Each week this season AHSFHS.org will post games of the week provided by our forum friends better known as the "Barber Shop Gurus". Welcome TheMUBM, Kodyaufan2 and Sloth Nationzz as they analyze games of their choice and even give us a prediction for each contest.

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TheMUBM Week 9 Games

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  29-7

Arab (6-5) at  (#6)  Guntersville (9-2)  at Chorba-Lee Stadium Arab   Guntersville 6-5 (3-3)  Record 9-2 (5-1) 5A-R8  Class/Region 5A-R8 NR  ASWA Ranking #6 63.2  Power Rating 76.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Guntersville as a 15 point favorite. Last Meeting:   The Guntersville Wildcats defeated Arab by a score of 17-15 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 20 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Guntersville and Arab have met 96 times on the field.... Guntersville holds a 62-32 edge in the games played. Comments:    Guntersville had a 2 year region winning streak snapped last year by Arab winning the region. If Guntersville were to win this one, they'd be champs again. Arab can make it a three way tie with an upset here.     Arab is coming off a thrashing of rival Boaz, where Drew Puccio QB, saw himself throw a td, catch a td and return a kickoff 81 yards that fell just short of reaching the endzone. In other words, he's good. There is some concern after Boaz was able to trim the lead to 14 a couple of times during the game, but ultimately Arab pulled away. They'll need another Herculean performance from Puccio this week.     Guntersville comes in undefeated and off a bye week. Probably not the best scenario for Arab. Guntersville has been solid on defense all year only giving up 9.7 ppg, including just 6 to a talented Scottsboro team. The Guntersville defense hung out in the Scottsboro backfield all night. Arab can't let that happen. Arab is going to have to find a way to slow down RB Enelson Delva.   Prediction:  Guntersville 24 Arab 19

Central Florence (9-3) at  West Limestone (4-6)  at James Kennemer Stadium Central Florence   West Limestone 9-3 (6-2)  Record 4-6 (3-5) 4A-R7  Class/Region 4A-R7 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 49.5  Power Rating 44.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Central Florence as a 3 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Central Florence Wildcats defeated West Limestone by a score of 28-7 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 20 during the 2024 football season. Series:   West Limestone and Central Florence have met 25 times on the field.... Central Florence holds a 16-9 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This will likely be for the 4th and final playoff spot in 4A R7. Central comes in with an overall record of 3-4 and averaging a whopping 40 ppg. However they are giving up 42 ppg. West Limestone comes in 4-3 and has the luxury of homefield.

Central has two really good backs, Palmer and Hanback. They are going to get theirs. The key for West Limestone is to just try to slow them down. How will Central respond after having a late lead to Deshler only to see it evaporate?

West Limestone had the unenviable task of playing West Morgan last week, but took an early lead and was only trailing 14-7 at half. Finally, all things Friday the 13th went away and WM pulled away 42-7 in the second half. WL will counter Central with Preston Moore and Easton Smith as two very capable running backs. This should be a very physical game. Congratulations to the winner, you'll get to make the long drive to Centre, Alabama to meet Cherokee County.

Prediction:  Central Florence 28 West Limestone 18

Bob Jones (6-5) at  (#9)  Austin (9-2)  at Austin Football Field Bob Jones   Austin 6-5 (4-3)  Record 9-2 (7-0) 7A-R4  Class/Region 7A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking #9 75.5  Power Rating 86.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Austin as a 13 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Austin Black Bears defeated Bob Jones by a score of 42-28 in week 8 at Home  on Fri., Oct. 11 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Austin and Bob Jones have met 23 times on the field.... Austin holds a 16-7 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Unless you're Albertville or Grissom, all games in this region are for a potential playoff spot. Let the chaos continue!

Bob Jones started the season off 0-3 then had an unimpressive 18 point win against a hapless Grissom team. Then lo and behold the craziness of 7A R4 struck and they have reeled off three straight wins against Huntsville, Florence and Sparkman. Tyren Washington has emerged as a star, running a lot of wildcat or wild patriot whatever you want to call it, as he rushed for 142 yards against Sparkman with 2 tds and two 2-point conversions. The BJHS defense held Sparkman well below their scoring average, but that can be deceiving because Sparkman had an easy first half schedule. BJHS was able to stymie the Sparkman passing offense, but Austin relies more on the run.

Austin, who I foolishly declared 'far and away the best in R4' after their victory over Hartselle, lost two of their next three. Then when I declared them dead, they have won 4 straight. The first three wins were nothing to write home about, but the utter destruction of James Clemens is something to take note of. Gavin Fuqua, the man who I thought they'd ride to a region title, said 'hold my beer' and scored three td's against the heavily favored Jets. This was en route to a 167 yard performance.

