By David Knox, Sports Editor
CLAY – Before the season, many experts were talking up the Gardendale Rockets football team and coach Matt Plunkett.
With the Rockets coming off a 10-win season and a deep playoff run, the thinking was it is their time to take command of Class 6A, Region 6, especially since the Clay-Chalkville Cougars were likely to see a drop-off.
It hasn’t played out quite that way, but it doesn’t make Friday’s contest between the Cougars and Rockets at Driver Stadium in Gardendale.
The Rockets have lost two straight games and the Cougars have dropped two of three.
That’s pretty shocking.
Minor, the leader in Region 6 at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the region, has taken control at this point. Minor manhandled the Rockets 52-28 two weeks ago to serve notice that the always-talented Tenacious Tigers are playing as a team under George Bates.
The Rockets followed that disappointing loss with a 38-21 road loss at Chelsea. That defeat probably stings even more, since the Hornets hadn’t been considered much of a powerhouse team, making the 6A playoffs last year for the first time since moving up from 5A after the 2011 season.
Even more galling: The Rockets had given up just 41 points in four wins. They were torched for 90 points in consecutive games.
So they may actually be happy to welcome a Cougars offense that did not score a touchdown for the first time under coach Jerry Hood. The Cougars last scored six points in a game in 2010, against Minor. They were last held without a touchdown previously versus Oxford in 2008, a 21-3 loss. Brent Smith was in his second and final year as the Cougars coach.
Coming off the 28-6 loss to 7A power James Clemens, the Cougars need to get Willie Miller playing with confidence, find a way to get Nico Collins into the end zone and hope the return of running back Quentin Young from a high ankle sprain will spark the running game. The defense, which held James Clemens to two first downs through three quarters, played well until it wore down and allowed two fourth-quarter TDs.
The good news for both teams is they’re still in the region race. Last week’s non-region losses were painful but have no effect on the playoff hunt.
“It don’t matter for them or us,” Hood said of the losses. “It’s going to be a big game. Whoever wins that will kind of have a leg up on the playoffs and that’s what we’ve got to focus our kids on. We’ve got to get after them.”
As mentioned, Minor is 3-0 in Region 6 and has already beaten Gardendale and Pinson Valley. Clay is 2-1 and has Gardendale and Minor yet to go. Pinson is 2-1 with a win already over Clay, Minor behind them and Gardendale upcoming. Gardendale is 1-1 with Clay, Pinson and a game at Walker ahead. Those schools appear to be the four vying for the playoff spots. Walker is 0-2 in region play and has Minor and Gardendale ahead. Carver is 1-1 but has Minor, Clay, Pinson and Walker to go. Center Point is winless and seems likely to extend its school-record 13-game losing streak into 2017.
The Cougars beat Gardendale 52-27 last season. Clay is 4-0 against the Rockets and has scored no fewer than 45 points in a game and the closest margin of victory has been 25 points.
It’s a crucial game for both squads. The winner still has a shot at an all-important home berth in the playoffs by finishing first or second in the region. And the loser will have to make sure it doesn’t go into a tailspin and wind up out of the race completely.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Driver Stadium.