A look ahead: Region openers challenge FC teams

By Bart Moss / For the FCT

Four county teams will be on the road for region openers this week. Vina will be lone team playing at home as the Red Devils host Phillips.

Phil Campbell will travel to Lexington. Red Bay will travel to Hatton. Russellville travels to Corner, and Tharptown will travel to Sheffield.

Here is what fans might expect from each game:

Phil Campbell (0-1) at Lexington (0-1)

Phil Campbell had a rough opener, losing to county rival Red Bay 36-8.

Phil Campbell struggled upfront on both sides of the ball and made too many self-imposed errors. Quarterback Luke Barnwell took a couple of shots in the first half and didn’t return in the second half. Ridge Raper led the team at quarterback in the second half.

The Bobcats will travel to Lexington for their 3A, Region 8 opener. Lexington lost last week to Rogers 34-7.

“Lexington is going to be like a lot of teams we face,” said Phil Campbell coach Kevin Barnwell. “They will be big, strong and physical. We have to play mistake-free football.

“We are trying to catch up in the weight room, but it’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve told our guys we are not playing for the future; we are playing for now.

“And if we are going to do that, then we have to mentally sharp.”

Red Bay (2-0) at Hatton (1-0)

Red Bay improved to 2-0 with an easy win over the Phil Campbell Bobcats. The Tigers opened the game with 30 unanswered points. Just as they did in their opening win against Colbert Heights, the Tigers dominated with a power run game and took full advantage of limited passes.

Two of the Tigers’ 11 passes went for touchdowns.

The Tigers travel to Hatton this week for their 2A, Region 7 opener. Hatton defeated West Morgan last week 36-14.

“Hatton is very big,” said Red Bay coach Michael Jackson. “They average over 285 pounds along the offensive and defensive line. They have a lot of experience, only losing four players from last year. They play well at home, so we will have play well too.”

Russellville (1-0) at Corner (1-1)

The Golden Tigers are coming off a 40-32 double overtime thriller in their traditional opener against Deshler. Russellville will travel to Corner in the 5A, Region 7 opener. Corner routed Oak Grove last week 56-13 after falling to Northside in its opener 26-25.

“Corner is big on both sides of the ball,” said Russellville coach John Ritter. “They have a new head coach and look to be fundamentally sound on both sides. We will have to execute well on both sides of the ball.

“Our defense must be able to get lined up to the multiple formations they will use. Our offense has to protect the ball and make plays when they get the opportunity.”

Tharptown (1-0) at Sheffield (1-1)

Tharptown was off last week after a season-opening win over Shoals Christian.

The Wildcats will travel to Sheffield Friday night for their first 2A, Region 7 game. Sheffield lost last week to Mars Hill 49-13 after opening the season with a 22-6 win over Wilson.

“Sheffield is big up front on both sides of the ball,” said Tharptown coach Kevin Lacey. “They have a good dual-threat quarterback who can run and throw the football. I think he got hurt Friday night and might not play for a couple of weeks.

“Defensively, they are quick sideline to sideline. Mars Hill just did a really good job of getting a helmet on them and blocking well. Mars Hill had a lot of success on the ground.”

Vina (0-2) hosts Phillips (0-2)

Vina is off to a rough start, losing to Marion County in the season opener and losing to Brilliant 34-9 Friday night. Vina will host the Phillips Bears in the Red Devils’ 1A, Region 8 opener.

Phillips has lost two straight to open the season as well. The Bears lost their opener to Decatur Heritage 19-14 and Friday night to Lynn 38-19.

“We played hard Friday night and saw some positives we can build on,” said Vina coach Jason Harris. “We lost our composure early and couldn’t get in any type of rhythm. We’ve got to learn to be more disciplined.

“Phillips is going to be a big physical team that will wear you down. We have to be able to sustain drives, eat up clock and keep the ball away from them.”