At left) Russellville running back C.J. Posey (12) runs around the right side earlier this season. Posey is one of three senior running backs who have been a big part of the Golden Tigers’ offense this season.

It has been two years since the Russellville Golden Tigers competed against the Etowah Blue Devils. Russellville won that contest 41-12 on Nov. 5 in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. In fact the Golden Tigers have won both meetings they have had with the Blue Devils by a combined score of 72-22.

The previous meeting was a 31-10 win in the semifinals of the 1992 playoffs some 20 years ago.

Russellville comes into the game as the No. 3 seed from Class 5A, Region 8, whereas Etowah is the No. 2 seed from Region 7. However, the Blue Devils have a 7-3 record compared to the Golden Tigers’ 8-2 mark.

Etowah’s losses have come against Region 7 No. 1 seed Fort Payne, 6-4 Southside Gadsden and 3A rival Glencoe.

The two teams are a bit hard to compare since they did not both play any one opponent, but Russellville does have the advantage in both points scored and allowed.

The Golden Tigers have scored 312 points and given up 162. That is compared to Etowah’s 308 points scored and 176 points allowed.

Again this is not much good at separating the two teams. The only true way that the two teams can be separated is to see which side comes out the victor in Attalla Friday night.

When it comes to the Red Bay Tigers game against the Westbrook Christian Warriors, Red Bay seems to have a small advantage on paper. The Tigers enter the game with a 7-3 record, but two of those losses came against Class 4A opponents. The only 2A opponent the Tigers fell to in the regular season was the undefeated Tanner Rattlers.

Westbrook Christian had a match with a 7-3 record as well, but all three of their losses were against 2A competition. One was against Class 2A, Region 7 winner Fyffe and another was against 8-2 North Sand Mountain.

The loss that stands out the most though is a 39-34 defeat at the hands of the Ider Hornets, a 2A Region 7 team that went only 5-5 this year. As far as the numbers game goes, Red Bay has only faced Westbrook Christian once before. The match came 11 years ago in 2001 in the first round of the playoffs, and the Tigers won 59-49.

The two teams have similar win/loss records, and similar points scored vs. points allowed marks. Red Bay has scored 237 while allowing 179; the Warriors have scored 288 but allowed 191.

Westbrook Christian is a spread offense team, and the key to beating them rests with the Tigers’ defense.