4A and 5A Previews

Deshler Tigers at Oneonta Redskins
Friday Night will match two similar teams.  Dehsler scores over 50 ppg while allowing 23.  Most every game they have been involved in, has been decided before the 4th quarter.  With a strong running game they have begun to show some balance with big pass plays as well.  They are 11-1 and in the third round...again....where they are 13-5 throughout history.  These Tigers have matured into a very good team this season.  Oneonta is 10-2 with some good history as well.They are scoring 47+ per game this season while only allowing 16.  They shutout West Limestone 35-0 last week to advance to round 3 for the 9th time where they are 4-5. The two schools only common opponent this season is Alexandria.  The Redskins lost to them by 1 point in week two while the Tigers won 59-19 last week.  Based on this expect Deshler to advance...again.

Muscle Shoals Trojans at Briarwood Christian Lions
The Lions are good.  They are 11-1. So is Muscle Shoals. Both teams beat Chelsea by double digits and both beat Athens by 20+. Briarwood lost to Vestavia Hills (6A team Florence beat in week 1) in mid -season as the only blemish on their record where MSHS lost to Florence.  The Lions are very strong offensively, scoring 43 ppg but not as powerful on defense as they have only 1 shutout all season and allow 21 ppg on average.  Muscle Shoals, on the other hand, scores even more (51 ppg) and allows much less (12 ppg).  If the Trojans can overcome the experience and size of Briarwood they could advance for the second time in school history to the state semi-finals.  The Lions are 8-4 in round 3 all time and have collected 5 state championships.  This is their 3rd consecutive region title.  History is on the Lions side; 2011 might be on the Trojans side though.  Great chance for the visiting team to pull the upset.

4A and 5A Playoff Previews

4A

A healthy Minor makes the difference!

Deshler Tigers vs Alexandria Valley Cubs
A 10-1 Deshler Tiger team will host the 2nd round of the playoffs Friday Night.  Maybe more important than being at home is the fact that the services of Will Minor should be available making the offense that averaged nearly 46 ppg that much more lethal once again.  Depth at RB was not a problem as Minor has more than capable substitutes but nothing can replace his senior experience.  Advancing this far in the playoffs is commonplace for the Tigers, but with this many young and new faces on the team it is quite a feat.  This team is good, but so is Alexandria.  The Valley cubs are 8-3 but have had trouble stopping teams on defense.  They score 38 ppg but are giving up over 31 ppg.  Even in last weeks win they allowed 41 points as the offense lit the scoreboard for 55.  The Tigers only allow 21 ppg.  The valley cubs expect to win as well.  They boast 3 state titles just like the Tigers.  Might be a high scoring contest but expect the Tigers to do more of it.  Advantage - Deshler Tigers by 3.

Dee Liner leads a solid defense!

5A
Muscle Shoals Trojans vs Cullman Bearcats
Wanna see some scoring? Make your way to Dennis Homan field Friday night and enjoy the fireworks.  These two teams scored a combined 109 points in their round 1 wins.  The Bearcats average 40 points but have allowed over 22 ppg.  They are 8-3 on the year losing to 6A Huntsville, undefeated Hartselle, and Fort Payne.  The Trojans will have their hands full.  Muscle Shoals averages an equally high 46.7 ppg but the difference is on defensive side.  The Trojans have allowed only 12 ppg.  Although the Trojans haven't experienced the playoff success of Cullman - the expectations are high.  They expect to advance.  Neither team is satisfied with being in Round 2.  Look for the home crowd to pull the home team through. if the defense plays as it did the first half of the season it might be easier - if not a battle.  Advantage - Muscle Shoals Trojans by 6

Round 1 Highlights

Here were some of the BESTS from Friday Night.....

Best Rushing Performance - Austin Kerr of Rogers goes for 274 yards against a very good Hamilton team
Best Rushing Team - LCHS has three runners with 2 TD's each for a total of 417 yards on the ground
Best Start to a game - Sheffield scoring three TD's in the 1st quarter
Best Finish to a game - Muscle Shoals outscores opponents 37-6 in the second half
Best Defensive game - LCHS holds opponents to 5 yds in 1st half and 6 total pts
Best Performance in a loss - Murphy Harrison rushes for 168 yards
Best Overcoming Injuries - Deshler wins 33-10 without Will Minor as Terrance Byrd rushes for 108 yds and 3 TD's
Best Secondary - Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, and Shoals Christian all coming away with 2 interceptions

Best Special Teams - Shoals Christian Devan Traglia with a 68 yards punt return for a TD
Best Ending - Red Bay holds on by recovering an onside kick late to win 28-26
Most Dominating Performance - LCHS both offensively and defensively winning 42-6
Most Impressive Class - Region 8 Class 3A as all 4 teams win.  LCHS, Sheffield at home and Rogers, Elkmont both on the road as Region 5 is eliminated.

