|
Region rumbles
By Will Smith
The Weekly Post
|
|
Published October 16, 2008
EDITOR’S NOTE: Around two weeks before they meet during the final week of the regular season, Plainview and Fyffe find themselves fighting for playoff positioning. The Bears will travel to Class 4A, No. 4 North Jackson while 2A, No. 5 Fyffe will make the trip to No. 4 Sand Rock. Here’s a preview of each of those games, beginning with Plainview/North Jackson:
Plainview at North Jackson
Plainview, coming off a double-overtime loss to Guntersville in Week 6, picked apart Fairview on Friday to move into a three-way tie for second place in Class 4A, Region 7.
The victory, which moved Plainview to 4-1 against region opponents, didn’t seal a spot in the postseason for the Bears. However, a win tomorrow night on the road against North Jackson, which stand as the only undefeated team left in Region 7, would guarantee Plainview a playoff position for the 20th consecutive season. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
A victory, though, will likely be a tough challenge for the Bears tomorrow night. North Jackson features several solid players on both sides of the ball. That’s especially the case on defense, where they limit foes to only 11 points per game.
“I think North Jackson has a better defense than Fairview,” said Plainview head coach Dale Pruitt, whose squad has posted over 40 points in each of the last two contests. “It’s going to be tougher to move the ball against them. Don’t look for it to be the same high-scoring affair we’ve had the last two weeks.”
The Chiefs, which have pitched two shutouts already this season against DAR and Douglas, are led defensively by senior inside linebacker Tana Patrick, who is rated as the sixth most sought-after high school recruit in the nation by Rivals.com. The senior is joined by three returning starters—Gary Landsden, Zack Hammondtree and Nic Cobb—from last year’s squad that finished 10-0 during the regular season.
Offensively, the Chiefs post similarly dominate numbers, defeating opponents by an average of three touchdowns each week. Finding and containing their skill players is going to be a huge key if the Bears hope to limit North Jackson’s offense.
“We have to contain their skill players,” said Pruitt. “If we do that and play to our potential offensively, I think we’ll be all right.”
The importance of a Plainview victory over North Jackson tomorrow night is further highlighted by the chance that the Bears, with a win over DAR in Week 9 and a Guntersville loss, could still slip away with the championship in Region 7. That fact, said Pruitt, has allowed his players to maintain a consistent mentality heading into their contest against the Chiefs.
“We knew the series of games in the second half of region play was important,” said Pruitt referring to his last few games that included region match-ups against Guntersville and Fairview. “I think our kids have the same mind-set that they did when we played Guntersville. We’ve been able to win games like the one last week even though we had turnovers. We haven’t played a perfect game all season, and until we do, there is always room for improvement.”
The Bears, offensively, tore through the opening half of their 2008 schedule, averaging over 35 points each contest. During the second half which is arguably a much tougher slate of games, Plainview has actually increased it’s offensive productivity with a total of 91 points in their last two match-ups. Offensively, the Bears are led by senior quarterback Gabe Graham, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark through the air during Plainview’s victory over Fairview on Friday.
The Bears running game, however, took a hit last week after tailback Jordan Fee went down with an injury early in the second half against the Aggies. The junior, which is accounting for well over 100 yards on the ground each week, has been listed as day-to-day for tomorrow’s contest.
Fyffe at Sand Rock
With a win over Westbrook Christian at home Friday night, the No. 5-ranked Red Devils guaranteed themselves a spot in the Class 2A playoffs for the eighth straight year. What position Fyffe will finish in, however, is still in question.
The Red Devils (6-1, 4-1) will hit the road tomorrow to face undefeated Region 6 leader Sand Rock. Although the chances of Fyffe finishing this season with their third straight region title are slim, a win over the Wildcats could get the Red Devils one step closer to hosting the opening round of the post-season.
“Right now, we don’t know where we’ll finish in the region,” said Fyffe head coach Paul Benefield. “A win for us (tomorrow) may not change anything in the standings, but it’s still going to be a big game just because it’s in the region.”
The Red Devils, who are holding opponents to around 60 yards through the air each week, will likely be the underdog when they they travel to Sand Rock tomorrow night. The Wildcat backfield, led by senior quarterback Justin Mackey and running back Jake Thompson, is outscoring opponents by 20 points on average and will look to continue that trend against Fyffe.
“They are definitely the favorite,” said Benefield. “They have a great backfield. Crucial turnovers could be the difference. We have to minimize our mistakes and hope they make a few we can capitalize on.”
|
|
|
 |
|
|
