By TAYLOR BECK, Sports Editor
Sparkman at Albertville
Class 7A, Region 4 | FM 107.5
Albertville (0-3, 0-1) looks to snap its 31-game losing streak Friday when the Aggies host region foe Sparkman (0-3, 0-1) at Vernon Wells Stadium. Albertville is coming off a 28-8 loss to Florence but outscored the Falcons 8-7 in the second half.
“All these small victories will add up,” Aggies head coach Adam Winegarden said of their performance. “It’s just a matter of time for them, but we love our players — love our kids — and we’re going to keep improving and keep working.”
The Aggies are 0-5 all-time against Sparkman, including a 44-20 loss on the road last season. Sparkman enters the matchup following a 29-7 loss to Austin.
Douglas at Scottsboro
Class 5A, Region 8
Douglas (2-0) steps into region play with a road challenge against defending region champion Scottsboro (2-1, 1-0). The Eagles are coming off a 62-34 win at Hayden, while the Wildcats rolled to a 41-7 region victory at Boaz.
Douglas is 0-5 all-time against Scottsboro and has been outscored 219-61 in the series, including a 45-13 loss last season.
“Looking forward, we are fixing to get tested in a big way,” Eagles head coach Brandon Lyles said following the team’s win against Hayden.
“Scottsboro is one of the best teams in 5A and Coach [Tyler] Vann and his staff do such a good job. They are very physical and can create problems in multiple ways. Their fronts on both sides of the ball are really good. But I’m excited about our opportunities, and we have a team full of competitors that are hungry to improve.”
Sardis at Guntersville
Class 5A, Region 8 | FM 95.9
Friday night will be homecoming at Chorba-Lee Stadium as No. 5 Guntersville (3-0, 1-0) welcomes the Sardis Lions (1-2, 0-1) to town for another region matchup.
The Wildcats are fresh off a 63-12 road rout of Brewer, while Sardis fell 21-15 in a heartbreaking home loss to Arab after leading 15-0 early.
“You just tell the guys our goals don’t change,” Sardis head coach B.J. Brooks said following a bitter loss against Arab.
“When you’ve got a vision and you’ve got goals — there’s gonna be bumps in the road. … So you just got to keep that in mind with them that bumps happen and you just got to keep going and pushing forward for what the goal you have and the vision you have.”
Friday’s contest marks the 16th all-time meeting between the two programs, with Guntersville holding a 13-2 series edge. The Wildcats have won six straight, outscoring Sardis 287-6 since 2020, including a 64-0 shutout last season. Sardis’ last win came in 2012, a 42-40 overtime thriller.
Sylvania at Geraldine
Class 3A, Region 8
No. 3 Geraldine (2-0, 1-0) returns home to Coolidge-Isbell Field after a 62-6 region win at Asbury. The Bulldogs will face longtime rival and region foe Sylvania (0-2, 0-1), which dropped a 24-21 region matchup to Holly Pond.
This will be the 70th meeting between the two programs, with Sylvania holding a 35-31-3 edge. Geraldine has lost five straight to the Rams, including a 27-7 playoff defeat in 2022. Geraldine’s last win came in 2020, when the Bulldogs downed the Rams 17-10.
Fyffe at Asbury
Class 3A, Region 8 | FM 92.7 HD2
No. 6 Fyffe (2-1, 1-0) looks to continue its region dominance when it travels to Asbury (0-3, 0-1). The Red Devils are coming off a 58-22 win over Collinsville, shutting the Panthers out 36-0 in the second half.
Fyffe is 7-0 all-time against Asbury, outscoring the Rams 381-13. Last season, Fyffe won 63-0.
Head coach Paul Benefield is chasing a 10th straight region title. He is 317-49 at Fyffe and 362-60 overall, making him the second-winningest active coach in Alabama behind Central Clay County’s Danny Horn (365-99).
The game will be played at Rams Stadium.
Susan Moore at West End
Class 2A, Region 6
West End (1-2, 0-1) hosts Susan Moore (1-2, 1-0) at Patriot Stadium in the 45th all-time meeting between the two schools. The Patriots are coming off a 16-13 region loss at Falkville, while the Bulldogs picked up a 66-50 region win over Cold Springs.
West End leads the series all-time 24-20, but Susan Moore has won the last two matchups, outscoring the Patriots 70-12.
West End’s last victory came in 2022 with a 24-0 shutout.
Editor’s note: The Boaz Pirates (2-1, 0-1) have an open date this week, but will return to action Sept. 19 at Douglas.
Judson Murray carried two times for 65 yards and a touchdown in Douglas’ 62-34 victory over Hayden on Friday. The Eagles will be back in action this week for their Class 5A, Region 8, opener when they visit Scottsboro. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. Friday. JOSH LEWIS | SPECIAL TO THE LEADER
