Cubs draw new foe
- Updated: October 30, 2015
Alexandria will play West Point in its playoff opener after AHSAA ruling shuffles crossing region
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
The Alexandria Valley Cubs went to school Thursday morning thinking they were going to play one team in next week’s opening round of the state football playoffs and by the time they started practice that afternoon they were playing somebody else.
An eligibility ruling the AHSAA made against J.O. Johnson shook up the Class 5A playoffs directly as it affected the Valley Cubs.
J.O. Johnson was made to forfeit four wins because of an ineligible player, which knocked them out of the playoffs and jumbled the Region 8 standings.
The No. 10-ranked Valley Cubs (7-1), the Region 6 champions, were supposed to play Lawrence County in their opening-round game next week at Lou Scales Stadium. Now, with the shakeup, they will play West Point (5-4) as Lawrence County becomes the new No. 3 in that region.
Alexandria coach Frank Tucker said Thursday the change in opponent changes “virtually nothing” about his team’s playoff preparations.
Before all that, both teams have games to play Friday night. The Valley Cubs will be looking to bounce back from an upset shutout loss to Anniston with a home game against Cherokee County, while West Point wraps up its regular season at Priceville.
“Even though we knew our (original) opponent, we didn’t do any prep and wouldn’t until Saturday,” Tucker said. “It’s been kind of a non-issue for us.”
The Valley Cubs do have some familiarity with West Point. That was the team Hayden was playing when they scouted their region rival in the second week of the season.
Hayden won the game 42-26, but beyond that Tucker said there was “nothing distinctive” he could remember about the Warriors from that game nine weeks ago.
AHSAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
(Calhoun County teams)
(Current records)
Class 3A
Lexington (6-4) at Piedmont (8-1)
Wellborn (6-3) at Lauderdale County (7-2)
Weaver (4-5) at Madison Academy (8-1)
Class 4A
West Limestone (6-3) at Saks (7-2)
Jacksonville (6-4) at Brooks (9-0)
Class 5A
West Point (5-4) at Alexandria (7-1)
Anniston (4-4) at Russellville (8-1)
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