The clock may go fast in this one folks. BJHS QB only attempted 3 passes last week and Austin's QB only attempted 7. So if that is the case, it comes down to who has the most effective running game. I won't bet against Fuqua in that scenario.

Prediction:  Austin 24 Bob Jones 14

(#6)  Clay-Chalkville (9-3) at  (#3)  Oxford (12-0)  at Lamar Field Clay-Chalkville   Oxford 9-3 (5-1)  Record 12-0 (6-0) 6A-R6  Class/Region 6A-R6 #6  ASWA Ranking #3 92.5  Power Rating 78.0 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Clay-Chalkville as a 13 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Oxford Yellow Jackets defeated Clay-Chalkville by a score of 21-10 in week 9 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 18 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Oxford and Clay-Chalkville have met 20 times on the field.... Clay-Chalkville holds a 14-6 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Two in-region undefeated teams meet for what should determine the region crown. Center Point may have something to say about it (not likely), but this seems to be the de facto region title.

Clay-Chalkville has rolled through this season, even beating 7A powerhouse Thompson. They basically had an off week last week (no offense, Huffman and also no offense Huffman). As Mbawke goes, so goes Clay and he is usually going in for a score. Clay has many other weapons, but Jaylen Mbawke is the catalyst.

Oxford has one loss on the year, 22-21 to Hartselle. I was at that game and honestly Oxford should've won. Should've and could've won't get you very far though. Oxford is coming off a bye week, which isn't a bad idea with Clay looming. After the Hartselle loss, I was a little surprised they didn't come back a little more determined against Pell City.

There will be athletes all over the field in this one. Mims is a great QB for Oxford, but I haven't seen that 'want to' from Oxford yet. I think they definitely have it in them but until I see it, I can't reasonably expect them to beat CCHS.

Prediction:  Clay 38 Oxford 23

kodyaufan2 Week 9 Games

Last Week:  4-0    Season Total:  23-7

(#9)  Maplesville (10-2) at  Loachapoka (5-5)  at Loachapoka Stadium Maplesville   Loachapoka 10-2 (7-0)  Record 5-5 (4-2) 1A-R4  Class/Region 2A-R4 #9  ASWA Ranking NR 43.1  Power Rating 35.9 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Maplesville as a 5 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Loachapoka Indians defeated Maplesville by a score of 12-6 in week 9 on the road  on Thu., Oct. 19 during the 2023 football season. Series:   Loachapoka and Maplesville have met 12 times on the field.... Maplesville holds a 7-5 edge in the games played.

Comments:    It wasn't all that long ago that Maplesville was to 1A what Fyffe has been to 2A in recent years. They haven't been that dominant in recent years, but they're still going for their fourth straight region title, while Loachapoka searches for their first since 2013.

Last year Loachapoka came into this matchup undefeated, just as they are now, and lost 38-8 to what was arguably the weakest Maplesville team in over a decade. This team lost some significant contributors from last year, but DL Jamari Payne, a Purdue commit, is capable of taking over any game.

Despite starting 0-2 for the second year in a row, this seems like a Maplesville team that is definitely improved over a year ago, when they only made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, a result that this proud program likely considers a failure of a season. This team seems to be getting better and better as the season goes on.

Loachapoka has had a great season so far, but you have to knock off one of the big boys to become one of the big boys, and I don't think they'll have enough for Maplesville.

Prediction:  Maplesville 26, Loachapoka 6

(#2)  Pisgah (11-1) at  (#5)  Fyffe (9-2)  at Paul Benefield Stadium Pisgah   Fyffe 11-1 (6-0)  Record 9-2 (7-0) 2A-R7  Class/Region 3A-R8 #2  ASWA Ranking #5 58.8  Power Rating 65.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Fyffe as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Pisgah Eagles defeated Fyffe by a score of 30-22 in week 2 at Home  on Thu., Aug. 29 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Fyffe and Pisgah have met 35 times on the field.... Fyffe holds a 20-14 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is the biggest game left in the regular season in any class in my opinion. I've been looking forward to this one for several weeks now, as I'm sure these two teams have. Pisgah is trying to cement their place as the state championship favorites in class 2A.

We know what Fyffe is because it's the same thing they've been for 15+ years at this point. They're gonna line up and run right at you while daring you to stop it. They've shaken off that opening loss to Geraldine with 6 straight wins, scoring at least 47 in each game with 4 shutouts.