Players of the Week - Playoffs Round 1

GOLD- Austin Kerr (Rogers) - 274 rushing yards and 3 TD's in a 35-21 win over Hamilton
SILVER -Matt Belue (Red Bay) rushed for 203 yards and 3 TD's as Tigers hold on to win 28-26
BRONZE - Tyler Jackson (Muscle Shoals) - 190 yards on 10 carries and 2 TD's in a come from behind win over Chelsea 51-27

HONORABLE MENTION
Samuel Grisham (LCHS) - 131 rushing yards on 7 carries with 2 TD's and 2-3 passing in leading the Tigers to a 42-42-6 victory
Hunter Danley (Sheffield) - connecting on TD passes of 16, 39, and 40 yards as he leads the Bulldogs to a 38-14 win
Chandler Russ (Shoals Christian) - 184 yds on the ground with TD's of 26, 34, and 48 yards
Terrance Byrd (Deshler) - 108 yards and 3 TD's on 18 carries in a 33-10 victory
Tyler Boyd (Russellville) - 126 yards rushing on 18 carries in a 30-7 loss to Center Point
Murphy Harrison (Central) - 168 yards on 12 carries in a 42-34 loss
Devan Traglia (Shoals Christian) - Caught a 38 and 43 yd TD pass and ran a 62 yd punt return for a TD
Vic Gilbert (LCHS) - led the Tiger defense with 10 tackles and led a defense that held opponents to 4 yards in the first half and 6 points for the game

More Playoff Previews

4A
Deshler Tigers vs Corner Yellow Jackets
Deshler brings all the tradition of a successful program to the game.  19 region championships since 1990. Although the team is considered to be relatively young, inexperienced is not really accurate at this point.  They have a full season under their belt.  Many of the players DO have experience and know all to well how to win in the playoffs.  They have won almost every game this year outscoring opponents on average 42 - 20.  Their lone loss was to 5A power Muscle Shoals last week.  Corner is 6-4 on the season and finished 4-3 in region play.  The Yellow Jackets have only 1 first round playoff victory in school history.  The Tigers have only lost in the first round of the playoffs five times in the schools history.  Dont' expect the sixth loss this week.  Advantage - Deshler Tigers by 20 +

Brooks Lions vs Dora Bulldogs
The Lions finish the season 8-2 with only 1 loss in region play.  They will host Dora who finishes the season 8-2 as well, however, they lost both games in region play to the #1 and #2 seeded teams Midfield and Fayette County.  Could be an interesting match-up as the Bulldogs are only allowing 10 points per game while the Brooks offense is averaging over 40 ppg.  Only once all season were the Lions held below 26 points and that was 19 against Deshler.  In 8 of the Bulldog games the opponents have been held to 10 or less points while giving up 20 and 33 in the two losses.  This is a good team, but so is Brooks.  The Lions are unpredictable on offense and difficult to stop.  They have plenty of speed and versatility.  Expect them to score 20+.  If the defense can slow Dora down and make a big play or two then the Lions could advance.  Look for this to be a very tough game.  Advantage - Brooks Lions by 2

Central Wildcats at Fayette County Tigers
Fayette County brings a 7-3 record into the game as they average 26 pts per game on offense and allow 23.  They lost to Midfield, 3A Gordo, and in OT to Oak Grove.  Coach Lance Tucker is in his first year at Fayette County after Coach Walden Tucker left with the most wins in Alabama Football coaching history last year.  Coach Woods is also in his first year at Central.  The Wildcats also finish at 7-3 losing to a 3A school (Sheffield) and 2 region opponents.  Central averages a bigger margin of victory as they score just over 35 ppg and allow just over 23.  The Wildcat rushing game is tough to stop.  They were held under 20 points only once all year (Deshler).  Being on the road is a bit tougher - two very evenly matched teams.  Look for the details to play a big part in this game.  Penalties and special teams.  Advantage - Central by 1.

