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.

TheMUBM Week 12 Picks

Last Week:  2-2    Season Total:  30-14

Enterprise (6-4) at  (#9)  Austin (9-1)  at Austin Football Field Enterprise   Austin 6-4 (4-3)  Record 9-1 (7-0) 7A-R2  Class/Region 7A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking #9 81.8  Power Rating 81.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Austin as a 2 point favorite. Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams. Comments:    Enterprise comes in 6-4 having just finished the regular season with a loss to Choctawhatchee Florida, 17-14. Mason Burkhardt leads the wildcats at QB. He is dangerous scrambling out of the pocket and will keep Austin on their toes all night.     Austin comes in 9-1 just having suffered their first defeat of the year at the hands of Muscle Shoals 29-22. Kenneth Joshua had two touchdown runs against the Trojans and JL Davis had another TD connection with Jaxon Potter.     Coming into this past week, I thought Austin was going to be the lone survivor from Region 4, but I watched that Muscle Shoals game and they jumped out to a 22-0 lead and then something changed. It's not a good way to limp into the playoffs. I still think Austin has a shot, but I like the matchup for Enterprise. The Wildcats have been pretty solid against the pass and I think that will give the Black Bears trouble.   Prediction:  Enterprise 24 Austin 21

(#6)  Guntersville (9-1) at  (#9)  Leeds (8-2)  at Homer Smiles Field Guntersville   Leeds 9-1 (5-1)  Record 8-2 (5-1) 5A-R8  Class/Region 5A-R6 #6  ASWA Ranking #9 82.7  Power Rating 65.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Guntersville as a 15 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Leeds Greenwave defeated Guntersville by a score of 35-20 in week 4 at Home  on Fri., Sep. 27 during the 1991 football season. Series:   Leeds and Guntersville have met 2 times on the field.... The teams have both won 1 game.

Comments:    Guntersville comes in 9-1 with the only blemish being a 7 point loss to Boaz. Street Smith has a strong arm and can really throw the ball down the field. Juylon Jones is an absolute menace out of the backfield.

Leeds enters the game at 8-2 with their only losses coming to Moody and perennial powerhouse Briarwood. Connor Nelson can really sling the ball around and throw in some tight windows to a group of talented receivers and backs.

I think this is a really tight call, but I like the Wildcats explosive ability in the open field. Guntersville has been in a few really tight clashes this year already and that can only stand to help them here, also this group has playoff experience with a lot of them being part of the team that made the semifinals last year.

Prediction:  Guntersville 27 Leeds 20

Florence (5-5) at  (#6)  Opelika (8-2)  at Bulldog Stadium Florence   Opelika 5-5 (5-2)  Record 8-2 (5-2) 7A-R4  Class/Region 7A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking #6 77.2  Power Rating 87.1 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Opelika as a 12 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    Florence has been up and down this season, as has been the case since Morson arrived. Some nights they look like a legit player, then other nights its like a whole different ball team shows up. They make it into the playoffs at 5-5 and having just been lit up by Mason Mims and Oxford, 34-10. Chandler Dixon is a good weapon in the kicking game, but Florence will have to be able to move the ball, which has been a problem at times this year, although Cade Davis has shown improvement each week.

The Opelika Bulldogs come in 8-2 and giving up just under 16 points a game. They were off last week but ended the regular season on a disappointing note, dropping a close one to Carver Montgomery. The high powered offense is led by QB Colby Key at the QB position, but they can hurt you in so many ways, whether it be by throwing the ball down the field, or getting speedster Calvin Hughey in space out of the backfield or giving the ball to the bruising bowling ball, Blake Johnson. This team is loaded.

While Florence does have a pretty solid defense, I think they'll struggle to move the ball and effectively be on the field most of the night and eventually the Bulldogs will break their will. Florence has better days ahead, they just have to develop some consistency. Opelika starts their charge for a possible Blue Map.

