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 10 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  26-10

Oakman (4-6) at  Midfield (5-5)  at Winfred E. Jackson Stadium Oakman   Midfield 4-6 (3-4)  Record 5-5 (4-3) 3A-R5  Class/Region 3A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 43.7  Power Rating 44.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Midfield as a 3 point favorite. Last Meeting:   The Midfield Patriots defeated Oakman by a score of 62-6 in week 10 on the road  on Thu., Oct. 24 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Midfield and Oakman have met 5 times on the field.... Oakman holds a 4-1 edge in the games played. Comments:    Oakman comes in 4-4 and on a 3 games losing streak, just having fell to Vinemont 20 to 7. Tyler Thomas is explosive out of the backfield. He has to have a big game for a team that has struggled offensively the last couple of weeks. In the film I saw from the Vinemont game, he wasn't in. So maybe he is out? If so, that puts a big damper on their offense.     Midfield comes in 4-4 and on a three game winning streak. They are outscoring opponents 54-6 in the win streak, but the streak is against three teams who have a combined 4 wins. Unfortunately, Midfield is one of those teams that you just can't find a lot of information on. The Hudl page isn't maintained and their Facebook is sporadic in updates.     Whoever takes this game, will take 4th in the region and find themselves in the playoffs. This is a tough with the lack of information on Midfield and the possibility that Thomas may not be playing for Oakman kind of puts this one up in the air. I am going on the premise that Tyler Thomas is playing....   Prediction:  Oakman 24 Midfield 16

Florence (5-6) at  Sparkman (5-5)  at Sparkman Field Florence   Sparkman 5-6 (5-2)  Record 5-5 (4-3) 7A-R4  Class/Region 7A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 80.0  Power Rating 74.2 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Florence as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Florence Falcons defeated Sparkman by a score of 13-2 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Sparkman and Florence have met 17 times on the field.... Florence holds a 15-2 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Florence comes in 4-4 and off a whipping of Huntsville 34-7. K'lon Triplett rush for 98 yards and 2 TDs. For the second week in a row the starting defense pitched a shutout. The Falcons have seemingly gotten better every week but are still inconsistent.

Sparkman comes in 5-4 and off a thrashing of Grissom 48-10. Kameron Reynolds is an absolute spark plug on offense. He can fly and go up and get any pass. He will be a big test for the Falcons defense.

There is a lot to settle in this region, but one thing is for sure, whoever wins this game is in the playoffs and can rest easy and not worry about tiebreakers. Florence's inconsistency on offense really gives me pause. Sparkman has a really electric passing game and if Florence sputters, they could find themselves down a lot quickly.

Prediction:  Sparkman 21 Florence 10

(#8)  Decatur Heritage Christian (7-3) at  (#5)  Winston County (12-1)  at Malcolm Blake Stadium Decatur Heritage   Winston County 7-3 (4-1)  Record 12-1 (5-0) 2A-R8  Class/Region 2A-R8 #8  ASWA Ranking #5 49.6  Power Rating 52.0 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Winston County as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Winston County Yellow Jackets defeated Decatur Heritage Christian by a score of 14-7 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Winston County and Decatur Heritage Christian have met one time on the field.... Winston County holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    The Eagles enter the game at 6-1 and on a 5 game winning streak with Red Bay being the latest victim to the tune of 35 to 6. Everyone talks about RB Savarius Evans and rightfully so. Along with Cam Phinizee, he is one of the top backs playing in this region of the state. That being said, do not overlook DHCA passing game. Paxton Tarver has emerged as a legit threat at WR.

Winston Co. comes in 8-0 and having not really been challenged thus far. They're coming off a complete annihilation of Tharptown 72-20. Chris Clemons had another big game for the Yellow Jackets scoring 3 TD's on 112 receiving yards.

This is the collision course I think most of us saw coming. DHCA is the only team in the region who could stand a chance to knock off Winston Co. The Yellow Jackets are just a machine right now. They are clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, scoring at will and creating turnovers on defense. Decatur Heritage will have a running back like they haven't seen this year so this is a test they need before the playoffs. Ultimately, WCHS just has too much IMO.

