By Gary Lloyd
You could call it a tuneup game.
No. 2 Clay-Chalkville is 5-0 overall, 3-0 in Class 6A, Region 7. Grissom is 0-5, 0-3 in the same region.
Friday is senior night at Cougar Stadium, where the Cougars and Tigers will kick off at 7 p.m.
Clay-Chalkville is averaging 45.6 points per game, while Grissom is allowing 42.8 points per contest. Clay-Chalkville’s defense, despite allowing 31 points last week to Pinson Valley, has been coming up big lately when it’s mattered. Grissom has been shut out in three of its five games and scored just one touchdown in one of its contests. The Tigers scored 25 points in a 27-25 loss at Lee-Huntsville on Sept. 20.
Clay-Chalkville receivers T.J. Simmons (13), Brian Clark (7) and Cordell Scott (18) celebrate at Pinson Valley last week.
photo by Ron Burkett
Those statistics suggest a Clay-Chalkville blowout win, but the game still has to be played. A game like this sandwiched between a bit of a rivalry game at Pinson Valley and a tough road test looming next week at Gadsden City can make for something of a trap game.
Senior quarterback Hayden Moore is coming off his best game as a Clay-Chalkville player, accounting for a school-record seven touchdowns in the Cougars’ 48-31 win at Pinson Valley last week.
Expect the rest of the Clay-Chalkville offense to be on its game Friday and put up huge numbers on a struggling Grissom defense. For most of the second half, some of the more inexperienced players should see significant playing time. Don’t be surprised if the improving Clay-Chalkville defense pitches its first shutout of the 2013 season over an overmatched Grissom team.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
