Class 3A and 4A have some big games coming up in the next two weeks that will determine playoff positions. A team’s seeding will be more important this year than ever before.
Class 3A
Region 1- It can’t get any tighter than this region where Clarke County, Mobile Christian, T.R. Miller and Hillcrest all have 4-1 records. Clarke County must play Mobile Christian and T.R. Miller in the next two weeks. Hillcrest has already played the other three and looks to get at least a tie if they can beat Cottage Hill and Excel. Stay tuned on this one. We may have to go deep into the tie breakers to figure it out.
Region 2- Wicksburg controls their own destiny. Wins over Providence Christian and Geneva make them the champion. After that it’s a five team race for the other four spots- Opp, Geneva, Providence Christian, Daleville and Slocomb are all still alive.
Region 3-This region is a little weaker on the back end. Montgomery Academy will be champion with Pike County second. Look for Southside Selma and Prattville Christian to fill the other two spots.
Region 4- Gordo got off to a slow start but getting some injured folks back have them on a roll at 4-0. They have beaten both Oakman and American Christian. Those two play this week and chances are that the winner will be second and the loser third. AC must still play Midfield. If Midfield loses to AC, they will probably lose out on the tie breaker to Greene County. So–it appears to be Gordo-1st, American Christian/Oakman winner -2nd, loser looks to be third and Greene County fourth. Maybe.
Region 5- If Piedmont beats Ohatchee, they are champion once again. The Weaver-Randolph County game Friday night will go along way to determine who (Randolph Co, Weaver, or Ohatchee) will be second, third and fourth. A good guess is they will finish in this order- Piedmont, Randolph, Ohatchee, Weaver.
Region 6- Fultondale is by far the champion of this group. Look for them to make a strong playoff run. JB Pennington should be 2nd with Locust Fork, Susan Moore, Vinemont and Holly Pond battling for third and fourth.
Region 7- The winner of Plainview-Sylvania is the champion with the loser almost assuredly second. North Sand Mountain, Pisgah, Geraldine and New Hope are all still alive but NSM and Geraldine will be tough to beat out.
Region 8- This one is a real scramble. Lauderdale County is 5-0 in the region but has Colbert Heights (1 loss) and Colbert County (2 losses) left. Add West Morgan ( 1 loss) and Lexington (2 losses) in the mix. Best guess is LC first, West Morgan second, Colbert Heights third and Colbert County sneaking in to fourth place.
Class 4A
Region 1- This was a three team race for the top and Andalusia beat UMS Wright and Thomasville. Those two play this week and the winner will be second and the loser third. Unless something strange occurs and it has before, W.S. Neal looks to be the fourth place finisher.
Region 2- Alabama Christian and Montgomery Catholic both have only one loss on the season and play next week. The winner will be champion and the loser third. After that it’s a little nuts. St. James beat AC 49-14 and has been on a roll the last month. St. James Lost to to finish second. Dale County should nose out Trinity for the fourth spot.
Region 3- Leeds and Munford are both undefeated in region play and meet next week. Tallassee’s only loss in the region is to Munford, and they play Leeds at home Friday night. Look for these three to be 1,2,and 3 in some order and the winner of Childersburg vs Dadeville to take fourth.
Region 4- Chances are that Bibb County, Hale County,and Northside will end up in a three way tie. Sipsey Valley, West Blocton and Greensboro will fight it out for fourth.
Region 5- Saks (7-0), Hokes Bluff and Jacksonville are still in the battle for first with Saks and Hokes Bluff meeting next week. Cherokee County has a great chance to be the fourth team.
Region 6- Fayette County beat Dora early and is undefeated in the region with Winfield and Haleyville left to play. Look for the Tigers to come in first with Dora second. Winfield, Cordova, Hamilton and Haleyville are fighting for the other two spots.
Region 7- Madison Academy got off to a slow start, losing to Sardis early. But they have rebounded with great defense. Chances are the Randolph-Sardis game will determine the order when they play next week, but Sardis must also play Madison County. These four will be the playoff teams but guessing the order is tough.
Region 8- Both Rogers (8-0) and Wilson (7-0) are undefeated and play next week for the championship. Deshler and West Limestone are probably battling for third this week. Central Florence still has a chance to sneak in the fourth spot if they beat West Limestone Friday night.