Franklin County Times

The week that football fans look forward to each and every year has come and gone for 2012.

Week one on the football calendar saw plenty of gridiron action between the high school and collegiate levels.

Russellville came out on a mission to avenge last year’s loss to the Deshler Tigers, and the Golden Tigers may have made a statement against their old rivals by knocking them off 34-14.

This victory could mean a lot for the players as they continue with their season, but Class 5A, Region 8 is a veritable murderer’s row for all of the member teams.

There will likely be some key upsets in the region, and Russellville may be able to capitalize on the early success in the coming weeks.

Thursday night’s game between the Phil Campbell Bobcats and the Tharptown Wildcats had a lot going for it.

It was the first-ever meeting during the regular season of the two teams.

Both teams are trying to turn things around this year after having disappointing seasons in 2011. The Wildcats went 0-10, the Bobcats 2-8.

The game took wild swings throughout the middle quarters, and despite a late comeback by Tharptown, Phil Campbell picked up its first win of the season.

Winning the first game gives players confidence and can start a build up of momentum that can carry players throughout a 10-week season, but only time will tell how the Bobcats will fare in 2012.

The Wildcats made a comeback late but still lost to the Bobcats. However, the team has plenty to build off of as it moves towards region play.

The offense showed great signs of life early on and late against PCHS, and head coach Bill Smith said that the defense played better during that game than at any previous time under his tutelage.

So long as some key skill players stay healthy, Tharptown should be able to make a splash in Class 1A, Region 8 this season.

The other Franklin County team in 1A, Region 8 is the Vina Red Devils, who suffered a 26-0 loss at the hands of the Cherokee Indians, who made the move to 2A this season.

The game had plenty of distractions for the Red Devils, which ended late between the pouring rain and the lighting delay.

The best thing for the Vina players would be to let the memory of week one’s game slip by and focus on week two against Tharptown.

The Wildcats were one of Vina’s two wins last season, so the Red Devils will look to pick up a win this Friday.

All in all, there is some great football ahead for the Franklin County teams during the 2012 football season.