We’ve reached another non-region week for area high school football teams, but there isn’t any shortage of intrigue with the matchups.

Two rivalry games, along with two first-ever meetings, highlight Week 5. We’ll dive into all of them below, but first, an update on how yours truly fared last week.

Sand Rock fell a touchdown and an extra point short of sending its game with Pleasant Valley to overtime in the closing minute for my only setback of the week. I went 5-1, bringing my overall mark to 25-4 on the season. Which teams do I like this week? Read on to find out ‘What in the World is Shannon Fagan Thinking?’

Gaylesville (2-2) at Verbena (4-0)

Here’s the first of two first-ever meetings this week. The Trojans are coming off a bye week and will make the 2-hour, 20-minute trek to Chilton County on Friday. This is only the Red Devils’ second home game of the season, who are coming off a 48-0 victory at Ellwood Christian.

I’m sure a week off has helped the Trojans, but that long road trip concerns me a bit.

The pick: Verbena.

Cherokee County (4-1) at Shades Valley (2-3)

The second of our first-ever meetings takes place in Irondale. The Mounties are coming off a 25-19 overtime win against Pinson Valley, which ended their three-game skid. But those losses have been against some tough opponents: at Leeds (28-19), versus Oxford (45-21) and at Clay-Chalkville (42-0).

Meanwhile, the Warriors appear to have hit their stride. They’re coming off two straight shutouts and have only given up six points in the past three weeks.

Behind the solid running of Tae Diamond and Keyshawn Woods, I like the Warriors to come away with a hard-fought road win.

The pick: Cherokee County.

B.B. Comer (1-3) at Piedmont (4-0)

This isn’t a first-ever meeting, but it has been five years since the Bulldogs and Tigers have tangled in the regular season.

The Tigers were 13-1 a season ago in Class 2A. They’ve struggled since moving up this season. They just captured their first win of the 2024 season last week at Childersburg, a 12-0 decision.

Meanwhile, Piedmont is back to doing what Piedmont does and that’s winning. Last week, freshman backup quarterback Cole Austin filled in for an injured Cole Wilson and the Bulldogs didn’t miss a beat. He threw for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns and also ran for 101 yards on 10 carries, including an 89-yard score, in a 38-10 rout of Westbrook Christian.

I don’t think it matters which Cole is at quarterback for Piedmont on Friday. I think the Bulldogs will be 5-0 after this one.

The pick: Piedmont.

Sand Rock (3-2) at Collinsville (2-3)

Collinsville’s Quintavious Rogers has been playing pinball with defenses the past couple of weeks. He’s scored 10 total touchdowns in wins over Whitesburg Christian and Asbury.

Somehow, Sand Rock’s defense must find a way to slow him down. The unit has proven stingy the past four weeks, giving up an average of a touchdown during that span.

But the problem is Collinsville has other viable scoring threats other than Rogers in quarterback Mason McAteer and receiver Gavin Lang.

I like the Panthers in this one.

The pick: Collinsville.

Spring Garden (5-0) at Cedar Bluff (2-3)

A year ago, these two teams played a classic defensive battle, decided in the final 33 seconds when Cedar Bluff quarterback Kaden Pack scrambled and scored the game-tying touchdown. Carter Dillingham connected on the game-winning extra point in the Tigers’ 7-6 victory.

A lot has changed since that game. Cedar Bluff has had to retool but the Tigers seem to be coming around. They’ve won two of their last three games and came within a whisker of defeating North Sand Mountain.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have lost just once since that game with Cedar Bluff last season behind a veteran team.

Like I mentioned with Collinsville, Spring Garden has a trio of players that give defenses fits in Connor Bates, John Welsh and Noah Barber. Last week, Bates battered Valley Head for 269 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, while Welsh added 150 yards and a score on just six carries in a 32-13 victory.

I think the Panthers exact revenge in this week’s Foothills Tractor Game of the Week.

The pick: Spring Garden.