Sometimes scorelines can be deceiving.

And not just in Cullman’s case.

Fairfield Prep’s football team beat Springville 13-12 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs last week to advance to this weekend’s second-round matchup at Cullman.

Considering the Bearcats’ 48-21 victory earlier this season over Springville, one might think Fairfield (8-3) will be an ideal second-round opponent for No. 1 Cullman (11-0) this weekend at Oliver Woodard Stadium.

Think again.

“They’re an extremely good football team,” said Cullman coach Mark Britton. “They have great team speed and a big defensive front, very similar to the one we just faced.”

The defensive front Cullman just faced was from Wenonah, and it gave the Bearcats’ offense all it could handle for one half last weekend. Using a combination of stunts and disguised coverages, the Dragons held Cullman scoreless in the first half for the first time this season.

But like Britton said, the defensive front from Fairfield might have a little more — more size, more speed, more everything.

”Fairfield is the same kind of team (as Wenonah),” said senior receiver Drew Forrest. “But they’re a lot more physical, a lot bigger, a lot stronger. I think they beat Wenonah earlier in the season.”

Forrest is right. Fairfield downed Wenonah 21-12 in a Class 5A, Region 5 game earlier this season. The Tigers went on to take the second seed out of Region 5 behind McAdory, which routed Pleasant Grove 42-14 last weekend in the first round of the playoffs.

Fairfield has been successful in large part thanks to a combination of experience — there are 18 seniors on the roster — and stout defense. The Tigers pitched three shutouts in the regular season and held three more opponents to seven points or fewer.

But it hasn’t been all defense.

At 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, senior quarterback Frank Rivers is a legitimate threat throwing and running the ball. And he has several targets, including receivers Roderious Massey and Theo Edmonds and running back Jermaine Jordan.

Senior Terrance Swift anchors a big offensive line.

“We’ve got to adjust quicker to their team speed,” said Britton. “Last week I felt like we waited until the third quarter before we started making some adjustments.

“In the past 10 games, we’ve adjusted fairly early — second series something like that. But we were second half last week.”

Fairfield got to the second round thanks to its close win over Springville. The game was so tight that Springville had a chance to win on its final series when quarterback Josh Gibson led his team inside the Fairfield 5-yard line.

But on Springville’s final play, Gibson was forced out of the pocket before attempting a lateral to a running back. The ball was recovered by Fairfield’s Josh Gentry.

“We had opportunities to win the game,” Springville coach Keith Maple told The Birmingham news. “But (we) couldn’t make the plays.”

Cullman and Fairfield met at the same juncture last year, with the Bearcats grabbing a 48-28 win after trailing 28-27 at halftime.

The only previous meeting was a 20-14 Fairfield win in 1952, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.

Michael Cummings can be reached by email at michaelc@cullmantimes.com or by phone at 734-2131, ext. 258.