Sumiton Christian’s DeMonte Hobbs has rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns through two games this season. The Eagles play at Meek on Friday. Photo by: Jeff Johnsey
The Sumiton Christian Eagles and the Meek Tigers, who have both kicked off the season with 2-0 records, meet on Friday night at Meek Field to see which team will gain solid footing in Class 1A, Region 6.
Also in Region 6 action, the Addison Bulldogs will look for their first win of the year against the hosting Southeastern Mustangs.
In Class 1A, Region 5, state-defending champion and top-ranked Marion County travels to Harland-Nelson Stadium to take on the Parrish Tornadoes, who suffered their first loss of the season in a heartbreaker to Hubbertville, while the No. 6 Pickens County Tornadoes take on the No. 8 Lynn Bears.
Class 3A battles include Cordova taking on Vinemont and Good Hope hosting Winston County. In Class 2A, Oakman hosts Francis Marion.
Friday, Sept. 14
Sumiton Christian (2-0) at Meek (2-0)
WJBE 88.5 FM, 7 p.m.
The Tigers have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2012 season - obtaining their first 2-0 start since 2006 under third-year coach Lance Archer.
The Eagles have also been riding high since transitioning from Class 2A to 1A to the tune of a 2-0 mark, setting up a crucial early-season Region 6 battle for both teams.
For both programs, a win would help ensure a place in the top of the region standings going into future matchups with fellow front-runners Ragland and Falkville.
Both also have a prominent rusher — Meek’s Cameron Hallmark has 240 yards on 38 carries, while Sumiton Christian’s DeMonte’ Hobbs has tallied 215 yards on 19 carries. The teams also have a mutual opponent they’ve faced this year: Appalachian. Meek took out Appalachian in their season opener, 21-20 in overtime, and Sumiton Christian topped Appalachian 24-20 last Friday. It will be the first meeting between the two programs. The game will be broadcast on WJBE 88.5 FM.
Francis Marion (0-2) at Oakman (1-1)
After dropping a disappointing season-opener to Parrish, Oakman bounced back by beating Lamar County, 41-24 in the Wildcats first-ever win over the Bulldogs. Francis Marion has struggled in their first two games this season — scoring only six points in the consecutive losses. It will be the first meeting between the two programs.
Addison (0-2) at Southeastern (0-1)
The start of the David Smothers era at Addison hasn’t gone as planned, as the Bulldogs fell to playoff contenders Ider and Ragland to begin 2012. Southeastern played its first-ever football game on Aug. 31 in a 61-7 loss to Falkville in Region 6 play.
No. 1 Marion County (2-0) at Parrish (1-1)
After an emotional start to the season (Parrish suffered a deflating 31-25 overtime loss last week at Hubbertville), the Tornadoes return to the friendly confines of Harland-Nelson Stadium to find the defending state champion and top-ranked Marion County Red Raiders awaiting them.
The Red Raiders avenged their only loss of the 2011 season last week in a 62-6 rout of the Berry Wildcats — who the Tornadoes will also face next week. Marion County posted a 35-13 victory over Parrish last year, while the Tornadoes hold a 13-7 edge in the overall series.
No. 6 Pickens County (2-0) at No. 8 Lynn (2-0)
The sixth-ranked Tornadoes made a splash in their Region 5 debut, dominating South Lamar 75-6. The No. 8 Bears dispatched the Brilliant Tigers 28-7 to kick off region play, leading into this week’s battle between tradition-rich programs, who will be meeting for the first time. The winner of the contest will carry additional momentum in the remainder of the challenging Region 5 schedule.
Cordova (0-2) at Vinemont (2-0)
It’s been a rough start for the Blue Devils, who have been outscored 19-86 in previous outings against Dora and Hamilton. Vinemont has jumped out to their best start since 2007, including last week’s 21-16 nail-biter against Danville. Cordova holds a perfect 4-0 record against the Eagles, including last year’s 34-8 victory.
Winston County (1-1) at Good Hope (1-1)
The Yellow Jackets handed Winfield its worse loss in five season last week, 54-0, to break a 15-game losing-skid. Good Hope rallied from its season-opening loss to defeat Hanceville, 34-27. Winston County holds the series edge, 5-4, while Good Hope won the last meeting between the programs, 17-6 in 2005.