A rainy weekend and a big name coming through the Mitchell Center have the Mobile high school football schedule turned sideways. What was supposed to be a normal Friday has spilled into Thursday night, Oct. 1, with the rest of the area still on the field Friday, Oct. 2. Catch it on 105.5 WNSP.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Elberta (1-5) at Saraland (4-1, No. 2)
The Spartans are home and scoring in bunches. Saraland is 4-1 after a 68-10 road win at Pell City, a 63-14 region win at Baldwin County, and a 59-9 win over Theodore. The only loss is the 34-24 opener to Gulf Shores. Oklahoma commit Jamison Roberts was 16-of-18 for 269 yards and two touchdowns at Pell City, and he accounted for six scores against Baldwin County. Larry Pettway has been the big-play piece in that attack.
Elberta is 1-5 and looking for a spark. The Warriors’ recent losses include a 42-0 defeat at Theodore, 33-6 to Murphy, and 35-6 to Spanish Fort. Saraland’s front has been stuffing the run.
This is a chance for Jeff Kelly’s group to keep the October roll going before region play tightens again.
Orange Beach (6-0, No. 3) at Williamson (4-0, No. 5)
This is the game of the night. Two unbeaten Class 4A programs, both ranked in the MaxPreps Mobile top five, and both playing like the region race runs through them.
Orange Beach is 6-0 under Wade Waldrop and already owns a win over Vigor. The Makos have been the measuring stick on the Baldwin side of 4A Region 1. Williamson is 4-0 under Antonio Coleman, has been stingy on defense, and gets the Makos at home. A Williamson win keeps the Lions perfect and plants a flag in Mobile. An Orange Beach win makes the Makos the clear team to catch.
Citronelle (4-1, No. 19) at B.C. Rain (0-6)
Citronelle is the team with something to protect. The Wildcats are 4-1 and already have a 22-20 region win over LeFlore on the résumé. Rain is still looking for its first win at 0-6. The Red Raiders have to win the line of scrimmage and shorten the game. If Citronelle’s defense looks like it did in that LeFlore scrap, this stays in the visitors’ hands.
St. Luke’s (3-2) at Northside Methodist (0-5)
St. Luke’s heads to Dothan at 3-2. Northside Methodist is 0-5 and has already been on the wrong end of some lopsided private-school nights. The Wildcats should control this if they take care of the football on the road.
Friday, Oct. 2
Gulf Shores (5-0, No. 1) at Baldwin County (1-4)
Mark Hudspeth’s Dolphins are the area’s top-ranked team and the only unbeaten in Class 5A Region 1. Gulf Shores is 5-0 and 3-0 in the region after beating Saraland 34-24, surviving Blount 30-29 in overtime, and blanking Murphy 54-0. The Dolphins have scored 182 points and allowed 84.
Baldwin County is 1-4 and 0-3 in region play. The Tigers are coming off a bye after a 63-14 loss to Saraland. Last year’s meeting went Gulf Shores’ way, 31-12. Bay Minette is a tough Friday night, but the Tigers have to find a way to keep offenses from walking in, and Gulf Shores just beat the team that did that to them.
Vigor (4-1, No. 4) at LeFlore (4-2)
Both sides can score a point in the 4A race. Vigor is 4-1 under Renardo Jackson. The Wolfpack defense has been the identity all year, with the only loss coming at Orange Beach. A road win at LeFlore keeps Vigor in the same conversation as Orange Beach and Williamson.
LeFlore is 4-2 after a 22-20 region loss at Citronelle and a 27-7 loss to Orange Beach. The Rattlers are still looking for a full answer at quarterback, with Joseph “Deuce” Robinson the skill spark, and the defense is the reason they can hang around. Kar’Moniy Gibbs and that front have to get home early. If they do not, Vigor’s defense turns this into a long night for the home side.
Theodore (3-2) at Blount (2-3, No. 21)
Two region teams that need a clean night. Theodore is 3-2 and 2-1 in 5A Region 1, still working back from the 59-9 loss to Saraland. Blount is 2-3 after pushing Gulf Shores to overtime in a 30-29 loss. The Leopards have the home field. The Bobcats have the slightly better region standing. The team that runs the ball and does not give it away leaves Eight Mile in better shape for the second half of region play.
Mary G. Montgomery (2-3, No. 13) at Baker (2-3, No. 12)
Baker is 2-3 under Eric Scott and gets the Vikings at home. The Hornets opened with a 33-0 loss to Williamson, then beat Theodore 24-14 and Davidson 35-13. Region losses to Daphne (22-19) and Foley (48-45) are the problem. Baker can score. The question is whether the defense can get a stop when the game is still live.
Mary G. Montgomery is also 2-3 in Alex Page’s first season. The Vikings lost to Saraland 33-14 and got run over at Vigor 47-3, then beat Robertsdale 28-14 before falling to Fairhope 24-14. The bounce-back was a 16-6 win over Alma Bryant. That is not a highlight-reel offense yet. It is a team that can win if it controls the line and does not give the ball away.
Baker won last year’s meeting 43-28. The series is long and split, and Friday is a big game, not a reunion. The Hornets have the home field and the more explosive recent scores. The Vikings have a defense that might keep Baker quiet.
Davidson (0-5) at Foley (3-2)
Davidson is still searching for its first win at 0-5. Foley is 3-2 and gets the Warriors at home. The Lions do not need style points. They need a complete game and a chance to stack wins before the schedule stiffens. Davidson’s path is the same one every 0-5 team has: win first down, protect the football, and hope the home side plays loose.
Faith Academy (2-3) at St. Michael (2-3)
Philip Rivers’ Cardinals and Faith Academy are both 2-3, and both have spent the early season in the private-school deep end. St. Michael has the talent to make this look different at home. Faith needs a clean night on both sides of the ball after a brutal run against bigger programs. The team that finishes drives, not the team that wins the highlight reel, leaves Fairhope with the edge.
Leroy (4-2, No. 25) at Millry (0-6)
Leroy is 4-2 and ranked. Millry is 0-6. The Bears should control the line and the clock. Millry’s best chance is a slow start from the visitors and a few short fields.
Week 7 was supposed to be a normal Friday. Rain changed the calendar. The football did not get any smaller. Orange Beach at Williamson on Thursday and Gulf Shores at Baldwin County on Friday are the ones that can still move a region.
Catch all the coverage on 105.5 WNSP.
