CULLMAN, Ala. – The first two rounds of the state playoffs are in the books and two local squads remain. The Fairview Aggies and Good Hope Raiders are putting together special seasons and they both plan on keeping things rolling with wins Friday night. Both Fairview and Good Hope knocked off ranked teams in round two to advance and they’ll have two more ranked teams coming to town this week. The Aggies will take on No. 7 Parker while the Raiders prepare to face the top-ranked Mustangs of Madison Academy.
Fairview (11-) v. Parker (11-1)
The Aggies raced past No. 9 Russellville on the road 35-21 last week to secure their spot in the third round and they have another tough test in front of them this week. Parker knocked off Alexandria 41-34 on the road last week to advance and now the Thundering Herd are coming to Dafford Smith Stadium. Parker’s only loss came at Pleasant Grove earlier in the regular season and the Thundering Herd have been scoring more than 40 points per game this year. The Aggies are also putting up 43 points per game so don’t be surprised if this one turns into a shootout. Fairview’s offense, led by quarterback Parker Martin, a talented group of skill players and a physical offensive line, has shown its capable of putting up some gaudy numbers this season. Another big offensive performance from the Aggies could be necessary against a Parker team that can really put points on the board as well. This matchup may come down to which defense can step up and make the most stops in key moments. This will be the first time Fairview has ever met the Thundering Herd on the field and if the Aggies can make enough plays to win yet again, they’ll be moving on to the Class 5A semi-finals for the first time in school history.
Good Hope (9-3) v. Madison Academy (11-1)
The Good Hope Raiders toppled No. 4 Northside on its home field 35-21 last week to extend their playoff run and now they’ll get the chance to take on the No. 1 team in Class 4A at James W. Shabel Stadium Friday night. Madison Academy has dominated its first two postseason opponents by a combined score of 90-7 and has won its last 11 games after dropping the season opener at Briarwood Christian. The Mustangs are putting up over 40 points per game this season while holding their opponents to just 11 points per game on the defensive side of the ball. However, the Raiders haven’t lost on their home field since the season opener against West Morgan and have been finding different ways to win games each week since. An opportunistic defense and an explosive running game have led Good Hope to this point and playing in front of its home crowd Friday night won’t hurt either. The Raiders have only been to the semi-finals twice in school history but if they can continue to ride their postseason momentum and take down the top-ranked Mustangs this week, they’ll be back into the final four for the first time since 1997.
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