East Alabama High School Football - Week Five News and Notes

Class 4A Region 4

Anniston - Antonio "Spoodie" Kite: Four TD receptions of 25 or more yards in last three games

Last Week: Off

This Week:  at Center Point (5A/Region 6) - 0-2 all-time vs Center Point

Cherokee County - second straight season starting 2-0 in Region play (first time starting 2-0 in consecutive seasons since 2007-09)

Last Week: Defeated White Plains, 40-0

This Week: Host Coosa (GA); last played them in 2003, winning 23-21 (2-2 all-time)

Cleburne County  

PPG in 2021: 

Home: 44.3  

Road: 14.5

Last Week: Lost 26-7 at Handley

This Week: at Alexandria (5A) - lost 7 straight & 12 of last 14 vs. the Cubs (19-46-1 all-time - last win: 42-28 in 2011)

Handley - Won 10 straight region games (last loss October 19, 2018, at Lincoln). Have outscored opponents 319-106 over span).

Last Week: Defeated Cleburne County 26-7

This Week: Host Lanett (2A/Region 4); Won last year snapping 3-game losing streak against them.

Jacksonville - Won 2 straight (outscoring opponents 83-19) after losing previous two games 

Scored 83 points in last 2 games after only scoring 15 in their previous two games.

Last Week: Defeated Munford, 35-12 (won five of last six against them).

Munford -

W-L/Pts Allowed in 2021:

Non-Region:  2-0/28 (14 PPG)

Region: 0-3/122 (40.6 PPG)

First three-game losing streak since 2018 (lost 4 straight); First 0-3 start in Region play since starting 0-5 in 2010 (Region 3) 

Last Week:  Lost 35-12 vs Jacksonville

This Week: at Lincoln (5A/Region 6). Won 2 straight and 7 of last 8 vs Lincoln. Lost last game at Lincoln (28-27 in 2018).

White Plains -

Points scored in 2021  

1st 2 games: 55 

Last 3 Games: 10

W-L/Point Differential:

Non-Region Games:  1-1   (+13); 

Region Games: 0-3   (-98)

Last Week: Lost 40-0 vs Cherokee County

This Week: host 5A Elmore County (Won 21-0 in only previous meeting in 2020

Class 3A Region 5

Saks - 

Point total/PPG (W-L) in 1st 3 Class/Region Games: 

2020: 14/4.6 (0-3)

2021: 60/20 (2-1)

Last Week: Defeated Ohatchee 16-7

This Week: host Geraldine (3A/Region 7) - defeated them 46-14 last season (only other previous meeting).

Glencoe - Outscored 159-7 in starting 0-4. Lost 9 straight dating back to last season (Outscored 355-27)

Fourth time in last five years starting 0-4; lost 33 of last 36 games Class/Region games dating back to 2016.

Last Week: Lost 48-0 to Hokes Bluff

This Week: Host Douglass (5A/R7). Won 6 straight against Douglass (6-1 all-time; only lost was 21-6 in 1998)

Hokes Bluff - 

2021 Home/Road Point Differential

Home: 0-2, -58

Road: 2-0, +89

Last Week: Defeated Glencoe, 48-0

This Week: at Spring Garden (2A/R6)

Ohatchee - Ennis: 17 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards. Averaging 196.6 YPG

Last Week: Lost 16-7 to Saks

This Week:  OPEN


Piedmont - Looking to start 5-0 for third straight season

Point/PPG Differential During Last Three Seasons starting 4-0

2021: +156/+39

2020: +126/+31.5

2019: +105/+26.3

2018: +30/+10

Last Week:  Defeated Weaver 70-13 (set school record with 70 points)

This Week: Host Jacksonville; won 2 straight vs Jacksonville (last year was a forfeit) after losing previous four against them. Jacksonville handed them their first loss in 2018.

Pleasant Valley - Points scored in 2021: 42 vs Weaver, 22 vs other four opponents combined

Last Week: Lost to Walter Wellborn 57-8
This Week: OPEN

Walter Wellborn - Scored 57 Points against Pleasant Valley after only scoring 47 in their first four games combined. 

