One of the state’s premier matchups will take place in Newton this week as undefeated Tigers take on equally undefeated Scott Central in the Division 4-2A opener for both teams.
The Tigers are 5-0 on the season and are coming of a bye week. Head coach Ryan Smith said he used the time to heal some bumps and bruises and go back to some basics.
“We did what you would normally do with a bye week,” Smith said. “We spent a lot of time on ourselves, working on fundamentals and cleaning up some things. I thought it was a good week and it allowed us to give some folks some rest.”
In Scott Central, the Tigers will be facing one of the hottest teams in Class 2A. The Rebels are 6-0 and have beaten opponents by a combined score of 328-41. They have four shutouts among those four wins.
“They are really good and have scored a lot of points,” Smith said. “They have a really good quarterback who they like to line up and run power with. On defense, everybody is in a two-point stance and you don’t know where the pressure is coming from and they are going to bring pressure. But the thing about that is, they play man coverage across the board. If they do that, I think it gives us some opportunities in the passing game and I like our chances there. We’ve just got to get the ball out of our hands and to our playmakers.”
Last year, Scott Central took a thrilling 8-7 win over the Tigers when they stopped Newton at the goal line as time expired.
Lake at Union
What was once the Breland Bowl has now just turned into a good, old-fashioned rivalry game.
This year’s contest will be a total role reversal for both teams. The Yellowjackets enter the contest 2-3 and have lost three in a row.
The two coaches know each other well, as Tate Hanna helped Brad Breland last year on a volunteer basis. Hanna’s brother Trent is an assistant coach for the Yellowjackets.
“Tate has done a good job turning them around over there,” Breland said. “They are buying into what he is trying to do and are playing with a lot of confidence.”
While Union is struggling with Elite 11 wide receiver and safety Jevon Williams and running back Micheal McDonald out, Hanna isn’t taking the Yellowjackets lightly.
“I know they have had some injuries but I also know that Brad will have them ready to play,” Hanna said. “They are really young on defense and are missing their two best players. But they still have some talent and Brad will find a way to put them in a good position. I expect it to be a tough game.”
Last year, Union hammered Lake 35-13.
NCA at Pickens Academy
The Generals will hit the road again this week when they travel to Carrollton, Ala., to take on Pickens Academy.
The game was a late addition to the schedule last year after Heidelberg Academy closed down. Last year, NCA took a 34-21 win as Pickens finished the year with a 5-5 record.
“I thought they were really tough last year,” NCA coach Rob Robert said. “It was a good, hard-hitting football game. Those guys would come up and hit you and I suspect it will be just like that this year.”
Newton County at Mendenhall
The Cougars will hit the road this week as they take on 4-1 Mendenhall this week.
The Tigers have won four straight contests since losing the season opener to Florence 28-19. After that loss, the Tigers have reeled off four straight wins over Raymond (41-0), Magee (41-12), Purvis (38-24) and Raleigh (38-27).
“They are going to be like the Mendenhall teams we have faced the last two years,” Newton County coach Gene Mitchell said. “They will have athletes all over the field and they will be big up front. It will be another challenge for us.”
Last year, Mendenhall beat Newton County 20-14 in a tight contest.
