PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: County matchups highlight Week 10 slate

Published 4:57 pm Tuesday, October 30, 2018

It didn’t take long for Week 0 to turn into Week 10.

Unfortunately, though, the end of the regular season is upon us.

Sad news, if you’re a football fan.

The good news, however, is Week 10 offers up some fun county matchups — as it tends to do.

Cold Springs at Vinemont. Hanceville at Good Hope. Holly Pond at Fairview.

West Point is also set to host Cordova. 

Not a bad way put a bow on this campaign.

This is the last preview column of the season. Thanks to all who read and/or voted in “The People’s Pick.”

Look for a comprehensive playoff preview next week.

% Cold Springs (4-5, 2-4 in Class 2A, Region 5) at Vinemont (2-7, 1-5 in Class 3A, Region 5): These programs have met on the gridiron just twice since the 2001 season.

Cold Springs won both meetings (21-15 in 2014 and 50-7 in 2015), but Vinemont leads the all-time series 19-6 entering Thursday night’s game.

It’s a battle of the Eagles — and I have to go with Vinemont.

Vinemont has played a much tougher schedule — the combined record of their opponents is 53-28 — and will have an opportunity to show out for its home crowd one more time this season.

Cold Springs, whose opponents are a combined 30-53, has lost five straight games after a 4-0 start.

% Jake’s Pick: Vinemont

% People’s Pick: Cold Springs (70 percent — 114 votes)

% Holly Pond (6-3, 3-3 in Class 3A, Region 5) at Fairview (4-5, 3-4 in Class 4A, Region 7): This is easily the hardest game to pick this week.

The Broncos won last year’s meeting 18-6 to snap a decade-long losing streak against the Aggies.

Fairview, though, still leads the all-time series 35-20-2 and will certainly be out for revenge on Friday night.

Both teams want to run the football, and both teams have the players capable of accomplishing that task.

My mind is telling me Holly Pond, but my gut is telling me Fairview.

Don’t people tell you to go with your gut?

% Jake’s Pick: Fairview

% People’s Pick: Holly Pond (74 percent — 118 votes)

% Hanceville (1-8, 0-6 in Class 3A, Region 5) at Good Hope (8-1, 5-1 in Class 4A, Region 5): The Raiders are playing unbelievably well.

Good Hope is fresh off a 27-22 road win at No. 4 Fayette County and is

allowing just 13.4 points per game — three shutouts have been helpful — on the defensive side of the ball.

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, have lost eight straight matchups since a Week 0 win against Sumiton Christian.

Hanceville does lead the all-time series 26-16, but I fully expect that margin to shrink come Friday night.

% Jake’s Pick: Good Hope

% People’s Pick: Good Hope (93 percent — 102 votes)

% Cordova (1-8, 1-5 in Class 4A, Region 5) at West Point (2-7, 0-7 in Class 5A, Region 7): Unlike the aforementioned county clashes, these teams have never met on the field.

Both programs, however, have had disappointing seasons after four straight years of playoff berths.

The Warriors have been better offensively (23.7 to 15.1 points per game), while the Blue Devils have been better defensively (31.9 to 37.2 points per game).

I’m going to play a hunch and say West Point delivers a solid effort on Friday night.

% Jake’s Pick: West Point

% People’s Pick: West Point (78 percent — 102 votes) 

% Jake’s Record: 68-12

% People’s Record: 59-20-1