2011 Rushing Leaders

 Closing out the season with back to back 200+ yard games
 Brown ends the season with the highest average and the
most total yards of any local runner
  .

100 yards rushing in a game is typically the milestone that indicates an especially successful night running the ball.  The following players averaged 100 yards per game for the entire season.  That is impressive.  That speaks well of the entire offense.  These players are the first to speak in praise of their lineman and others that block so the running is possible.  Congratulations on a wonderfully successful individual year statistically for each of these players and their blockers!










Player                       School                 Yards per Game

Grisham AND Jackson of LCHS  averaged over 100 ypg!

1.  Beniquez Brown    Florence                    136
2.  Chandler Russ       Shoals Christian        133
3.  Will Minor             Deshler                     124
4.  CJ Jackson             LCHS                       123
5.  Charles Jackson     Sheffield                   119
6.  Austin Kerr            Rogers                      118
7.  Samuel Grisham    LCHS                       101
8.  Daniel Hayes         Central                      100

Charles Jackson averaged an amazing 16 yards per carry!

Power Rankings Week 10 - End of Regular Season

Here are the final polls for the local teams.  10 weeks in all.  Some teams have disappeared while others have slowly climbed all season long.  9 of these 10 will continue playing into the playoffs in the week or possibly weeks to come.

1. Muscle Shoals Trojans

What a season!  Perfect in region play.  Beating Russellville and Deshler in non-region rivalry games.  Winning impressively almost every Friday night.  The combination a power running game with a very strong defense makes the excitement in Muscle Shoals sky high for the playoffs to begin.

      

 2. Lauderdale County

Improvment every week. Thats what a coach wants.  This team responded in impressive fashion after an embarrassing loss at Rogers.  The Tigers have dominated every game since then from start to finish.  This group has depth and experience.  Playoffs could  last a while!

3. Deshler Tigers

This team is young and talented.  They have beaten a lot of playoff bound teams this season.  They have beaten several of the teams ranked in this poll.  The offense is good.  The defense has improved throughout the year.  A healthy Tiger team can win some playoff games.  It will be interesting to see just how many.

4. Florence Falcons

Hard to rank them too high when they dont make the playoffs; however, this Falcon team can be extremely good at times.  They are the only team to beat Muscle Shoals - but the wear and tear of having to play tough teams every week took its toll.  The defense is incredible when motivated.  Many young talented players returning to build on next season.

5. Brooks Lions

The Lions win easily over Clements and can now focus on their home playoff game with Dora.  This Lion team has matured alot and will be a tough matchup for many teams.  They use their speed well and keep teams off balance with a variety of looks.  It has been an improved season over last year but this team wants more than just being in the playoffs.  Advancing is very likely.

6. Sheffield Bulldogs

What a season for first year Coach Hufstedler and the Bulldogs.  They have improved as a team and are able to end the season with a dramatic victory over 4A playoff-bound Central 27-20.  The defense is solid and the offense can strike from anywhere on the field.  Hosting a playoff game barely a year removed from a 10 game losing streak.  Thats improvement! 

7. Rogers Pirates

The defense looks to be back on track with a 35 - 0 shutout over a Wilson team that has scored nearly 20 all season regardless of the opponent.  This is a Senior heavy team that will be up for the challenge of the road test in round 1 of the playoffs.  The Pirates will visit a very good Hamilton team. 

8. Red Bay Tigers
Tough loss to Marion County 42-33.  Kept them from an unbeaten season.  Thats all.  They are still solid on offense and defense and will do well in the playoffs. They will host LaFayette this Friday in round 1.


9. Colbert Heights Wildcats

Back in the polls again.  this team is explosive offensively and will cause anybody a problem.  They have become a solid defensive team as well.  They win this week 26-6 over Colbert County and will host a playof game against Woodland this Friday. 

 10. Central Wildcats

Wildacts lost a heartbreaker to Sheffield 27-20 but this is still a good team that is playoff-bound.  The Wildcats have a great offense that make them a likely candidate to pull the first round upset in the playoffs.  Great seaosn for first year Coach Wood.

Trojans Trounce the Tigers!