Prediction:  Opelika 38 Florence 9

Lawrence County (6-4) at  (#7)  Corner (9-1)  at Corner Stadium Lawrence County   Corner 6-4 (3-3)  Record 9-1 (5-1) 5A-R7  Class/Region 5A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking #7 51.2  Power Rating 56.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Corner as a 8 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Corner Yellow Jackets defeated Lawrence County by a score of 24-8 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2019 football season. Series:   Corner and Lawrence County have met 2 times on the field.... Corner holds a 2-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    The Red Devils sneak into the playoffs as a 4 seed and with a regular season record of 6-4. They finished the regular season off by being slaughtered by Jasper 42-0. Parker Frost has been a very good runner from the QB position. He also has a couple of pretty solid backs he can turn and hand the ball to, but losing 2 out of the last 3 isn't the way you want to enter the playoffs.

Corner comes in 9-1, but having a scoring average less than 10 points more than what they are giving up. Do not see that a lot from 9-1 teams. Keaton Coffee has been a very solid QB all year, and Kolin Dunn has emerged as a legit threat from the WR position.

I very much underestimated Corner in their move up to 5A. They won a really solid region. They haven't been flashy or lighting the scoreboard up, but they're winning. Lawrence County has vastly improved this year but still has a long way to go. I do believe Frost will give Corner some trouble but ultimately Corner prevails by playing disciplined football.

Prediction:  Corner 33 Lawrence Co. 22

kodyaufan2 Week 12 Picks

Last Week:  2-2    Season Total:  31-12

Florala (7-3) at  (#9)  Maplesville (8-2)  at Red Devil Stadium Florala   Maplesville 7-3 (4-3)  Record 8-2 (7-0) 1A-R2  Class/Region 1A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking #9 42.5  Power Rating 49.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Maplesville as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Maplesville Red Devils defeated Florala by a score of 54-30 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 16 during the 2007 football season. Series:   Maplesville and Florala have met 2 times on the field.... Maplesville holds a 2-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is one of the most intriguing first round matchups to me. You've got one of the giants of 1A in Maplesville taking on an upstart program in Florala that hasn't won a playoff game since 2007. However, our power ratings have this one pegged as one of the closest matchups this week in 1A.

Maplesville is one of the winningest programs in state history with 4 state titles and a 65% winning percentage all-time, but they haven't played for a state championship since 2016. They have two losses on the year to higher class opponents in 5A Holtville and 3A Alabama Christian, so neither are bad losses. The Red Devils have a strong passing attack for a 1A team, with a dynamic duo of Juniors in QB Pearce Yeargan and WR Aidan Abbott.

Florala enters this game at 7-3 and has one of the top QBs in 1A in Gage Davis. The Sophomore is 8th in the state in passing yards with 2299 yards with 26 TDs to 11 Ints. He's got a bit of gunslinger in him, but it works well in what appears to be a pretty aggressive offense. They've also got a bunch of receivers that are all really good at catching the ball in traffic. The only team that has shut them down this year is Georgiana all the way back in Week 2, so Maplesville's defense will have their work cut out for them. This is the third year in a row the Wildcats have gone 7-3 in the regular season, but they failed to win a playoff game either of the past two.

Both of these teams seem to be flying under-the-radar this year, but I think both are better than their records. Maplesville has the playoff pedigree, but Florala is the best 4-seed in 1A. I'll be surprised if this isn't a tight game, but I think Maplesville's postseason experience pays off.

Prediction:  Maplesville 34, Florala 27

Sulligent (6-4) at  Pleasant Valley (8-2)  at Raider Stadium Sulligent   Pleasant Valley 6-4 (4-2)  Record 8-2 (5-1) 2A-R5  Class/Region 2A-R7 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 45.2  Power Rating 32.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Sulligent as a 11 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    Despite being the higher seed, Pleasant Valley finds themselves in a position they're all too familiar with, and that's playing the role of underdog. They'll be taking on a Sulligent team that got off to a terrible start to the season but has hit their stride down the stretch.

Before the season started, Pleasant Valley coach Jonathan Nix set out two goals for his team that most outside the program would have called crazy. The first was hosting a playoff game, something the Raiders had done just once before, way back in 1984. The second goal was winning a playoff game for the first time in school history. They have reached that first goal. By the end of Friday night, they might have accomplished the second as well. QB Jaden Sparks has been a difference-maker on offense this season along with RB Braxton Salster The Raiders have several key guys on the defensive side, where Walker Roper recorded 8 tackles with 4 TFL, a sack, and a fumble recovery in their last game.