Last Week: Defeated Pleasant Valley 57-8

This Week: Host Hamilton (4A/Region 5) in second all-time meeting. Defeated the Aggies 55-7 in 2020.

Weaver - allowed 112 points in last 2 games after allowing just 7 in snapping their 20-game losing streak vs Glencoe

Last Week: Lost 70-13 at Piedmont

This Week: at Armuchee (GA)















East Alabama HS Football: Week Four News & Notes

Here are some News and Notes from Class 3 Region 5 and Class 4A Region 4 high schools.

Class 3A, Region 5 

Glencoe - Outscored 307-27 during their 8-game losing streak.

Hokes Bluff -  Won 5 straight vs. Glencoe.

Ohatchee - Outscored opponents 90-22 in last ten quarters (outscored 70-35 in first six quarters)

Piedmont - Looking to start 4-0 for the fourth straight season. 

Point differential, 1st 3 games: 

2021: +99  

2020: +125  

2019: +52  

2018: +22

Pleasant Valley- 1-9 all-time vs. Wellborn, but did win their last game at "The Hill," 27-26 in 2018

Saks - PPG in 1st 2 Class/Region Games: 

2021: 46 (1-1) 

2020: 6 (0-2)

Walter Wellborn -  First 0-3 start since 2009; last started 0-4 in 2008

Weaver -  42 points in their first two Class/Region Games is already ten more than they scored all of 2020 (32)


Class 4A Region 4

Anniston - Antonio "Spoody" Kite: Four TD receptions of at least 25-yds in his last three games.

Cherokee County -  7-0 all-time vs. White Plains

Cleburne County - Lost four straight vs. Handley (last win: 28-7 in 2006). Looking for first 4-0 start since 2007.

Handley -  Won 9 straight Class/Region games - last loss 10/11/19 at Lincoln. Outscored opponents 295-99 in those contests (includes two forfeits = 1-0 final).

Jacksonville - Won four of their last five games vs. Munford.

Munford - Last started 0-3 in Class/Region play in 2010 (0-4).

White Plains - Winless in 7 all-time meetings vs. Cherokee County - lost 11 straight games in Class/Region - last win 11/4/2019 vs. Cleburne County.




Ohatchee Learns Value of Perspective Preparing For Wellborn

A-Tale-of-Two-Cities.jpg

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" is one of the most famous quotes in literary history. While I doubt Charles Dickens had Ohatchee High School Football in mind when he penned "A Tale of Two Cities" in 1859, the irony comparing the first two games of last season and this season is hard to ignore.

Last week against Anniston turned into a tale of two halves, as the Indians rallied down 25 at the half, pulling within five points before bowing to the Bulldogs 32-27.

In their season-opener at Cleburne County, the Indians' defense were first-hand witnesses to a vastly improved Tigers team, falling 43-28. Last season Ohatchee (11-2 - lost in third round of playoffs) defeated both 4A teams by a combined 92-26 in starting 2-0. Despite the drastic difference in results, lessons learned by champions often feature some hard knocks.

Execution and talent do not the Indians lack; depth and fatigue start both those lines. Talking with Head Coach Scott Martin today, his message accentuating the positive out of their first two games shows how good a football team they are entering Class 3A Region 5 play.

Despite allowing 75 points in their first two games, their defense fell victim to great talent (Antonio Kite, Kyler McGrinn) executing rather than detailed mental and physical lapses. Standouts in the first two games include Junior Chris Ferguson and All-State Junior QB Eli Ennis (yes, he can play defense as well!).

The first to test the Indians mettle is the Walter Wellborn Panthers, who handed Ohatchee one of their two defeats in 2020. While waiting a year to exercise revenge on last season's 20-14 OT loss - the Indians' 3-13 record against the Panthers (before last seasons loss, Ohatchee defeated Wellborn 63-0 in winning both 2016-17 meetings after going 1-12-1 in their first 14 matchups) is another demon they can slay in their journey to become champions.