Deshler comes into the game undefeated yet the Trojans treated them like they have all the region opponents this year.  They run all over them and shut them down defensively.  Rolling up nearly 250 yards rushing by halftime the Trojans were up 26-0 as they limited the Tigers rushing yards to 31. Not many times has Muscle Shoals been able to finish the game with 2nd and 3rd string players because they were so far ahead of Deshler.  Dee Liner had 10 tackles, Ethan Felton had 13.  Five different rushers had TD's as Dillon Gist led the way with 15 carries for 94 yards and a TD.  341 yards on the ground. The final was 39-14.  Total domination.  Both will host a playoff game next week.  Both should do well.  Coach Basden said "anytime you can beat a team like Deshler its good for your program." Tonight the Trojans looked like a team ready to play for several more weeks!

Click here for all the pics of the game.

Game Preview: Muscle Shoals vs Deshler

How can a game mean nothing and yet mean so much all at the same time?   From a playoff perspective it means nothing.  Brackets are set.  Both are #1 seeds and will host opponents from far away.  Nothing will change that.  It would be tempting to rest any ailing players, keep everything vanilla, and just survive the weekend healthy and ready for the playoffs to start.  BUT the game also means everything in terms of bragging rights.  The claim to the best local team.  Pride.  These kids go to church together, grow up in adjacent towns and interact all the time.  Some are former teamates witht the others.  Played mini midgets together.  So many relationships between the two schools.  So many years of the Tigers beating the Trojans.  Last year was the first win for Muscle Shoals after 10 consecutive losses.  Winning back to back years hasn't happened for the Trojans since 1988-89.  The teams are ranked #1 and #2 locally.  They are the #1 and #2 ranked scoring teams in the area.  They have two of the top rushing teams as well as individual rushing leaders.  Deshler has not had a close game all year.  Muscle Shoals lost once to Florence and the rest were lopsided victories.  The one difference statistically is the defese.  The Trojans bring the top rated local defense allowing just over 8 points per game.  The Tigers allow just over 18.  This coupled with a home game for Muscle Shoals could give them the nod, but.....traditions die hard.  Tigers are accustomed to beating the Trojans.  Not this year - Advantage - Muscle Shoals.

Top Scoring Offenses

Region play is over...the playoff brackets are set.  Teams have all played through the gauntlet of their region opponents.  This means the statistics are a bit more equitable.  With the exception of class differences the teams have all played through their schedule of similiar sized schools.  Each school have one last rivalry game left before some will continue through the playoffs while others will hang up the cleats.  These are the teams that are averaging better than 30 points per game.

School          Points per Game

1. Deshler                 45.6
2. Muscle Shoals       41.9
3. Shoals Christian     41.0
4. Brooks                  40.1
5. Central                  37.0
6. LCHS                   35.1
7. Red Bay                31.6
8. RA Hubbard         30.9
9. Colbert Heights     30.8
10. Rogers                30.1

Deshler Tigers Video

Players of the Week: Week 9

Standout performances bound as region play comes to an end.  These plays stepped up big and performed well as each of their teams were able to win.

GOLD - Cole Claunch
(Colbert Heights) - 23 of 32 passing with 4 TD's and 295 yards as the Wildcats win a pivotal region game over Lexington 34-21.
SILVER - Skyler Beck (Brooks) - 312 yards of total offense. 184 passing yds with 128 more rushing and a TD as the Lions win 52-14.
BRONZE - Beniquez Brown (Florence) - rushed for 201 yards and led the team in tackles as the Falcons come from behind to defeat Hazel Green 27-21

HONORABLE MENTION
Will Bishop (Shoals Christian) - 18 of 32 for 186 yds and a TD in leading the Flame to the region title
Hank Thigpen (Rogers) - 119 rushing yards and 2 TD's on only 6 carries as Pirates win 41-22
Samuel Grisham (LCHS) - 98 yds and 3 TD's in a 41-0 win
Dylan Guthire (Waterloo) - rushes for 182 yds and a TD in a 62-34 win
Dee Liner (Muscle Shoals) - 13 tackles, 1 sack on a defense that allowed -18 rushing yds in a win
Charles Jackson (Sheffield) - 184 yds rushing with 2 TD's as the Bulldogs win 27-6
Will Minor (Deshler) - 95 yards and 4 TD's as the Tigers go undefeated beating Wilson
Daniel Hayes (Central) - 121 yards rushing with 2 TD's on only 10 carries as Wildcats win 33-18
CJ Jackson (LCHS) - 133 yards on the ground with a TD as the Tigers win easily
Terrance Byrd (Deshler) - 151 yards and 2 TD's on only 9 carries in a 62-35 win
Eric Yarborough (Sheffield) - 124 yards rushing and 2 TD's in a region win
Bradley Darby (Waterloo) - piles up 162 rushing yds and a TD in a region win
Chandler Russ (Shoals Christian) - 134 rushing yds and a TD in a huge region win over Addison

Power Rankings - Week 9

With few upsets or surprises most teams performed as expected.  Here is the Top 10 for the local teams after 9 weeks!