Sulligent started the season 2-4 and looked out of the playoff hunt after a 28-6 loss to Greene County, but coming out of their bye week they stunned then-unbeaten Tuscaloosa Academy 46-44 in 2OT to turn their season around. The Blue Devils failed to reach double digits in three of their first five games, but they've averaged over 35 over their last five contests. Their key player on offense is RB AJ Lowe, who comes in with over 1,000 rushing yards and 12 TDs on the season. As he goes, so does this offense.

Had you presented this matchup to me a month ago, I probably would have taken Pleasant Valley without a second thought, but the Sulligent Blue Devils have found something in the second half of this season.

Prediction:  Sulligent 35, Pleasant Valley 20

Anniston (5-5) at  Randolph (7-3)  at SportsMed Field Anniston   Randolph 5-5 (5-2)  Record 7-3 (7-1) 4A-R6  Class/Region 4A-R8 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 60.0  Power Rating 57.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Anniston as a 1 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    This matchup features two teams who have honestly had pretty similar seasons. It's probably fair to say that both have fallen slightly short of their preseason expectations, but both have played really good competition outside of region play that has their records looking worse than they really should be.

A heartbreaking 28-26 loss to North Jackson is the only thing that kept Randolph from winning their first region championship in school history. The Raiders responded with a win over New Hope last week and will now host a 1st Round playoff game for the 4th year in a row. They rely on a lot of explosive plays on offense and have only been held under 30 points three times all year, but they got shut out in two of those three. Defensively, this group is improved over last year's squad, but they have been susceptible to teams with strong rushing attacks.

Anniston has been a very up-and-down team this year. When they look good, they look really good, but they've also had several performances that left you scratching your head. They've been shut out twice and only scored 6 in a season-opening loss to Beauregard, but when their rushing attack is working they are hard to stop. QB Damon Pope has the arm to keep the defense honest, but it's on the ground where he is really electric. Keeping him in the pocket is essential for any opposing defense. Sophomore Tackle Sharontae Bailey is already generating buzz from college scouts.

These are two solid teams, but both are just below the upper echelon of 4A teams. It should be a fun game, but I think the matchup slightly favors Anniston.

Prediction:  Anniston 30, Randolph 27

Athens (8-2) at  (#7)  Homewood (8-2)  at Waldrop Stadium Athens   Homewood 8-2 (4-2)  Record 8-2 (5-1) 6A-R7  Class/Region 6A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking #7 80.6  Power Rating 87.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Homewood as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Homewood Patriots defeated Athens by a score of 34-31 in the first round of the playoffs at Home  on Fri., Nov. 6 during the 2020 football season. Series:   Homewood and Athens have met 3 times on the field.... Homewood holds a 3-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This looks to be a pretty even matchup on paper. Both teams ranked in the top 15 in 6A in both points scored and points allowed per game. Both teams also started 5-0 before taking a couple of losses once they got into the meat of their schedules. This will be the 4th meeting between the schools, with all coming in the playoffs, and every prior matchup produced a close game.

There was a time when Homewood was basically unbeatable in the postseason, and while we haven't seen that Homewood in nearly two decades, this year's squad is pretty good in their own right. QB Will Myer has thrown for nearly 1,200 yards and 11 TDs to just 1 Int. Lead RB Evan Ausmer doesn't have flashy numbers, but he has added 654 yards and 12 TDs on the ground to provide balance to this Homewood attack. The two losses for the Patriots were by 10 points to Parker and 5 points to Mountain Brook, so they can compete with anyone in the state.

Athens comes into this game with the 5th best scoring offense in 6A at 38.5 points per game. QB Brogan Gross's passing stats are down from a year ago, but he's still had a solid year with 1,155 yards with 22 total TDs and just one turnover. The Golden Eagles have 32 rushing TDs on the season as a team. Juniors Damarcus Malone and Xavier Edwards have combined to rush for over 1,500 yards with 24 of those TDs. The defense is led by Edge Rusher Benny Selbert, who has 5 sacks on the year.

A huge opportunity presents itself for either of these teams to make a deep playoff run, as either would likely be favored in the 2nd Round. There doesn't seem to be much between these teams, which means it will likely come down to something like turnovers or one team getting a big play on special teams.

