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 13 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  33-15

(#4)  Moody (11-3) at  Wenonah (8-4)  at Bell-Culpepper Stadium Moody   Wenonah 11-3 (6-0)  Record 8-4 (4-2) 5A-R6  Class/Region 5A-R5 #4  ASWA Ranking NR 87.8  Power Rating 63.2 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Moody as a 23 point favorite. Last Meeting:   The Moody Blue Devils defeated Wenonah by a score of 34-0 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Wenonah and Moody have met 3 times on the field.... Wenonah holds a 2-1 edge in the games played. Comments:    Moody comes in riding an 8 game win streak and overpowering what most thought was a pretty solid 4 seed in Arab 49-7. Johnson finished 14 of 18 for just over 300 yards and 4 TD's. 6 of those catches and all the touchdowns went to Dozier. These two are a legit combination. Arab was held to under 100 yards of total offense.     Wenonah comes in 8-3 and having pulled the mild upset over Russellville in the first round 30-28, a game which saw them rally from a 22-8 deficit at the half. They did have some trouble holding onto the ball against RHS, not something you can afford to do against Moody.     The Blue Devils appear to be one of the big favorites in 5A North, but now comes a true test. Wenonah has kind of flown under the radar but has had a really good season and have been competitive in all their games except the Ramsay loss. They have athletes all over the field and have a lot of speed. I think the difference will be turnovers. The Dragons have been careless at times this year, and you can't make those mistakes against Moody. They're just too good for a team to overcome that.   Prediction:  Moody 24 Wenonah 8

(#6)  Gordo (10-2) at  (#5)  Fyffe (9-3)  at Paul Benefield Stadium Gordo   Fyffe 10-2 (6-1)  Record 9-3 (7-0) 3A-R5  Class/Region 3A-R8 #6  ASWA Ranking #5 64.0  Power Rating 73.9 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Fyffe as a 12 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Fyffe Red Devils defeated Gordo by a score of 42-14 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Fyffe and Gordo have met 2 times on the field.... The teams have both won 1 game.

Comments:    Gordo comes in 10-1 and having just dispatched Rogers 41 to 13. Gordo is truly the type of offense that can hurt you through the air or on the ground. They are outscoring their opponents by a large clip at 43-15.

The Fyffe Red Devils enter the game at 8-2 having only lost to Pisgah and Coosa Christian. They are coming off a big win over Ohatchee 66-30. The elephant in the room is the injury to Logan Anderson. Such a shame, kid is fun to watch. They will definitely miss him, but Paul Benefield will have his kids ready regardless.

Roberson was able to pass the ball, which isn't really Fyffe's MO for 376 yards against Ohatchee. But make no mistake, it's next man up as Ryder Gipson, in Andersons absence, rushed for 253 yards on 23 attempts. I had Fyffe winning 3A. Logan Anderson is the type of kid that takes a really good team and makes them great. It should be interesting to see how much it affects the team. I think this could come down to has the most success in the passing game and honestly, I like Gordo in that scenario. So I am going to go against my own pick and have the second Green Wave I like this week...

Prediction:  Gordo 35 Fyffe 26

Southeastern (9-3) at  Sulligent (9-5)  at Brown Stadium Southeastern   Sulligent 9-3 (6-0)  Record 9-5 (4-2) 2A-R6  Class/Region 2A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 45.1  Power Rating 49.9 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Sulligent as a 7 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Sulligent Blue Devils defeated Southeastern by a score of 38-24 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Sulligent and Southeastern have met 4 times on the field.... The teams have both won 2 games.

Comments:    Southeastern enters the game 9-2 (8-3 on field), and a region title in hand thanks to the forfeits by Coosa Christian. Red Bay was their first round victim, 47-0. Jericho Pendleton at QB is the cog in the ignition. Slow him down and you have a very good chance.

