CULLMAN, Ala. – Every game on the local Week 5 schedule will carry weight in a region race.
All 10 local teams will compete across eight region matchups Friday, Sept. 18. Cold Springs and Cleveland will bring unbeaten records into their Class 2A, Region 5 showdown, while Meek visits No. 2 Addison and Vinemont travels to Holly Pond for a pair of county clashes.
Good Hope returns from an open date with an unbeaten region record. Cullman and Fairview are looking to recover from home losses, while Hanceville and West Point continue their pursuit of their first victories.
All eight games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Records below are listed overall and in region play.
Meek (2-2, 1-1) at No. 2 Addison (4-0, 2-0)
Addison has allowed seven points all season. Meek scored 68 last week.
That contrast gives one of Cullman County’s longest-running series a different kind of tension as the Tigers travel to A.G. Hicks Stadium.
Addison remained No. 2 in Class 1A in this week’s Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings after overwhelming Phillips 52-0. The Bears finished with one first down and minus-14 yards of offense.
Elijah Roberts completed two passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns while adding 103 yards and another score on only three carries. Zane Smith scored four touchdowns, Judah Wilkins added two and Joey Wilson closed the scoring with a 31-yard run.
The Bulldogs have outscored four opponents 195-7, and their first-team defense has yet to surrender a point.
Meek answered its region-opening loss at Hackleburg by routing Cherokee 68-14. Evan McCay returned a first-quarter takeaway and was credited with the game’s opening touchdown, while Dalton Freeman scored the Tigers’ final two touchdowns.
Addison leads the all-time series 60-12 and won last year’s meeting 61-22. Meek enters this meeting with its offense coming off its most productive night of the season and an opportunity to become the first team to seriously test Addison’s defense.
Cold Springs (3-0, 2-0) at Cleveland (4-0, 2-0)
The only matchup between unbeaten teams on the local schedule will leave one program alone at 3-0 in Class 2A, Region 5.
Cold Springs surrendered its first points of the season last week but remained unbeaten by holding off Lamar County 32-20. The Eagles built a 19-6 halftime lead and added 13 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Bulldogs from completing a comeback.
The victory followed shutouts of Vinemont and Locust Fork. Cold Springs has scored 83 points while allowing 20 through three games.
Cleveland has been equally steady during its 4-0 start. The Panthers have defeated Susan Moore 37-0, Appalachian 35-34, Midfield 21-12 and Southeastern 35-6.
Cleveland has scored at least 21 points in every game and owns a 128-52 scoring advantage. Cold Springs, however, won last year’s meeting 54-22 despite Cleveland holding a 17-11 advantage in the all-time series.
Both teams have already survived a close game and won comfortably when given the opportunity. Friday’s winner will gain the clearest early advantage either has seen in the region race.
Cullman (2-2, 1-1) at Huffman (1-2, 0-2)
Cullman and Huffman will meet for the first time with both teams trying to regain ground in Class 5A, Region 5.
The Bearcats trailed Mortimer Jordan by 14 points at halftime last week before mounting a fourth-quarter comeback. Colt Colvard connected with Grayson Gay for an 11-yard touchdown before the break, and Brooks West later added a 32-yard field goal.
Cullman pulled within 28-23 following an onside-kick recovery by Kolby Holt, but Mortimer Jordan answered and left Oliver Woodard Stadium with a 35-23 victory.
Huffman opened its season by defeating Hazel Green 41-3. The Vikings have since lost consecutive region games, falling 35-34 at Jasper before losing at Minor last week.
Cullman can move back above .500 in region play with its first road victory of the season. Huffman enters its second and final home game of September trying to avoid an 0-3 start in the region.
Fairview (2-2, 1-2) at Sardis (1-2, 1-1)
Fairview’s past two games could hardly have been more different.
Scottsboro scored 48 points against the Aggies two weeks ago, but Fairview held Guntersville to one touchdown last Friday. The Aggies still came away with a 7-3 loss after leading 3-0 at halftime.
Ayden Batz and Collin Nelson helped Fairview move inside the Guntersville 5 during a first-half scoring opportunity, but a missed field goal kept the Aggies from extending their lead. Fairview’s defense continued giving the offense chances before Guntersville finally broke through on a 4-yard third-quarter touchdown.