Prediction:  Winston Co. 35 Decatur Heritage 17

Etowah (4-6) at  Alexandria (8-4)  at Lou Scales Stadium Etowah   Alexandria 4-6 (3-4)  Record 8-4 (5-2) 4A-R6  Class/Region 4A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 43.2  Power Rating 53.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Alexandria as a 12 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Alexandria Valley Cubs defeated Etowah by a score of 42-32 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Alexandria and Etowah have met 25 times on the field.... Etowah holds a 19-6 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Etowah comes in 3-5 having just dispatched White Plains 28 to 21. Jameson Scissum lit up the Wildcat secondary going for 270 yards and three touchdowns. 140 of those were to Lamont Richardson.

Alexandria comes in 5-3 and coming off a tough loss to one of the top programs in 4A, Cherokee Co, by the score of 35 to 7. The Valley Cubs can hurt you with many running backs. Beason and Hunter can both take it to the house on any play, and Brown is an absolute bruiser. And should this be a tight game, we can't forget the appropriately named kicker, Cleat Forrest who has been selected to play in the Alabama/Mississippi All Star game.

The Blue Devils find themselves in a position not often witnessed in Atalla and that is being left out of the playoffs. Last time they didn't make the playoffs was 2009. Should Alexandria win and things go according to plan, that will create a 3 way tie for second place and tiebreakers will be sorted out. Should Etowah win, then that will more than likely keep the Valley Cubs out and give the Blue Devils 4th. There is some talent over at Etowah but I don't see them being able to stop the backfield of Alexandria.

Prediction:  Alexandria 38 Etowah 21

kodyaufan2 Week 10 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  27-8

(#1)  Wadley (13-0) at  Winterboro (8-3)  at Bulldog Stadium Wadley   Winterboro 13-0 (5-0)  Record 8-3 (4-1) 1A-R6  Class/Region 1A-R6 #1  ASWA Ranking NR 57.4  Power Rating 38.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Wadley as a 17 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Wadley Bulldogs defeated Winterboro by a score of 52-12 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Winterboro and Wadley have met 23 times on the field.... Wadley holds a 17-5 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This will be the first real test Wadley will get from another 1A team this year, and it comes with a region championship on the line.

Winterboro has good size and athleticism on the line of scrimmage, and it allows them to do a lot of different things on offense. They also have plenty of playmakers on offense as well. Their RB duo in #3 Javari McKenzie and #9 Jamari Nicks provide a great one-two punch in the running game. QB Jhovi Cole has a good arm and gets the ball out quickly. Sophomore WR #1 is going to be a player to watch over the next two years. He's got the size and skill to be a matchup nightmare, and I wouldn't be shocked if he gets some looks from college scouts. You can't sleep on this defense, either, as they haven't allowed more than 20 points in a game all season.

The Wadley Wishbone just keeps chugging along this year, as their lowest point total against 1A competition is 49 points. At this point, I'm sure everyone knows about Wadley RB/DE Jaquez Wilkes. At 6'4'' 220 lbs, he truly looks like a man among boys. Opposing defenses would probably have just as much luck stopping Derrick Henry as they do stopping Wilkes. Another guy who really helps make this offense tick but won't get the attention is FB Ty Taylor, who is the lead blocker on the majority of their runs.

Both teams have a ton of size up front for 1A schools, so the battle in the trenches should be a fun one to watch. While Wadley is always going to play a compact style on offense, Winterboro has the ability to spread the defense out when they want, and with fewer two-way players Winterboro could have fresher legs late in the game. I don't think there will be another team in the North that Winterboro can't beat, but ultimately, I think Jaquez Wilkes will just be too much in this one.

Prediction:  Wadley 36, Winterboro 14

Dora (6-5) at  (#6)  Good Hope (10-2)  at James W. Shabel Stadium Dora   Good Hope 6-5 (6-1)  Record 10-2 (7-0) 4A-R5  Class/Region 4A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking #6 51.5  Power Rating 59.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Good Hope as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Good Hope Raiders defeated Dora by a score of 47-28 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Good Hope and Dora have met 10 times on the field.... Dora holds a 7-3 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This game is going to be one of those unstoppable force meets immovable object matchups for a region championship. Good Hope allows less than 5 points per game, while Dora has averaged over 40 in region play.

