CULLMAN COUNTY – Nothing can be more satisfying than a comeback victory on the football field.
In week seven of the area regular season schedule, all four local teams who were victorious did just that, coming from behind to close out an entertaining final Friday in September.
The victories for the Cullman Bearcats, West Point Warriors and Cold Springs Eagles were important in their quests to make the playoffs.
The win for the Vinemont Eagles closed out a four-game losing streak in which the Eagles had lost three games in the fourth quarter.
Cullman was down 21-10 to Pell City going into the final period at Oliver Woodard Stadium. The Bearcats came back and stunned the Panthers 25-24, knocking Pell City out of first place in 6A, Region 7.
In a game where the lead swapped sides on the scoreboard five times prior to the fourth quarter, the West Point Warriors used a solid running attack that enabled them to get some breathing room against Fairview, defeating the Aggies 38-24 in 5A, Region 6.
Cold Springs stayed undefeated in 2A, Region 7 play with a 26-16 comeback victory at West End in Etowah County. The Eagles trailed 16-13 at halftime and shut down the Patriots in the second half to extend their winning streak to four straight.
Vinemont celebrated a 35-28 homecoming win over Priceville with a four-game losing streak done. The Eagles outscored the Bulldogs 21-0 in the fourth quarter to overcome a two-touchdown deficit.
Cullman is 2-2 in the region and very much alive for a playoff berth. The Bearcats got the game winner on a short run by Ezra Burks with over a minute remaining. The 'Cats then intercepted a pass to stop the Panthers on the final drive of the night with Pell City trying to get into field goal range to win it.
Oxford leads Region 6 at 4-0 after a 24-21 win over Southside-Gadsden. Albertville follows at 2-1 along with Pell City as Cullman has moved into the fourth slot of the standings, a half game behind the Panthers and Aggies.
Southside is 1-2 with Brewer 1-3 and Fort Payne 0-3 in last place in the region.
The Bearcats get the week off then have Southside-Gadsden visiting the Cullman campus Oct. 14 and end region play at Brewer Oct. 21.
Cameron Moore for West Point has rushed for 635 yards and scored 10 touchdowns during the Warriors' three-game winning streak that has them third in 5A, Region 6 after Friday's homecoming triumph against Fairview.
Moore ran the ball 30 times, gained 169 yards and matched his season best of four touchdowns. Two of his TDs came in the fourth quarter with the Warriors extending a 22-17 lead into a 14-point final margin of victory.
His backfield mate, Alex Hernandez, got 144 yards on just eight attempts and had the longest run of the encounter, an 80-yard blast up the middle that took the ball from the Warriors' 19 to the Aggies' 1 before Moore scored two plays later early in the fourth.
Hayden defeated Springville 39-29 the same time West Point was winning homecoming. The Wildcats and Mortimer Jordan share first place at 3-0. Mortimer Jordan was the odd man out on Friday.
The Warriors are next at 3-1 with Corner 2-2, Springville 1-3, Fairview and Curry 0-3.
West Point encounters Mortimer Jordan next week in Morris with Hayden heading to Corner and Curry playing Fairview at West Point Stadium.
A four-game winning streak is what Cold Springs has going into October. The Eagles rallied from a 16-13 deficit to West End at the break, holding the Patriots scoreless in the second half. The Eagles took the lead in the third period and added a touchdown in the fourth, playing for the first time on the road in over a month.
Cold Springs is joined by Tanner at the top of the 2A, Region 7 leaderboard at 3-0. Tanner routed Cleveland 58-20 Friday to knock the Panthers out of a first place tie. Cleveland dropped to third place at 2-1.
Tarrant follows Cleveland with a 2-2 region record, West End is 1-3, Falkville and Winston County are in the cellar at 0-3.
Cold Springs meets Winston County in its final game at Cranford Stricklin Stadium next week then eyes the storm of a road game at Tanner Oct. 14 and Cleveland on the 21st.
Addison was officially the first team in The Cullman Tribune/CullmanSense coverage area to clinch a 2016 playoff berth. The Bulldogs got the job done Thursday night in Trinity by holding back Decatur Heritage 26-21 for first place in 1A, Region 7.
Chandler Cookenmaster netted 179 yards of offense and a touchdown, but saved the night for the Bulldogs, intercepting a Heritage pass at the Addison 32 inside the game's final two minutes. Noah Rice rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown with Zeb Maze gaining 89 yards and scoring twice in a solid effort by the Addison ground attack.
A win by Addison next Friday against rival Meek gives the No. 4 ranked Bulldogs the regional title. They are 4-0 in the region with Decatur Heritage 2-1, Sumiton Christian 2-1, Lynn 3-1, Meek 1-2, Southeastern 0-3 and R.A. Hubbard 0-4.
Meek celebrated with a 52-15 romp of Hubbard to get into the regional win column and take momentum into the assignment up the road next weekend with Addison.
Vinemont's win on homecoming laid to rest four consecutive losses. Three of the setbacks came in the fourth quarter to Locust Fork, Hanceville and Addison that left the Eagles frustrated, but kept them determined to continue to play hard.
Trailing Priceville 28-14 going to the fourth, the Eagles stormed back by scoring three times with the game winner coming from QB Garrett Boland with 4:00 left. Boland got 280 yards of offense, 142 by the ground, and three touchdowns and passed for 138 yards and a TD.
Vinemont now gets back to 3A, Region 6 with J.B. Pennington visiting Mark Smothers for the first Friday in October.
Pennington lost to Fultondale 49-34 Friday night. Fultondale is 4-0 with Pennington tied for second with Locust Fork at 3-1, Holly Pond and Susan Moore 1-2, Hanceville 1-3 and Vinemont 0-3.
Holly Pond got outscored by Locust Fork 37-31 with Hanceville falling to Susan Moore 56-21 in Cullman County regional games inside Blount County.
Susan Moore, who earned its first win of the season, will try to upset Fultondale at home next week while a showdown in the county takes place as Hanceville journeys to Holly Pond.
Good Hope's 32-0 loss to Winfield has the Raiders 0-6 and 0-4 in 4A, Region 6. The Raiders must deal with a Haleyville squad that leads the region at 3-0. Haleyville suffered its first defeat Friday in a 31-21 non-regional contest with Madison Academy.
The Raiders are the only team in the region that is winless overall and through regional play with four games left on the 2016 season.
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