Sulligent comes in 7-4 but on a 5 game winning streak. They struggled mightily early in the season but then remembered they were Sulligent and reeled off some victories including a double OT win over Tuscaloosa Academy. The Blue Devils made easy work of a pretty improved Pleasant Valley team in the first round. AJ Lowe found the endzone twice from his RB position as the team collectively amassed 288 yards on the ground.

I do not like this matchup for Southeastern. They have struggled against good running backs this year and Sulligent is going to bring a few really good runners into the game. This could get out of hand if Southeastern doesn't play their best game.

Prediction:  Sulligent 44 Southeastern 20

(#9)  Leeds (11-3) at  (#3)  Fairview (10-1)  at Dafford Smith Stadium Leeds   Fairview 11-3 (5-1)  Record 10-1 (6-0) 5A-R6  Class/Region 5A-R7 #9  ASWA Ranking #3 70.1  Power Rating 70.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Fairview as a 3 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Leeds Greenwave defeated Fairview by a score of 36-22 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Fairview and Leeds have met one time on the field.... Leeds holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Leeds was involved in a thriller last week, knocking off Guntersville 35-28 pushing their record to 9-2. A game that saw the Green Wave amass 427 yards of offense, but on the flip side, they gave up 337 yards of offense.

Fairview comes in 10-0 and averaging just under 40 points a game, however they were held to just 15 in the first round getting by Carver Birmingham 15 to 12. Kolt Redding did his part with 121 yards on 26 carries.

Fairview has been a nice surprise in 5A North this year, but now that the playoffs are here, their region is getting exposed a little. I like their toughness and don't think anyone will blow them off the field, but I think they will have a hard time slowing down Leeds and the likes of Nelson and Gaiter. Give me the Green Wave...

Prediction:  Leeds 26 Fairview 14

kodyaufan2 Week 13 Picks

Last Week:  4-0    Season Total:  35-12

(#10)  Vincent (9-3) at  (#5)  Winston County (12-1)  at Malcolm Blake Stadium Vincent   Winston County 9-3 (4-2)  Record 12-1 (5-0) 2A-R5  Class/Region 2A-R8 #10  ASWA Ranking #5 49.0  Power Rating 56.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Winston County as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Winston County Yellow Jackets defeated Vincent by a score of 25-20 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Winston County and Vincent have met one time on the field.... Winston County holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    It's a battle of the Yellow Jackets as these two teams have statistically been among the best in 2A all season, so it's no surprise to see them make it to the 2nd Round of the playoffs. In a favorable corner of the bracket, both teams have to feel like they've got a clear path to the semifinals if they can get past this one.

Winston County missed the playoffs last year, going 5-5 in a really tough region. But there was a lot of belief in this team coming into the season. They returned several key players from last year's team that only suffered one loss by more than one possession, and that experience has shown this year as the Yellow Jackets are 11-0 for the first time in school history. They are a run-heavy team, but QB Landon Kelley is extremely efficient when he does throw it, completing 59/85 passes for 1,384 yards and 22 TDs on the season according to MaxPreps. Kelley has 10 rushing TDs as well. This defense is allowing less than 10 points per game, 4th best in 2A.

I personally expected Vincent to take a step back this year, but they seem to have gotten even better. Now they've got a chance to make history and reach the Quarterfinals for the first time in school history. They enter this one at 8-2 and have the 9th best scoring defense in 2A, allowing 15.6 points per game, along with a top 15 offense that is scoring over 30 per game. Over 80% of their offense consists of run plays, led by the duo of Aiden Gasaway and Jayden Roberts, who have combined for 1,600 yards and 20 TDs.

I expect this to be a really tight game, although I do have some concerns about Winston County's region. They were the only team from Region 8 to win their 1st Round game and still gave up a season-high in points in doing so. I picked Winston County in my bracket, but I'm starting to lean the other way.

