Hope is currently tied at second with Fayette County and the Tigers will be in town next week.
It’s been a long season for the Curry Yellow Jackets. Still winless on the year, Curry is allowing just under 40 points per game and scoring fewer than 15 points per game. Meanwhile, the Good Hope defense is holding its opponents to just under 21 points per game this season and are putting up nearly 30 point per game offensively. The Raiders are certainly the favorites in this one but can’t afford to get caught looking ahead to Fayette County next week.
(4-3) Cold Springs (2A Region 5) vs. (2-4) Tarrant (2A Region 5)
The Eagles are returning home this week after collecting a huge region win on the road against Winston County and they’ll have a chance to make another splash this week against Tarrant. Cold Springs has already clinched a postseason berth but has a chance to wrap up second place in the region with a strong finish. That mission will begin Friday night against a Tarrant team that is scoring just over 11 points per game.
The Eagles are allowing nearly 24 points per game defensively but will have a chance to show out again this week against a struggling Wildcats offense. Cold Springs and Sulligent are on a crash course to play for second in the region next week, but the Eagles will have to avoid the upset against Tarrant this week and continue improving to keep those hopes alive.
(3-4) West Point (5A Region 7) vs. (4-3) Corner (5A Region 7)
The Warriors collected a massive win in dramatic fashion at Dora last week to keep their playoff hopes alive, but they’ll have to refocus for another big game this week when Corner comes to town. Last week’s road win may give West Point the boost it needs to finish this season on a high note and play their way into the postseason.
The Yellow Jackets are scoring and allowing 18 points per game this season and are coming off back to back wins over Hayden and Corner. The Warriors on the other hand, are putting up just over 20 points per game thanks in large part to their passing attack. At 2-3 in the region, West Point is still very much alive but with Jasper, Hamilton and Russellville dominating the top half of the standings, the Warriors will need every win they can get before the playoffs arrive.
(3-5) Cullman (6A Region 7) vs. (3-4) Hartselle (6A Region 7)
The Bearcats have already locked up a playoff spot this season but something that would make year one under head coach Oscar Glasscock even sweeter is a win over their biggest rival. The Hartselle Tigers will be at Oliver Woodard Stadium Friday night to renew their rivalry with Cullman in their first year with a new head coach as well.
The Tigers have had some uncharacteristic struggles this season, allowing over 23 points per game and going winless on the road up to this point but they’re coming off sizable wins over Columbia and Decatur. The Bearcats are 2-1 on their home turf this year but are dealing with an injury bug that had several Cats sidelined during last week’s game at Muscle Shoals. It’s always a big game when Cullman and Hartselle come together but this week’s matchup will also decide the third-place finisher in region 7, which will be huge when it comes to playoff seeding in a couple of weeks.
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