TALKIN’ PREP FOOTBALL: County rivalries highlight Week 1 offerings

Published 1:38 pm Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Week 0 is officially in the books.

And it was a good one, too, with several local teams picking up season-opening victories.

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But enough about the past, let’s look ahead to the future. (Isn’t Back to the Future such a great movie?)

Not one, but two county rivalries — Holly Pond at Cold Springs, and Fairview at Vinemont — highlight the Week 1 slate, with Cullman and Addison hitting the road versus Jasper and Lynn, respectively.

On the line? Bragging rights and momentum ahead of next week’s region openers.

Let’s get to it.

Before we begin, though, remember to cast your vote in “The People’s Pick,” a series of Twitter polls posted on my timeline (@winfreyjake) each and every Monday afternoon.


% Addison (1-0) at Lynn (0-0): I picked against the Bulldogs last week, and they made me pay for it.

Don’t expect the same error this time around.

Although Addison has split its past six games with the Bears dating back to 2009, it leads the series 51-18-3.

Not only that, but the Bulldogs won last year’s contest 50-0. I think this Addison squad is better than that one.

The Bulldogs may not win by 50 points again, but they’ll move to 2-0.

% My Pick: Addison

% People’s Pick: Addison (95 percent — 104 votes)


% Holly Pond (1-0) at Cold Springs (0-1): It was a tale of two stories for these squads last week.

The Broncos kicked off the Mark Cornelius era with a 53-0 thumping of Brindlee Mountain, while the Eagles fell to Meek 40-6 — though, of course, none of that really matters ahead of this contest.

Historically, this has been a tight series.

Holly Pond leads it 19-9, but 18 of those meetings have been decided by 13 points or less.

Cold Springs also won last year’s matchup 28-16.

To quote Austin Powers, “What does it all mean, Basil?”

I’m not sure, really. I do, however, think this will be another close game.

As for a pick?

% My Pick: Holly Pond

% People’s Pick: Holly Pond (72 percent — 105 votes)


% Cullman (1-0) at Jasper (1-0): Talk about a rivalry.

These teams have played 72 times on the gridiron, and both have come away with the same number of wins.

The back-and-forth (quite literally) series is tied at 35-35-2, although the Bearcats have amassed 11 victories in their past 13 matchups against the Vikings — including last season’s 21-0 triumph.

The previous three meetings before 2020, however, were decided by a combined six points.

Cullman is fresh off a 23-0 win against Grissom, while Jasper walloped Class 2A No. 3 Mars Hill Bible 35-6.

I’ll predict a closer game than last season, but the same outcome.

% My Pick: Cullman

% People’s Pick: Cullman (77 percent — 141 votes)


% Fairview (1-0) at Vinemont (0-1): Another county rivalry, another close series.

The Aggies have 23 victories to the Eagles’ 19, and a good many of the outcomes have been rather close.

In those 42 matchups, 25 of them — that’s 59.5 percent — have been decided by 14 points or less.

But this isn’t a math class, it’s a football preview.

And whichever team is better on the field Friday night will add another checkmark in the win column.

The Aggies beat DAR 48-21 in Week 0, while the Eagles fell to Hanceville 28-16.

Fairview also hasn’t lost to Vinemont since George Redding’s first game with the program back in 2007, a run of seven straight victories.

I expect that streak to continue.

% My Pick: Fairview

% People’s Pick: Fairview (91 percent — 98 votes)


% Good Hope (0-1) at West Point (1-0): Friday night’s game between the Raiders and the Warriors has been canceled due to COVID-19.


% My Record: 4-3

% People’s Record: 4-3