The calendar has flipped to November. High school football’s regular season is now in the books.

Five of our coverage area teams have survived the past 11 weeks, and now four of them will have to win on the road Thursday or Friday if they want to keep their seasons alive. It won’t be easy, but at this point, nothing should be.

It’s high school football playoff time in Alabama, and with apologies to Andy Williams’ classic Christmas song, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Thursday night
Spring Garden (6-4) at Hackleburg (7-3)

Out of all the first-round playoff matchups involving our coverage area teams this week, this battle of the Panthers could turn out to be the best. The two teams’ combined seven losses have come against squads who are a combined 55-15 this season, so you know they’re battle tested and playoff ready.

However, Hackleburg is at home, where they’ve won their last six first round home playoff games. Spring Garden is just 2-2 in the first round on the road. I’ll give Hackleburg a slight edge.

The pick: Hackleburg.

Sand Rock (3-7) at Red Bay (8-2)

The Wildcats are catching Red Bay at a bad time. The Tigers are coming off a 46-38 loss at Phil Campbell, and it’s their first home game since Oct. 10, where they’re 6-0 this season.

Sand Rock is just 2-12 on the road all time in the first round of the state playoffs, including last year’s 49-0 loss at Vincent. The last time the Wildcats won a first round road playoff game was back in 2007, a 20-14 decision at Westbrook Christian.

I’m afraid the Wildcats’ first season under new head coach Tanner Nelson ends on Friday night.

The pick: Red Bay.

Phil Campbell (6-4) at Piedmont (10-0)

The Bobcats head to Piedmont with a bit of confidence. As I mentioned, they defeated a solid Red Bay team last week 46-38 at home, but the Field of Champions can be quite an intimidating place to play.

Phil Campbell is 1-10 on the road in the first round of the state playoffs, including last year’s 56-6 thrashing to Gordo. You have to go all the way back to 1978 to find the Bobcats’ only win on the road in the first round, a 26-15 decision at Pickens County.

Meanwhile, Piedmont is 22-2 all-time at home in the first round.

I like for the Bulldogs’ home field advantage to come through once again.

The pick: Piedmont.

Cherokee County (7-3) at Good Hope (8-2)

Cherokee County has a couple of things in its favor in its road trip to Good Hope.

One is the Warriors had last week off to prepare for the Raiders, who are just 6-6 in their first-round playoff history at home.

Also, in the Warriors’ favor is they’ve won the previous two meetings with Good Hope by a combined score of 85-7. They defeated Good Hope 35-0 in 2023 and 50-7 in 2022.

Expect a heavy dose of Keyshawn Woods running the football and the Warriors pulling out a victory in our Foothills Tractor Game of the Week.

The pick: Cherokee County.

Friday night
Collinsville (8-2) at Colbert County (7-3)

If you listen to the Mathis Trailers and Equipment End Zone on Thursday nights, then you know we’re big on the Panthers being better than just your ordinary third place playoff team. They just have the misfortune of playing against the likes of Fyffe and Geraldine in region play year after year.

This is where I feel it’s going to pay off for them.

Look for Mason McAteer to continue doing what Mason McAteer does, and that’s being the dual passing and running threat that gives most defenses fits.

The pick: Collinsville.