Sardis found its offense last week after being shut out in losses to Haralson County and Guntersville. The Lions defeated Crossville 48-6 for their first victory and improved to 1-1 in the region.
Only two points separated these teams last season, when Fairview escaped with a 41-39 victory. The Aggies lead the all-time series 7-4, but Sardis enters Friday with momentum and a chance to move ahead of Fairview in the region standings.
Good Hope (2-1, 2-0) at Crossville (1-3, 0-3)
Good Hope returns from its open week as one of three teams without a region loss in Class 4A, Region 8. The Raiders also received votes in this week’s Class 4A ASWA rankings.
Good Hope scored 82 points in consecutive region victories over Brewer and Guntersville. The Raiders built a 21-0 halftime lead against Guntersville before answering the Wildcats’ second-half rally and closing out a 35-21 victory.
Parker Johnson rushed for 136 yards and two touchdowns while throwing another scoring pass to Ayden Young. Hollis added 114 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Web Buchanan and Chase Boles recorded interceptions.
Crossville opened its return to varsity play with a 24-13 victory over Asbury but has since dropped three consecutive region games. Scottsboro, Brewer and Sardis have outscored the Lions 159-13 during that stretch, including Sardis’ 48-6 victory last week.
Friday will bring the first meeting between Good Hope and Crossville since 1999. Crossville won that game 10-7, leaving the all-time series tied 1-1.
Hanceville (0-4, 0-2) at Glencoe (2-1, 1-1)
Hanceville has shown flashes through a difficult opening month but has not been able to turn them into a complete performance.
Nick Davis returned an interception for a touchdown against Tanner, and Javus Leusby broke a 71-yard touchdown run against Vinemont. The Bulldogs were unable to generate another scoring spark last week as Holly Pond left Ray Talley Stadium with a 50-0 victory.
Hanceville scored 28 points in its opener against Carbon Hill but has been held to 12 across its past three games.
Glencoe opened with a 35-8 victory over Hayden and defeated Susan Moore 42-13 in its region opener. The Yellow Jackets were then shut out 30-0 at Etowah last week.
Friday’s game will be the first between Hanceville and Glencoe since 2013. Glencoe won that meeting 49-35, leaving the all-time series tied at two victories apiece.
Vinemont (2-2, 1-1) at Holly Pond (2-1, 1-1)
A county rivalry returns with both teams occupying the same place in the Class 3A, Region 6 standings.
Vinemont held unbeaten Oneonta to one first down across its first three possessions last week. The Eagles then recovered a muffed punt, and Josh Rhodes scored on a 2-yard run to put Vinemont ahead 8-6 midway through the second quarter.
Oneonta used two big plays to take a 21-8 halftime lead before pulling away 35-8. The loss followed Vinemont’s 52-6 region victory over Hanceville, when Gabriel Herrera scored five touchdowns.
Holly Pond experienced a similar reversal. The Broncos followed a 65-14 loss to Oneonta by shutting out Hanceville 50-0.
John Hamby opened the scoring against the Bulldogs, and Hunter Tolbert added two first-half touchdowns as Holly Pond built a 28-0 halftime advantage.
Vinemont and Holly Pond have not met since the Eagles won 40-24 in 2023. Vinemont leads the all-time series 27-22, but Friday’s result carries more immediate importance: the winner will emerge with a 2-1 region record while the loser falls below .500 in region play.
West Point (0-4, 0-2) at Ardmore (1-3, 0-2)
Something will give Friday night when two teams still searching for their first region victory meet at Ardmore.
West Point remained within one score of West Morgan through the first quarter last week before the Rebels scored five second-quarter touchdowns and pulled away 60-12.
Max Patterson completed eight passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Titan Thornton caught four passes for 33 yards and a score, while Skylar Echols added a 10-yard touchdown reception.
The Warriors have shown more offensive production during region play, scoring 28 against Priceville and 12 against West Morgan after managing 26 points across their first two games.
Ardmore has lost three straight since opening with a 27-26 victory over East Limestone. The Tigers fell 49-8 at Hamilton before producing a season-high 31 points in last week’s 55-31 loss to Brooks.
West Point defeated Ardmore 25-20 last season and leads the all-time series 7-1. Friday offers the Warriors a chance to continue that success while giving one of the two teams its first foothold in the region standings.
