Two football teams in need of second-half momentum will meet at 7 tonight when Lamar County takes on Sulligent in a Class 2A, Region 8 game at Brown Stadium in Sulligent.
Elsewhere in Alabama High School Athletic Association action, Aliceville will visit Gordo in a Class 3A, Region 4 game, Pickens County will play host to Autaugaville in a Class 1A, Region 4, and South Lamar will travel to Berry in a Class 1A, Region 5 game.
In Alabama Independent School Association Class 2A, Region 1 play, Pickens Academy will play host to Evangel Christian.
Each of the games will start at 7 p.m. Friday.
Lamar County (3-2, 2-1) at Sulligent (1-4, 1-2)
The Blue Devils enter tonight’s game on a three-game losing streak, while the Bulldogs have lost back-to-back games.
“This is a big game, and it’s a long tradition to play on Thursday night,” Sulligent coach Scott Marchant said. “We play a couple of Thursday night games. It allows for bigger and better crowds, and everyone seems to enjoy it.”
In its last outing, Sulligent dropped a 49-22 decision to non-region rival Marion County.
“We are definitely a work in progress,” Marchant said. “We have a lot of inexperience on the football team. We returned only four or five starters from last year, so we have a lot of young guys. We are talented. We just lack the experience.
“Each and every game gives them more and more experience. The game itself gives them things I can’t give them in practice. They learn a lot when the lights go on. Sometimes we take things game to game, series to series, and even quarter to quarter.”
At Lamar County, coach Ken Adams also hopes his youthful Bulldogs are also ready to play their best football in the second half of the season.
“We have to worry about ourselves,” Adams said. “We have to get better each play and do the things we want to do. It is not about anyone else as much as it is about us. We have to have 11 individuals doing their absolute best, but in a team setting. We have to do that each and every play.”
During the current skid, the Bulldogs have allowed 77 points in losses to region rival Red Bay (35-14) and non-region rival American Christian (42-7). Still, look for Lamar County to be motivated with a chance to move to 3-1 in region play.
“This game has been played on a Thursday for a long time,” Adams said. “Everybody in the county comes out for this game. It is a big deal in the county and to Vernon and to Sulligent. For us, this is the game. It’s the game of the season for both teams. This week we are playing for Vernon. Everybody in Vernon is part of the game. It is personal to everyone.”
For the Bulldogs, quarterback Dallas Cockerham is 16 of 34 for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Cockerham ran for the only touchdown last week against ACA.
Deion Jenkins sparked Sulligent against Marion County, rushing 12 times for 127 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown run.
Aliceville (2-3, 2-0) at Gordo (3-2, 2-0)
The good news for the Yellow Jackets is simple: This game counts in the Region 4-3A standings. After all, the Yellow Jackets are 2-0 in region play and 0-3 in non-region games.
The winner will join Greensboro at 3-0 atop the region standings. At the midway mark of the region schedule, that would be huge for a team that is looking to win a region championship and to earn a playoff berth.
“Gordo is a sound football team,” Aliceville coach Charles Moody said. “They don’t make any mistakes. They do everything they are supposed to do to win the game. They are playing well.”
Last week, Aliceville lost to longtime rival Pickens County 40-6. The Yellow Jackets were held to a season-low 282 yards and had two turnovers. Aliceville has 17 turnovers in its three losses.
“Playing Pickens County and Gordo back-to-back is a very hard task,” Moody said. “We are playing well-coached teams, and both are on the road. It is an emotional game and a rivalry game. It’s hard to come back emotionally the next week after a game (Pickens County) like that.
“It would also be hard to come back emotionally following a big win. Win or lose, you have to forget the last week and move onto the next game. It’s a tough task for us.”
After suffering a season-opening loss to Class 6A foe Hillcrest and defending Class 1A state champion Sweet Water, Gordo has won its past three games. It has scored 125 points in victories against Northside, Hale County, and Fayette.
For Aliceville, quarterback Christopher Crowell has thrown for 1,252 yards. DeMario Lanier a 79-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter for his team-leading eighth touchdown last week.
Autaugaville (3-2, 3-0) at Pickens County (5-0, 3-0)
In Class 1A, Region 4, three teams enter the week at 3-0 in the region. That group includes Autaugaville and Pickens County, who will meet in Reform.
“Autaugaville is a good team, and they are very well-coached,” Pickens County coach Patrick Plott said. “They are very athletic.”
For the Tornadoes, the early season storyline has been an offense that is averaging 48.4 points per game and has scored 50 or better twice. Pickens County defeated longtime rival Aliceville 40-6 last week.
In their past four games, the Tornadoes have allowed 19 points — an average of 4.8 points per game. The defensive effort included two defensive scores in the win against Aliceville. De’Marko Hall had a 79-yard interception return for touchdown on one of two turnovers forced against the Yellow Jackets.
“I’m not really surprised,” Plott said. “When we started back in the summer, we came out and worked hard and practiced hard. We thought we had a chance to have a good season.
“Defensively we made adjustments after the first week (a 47-42 win over American Christian). The kids made up their mind to have a good defense. They have worked really hard and gotten better.”
Hall paced the Tornadoes with 189 all-purpose yards and three more touchdowns against Aliceville. He now has 19 touchdowns, which is nine shy of the school record.
Autaugaville comes to town fresh off a 17-14 non-region loss at Montgomery Catholic. Prior to that, the Eagles had defeated Essex (27-0), Shades Mountain (46-6), and Sunshine (50-0).
South Lamar (0-5, 0-3) at Berry (4-1, 2-1)
After a pair of heartbreaking losses, the Stallions return to the road still searching for their first victory of the season.
South Lamar’s last two losses were a 21-14 region decision to Brilliant and a 20-19 home loss to non-region foe Winfield.
“We are really struggling to get over the hump,” South Lamar coach Josh Harper said. “It is not because a lack of effort. We just can’t make the plays there at the end to close out a game.”
Against Winfield, Hank Parker scored a pair of touchdowns for South Lamar.
“Berry has good speed and good size,” Harper said. “We will have a difficult challenge. Our kids continue to give great effort and we will have to continue to do that to have a chance.”
Berry is averaging 53 points per game, and has scored 47 or better in all five games it has played this season. Presently on a three-game win streak, Berry beat Appalachian 58-22 last week.
Evangel Christian (4-1, 1-1) at Pickens Academy (1-5, 0-3)
The Pirates return home in search of their first in win AISA Class 2A, Region 1 play. The Pirates slipped to 0-3 in the region last week with a 46-14 loss at Edgewood Academy.
“The last few weeks have been pretty tough,” Pickens Academy coach John Gartman said. “I am not trying to make any excuses, but we have played some real heavyweights. The last three teams we have played are all 5-0. We have struggled through the tough part of the schedule, but we are headed down the stretch with a chance to make the playoffs.”
Evangel Christian will present another challenge. The Lions have defeated Ward Military (37-0), Kingwood Christian (41-6), and Lakeside (20-7) in their past three games. Still, Pickens Academy can still advance to the postseason if it can win a pair of region games.
“Evangel is much improved,” Gartman said. “I think they won two games last year and they already have four wins this year. However, I think we will be ready. The last few weeks have made us better. If we can win the next two games, we can make the playoffs. That is the goal.”
In its last contest, Evangel defeated Lakeside, 20-7. Running back Anthony Williams ran for 249 yards on 28 carries, including an 80-yard touchdown. Williams also blocked a field goal, which led to an 85-yard touchdown return for Richard Reynolds.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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