Area preview- playoffs round 1

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Bill Piper

Shoals Christian Flame (3-7) @ Addison Bulldogs (10-0)

Class 1A

A.G. Hicks Stadium – Addison

Friday 7 p.m.

SERIES: Addison leads 6-1

LAST WEEK: Addison defeated Winston County 57-28.

Bulldogs have enjoyed best regular season under David Smothers with a 10-0 record. The 10-0 regular season is the first for the Bulldogs since 2001.

Addison, first in Region 7, meets Shoals Christian, who was 3-3 in Region 8 and enters the game with three consecutive losses. The Bulldogs and Flame play each other for the first time since 2011.

Bulldogs are out to snap a three-game losing streak in the playoffs. Last victory was in first round of the 2013 postseason in Class 1A.

The winner of Addison-Shoals Christian plays the winner of South Lamar-Spring Garden in the second round.

 

Cold Springs Eagles (5-5) @ Sheffield Bulldogs (8-2)

Class 2A

Walton R. Wright Stadium – Sheffield

Friday 7 p.m.

SERIES: First meeting

LAST WEEK: Cold Springs lost to Danville 39-28

Momentum has gone the other way for the Eagles in their last three games with regional losses to Tanner and Cleveland and a regular season loss to Danville that prevented Rod Elliott's team from a fourth straight year of at least six wins in the regular season.

Sheffield dropped to Class 2A when reclassification took place in January. Bulldogs are in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and have their best regular season in five years when they were 9-3.

Eagles are in the playoffs for the third consecutive season under Elliott and head into Colbert County for the first time ever.

Winner of the Eagles-Bulldogs faces the winner of Collinsville-LaFayette in the second round.

 

Cullman Bearcats (6-4) @ Decatur Red Raiders (9-1)

Class 6A

Ogle Stadium – Decatur

Friday 7 p.m.

SERIES: Decatur leads 32-15-2

LAST WEEK: Cullman lost to Chelsea 45-38.

Bearcats battle the No. 2 team from Region 8 that has eight straight wins entering the playoffs. Only loss was to city rival Austin 37-35 Sept. 2 that took three overtimes to decide winner.

Cullman has played good football, winning five of last six to overcome 1-3 start. Bearcats were 4-2 in Region 7.

The Bearcats and Red Raiders are old foes from Region 8 the previous two years. Cullman has a 42-32 victory against Decatur under Mark Britton in the quarterfinals of the 2007 Class 5A playoffs.

Bearcats won at Decatur 13-10 last season before the teams were placed into different regions this year.

Winner of Cullman-Decatur plays winner of Clay Chalkville-Ramsay in the second round next weekend.

 

Holly Pond Broncos (6-4) @ Piedmont Bulldogs (10-0)

Class 3A

Field of Champions – Piedmont

Friday 7 p.m.

SERIES: First meeting

LAST WEEK: Holly Pond lost to Fairview 62-25

From having the state's most active losing streak for a three-year period, the Broncos turned it around in 2016, getting a 6-4 regular season, 3-3 in 3A, Region 6 to get them to the playoffs for the first time under current coach Mike Bates.

Broncos enter the postseason for the first time in five years and have the most wins in a single season since the 2007 campaign.

Now comes the huge challenge of playing the best in their class. Piedmont won the 3A championship last year and has two state titles in their trophy case since 2009.

Cedartown out of Georgia came the closest to beating the Bulldogs this season, losing to Piedmont 29-22 on Aug. 19. Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 402-164, averaging 45 points in the last month.

Winner of Holly Pond-Piedmont faces winner of Plainview-Colbert County in the second round.

 

West Point Warriors (6-4) @ Wenonah Dragons (7-2)

Class 5A

Bell/Culpepper Stadium – Birmingham

Friday 7 p.m.

SERIES: First meeting

LAST WEEK: West Point defeated Lawrence County 28-21.

West Point came on strong with a 6-1 record, redeeming a season that started with losses to Hamilton, Wilson and Hayden. The Warriors won their last three games, but their major victory was a 23-20 come from behind triumph at Corner Sept. 16 that vaulted them to third place in Region 6 play.

Wenonah will be fresh entering the playoffs. Dragons had last week off and are on a four-game winning streak. The Dragons were second in Region 5 to Briarwood Christian, losing to the Lions 15-14 at home on Sept. 9.

Don Farley has put West Point into the 5A playoffs in three of the four seasons he has been in charge of the program. A solid running game with Cameron Moore and Alex Hernandez has been the key as the two have been very solid in executing the running attack, one year after the Warriors lost 2,200-yard rusher Kobe Smith to graduation.

This will be the Warriors' second playoff game in the Birmingham in three seasons. They played at Parker High School back in 2014.

Winner of the Warriors-Dragons play the winner of Arab-Brooks game in the second round.

 

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