Prediction:  Vincent 22, Winston Co. 20

(#5)  St. Michael (12-2) at  (#2)  Pleasant Grove (9-2)  at Spartan Stadium St. Michael   Pleasant Grove 12-2 (5-1)  Record 9-2 (7-0) 4A-R1  Class/Region 4A-R4 #5  ASWA Ranking #2 66.9  Power Rating 79.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Pleasant Grove as a 15 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The St. Michael Cardinals defeated Pleasant Grove by a score of 38-24 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Pleasant Grove and St. Michael have met one time on the field.... St. Michael holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Playoff newcomers St. Michael picked up their first playoff win in school history last week over Handley. Now they'll face a Pleasant Grove team that is used to having playoff success but is still searching for their first state championship.

Pleasant Grove had consistently been one of the top 5A programs for the better part of the last decade, so it has been no surprise that they've done well after dropping down to 4A with the #2 scoring offense and #3 scoring defense. They have a ton of speed on offense between WR Tremell Washington and RB Collin Moore, but the real key for them this year has been the play of Sophomore QB Kaleb Freeman. He is completing nearly 70% of his passes for over 2,000 yards and 27 TDs with just 2 interceptions. That's incredibly efficient play for such a young QB. Defensive End Ian ''Showtime'' Mitchell is one of the state's leaders with 14 sacks defensively.

St. Michael enters this game with the 5th-best scoring offense in 4A at just under 40 points per game. That is in large part due to the play of Sophomore QB Gunner Rivers, who entered the playoffs third among all classes with 2,802 passing yards and 27 TDs with 3 interceptions. The Cardinals have an improved run game over last season, as RB Noah Moss has over 1,200 yards and 17 TDs on the season. The Cardinals have struggled some on defense this season, allowing over 26 points per game, including giving up 40 to Handley last week.

St. Michael will probably need this game to be a shootout to have a chance to win, which could make this a long but incredibly entertaining game for those in attendance. However, Pleasant Grove will be the most athletic team they've faced since Jackson, and that game did not go well for the Cardinals. I expect the Spartans to continue marching toward a Semifinal date with Jackson.

Prediction:  Pleasant Grove 48, St. Michael 14

(#8)  Williamson (10-2) at  (#2)  Central Clay County (12-1)  at Volunteer Stadium Williamson   Central Clay County 10-2 (6-1)  Record 12-1 (6-0) 5A-R1  Class/Region 5A-R4 #8  ASWA Ranking #2 77.5  Power Rating 86.9 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Central Clay County as a 11 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Central Clay County Volunteers defeated Williamson by a score of 31-6 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Central Clay County and Williamson have met one time on the field.... Central Clay County holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    We've got your classic unstoppable force meets immovable object matchup in this one as the #2 scoring offense in Class 5A from Central Clay County takes on the #2 scoring defense in 5A from Williamson.

Central Clay comes into this game unbeaten and averaging 40.5 points per game on offense. I've heard that they have decreased their usage of the Wishbone offense Danny Horn has had so much success with over the years, but they'll still break it out for short yardage situations. Even in their normal Spread looks, this is very much a run-first team behind QB DeShaun Gibbons and RB LaDamion Boyd. Their defense also ranks 4th-best in 5A, allowing just 10.6 points per game.

Last week, Williamson won their first playoff game since 2007 with their 46-0 victory over Northside. It was the sixth shutout of the year for a defense that is allowing just 5.6 points per game. Freshman DL DeMarcus Dale-Brown and Junior DE Dontaye Bush have combined for 22 sacks and 56 TFLs on the season, while Sophomore LB Ellis McGaskin has 3 sacks and 21 TFLs. With more than a half dozen players on this defense that will play college ball, there isn't a more talented defense anywhere in 5A. But the offense has been the real surprise on this team. Last season this team averaged just 11 points per game, but they've got the 10th best scoring offense in 5A this year at 35.6 points per game.

Williamson is a team that seems to thrive off of forcing turnovers, so that will likely be the key to the game. If the Volunteers can avoid giving Williamson short fields, I like them to win a close, low-scoring game.

