Friday Night Preview: Oct. 11, 2013
Two Marengo County teams got week seven out of the way early Thursday night as Linden’s ground game proved more effective than Marengo’s, allowing the Pats to go on to a 39-14 win. The other five county teams are set to take to the field Friday night as the 2013 high school football season has just four weeks remaining until the playoffs begin.
Sweet Water (4-2) @ Washington County (6-0)
Sweet Water has not lost a game yet in Class 2A, Region 1. But, still, absolutely nothing has been decided as the Bulldogs are just one of three teams unbeaten in region play. Those three teams will matchup with one another in each of the next three weeks. First up on that docket is the Bulldogs traveling to Washington County to take on the team that eliminated them from the playoffs a season ago. The teams met twice last season with Sweet Water taking the regular season meeting 20-6 and WCHS winning the rematch 41-33. Washington County enters having surrendered only 22 points in the last three games and having outscored opponents 276-69. Conversely, Sweet Water has outpaced opponents 235-93. All eyes in 2A will likely be on this one as SWHS, WCHS and Mobile Christian unofficially begin a three-week playoff to determine the region champion.
Marengo Academy (6-0) vs. Pickens Academy (7-0)
Friday night’s clash of AISA unbeaten won’t settle much as MA still has two region games remaining after it plays the Pirates. However, the winner of this one sits all alone in first place and controls its own destiny the rest of the way. Pickens downed Marengo 28-16 a season ago. But that was a different Marengo team at a different time. This year’s Longhorn squad has throttled opponents, allowing only 46 points all season while scoring 272 over six contests. Pickens has mustered 226 total points over seven games. Both teams have capable offenses, but Marengo’s defense may prove too much for Pickens. The Longhorns have been thinking state title since last season’s semi-final exit and a win Friday would be a major step in that direction.
Demoplis (4-2) @ Sumter-Central (1-5)
Sumter-Central has athletes. It always does. But for Demopolis, this game is about focusing and doing things the right way. The Tigers are fresh off an 18-16 loss to Greenville, a loss that stung badly. Now Demopolis sits at 2-2 in region play and needs wins this week and next week to qualify for the playoffs. But, almost just as much, Demopolis needs a dominating performance the likes of which it has rarely seen this season.
John Essex (0-6) vs. A.L. Johnson (4-2)
A.L. Johnson is coming off a loss to Linden and is in no mood to toy with John Essex. The Eagles need to win out in region to give themselves the No. 3 seed rather than the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. That starts with the Hornets’ Homecoming game. Essex, on the other hand, is inching closer to its goal of surviving the season, an impressive feat in and of itself given the small number of players on the squad. What is most striking about this contest, however, is the fact that it is the 35th and, possibly, final meeting between the two schools as the threat of closure still looms over Essex.