By David Knox
Sports Editor
As the high school football season moves past the midpoint mark, the region races get serious. It’s not just region titles on the line; playoff home games go the champ and runner-up. And in all of our regions, if you’re not in the top four, you’ll be packing up the equipment by Halloween.
Hewitt-Trussville (5-0, 3-0 Class 7A, Region 4) has four straight region games, and the next one is the biggest, and not just because it’s the next one, as coaches like to say.
Bob Jones is also 3-0 in the region, and the Patriots can take the driver’s seat if they beat the No. 4 Huskies Friday at Madison City Schools Stadium.
You might have thought Bob Jones (4-2) was down a little this season with back-to-back opening losses. But those losses were to 7A No. 1 Phenix City (33-7) and 6A No. 1 Austin (41-14). That puts those losses in a different perspective. The Patriots, should they win, would be set with just three games left, all region battles, with Gadsden City, Grissom and Buckhorn. It’s conceivable that the Pats could run the table with that schedule, leaving HT no better than tied for first and the No. 2 region qualifier.
“Our team is excited about traveling up to Bob Jones for a great matchup,” Josh Floyd said. “Both teams are 3-0 in the region so it will be a great challenge for us. Bob Jones is one of the best programs in the state and this is what Friday nights are all about. Hopefully we can have a huge crowd travel with us to cheer on the Huskies this week.”
So: This game is a two-game swing.
A Huskies win would put them in the musher’s seat. BJ would have a loss, as do currently Sparkman and Gadsden (courtesy of HT). Hewitt would go a long way toward locking up the region title the following Friday with a home win over Sparkman. The Senators at 4-1, 2-1, have been the biggest surprise under veteran coach Laron White.
In our view, the Huskies’ two biggest regular-season games are this Friday and next Friday.
Clay-Chalkville’s work is clear-cut. The Cougars (5-1, 2-1 and inexplicably unranked at this point by the Alabama Sports Writers Association high school board), sit a game behind Pinson Valley and a half-game behind Gardendale.
“It’s a big game … we’re excited about it,” Cougars coach Drew Gilmer said. “Looking forward to getting back in region play and seeing what we can do.”
Pinson Valley managed a 28-27 overtime win over Shades Valley without star quarterback Bo Nix. The Indians have a fortuitous open week. Center Point follows, but the Indians don’t have to face Gardendale until Oct. 20, and Nix might be back by then from his ankle injury.
Center Point (0-6, 0-3) needs a miracle to make the playoffs, but a chance to end the Eagles’ 23-game losing streak comes this week at Jasper (2-3, 0-2). Carver and Minor play Friday in Adamsville, a game that will help clear up the lower half of the region as far as the playoffs go. The winner stays in the hunt, the loser is in real trouble.
No. 4 Hewitt-Trussville at Bob Jones, Madison City Schools Stadium
Hewitt-Trussville hasn’t had a test since Gadsden City’s brief rally back on Sept. 8.
The Huskies have hammered down Grissom 49-7, Buckhorn 49-0 and 6A Center Point 59-0.
According to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society records, the last time HT shutout consecutive opponents was in the 1993 season.
Bob Jones’ Demontrez Brown scored four times, rushing twice for scores and catching two passes for TDs, in a 55-31 win over a pretty decent Florence team. The Troy commitment had 166 yards receiving — the TD catches covered 96 and 27 yards — and he ran for 73 yards, including TD runs of 15 and 37 yards.
Brown, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, scored two touchdowns in last year’s meeting between these teams.
The Patriots are quarterbacked by Caden Rose, head coach Kevin Rose’s son. The QB was 11-of-16 for 281 yards, three TDs, last week.
Jaydon Hill picked off two passes and forced a fumble, as Bob Jones forced four turnovers in the second half.
Hewitt has all the pieces for a state title run, but the Huskies haven’t been tested yet. The Patriots, under Rose who once was Rush Propst’s OC, have the offense to test the much-improved Huskies defense. It was 59-49, HT, a year ago.
Will it be another shootout?
Tribune prediction: Hewitt-Trussville 52, Bob Jones 28
Gardendale at Clay-Chalkville
It’s the Cougars’ homecoming, but that doesn’t mean any disrespect toward the Rockets. With just two more home dates after Friday, it’s simply the way the calendar fell.
It’s the biggest game of the year, now, with regard to playoff chances.
The Cougars totally dominated a James Clemens team last week that opened the year with a 26-14 win over Gardendale.
The Cougars recorded back-to-back shutouts for first time since 2006, but the one over Clemens was awe-inspiring. Under 100 yards of total offense is mighty strong. The offensive execution was better last week, and Willie Miller had a solid night. But the offensive line was the story. A game official last week, as the Cougars took the field to play the 7A Jets, wondered aloud to a bystander who in the world had beaten Clay, given the Cougars’ size. Size and strength will decide this one.
Gardendale is 0-5 all-time versus Clay.
Tribune prediction: Clay-Chalkville 28, Gardendale 14
Springville hosts Hayden, Center Point travels to Jasper looking for first win
When you’re this deep into the season and still looking for your first win, we feel ya. The Eagles have a real shot at Jasper, and the Tigers fell just by three to Shelby County last week.
Tribune predictions: Jasper 14, Center Point 8; Hayden 14, Springville 12
Last week’s predictions: 4-0
Season’s record: 24-3 88.9%