1. Muscle Shoals Trojans

In a game that definately fit the billing of a "trap" game....the Trojans needed a half before getting cranked up.  In the end they were just as dominate as always winning 48 - 26.  Giving up 26 points is uncharacteristic...might be just whats needed to get refocused before playoffs and a rival game with Deshler this week.

2. Deshler Tigers

Not just undefeated...these Tigers are almost untested.  No game has been really in doubt late.  This week they will travel to Muscle Shoals which has only one loss.  Although the game means nothing to playoff standings....it has a lot of bragging rights and pride at stake as these are the Top 2 teams around this season. 

3. Florence Falcons
The Falcons show the dominate defense that garnered so much attention earlier in the season.  They completely shut down the Hazel Green defense in the second half and allowed the offense to come back for the win.  Although not in the playoffs Week 10 will bring a matchup with 5A rival Russellville.

4. Lauderdale County Tigers

No one has been as impressive since their loss to Rogers.  Each week they have dominated opponents on offense without flash and are now beginning to shut down opposing offenses as well.  With another shutout this week as the Tigers improve to 8-1 and prepare to face 2A Region runner-up Lexington.

5. Red Bay Tigers

A perfect 9-0.  These Tigers continue to punish opponents as they were 35-7 winners over Cherokee.  For the non-region week 10 matchup they will face Marion County and then prepare to host a playoff game in Red Bay for the first round.

6. Brooks Lions

The Lions continue to be explosive on offense as they score 52 points while limiting East Lawrence to 14.  The Lions will host a playoff game for the first round.  Before that, they will travel to Clements for the last regular season game. 

7. Rogers Pirates

The Pirates stay at #7 as they route Danville 41-22.  The Pirates only have losses to Sheffield and Brooks this season.  In week 10 they will travel to 4A Wilson who has given a lot of teams trouble this season.  They will have to be sharp to escape with another win.

8. Sheffield Bulldogs
The Bulldogs beat West Morgan 27-6.  What a great season.  Week 10 will bring an exciting matchup between two ranked teams from different classes.  4A playoff bound Central will visit 3A Sheffield.  Should make for an interesting game.  A win should move them up in the polls .....for either team.

9. Russellville Golden Tigers

The offense stepped up into high gear...as did the defese. The Tigers were 54-6 winners over Columbia.  This team will be in the playoffs but must face Florence for week 10.  Tough matchup, but definately a great workout before the "2nd" season begins.

                           10. Central Wildcats

Wildacts beat Ardmore 33-18.  This offense has been tough for anyone to stop all season long.  A tough test awaits them in Sheffield next week.  Win or lose the Wildcats are playoff bound and will be on the road in round 1 but are capable of pulling the upset and advancing.

Region Champs

1A - 5A has a local team that will be hosting the first round of the playoffs and can lay claim to the Regional Championship for 2011.  Each team arrived by virtue of different paths. In 5A and 4A it was apparent early in the season that Muscle Shoals and Deshler were the creme of the crop.  It would not be easy - but they were favored and expected to win in most games.  For the Trojans the title was its first since 1988.  A great accomplishment for this group of players and coaches.  For the Deshler Tigers it was the third consecutive title and the 19th since 1988.  Very different attitudes towards the accomplishment.  In 3A, the Lauderdale County Tigers looked to be in a lot of trouble after losing to Rogers, but after beating Brooks and Sheffield they find themselves winning the 3-way tie breaker to win their first title since 2004.  Red Bay claims the 2A championship, its first since 2007 and in 1A it is Shoals Christian for the first time since the school started its football program in 2002.  Whereas some teams have known for a few weeks, and others had to decipher tie-breakers - the Flame of Shoals Christian did it in the most exciting way.  They played head to head last night for the title.  Coach Odems boys won on the road to seal the championship.   Each of these will be playing week after next at home against a #4 seed.  Each will be favored and might get to play football for a few more weeks!