Prediction:  Homewood 24, Athens 21

Sloth Nationzz Week 12 Picks

Last Week:  2-2    Season Total:  28-16

Northridge (7-3) at  Russell County (8-2)  at Corbett-Mitchell Stadium Northridge   Russell County 7-3 (4-2)  Record 8-2 (5-1) 6A-R4  Class/Region 6A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 62.4  Power Rating 69.8 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Russell County as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    The darling Cinderella has made their return to the AHSAA Playoffs for the first time since 2013. They are also hosting a playoff game for the first time since 1998. Northridge took a hiatus from the playoffs last year but the Jaguars last won a playoff game back in 2015.

The Warriors last playoff win was back in 1998. Either way both programs are hungry for that long awaited playoff victory. The real X Factor in my opinion is Russell County's offense. But, have they played the toughest schedule? In my opinion, no they have not. They lost to 5A Eufaula who had a down season, and Pike Road, who is not a bad team at all and is very talented.

Northridge my question is, can their defense play with that high powered offense? Maybe even a better question is, will they be able to score and play in a high scoring affair.

My Prediction: I think this is one of the more interesting matchups in the AHSAA playoffs, but I think Russell County and Bryson Riggins and his team have too much offense and will eventually get through. It is also a very long drive for Northridge, which does not help. Give me the Warriors to win and celebrate a playoff win in Seale.

Prediction:  Russell County 42 Northridge 26

Bessemer City (7-3) at  Pike Road (7-3)  at Pike Road Stadium Bessemer City   Pike Road 7-3 (3-3)  Record 7-3 (6-0) 6A-R4  Class/Region 6A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 59.7  Power Rating 74.8 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Pike Road as a 17 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    Staying in Region 2 of Class 6A, Pike Road has played one of the toughest schedules in the state. Playing the likes of Opelika and Enterprise you play those types of teams out of region for the playoffs.

Bessemer City has not played the toughest schedule, but they are still 7-3 and here in the playoffs. They have the talent to play with Pike Road. Pike Road has struggled in games that we did not expect them to.

I think this is a much more interesting one versus four seed than people think.

My Prediction: Despite the struggles, Pike Road won those games. I think it will be close, but Pike Road will win. Give me the Patriots in a tight one.

Prediction:  Pike Road 21 Bessemer City 10

Fairfield (7-3) at  (#7)  Dale County (8-2)  at Warrior Stadium Fairfield   Dale County 7-3 (4-3)  Record 8-2 (6-1) 4A-R4  Class/Region 4A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking #7 56.3  Power Rating 52.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Fairfield as a 2 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   This is the first meeting between the two teams.

Comments:    Well the Dale County Warriors were the victors of one of the wackiest regions in the state. The Warriors got their first region championship since 2014. That was also the last time the Warriors won a playoff game.

Fairfield last won a playoff game in 2016, but they have been in 5A for that time. Now Fairfield is in 4A and while Dale County won the region, it certainly was not the toughest region.

Dale County lost to Headland, and Ashford. Both of those losses were somewhat head scratching. Both losses were close, but a loss is a loss at the end of the day. Fairfield has the offense to play with Dale County. I think this will be a very intriguing game to watch.

My Prediction: I think Fairfield is a better team and more battle tested. Give me the Tigers to win and host a playoff game in the second round.

Prediction:  Fairfield 34 Dale County 20

Elmore County (7-2) at  Andalusia (6-4)  at Memorial Stadium Elmore County   Andalusia 7-2 (4-2)  Record 6-4 (5-1) 5A-R4  Class/Region 5A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 63.5  Power Rating 59.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Elmore County as a 2 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Elmore County Panthers defeated Andalusia by a score of 21-15 in the first round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 4 during the 2011 football season. Series:   Andalusia and Elmore County have met 2 times on the field.... The teams have both won 1 game.

Comments:    A very strange game here. The Bulldogs were getting ready for a rematch from the regular season before some forfeits were given to Charles Henderson. Now they are playing Elmore County, a team they have not faced in well over ten years.

Elmore County has struggled this season, but Andalusia has also had a rollercoaster of a season. It truly is a very strange matchup and I don't know if either fanbase would've expected this type of season.

My Prediction: I think it will be a very weird game, but give me the experience of Andalusia to come out with the win.

Prediction:  Andalusia 22 Elmore County 7