SHANNON FAGAN: Coach Jacoway sticks it to me

It didn’t take long for yours truly to get his first ‘What are you thinking?’ last Friday. And it came from an expected source.

The first text I got following the night’s football action was from former Sand Rock coach Russell Jacoway, asking me that exact question. He quickly followed that text up with “SR wins,” meaning Sand Rock defeated Westbrook Christian.

Shortly after I returned to the WEIS studio, I called head coach Alan Heath to offer my congratulations. I jokingly asked him if I provided the Wildcats enough motivation to give me a little credit for their win. He laughed and then proceeded to give me some comments on the game.

I couldn’t swear by it, but I thought I heard either Josh or Keith Bates (maybe both) say something about my pick in the background. That wouldn’t surprise me either.

Speaking of surprises, that game was the only blemish I had with last week’s picks. I went 6-1, bringing my overall total to 11-1 for the season.

But this week will be a tricky one. A few games could go either way. Do I think Sand Rock’s game is one of them? Read on to find out.

Brindlee Mountain (0-2) at Collinsville (1-2): Collinsville took a beating at Fyffe last Friday night, but I’ve got a feeling the Panthers are going to return the favor on Friday night against Brindlee Mountain.

Including three COVID-19 forfeits from last season, the Lions have lost 36 straight games. Their last win came back on Sept. 29, 2017 at Douglas. They had to forfeit last week’s game to Sylvania also.

I look for the Panthers to get back on track in the big way.

The pick: Collinsville.

Glencoe (0-2) at Piedmont (2-0): The big news out of Glencoe this week was head coach Brian Alred resigned. Defensive coordinator Jamison Wadley takes the reins as the Yellow Jackets’ interim coach.

As if having a change at the top wasn’t enough, Glencoe travels to second-ranked Piedmont, which is coming off an impressive 28-12 win at Saks.

I look for a lot of Bulldogs to get playing time in this one.

The pick: Piedmont.

Sand Rock (2-0) at Gaston (0-3): Playing on the road the past two weeks hasn’t bothered the Wildcats, and I’m sure it’s not going to bother them this week at Gaston. Sand Rock is clicking in all facets of the game right now, and with each passing week, the Wildcats are gaining more and more confidence.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are reeling.

I won’t get ragged by Coach Jacoway this week for this pick. The Rock rolls to a big win.

The pick: Sand Rock.

Locust Fork (1-2) at Spring Garden (2-0): Truth be told, I don’t know much about Locust Fork, other than that’s where Sand Rock volleyball and girls basketball coach Lisa Bates is from.

So what did I do to help with my pick here? I asked Spring Garden coach Jason Howard to give me a little insight. He said the Hornets are very big. They run multiple formations, and they throw the ball more than run.

Sounds like the Panther defense will have to be on its toes, which it has been the past two weeks. The unit hasn’t allowed a point yet. I’m not quite bold enough to say the Panthers pitch a shutout again this week, but I think they’ll win nonetheless.

The pick: Spring Garden.

Gaylesville (2-1) at Coosa Christian (2-1): Speaking of shutouts, Gaylesville’s ‘D’ delivered one of those last week against Appalachian, while the Conquerors haven’t allowed a point the past two weeks in wins over Gaston and Woodville.

Gaylesville coach Brian Knapp says the Trojans will have their hands full, but I think the Conquerors will have their hands full defending Hunter Penney, Keylon Higgins and Michael Reynolds.

The pick: Gaylesville.

Cedar Bluff (1-1) at Sumiton Christian (2-0): Cedar Bluff made a huge turnaround last week, showing a lot of grit in its 33-26 victory over Valley Head. I think the Tigers are beginning to figure a few things out under new head coach Alan Beckett, and I look for them to figure out a little bit more this week at Sumiton Christian.

The pick: Cedar Bluff.

Anniston (3-0) at Cherokee County (1-1): The Warriors are excited to play their first game on their spiffy new artificial turf, but they’re playing a team that has the potential to burn rubber in seventh-ranked Anniston.

The Bulldogs feature Alabama commitment Antonio Kite, who caught a pair of 40-yard touchdown passes from quarterback Kam Sandlin in last week’s 22-9 win over Jacksonville.

Meanwhile, the Warriors bounced back from a tough loss at Piedmont behind the running of Lamycal Mitchell and Damien Ramsey in a 35-21 win at Springville.

This game has the potential to be very entertaining, and while I’d like to think the Warriors will christen their new turf with a win, I just think Anniston has a little bit more of an edge here.

The pick: Anniston.

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email
Share on print
Print