Pisgah certainly looks the part of a complete team. I thought Sylvania was the best team in 3A and they went out a beat that team on the road a couple weeks ago, matching them blow-for-blow the entire way. They seem to have a versatility you don't see much at the 2A level. Their QB has a ton of talent and can kill you through the air, but they're just as capable of leaning on the run game if they need to. Overall they just seem to have a lot of team speed and are very well coached, just the kind of team that can give Fyffe problems.

I had been putting Pisgah just behind B.B. Comer and Fyffe for most of the season, but that Sylvania game made me a true believer. Hopefully I don't jinx them, but this is a game we'll have the pleasure of seeing twice regardless.

Prediction:  Pisgah 22, Fyffe 14

(#4)  Moody (9-2) at  (#9)  Leeds (10-2)  at Homer Smiles Field Moody   Leeds 9-2 (6-0)  Record 10-2 (5-1) 5A-R6  Class/Region 5A-R6 #4  ASWA Ranking #9 75.6  Power Rating 65.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Moody as a 8 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Moody Blue Devils defeated Leeds by a score of 38-22 in week 8 at Home  on Fri., Oct. 11 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Leeds and Moody have met 17 times on the field.... Leeds holds a 14-3 edge in the games played.

Comments:    After Southside-Gadsden's upset of Leeds two weeks ago, this is no longer a de facto region championship game. However, it is still a huge game between two teams that have become rivals as of late.

Leeds has a lot more to lose in this one that Moody. A second region loss would guarantee the Green Wave have to go on the road in the 1st round. Kavion Henderson & Co. will be hoping their elite defense will be enough to stifle Moody's offense. I'm not convinced this team is as good as their team was a year ago, however, as they seem to have regressed slightly on both sides of the ball. But they do have the athletes to make plays out in space.

Even with a win this week, Moody will still have to beat Southside next week to win the region crown, so they can't lock anything other than a home game in the 1st round this week. But should they lose this one, then next week becomes a fight to avoid that dreaded road trip in the 1st round. Auburn commit A'Mon Lane is the biggest playmaker for Moody, and they'll likely use him on both sides of the ball. Moody's defense is elite in its own right, so this one could very well resemble last year's 14-13 slugfest.

This will be a real defensive battle. I've seen Moody play this year, and they were very undisciplined at times, and that could come back to bite them as tight as this one should be.

Prediction:  Leeds 17, Moody 12

Mortimer Jordan (3-8) at  (#5)  Mountain Brook (8-4)  at Spartan Stadium Mortimer Jordan   Mountain Brook 3-8 (3-3)  Record 8-4 (4-2) 6A-R5  Class/Region 6A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking #5 66.9  Power Rating 82.1 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Mountain Brook as a 17 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Mountain Brook Spartans defeated Mortimer Jordan by a score of 54-14 in week 9 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 20 during the 2023 football season. Series:   Mountain Brook and Mortimer Jordan have met 2 times on the field.... Mountain Brook holds a 2-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Well this was one you probably didn't have circled as a big game in the pre-seaon. Parker has this region pretty much locked up, meaning this one will be for the #2 seed and a home game in the 1st round.

Earlier this season, I wrote about Mountain Brook's 'Spartan Shift' offense, but anyone who knows anything about this program knows their real hallmark is playing hard-nosed defense. They met their match last week as Parker beat them at their own game in a 13-10 slugfest. That's nothing to be ashamed of, as Parker is one of the most talented teams in 6A, but Chris Yeager's team will feel like they have something to prove this week.

Since making the jump back up to 6A in 2020, Mortimer Jordan had won just 5 games in 3 seasons. They've already won 6 this year behind an offense that's scoring nearly 40 points a game. When they knocked off Leeds to open the season, they announced themselves as a team to watch, but they've kept on winning since then. They even managed to put up 28 on that Parker defense that Mountain Brook struggled with. But the Blue Devils have struggled mightily on defense at times, giving up 62 in that same game. If their defense doesn't come to play, Mountain Brook will run it down their throats.

I'm not sure that this one will be particularly close, but regardless it's a great opportunity to what a great job longtime coach Dustan Goode has done at raising Mortimer Jordan up to a competitive level in 6A like they were in 5A for years.