Rushing Leaders

The following are the top ten rushers per game so far this season. For those who may not have had the chance to see some of these runners in person - Sunday afternoon player is equated to the Friday night runner that has the most similar style or skill set.

Rank   Player    School          Yds/Game     NFL Comparision
1.  Will Minor      Deshler             141.9         Adrian Peterson
       - can do it all.  Has the ability to break tackles and then outrun the secondary.  Runs between tackles as well as getting the corner for big gains. A game changer.
2.  CJ Jackson     LCHS               141.6         Maurice Jones-Drew
       - power pack runner that hits the hole quick and explosively
3. Chandler Russ  Shoals Christian 132.8        Joseph Addai (from a few yrs ago)
       - on a team with the spread offense that requires teams to focus on the passing game....next thing you know he has killed you on the ground with 100+ every night
4.  Austin Kerr     Rogers               123.1       a younger Ladanian Tomlinson
      - runs, catches, even throws on occasion.  A touchdown machine that sees the ball in a lot of diffent places on the field.  Must be accounted for.
5.  Beniquez Brown  Florence         118.1      Darren McFadden
     - much bigger than the average running back but has tremendous speed as well.  Thought of as a power runner but often breaks long runs via "trucking" LB's then outruns smaller guys
6. Samuel Grisham   LCHS            103.8       Micheal Vick, Ronnie Brown
     - a QB that runs well...or a RB that lines up at QB.  Either way you look at it he is tough to stop and has had his share of impressive running games
7. Charles Jackson   Sheffield        99.4         Chris Johnson
     - often the most athletic player on the field and the fastest.  Chips away until he can break that long run.  A threat to score every time he touches it no matter what part of the field.
8.  Daniel Hayes       Central           98            Micheal Turner
      - the best runner on a running minded team.  Gets the tough yards and can be counted on each night to be the workhorse that keeps teams on their toes
9.  Clint Prestage      Brooks           92.5        Reggie Bush
     - fast and versatile.  Defense never knows where he will line up.  Is a threat from anywhere at any position from return, to receiver, to RB. 
10. Tyler Boyd        Russellville      89.8         Arian Foster
      - consistent runner with good speed that takes pressure off the passing game by keeping defenses honest.  Good speed and makes defenses play both run and pass or he beats them.

Blowout!

Want to see a good close game?  Don't go see these teams play!  If you want to see domination these are the teams to watch.  Some teams tout a high powered offense...others a stingy defense.  These teams combine both to produce the largest point differential in the area.  These teams usually win by the largest margins. 

Team                        Avg Margin of Victory
1. Muscle Shoals Trojans     34.6
2. Deshler Tigers                  27.2
3. Lauderdale County           22.4
4. Red Bay Tigers                 18
5. Shoals Christian                 17
6. Rogers Pirates                   15
7. Central Wildcats               13.5
8. Brooks Lions                    13

High Powered Offense

Here are the offenses that are scoring the most thru 8 games of the season:

1. Deshler                43.5
1. Shoals Christian   43.5

3. Muscle Shoals      41.1

4. Brooks                 38.6

5. Central                 37.5

6. LCHS                  34.4

7. Red Bay               31.1

8. Colbert Heights     30.4

 9. RA Hubbard         29.3

10. Rogers                  28.8



Region Standings for 5A and 4A

5A    Muscle Shoals has won their Region as have the Deshler Tigers.  But how do the rest of the teams shape up and who will they be playing? 

TEAM     Record    Rgn W/L  Rgn Game left
1.  Muscle Shoals    7-0       6-1     Lee-Huntsville
2. East Limestone    6-2       5-1    Athens
3. Athens                 4-4       4-2     East Limestone
4. Russellville          3-5       3-3     Columbia
4. J.O. Johnson        5-3       3-3     Lawrence Co.
The Trojans will be at home against the Region 5 4th place team.  This is according to the AHSAA and is different from years past.  This Region is the Birmingham area.  Currently fourth place is Shelby County and Pinson Valley.  They play each other Friday night.  Russellville needs to win and Hope Johnson loses.  If so they will be the #4 and will travel to Briarwood Christian. 

