Going forward: Part II
- Updated: November 6, 2014
EDITOR’S NOTE: In a departure from his weekly Takeaways segment looking at the week that was in Calhoun County football, Chad Barnett delves into the first-round playoff games involving county teams. Today’s installment features the Class 1A-3A games.
Piedmont is making its ninth straight playoff appearance. The Bulldogs have never missed under coach Steve Smith and have won at least one playoff game each of the last seven years.
By Chad Barnett
East Alabama Sports Today
PISGAH (6-4) at No. 8 PIEDMONT (7-3)
The Pisgah Eagles have returned to the playoffs after a three-year drought under second-year head coach Shawn Peek. A 1985 graduate of the school, Peek comes to his alma mater following five seasons, three region crowns and eight playoff victories at North Jackson. The Eagles have only one playoff win since 2004.
Piedmont, meanwhile, is a postseason regular, making its ninth straight trip to the playoffs. The Bulldogs are 17-7 in the previous eight years.
They enter this postseason with a 7-3 record and are almost destined for their first four-loss season since Steve Smith’s first at the helm of the Bulldogs in 2006. They had bounced back nicely following back-to-back mid-season losses before falling to Class 4A’s Oneonta last Friday night. They had posted back-to-back shutouts in the weeks prior to that loss.
WEAVER (4-6) at PLAINVIEW (8-2)
Freshman quarterback Paul Hubbard will direct the Weaver offense in the playoffs. (Photo by Greg McWilliams)
The Weaver Bearcats won the most important of games this season. They won three games in region play, which was just enough to squeak into the playoffs after a favorable three-team tie-breaker. They made it via a non-region shutout over White Plains in the final weekend of the season and scored with four long touchdown runs in the second half.
Weaver will take on a formidable opponent in Plainview, whose only two losses came at the hands Glencoe and Fyffe, both unbeaten region champs. They Bear have a couple players to watch in linebacker Anthony Glover, who Glencoe head coach Lee Ozmint called “the best he’s seen at this level” and athlete Dylan Clark, a finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.
WELLBORN (6-3) at GERALDINE (8-2)
Wellborn is making its making its sixth straight appearance in the playoffs, extending the school record. The Panthers have never missed under coach Jeff Smith. (Photo by Greg McWilliams)
The running game will be in full effect in this one. Geraldine’s offense is nearly a mirror image of the vaunted Fyffe Red Devils’ attack due to head coach Tim Arnold being an assistant coach there under Paul Bennefield before taking over his alma mater. Wellborn is also known for its running game with Kevin Mixon spearheading the offense.
Wellborn is fairly confident after a regular season in which three losses came to Top 10 teams that have only four setbacks among them (Saks, Piedmont, Glencoe).
This is the fifth time during the Panthers’ run of six straight playoff appearances they will be on the road in the first round. They are 2-3 in those games, but have won the last two (Red Bay last year, Opp in 2011). It is Jeff Smith’s ninth straight playoff appearance as a head coach, going back to his prior tenure at Hueytown.
The Panthers haven’t made it past the second round during this run and it was Smith’s hope in the preseason that having the week off before the playoffs will keep his team even fresher for a longer post-season stay.
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN (4-6) at No. 3 HUBBERTVILLE (9-0)
Daylon Brackett was an eighth-grader on the sidelines the last time JCA went to the playoffs; he’s a starter now.
The JCA Thunder has a lot on its shoulders hitting the road for only the second playoff game in its school history.
Just a sophomore, Hubbertville running back Dax Benton has been a big contributor for the Lions this season. He has been nominated for Player of the Week multiple times by various media outlets and with reason. He broke the school rushing record with 357 yards against Lynn, ran for 106 on six carries against Holy Spirit and ran for 159 yards and three touchdowns against Hackleburg.
Thunder quarterback Daylon Brackett will need to have one the best nights of his career in order for JCA to pick up its first playoff win in school history, but he is looking forward to the experience. In its previous playoff appearance the Thunder matched Marion county score-for-score early until a fumble derailed the trend and the Red Raiders pulled away.
“It’s something I always wanted to do as a starter,” Brackett said. “In eighth grade I stood on the sideline most of the time and cheered for those guys.
“Going to the playoffs is something I always wanted to do and getting to accomplish that as a starter my senior year is great. I was excited not even playing my eighth-grade year. I think I’ll be a little more excited now I’m going to get to play.”
DECATUR HERITAGE (6-4) at No. 4 DONOHO (10-0)
The Donoho Falcons and coach Shannon Felder (cover) head into the playoffs with a 10-0 record and No. 4 ranking in Class 1A.
The Falcons are the clear favorite in this one. They have dominated the competition with seven shutouts, gave up only 28 points all season, set a school record for points in a game (79) and earned their highest ranking in school history.
While Donoho is having a big season, Decatur Heritage has had a solid run as well. The Eagles cooled off after an early five-game winning streak, dropping three of their last four games — all region affairs – before winning their season finale. They come into this game averaging more than 30 points per game.
If Justin Foster and the Falcons defense show up like they have all season, Donoho should move on.
Chad Barnett covers high school football for “Pigskin Roundup.” Read his observations on the week that was every week at East Alabama Sports Today.
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