Prediction:  Mountain Brook 48, Mortimer Jordan 26

Sloth Nationzz Week 9 Games

Last Week:  4-0    Season Total:  28-4

Sidney Lanier (0-0) at  (#10)  Carver Montgomery (6-3)  at Cramton Bowl Sidney Lanier   Carver Montgomery 0-0 (0-0)  Record 6-3 (4-3) 6A-R5  Class/Region 7A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking #10 62.5  Power Rating 73.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Carver Montgomery as a 13 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Carver Montgomery Wolverines defeated Sidney Lanier by a score of 39-21 in week 9 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 20 during the 2023 football season. Series:   Carver Montgomery and Sidney Lanier have met 52 times on the field.... Carver Montgomery holds a 27-25 edge in the games played.

Comments:    In the final installment of the historic rivalry, we see two teams coming in doing well so far in the season. Sidney Lanier has been sneaky good throughout the season, the only reason why no one has been talking about them is because they have Pike Road and Carver Montgomery in their region.

Carver Montgomery has had their ups and their downs for the season, but is still in good position to win the region. This game will be a good test and will see if they get caught peaking ahead. Sidney Lanier will want to cause chaos one more time for their rival before the season ends.

Carver will get a close victory over Lanier and get ready for a region title clash with Pike Road.

Prediction:  Carver Montgomery 27 Sidney Lanier 22

Holtville (4-7) at  Demopolis (7-4)  at Tiger Stadium Holtville   Demopolis 4-7 (3-3)  Record 7-4 (6-0) 5A-R4  Class/Region 5A-R3 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 56.8  Power Rating 63.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Demopolis as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Demopolis Tigers defeated Holtville by a score of 32-2 in week 9 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 20 during the 2023 football season. Series:   Demopolis and Holtville have met 2 times on the field.... Demopolis holds a 2-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Class 5A region 3 has really struggled outside of these two programs this season. Demopolis is here once again looking for another region title. This is uncharted territory for Holtville has they have not won a region title since 1986.

Demopolis has been here, done that, and has made great playoff pushes. While Holtville does not have much success. Can Holtville's cinderella story continue? They only lost to Class 7A, Alma Bryant. Demopolis has lost to Jackson, and Catholic Montgomery, both out of Class 4A.

I think Demopolis will get the victory, but it will be close. Demopolis has handled their region opponents well, but this will be the toughest test yet for the Tigers. The Bulldogs region title hopes come up just short.

Prediction:  Demopolis 21 Holtville 10

(#6)  Clay-Chalkville (9-3) at  (#3)  Oxford (12-0)  at Lamar Field Clay-Chalkville   Oxford 9-3 (5-1)  Record 12-0 (6-0) 6A-R6  Class/Region 6A-R6 #6  ASWA Ranking #3 92.5  Power Rating 78.0 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Clay-Chalkville as a 13 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Oxford Yellow Jackets defeated Clay-Chalkville by a score of 21-10 in week 9 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 18 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Oxford and Clay-Chalkville have met 20 times on the field.... Clay-Chalkville holds a 14-6 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is the battle for the Class 6A Region 6 title. These two have had great years. Clay Chalkville has been themselves. Handling business, and rarely struggling. They got the big victory over Thompson on national television.

Oxford has been slowly working their toward being a contender. The problem? Clay Chalkville is in their way, not a small task to say the least. The good news is this game is being played at Oxford so they will have home field advantage.

I think Clay Chalkville will win this and get ready for the playoffs. Oxford is better, but they aren't at Clay Chalkville's level... yet.

Prediction:  Clay Chalkville 35 Oxford 20

Lauderdale County (8-4) at  (#4)  Mars Hill (11-1)  at Mars Hill Stadium Lauderdale County   Mars Hill 8-4 (6-1)  Record 11-1 (7-0) 3A-R7  Class/Region 3A-R7 NR  ASWA Ranking #4 66.3  Power Rating 78.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Mars Hill as a 14 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Mars Hill Panthers defeated Lauderdale County by a score of 31-14 in week 5 at Home  on Fri., Sep. 20 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Mars Hill and Lauderdale County have met 3 times on the field.... Mars Hill holds a 2-1 edge in the games played.

Comments:    We end this week going up to the north part of the state. Mars Hill has just smashed every 3A team that has had the displeasure of being on their schedule. Their closest margin of victory in region play was 38 points.

But their last two games on the schedule are no joke. Lauderdale County has been working toward this game. They are undefeated as well.

They have also crushed their region opponents on their way to this matchup. Lauderdale County is coming off a bye week as well so that should help. But it is on the road so that is less than ideal.

I think Mars Hill will be tested, but they prevail, and get ready for a massive matchup against Scottsboro. Lauderdale County is good, but Mars Hill is just better, no other way to put it.

Prediction:  Mars Hill 42 Lauderdale County 27