4A
4A has played a little less complicated barring any major upsets in Week 9.  Deshler will be at home against the Corner/Haleyville winner.  Brooks will be the #2 seed and will host Dora  while Central travels to Midfield.  Of course any major upsets in Region 5 could change that but dont expect any in this region.

Lockdown Defense

Some teams statistics look good early in the year due to a favorable early season schedule.  Other teams simply get better or worse as the year progresses.  This list is through all 8 games this season.  Each team has played enough games to give a good sampling of who does the best job of keeping the opponents off the scoreboard.

1.  6.6 ppg  Muscle Shoals Trojans - This team has 4 shutouts and has only given up more than a TD once all season long.  A total of 6 points have been scored on them in the last 3 weeks combined.    
 2.  12 ppg   Lauderdale County Tigers - The defense has tightened as the season has progressed.  The schedule is not easy yet they have only allowed 3 points in the past three weeks. 
3.  12.8 ppg  Sheffield Bulldogs - The Bulldogs have had two games won by goal line stands in the closing minutes.  Only twice all season has a team scored more than 14 pts.
4.  13.1 ppg  Red Bay Tigers - They have yet to shut a team out, but they are consistent.  The defense gives up less than 2 TD's and the offense always tops that - therefore a perfect 8-0!

5. 13.6 ppg  Rogers Pirates - After shutting out 3 of the first 5 opponents the defesne has been giving up a bit more.  However, even in the loss this week they only allowed 17 points.  Very solid.
6.  15.3 ppg  Hatton Hornets - Even though they were playing some strong offenses, no one scored more than 9 pts on them until Week 5.  Since then they haven't held anyone below 14. 
7.  16.3 ppg  Deshler Tigers - This defense is probably as good as it needs to be.  With a high scoring offense and most games over at halftime the points are often scored against 2nd teamers.  Starters don't give up many.
8. 16.6 ppg  RA Hubbard Chiefs - Feast or famine.  This D has given up as much as 42 pts but has also had shutouts and 6 and 8 point games as well.
9. 18.9 ppg  Florence Falcons - Not as stingy as they were early in the season.  This defense limited Bob Jones to 10 points but yielded 35 to Decatur.  Can be one of the best at times. 
10. 19.5 ppg Colbert Heights Wildcats - Not typically thought of as a defensive team because of the attention to the high-powered offense, but this past week the goal line stand allowed the offense to go win the game.

Player of the Week: Week 8

Plenty of players had standout performances this week.  Lots of impressive stats.  Some stepped up best when their team needed them the most in big region games. 

GOLD - Clint Prestage (Brooks) - 9 carries for 210 yds rushing with 3 TD's as Brooks earns home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 48-18 win over West Limestone.
SILVER - Cole Claunch (Colbert Heights) - threw for 226 yards and 2 TD's and led his team on a 99 yard drive in the final minute as he scored a rushing TD to come from behind and win 25-21
BRONZE - Will Bishop (Shoals Christian) 15 of 20 passing for 296 yards and 4 TD's in leading the Flame to a 60-24 victory

HONORABLE MENTION
CJ Jackson (LCHS) - 217 yards rushing with 4 TD's in a 54-0 region win
Chandler Russ (Shoals Christian) rushed for 216 yards in a region win over Phillips
Austin Long (Hatton) 253 yards and 2 TD's in a tough region loss to Colbert Heights 25-21
Peyton Davis (Lexington) leads Golden Bears with 120 rushing yards and 2 TD's in a win
Deion Bonton (Brooks) - 13 carries for 127 yards and a TD
Matt Belue (Red Bay) 140 rushing yards with three TD's as Tigers win 41-19
Charles Jackson (Sheffield) - 146 rushing yards and 2 TD's as they beat Rogers 17-6
Beniquez Brown (Florence) - 77 yd TD run on offense, 32 yd int return for TD on defense
Daniel hayes (Central) 125 yds on 16 carries with 3 TD's in a win over Wilson
Cody Stevens (Rogers) 5 catches for 103 yards in a region loss to Sheffield
Justin Cantrell (Deshler) 6 of 10 passing for 137 yds and 2 TD in a 61-13 win
Kendrick Doss (Florence) 200 total yards of offnese in leading his team to a 48-27 win over Grissom
Corey Scott (Lexington) caught two TD's and made 2 interceptions in a 41-28 win
Tyler Boyd (Russellville) - 17 carries for 121 yards and a TD in a homecoming win