Nobody had really talked about them until the last week or so, but this Good Hope defense has been elite all year. There are some really good offenses in this region, and they've shut each of them down. On the season they are holding teams nearly 20 points below their season averages. Fultondale averages 40 ppg in region play; they scored 6 on Good Hope. Hamilton had scored at least 40 in every game this season until Good Hope held them to just 6 a couple weeks ago. Now, no one is going to cause Good Hope's offense of being world beaters, but they play great complimentary football, letting their defense set the tone while the offense comes up with big plays when needed.

Dora really struggled out of the gate, starting at 3-2 with all three wins coming by a combined 7 points, but they seem to have turned a corner over the last few weeks. This defense has struggled all year, allowing 32.3 ppg. The offense, however, is a different story. They don't throw the ball much, but they have an explosive running game. Most of their big plays will come off of direct snaps to #11 Jayden Griffin from a Single Wing look.

It's difficult to tell how this one will play out. All of Dora's games tend to be shootouts, but Good Hope has yet to allow more than 12 points in a game. The Good Hope defense has already shut down several good offenses this year though, so I would probably trust them a little bit more.

Prediction:  Good Hope 27, Dora 14

St. Clair County (5-5) at  Jacksonville (6-5)  at Golden Eagle Stadium St. Clair County   Jacksonville 5-5 (2-4)  Record 6-5 (3-3) 5A-R6  Class/Region 5A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 61.2  Power Rating 60.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Jacksonville as a 1 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Jacksonville Golden Eagles defeated St. Clair County by a score of 45-21 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Jacksonville and St. Clair County have met 7 times on the field.... St. Clair County holds a 6-1 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is kind of a bizarre situation, but these two teams will meet in a winner-takes-all game for the final playoff spot in 5A Region 6 after each starting 0-3 in region play. Both teams have achieved pretty similar results all year long, so this will truly be a toss-up game.

Without Jim Ogle at QB, Jacksonville has returned to being a run-heavy team this year. They have another bruiser at RB in Junior Tyler Ellis. Senior RB Xzavier English is more of a jack-of-all trades player, with 1,327 all-purpose yards and 13 TDs in the team's first 5 games of the season. The defense hasn't been great, but that isn't too unexpected for a team that was expected to be in a rebuilding year. A playoff appearance after moving up to 5A and playing in a pretty tough region would certainly be great for a ''rebuilding year.''

St. Clair Co. QB Landyn Smith has been playing great for most of the year. The Sophomore gave a valiant effort in a 56-42 loss to Leeds a couple weeks ago, throwing for over 400 yards and 5 TDs without a turnover. He could have big things in his future. The better teams they've played so far have had a lot of success running the ball against the Saints' defense, so that could be an advantage for Jacksonville. No matter what happens this week, this team will return a lot of talent next season and will be a team to keep an eye on.

This one seems primed for a shootout with offense being the strength for both teams. This is one of those matchups that both teams have to feel good about, and it really could go either way.

Prediction:  St. Clair Co. 42, Jacksonville 35

(#10)  Hartselle (9-3) at  (#8)  Muscle Shoals (9-3)  at J.F. Moore Stadium Hartselle   Muscle Shoals 9-3 (5-1)  Record 9-3 (5-1) 6A-R7  Class/Region 6A-R7 #10  ASWA Ranking #8 81.1  Power Rating 80.0 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Muscle Shoals as a 1 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Muscle Shoals Trojans defeated Hartselle by a score of 29-28 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Muscle Shoals and Hartselle have met 31 times on the field.... Hartselle holds a 17-13 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is always a huge game, and per usual, these teams square off with a region championship on the line. Both teams come in limping a bit compared to how they started the season, so I'm sure they'll both also view this as a ''get right'' game before the playoffs.

This Muscle Shoals defense has struggled in recent weeks, which is unusual for them. They allowed 42 to Athens and then 49 in a loss to Jasper in their last two outings. The Trojans have had no such issues on offense, however. They currently lead Class 6A in scoring offense at 46.1 points per game. Muscle Shoals is coming off a bye week, so they'll have had an extra week of preparation for the Tigers.

Hartselle certainly hasn't had any troubles on defense, allowing just 10 points per game. At one point this season they recorded four straight shutouts.They've had several games this year where they allowed fewer than 100 yards of total offense. Offensively, Hartselle has the advantage of having veteran QB Noah Lee under center. The senior QB is one of the top QBs in Class 6A and has a huge arm that can really stretch a defense.