Prediction:  Central Clay Co. 24, Williamson 14

(#5)  Thompson (11-3) at  (#1)  Auburn (10-1)  at Duck Samford Stadium Thompson   Auburn 11-3 (6-1)  Record 10-1 (7-0) 7A-R3  Class/Region 7A-R2 #5  ASWA Ranking #1 97.9  Power Rating 103.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Thompson as a 7 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Thompson Warriors defeated Auburn by a score of 34-21 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Auburn and Thompson have met 3 times on the field.... Thompson holds a 3-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    This is the biggest game of the year so far in the state, and under the old 7A playoff format, would have probably been the most popular pick for the state championship matchup. Auburn has been on rails all year while Thompson's offense has had some struggles, but both are playing really well right now.

Auburn comes in with the top scoring offense in 7A at 47.1 points per game. According to MaxPreps, QB Jackson Kilgore has completed 76% of his passes for over 2,100 yards and 22 TDs to just 2 Interceptions. He does a great job at spreading the ball around to his receivers, as four different players have at least 3 TD catches. Peyton Plott is their leading receiver with 44 catches on the year. Junior RB Omar Mabson is a 3-Star prospect with multiple D1 scholarship offers, and he has 1,432 yards and 28 TDs on the season. Defensively, four different Tigers have double digit TFLs, led by Appalachian State commit Caleb Pitts with 8 sacks and 15 TFLs.

Thompson comes in with a record of 8-3, but all three losses were by just a single point in overtime. The Warriors have averaged 32.6 points per game, we've seen them have some struggles on offense against some of the better teams they've played. They had no such struggles last week in a 50-0 victory over Daphne. QB Trent Seaborn has had a solid season with a 62% completion percentage and 20 TDs to 6 Ints, but his QB Rating has dropped slightly over last year. I think the main cause has been some inexperience at the WR position, as 2/3 of their receptions have been by underclassmen. The 3rd-ranked defense in 7A is led by a pair of Auburn commits in DE Jared Smith with 7.5 sacks and 18 TFLs and Safety Anquon Fegans with 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries.

Auburn has not been held to under 28 points all season, so I expect them to score some points even against this elite Thompson defense. The real question is whether Thompson's receivers can step up and make some plays for their QB, who we know can deliver in these moments. Auburn has looked the better team most of the year, and I think if they can get some pressure on Seaborn early and get him out of sync they'll be able to control the game.

Prediction:  Auburn 22, Thompson 17

Sloth Nationzz Week 13 Picks

Last Week:  4-0    Season Total:  32-16

Ashford (6-6) at  (#10)  Tallassee (9-3)  at J.E. Hot Obrien Stadium Ashford   Tallassee 6-6 (5-2)  Record 9-3 (6-1) 4A-R2  Class/Region 4A-R3 NR  ASWA Ranking #10 52.6  Power Rating 59.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Tallassee as a 9 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Tallassee Tigers defeated Ashford by a score of 40-14 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Tallassee and Ashford have met 3 times on the field.... Tallassee holds a 3-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Two teams that you probably would not have picked back in July to be in the positions they both are in. It has been almost ten years since Tallassee's last quarterfinals appearance, and it's been much, much longer since Ashford's last appearance in 1974.

Tallassee started the season off a little slow, but have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Ashford, similarly started slow, but ended strong, winning their first playoff game since 2002. Tallassee has certainly played the tougher schedule, but they have had their ups and downs.

It should be an intriguing matchup.

My prediction: I still think Tallassee will get the win and advance to matchup with Jackson. Tallassee wins, Ashford's fun season comes to an end.

