CULLMAN, Ala. – The halfway point of the regular season is coming up this Friday and as a result, we have several teams taking advantage of a bye week this week to prepare for the remainder of their region matchups coming up. Meek, Vinemont, Holly Pond and Fairview are off this week but there are still 6 local squads getting ready for a game Friday night. Cullman, Arab and Good Hope will be at home hosting Mars Hill, Brewer and Addison while West Point and Cold Springs travel to take on Hayden and Falkville.
Cullman (3-2) v. Mars Hill (3-1)
The last two weeks on the road have gone according to plan for the Bearcats. Cullman is returning to Oliver Woodard Stadium this week after collecting back to back road wins over Buckhorn and Hazel Green to improve to 3-2 on the year. Now, the ‘Cats will face Mars Hill, one of the only teams to defeat them in 2020 and one of the strongest teams in Class 2A. After falling to Jasper in their season opener, the Panthers have won three in a row coming into this week’s game, outscoring their opponents 123-19 during that stretch. Mars Hill was off last week, giving the Panthers more time to rest up and prepare for their game at Cullman Friday night but after falling in Florence 20-6 last season, the Bearcats will be excited to see the Panthers and get some revenge when they hit the field.
Arab (4-1) v. Brewer (0-5)
After falling at Guntersville in week two, the Arabian Knights have won three in a row to improve to 4-1 on the year and climb to the top of the Region 7 standings. This week, they have a chance to pick up win number five when Brewer arrives. The Patriots are still looking for their first win this season and have had a lot of trouble getting points on the board. The stingy Knights’ defense won’t make things any easier this week. Arab is allowing fewer than 9 points per game so far this season so it could be a long night for the Patriots when they arrive to take on the Knights.
West Point (2-2) at Hayden (0-5)
The Warriors took one on the chin against the Fairview Aggies last week to fall to 2-2 on the year but they have a great chance to bounce back with a road win Friday night. West Point’s defense has struggled to keep opponents out of the end zone the last two weeks, but they could have a favorable matchup against the Wildcats. Hayden has struggled offensively this season, scoring just under 12 points per game so if the Warriors’ offense is able to get points on the board, the Wildcats may have trouble keeping up. Hayden edged West Point in a 43-35 shootout last year so the Warriors will be hungry for some payback when they hit the field Friday night.
Good Hope (3-2) v. Addison (3-2)
Both the Raiders and Bulldogs took on county rivals at home last week and now they’re set to square off against each other at James W. Shabel Stadium Friday night. Good Hope downed Hanceville to improve to 3-2 while Addison dropped a tight one to Winston County to drop to 3-2. The Bulldogs have lost two tight games in a row and are ready to bounce back with a win, but things won’t get any easier at Good Hope this week. The Raiders racked up well over 300 yards on the ground last week and put nearly 50 points on the board in their 47-28 win over Hanceville. Good Hope took last year’s meeting at Addison 49-15 and the Bulldogs are planning to turn the tables this season but if the Raiders’ offense can continue firing on all cylinders, it’ll be tough for anyone to keep pace with them the rest of the season.
Hanceville (1-3) at Locust Fork (1-3)
The Bulldogs fell to 1-3 after dropping last week’s matchup at Good Hope but they’ll have to put that one behind them and regroup for another road trip this week. This time, Hanceville will travel to Locust Fork to take on the Hornets in a non-region affair. Locust Fork has dropped three straight after winning its season opener and has had trouble with consistency on the defensive side of the ball. Opponents are scoring 44 points per game against the Hornets this season and Hanceville is coming to town with a dangerous rushing attack. The Bulldogs ran for over 200 yards in their loss at Good Hope last week but if they take that ground game to Locust Fork Friday night, they’ll have a great opportunity to collect a win over the Hornets.
Cold Springs (0-4) at Falkville (3-1)
The Eagles dropped a regional matchup at home against Aliceville last week to fall to 0-4 on the year but they have another opportunity to break through and earn their first win at Falkville this week. The Blue Devils are 3-1 on the year and had last week off to rest up and prepare for their matchup with Cold Springs Friday night. Falkville is scoring over 32 points per game this season so the Eagles’ defense will have its hands full this week but if they can put together a solid performance on both sides of the ball, they’ll have a great chance to pick up their first win of the year.
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