This matchup has been extremely entertaining the past two seasons. Last year's game was a double-OT shootout with over a hundred points scored. I don't expect it to be that high-scoring this time, but it should still be a good one.

Prediction:  Hartselle 38, Muscle Shoals 28

Sloth Nationzz Week 10 Picks

Last Week:  1-3    Season Total:  23-13

(#1)  T.R. Miller (12-1) at  Bayside Academy (9-4)  at Freedom Field T.R. Miller   Bayside Academy 12-1 (6-0)  Record 9-4 (5-1) 3A-R1  Class/Region 3A-R1 #1  ASWA Ranking NR 70.4  Power Rating 52.0 AHSFHS Power Ratings have T.R. Miller as a 18 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The T.R. Miller Tigers defeated Bayside Academy by a score of 43-0 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Bayside Academy and T.R. Miller have met 17 times on the field.... T.R. Miller holds a 13-4 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Well here we are with these two programs looking for a respective region championship. I think a lot of people expected TR Miller to be in this position, but maybe not The Admirals. Bayside Academy has gone over expectations and has had a great season.

But can they stop Myles Johnson and TR Miller? No one else has been able to.

My Prediction: Bayside will put up a great fight, but TR Miller is legit one of the best teams in the state this season. Give me the Tigers to win the region title.

Prediction:  TR Miller 28 Bayside Academy 17

Beauregard (5-6) at  Valley (5-5)  at Rams Field Beauregard   Valley 5-6 (4-2)  Record 5-5 (3-3) 5A-R4  Class/Region 5A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 65.7  Power Rating 53.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Beauregard as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Valley Rams defeated Beauregard by a score of 28-0 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Valley and Beauregard have met 13 times on the field.... Valley holds a 9-4 edge in the games played.

Comments:    In what is a great matchup in the east part of Alabama, Beauregard is looking to bounce back after losing their chance to win the region title last week against Central Clay. Valley started off the year slow, but has really picked up the pace these last few weeks.

Valley will be playing for a chance to hopefully make the playoffs, something the Rams are used to doing. Beauregard is looking to take an old rival out of the picture. This should be a good game.

My Prediction: I think the Hornets play great defense and win this football game.

Prediction:  Beauregard 21 Valley 7

B.T. Washington (5-4) at  Handley (7-4)  at Wright Field B.T. Washington   Handley 5-4 (4-3)  Record 7-4 (5-2) 4A-R3  Class/Region 4A-R3 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 50.2  Power Rating 58.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Handley as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Handley Tigers defeated B.T. Washington by a score of 44-40 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Handley and B.T. Washington have met 4 times on the field.... Handley holds a 3-1 edge in the games played.

Comments:    A rematch of last years second round playoff matchup that saw the Golden Eagles pull off another upset in their run to the state semi's.

These two teams are having respectable seasons. Handley is not having the best of seasons for their standards, but if they win against the Golden Eagles they will lock up the three seed. It will be interesting to see how Handley comes out and plays after having their season ended to the Golden Eagles.

My Prediction: Handley will win this football game, but it will be close.

Prediction:  Handley 34 BT Washington 28

Southside Selma (11-3) at  Thorsby (4-7)  at Susan Bentley Field Southside Selma   Thorsby 11-3 (6-1)  Record 4-7 (4-3) 3A-R3  Class/Region 3A-R3 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 58.3  Power Rating 46.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Southside Selma as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Southside Selma Panthers defeated Thorsby by a score of 56-27 in week 10 on the road  on Fri., Oct. 25 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Thorsby and Southside Selma have met one time on the field.... Southside Selma holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Don't look now, but the Southside Selma Panthers are gaining momentum. After getting crushed in their first two games of the season, a lot of people wrote off the Panthers. But since then they have dominated every opponent. Thorsby is no push over as they will be playing for playoff seeding.

Southside Selma with a win can host another playoff game, and would likely see Hillcrest Evergreen. Thorsby has had their ups and downs this season, and will give Southside Selma a battle.

My Prediction: I think Southside Selma's speed will be the X Factor for this game. Give me the Panthers to win and host a playoff game.

Prediction:  Southside Selma 42 Thorsby 27