Prediction:  Tallassee 27 Ashford 13

(#10)  Houston Academy (13-2) at  (#3)  Thomasville (11-1)  at Anderson Field Houston Academy   Thomasville 13-2 (6-1)  Record 11-1 (7-0) 3A-R2  Class/Region 3A-R3 #10  ASWA Ranking #3 73.7  Power Rating 73.4 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Thomasville as a 2 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Houston Academy Raiders defeated Thomasville by a score of 45-33 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Thomasville and Houston Academy have met one time on the field.... Houston Academy holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Thomasville rolled to a 10-0 regular season with very little doubt. Then last week rolled around and they were pushed to their limit against four seeded Excel. Thomasville will be matched up against Houston Academy.

Now Houston Academy likes to throw the ball around and get passing yards. In the past two years when Thomasville has fallen to Saint James, it was due to pass defense. But can Houston Academy recreate that level of passing yards. Can Thomasville stop Houston Academy?

How will Thomasville's offense play in this game. All of these will be answered on Friday night.

My Prediction: I think last week was a fluke and I have Thomasville winning. Give me the Tigers in a good football game.

Prediction:  Thomasville 28 Houston Academy 20

(#8)  Williamson (10-2) at  (#2)  Central Clay County (12-1)  at Volunteer Stadium Williamson   Central Clay County 10-2 (6-1)  Record 12-1 (6-0) 5A-R1  Class/Region 5A-R4 #8  ASWA Ranking #2 77.5  Power Rating 86.9 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Central Clay County as a 11 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Central Clay County Volunteers defeated Williamson by a score of 31-6 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Central Clay County and Williamson have met one time on the field.... Central Clay County holds a 1-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Williamson makes the long ride up to Lineville to take on the Volunteers in what should be a great matchup. This isn't your usual Central Clay team, they can line up in the wishbone, but can also go four wide. They are very balanced and make plays all over the field.

Williamson's offense has struck gold and has been consistently great all year outside of that game against Vigor, this is one of the best offenses in 5A. Williamson is a very talented team with a lot of players going to play at the next level.

However I do wonder if that long bus ride will take a toll on those players. Central Clay I wonder if they handle the talent and the offense of Williamson. This should be one of the best games of the week.

My prediction: however Williamson does not have Danny Horn, and I think Coach Horn will be the ultimate deciding factor in this game.

Prediction:  Central Clay County 21 Williamson 20

Southside Selma (11-3) at  (#9)  Montgomery Academy (10-2)  at McLemore Field Southside Selma   Montgomery Academy 11-3 (6-1)  Record 10-2 (6-1) 3A-R3  Class/Region 3A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking #9 60.0  Power Rating 57.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have the teams as even.

Last Meeting:   The Southside Selma Panthers defeated Montgomery Academy by a score of 44-34 in the second round of the playoffs on the road  on Fri., Nov. 15 during the 2024 football season. Series:   Montgomery Academy and Southside Selma have met 7 times on the field.... Montgomery Academy holds a 6-1 edge in the games played.

Comments:    A team that has been in this position multiple times in the past ten years, versus a team that hasn't been in this position in roughly 20 years. Southside Selma started off the season 0-2 and looked to be a disappointing team for most who cover 3A. However since then they've recorded a record nine straight wins, most of which were blowouts. Montgomery Academy won their region and it certainly wasn't an easy region.

The Eagles only blemish was a strange loss to Wicksburg. Southside Selma while winning nine games is impressive, they certainly haven't been against the best teams in the world. However beating Hillcrest Evergreen last week was a great win, probably one of the biggest wins in program history.

Montgomery Academy is a very well coached team with a lot of talent. It should be a tough battle for both, as Southside Selma has a lot of talent on their end as well. Charles Moody Jr is already the winners coach in Panther history and looks to be the head coach of the future for the Panthers as they must be very proud of what he's accomplished in just five years of work, he took over a program that had just gone 0-10! This is likely the biggest game in program history.

My Prediction: Great stories all come to an end, and the Panthers story comes to a close on Friday night. Give me the Eagles to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.

Prediction:  Montgomery Academy 28 Southside Selma 22