By Gary Lloyd
GARDENDALE — You hate to put the cart before the horse, but you just know this is a game that will be remembered when the playoffs come around in early November.
Class 6A, Region 6 is interesting.
Clay-Chalkville and Shades Valley figure to be the top teams in the region, if not the state. Past those two, it could get tight. Gardendale (1-1) has size and athleticism in the right spots. Pinson Valley (2-1) has a solid defense and great running game behind Mississippi State verbal commitment Nick Gibson. Center Point and Huffman could surprise any team on any given Friday night.
So you figure Pinson Valley at Gardendale on Friday will be important for a playoff spot, much less seeding. Kickoff at Driver Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
Gardendale is coming off a 73-41 drubbing of Huffman, a school record for most points in a game.
Gardendale may be one of the tougher places to play a game for a visiting team in the Birmingham metro area. It could be a game in which a first-year starting quarterback — Pinson Valley’s junior Errius Collins — gets rattled a bit. He must play a smart game and not turn the ball over. Pinson Valley’s defense will need to stand tall as well against a Rockets offense that can run the ball well. Pinson Valley hasn’t allowed a point since Week 1 at Hartselle.
Expect a heavy dose of Gibson for the Indians and for this game to be decided in the fourth quarter.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.