It took me a couple of weeks to get a feel for the 2026 area high school football season, but I’m finally on a roll.

For the second straight week, I went undefeated in picking area games. Last week’s 6-0 mark moved my record to 18-8 for the year.

But just when I’ve gotten my feet firmly back on the ground, we take a step out of region play.

Will this week’s non-region battles throw me off, or will my newfound winning streak continue? Let’s see ‘What In The World Is Shannon Fagan Thinking?’ for this week.

Donoho (3-1) at Gaylesville (2-2)

The Falcons have won three in a row since a season-opening 48-7 loss at Hope Christian of Oxford. They held off Holy Spirit back on Sept. 11 35-33 and had last week off.

Meanwhile, Gaylesville had several players banged up in last week’s 48-0 loss to Woodville. Here’s thinking Donoho’s extra week off proves to be a factor.

The pick: Donoho.

Valley Head (0-5) at Sand Rock (2-2)

Friday’s Foothills Tractor Mahindra Game of the Week marks the first meeting between Sand Rock and Valley Head since 1999. Sand Rock won that contest by the final of 48-6, but Valley Head holds a 22-14 edge in the series with a tie.

Valley Head is in the midst of an 11-game losing streak dating back to Sept. 19, 2025. The Tigers are coming off a nail-biting 34-32 loss at Cedar Bluff.

The last time the Tigers were 0-5 was back in 2002. That year they began the season at 0-6 before winning their final four games of the season.
Here’s thinking Alec Ashley and company battle back from last week’s loss at Collinsville.

The pick: Sand Rock.

Ider (4-1) at Cedar Bluff (2-2)

The Hornets feature a rushing attack that’s been hard for opponents to stop this season. They’re averaging 34 points per game and scored a season-high 50 points last week in a win at North Sand Mountain.

Since a season-opening 20-15 win at West End, Cedar Bluff has allowed an average of 43 points and had to outlast Valley Head last week 34-32.

I’m afraid Ider isn’t too favorable a matchup for the Tigers.

The pick: Ider.

Spring Garden (3-2) at Pleasant Valley (4-1)

Since beginning the season at 0-2, Spring Garden has now won three in a row. The Panthers fell just a touchdown and extra point shy of setting a new team scoring record in a 69-46 shootout at Ragland.

Meanwhile, Pleasant Valley is coming off a 58-35 loss to Wellborn, its first of the season.

Virginia Tech commitment Braxton Salster still proved to be tough to stop. He led Pleasant Valley with 140 yards on 15 carries and completed 6-of-11 passes for 135 yards.

I’m thinking Spring Garden’s defense will struggle keeping up with him also.

The pick: Pleasant Valley.

Douglas (3-1) at Collinsville (4-0)

Like this week’s matchup between Valley Head and Sand Rock, this is the first meeting between Douglas and Collinsville since 1999.

The Class 5A Eagles nipped Albertville last week 29-26, and their lone loss this season was to a 4-1 Boaz team.

Collinsville shut out Sand Rock last week, but penalties were a problem. I’m thinking the Panthers shore those up, but I still think Douglas will be a little too much for them to handle.

The pick: Douglas.

Cherokee County (3-1) at Jacksonville (3-2)

Jacksonville has looked solid all season, even with the eligibility issues with quarterback Cross Land. Now that that’s behind them, the Golden Eagles are soaring.

They’ve won three in a row, including a 28-14 decision last week at Central of Clay County. In that game, Land connected on 17-of-21 pass attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown

The Warriors have been just that of late themselves, winners of three in a row since a 26-6 loss against Piedmont to open the season.

That’s the common opponent these two teams have, and even though the Golden Eagles had to forfeit the Piedmont game, they “won” with Land 34-8.

I like Jacksonville in this one, especially since the Golden Eagles are playing at home.

The pick: Jacksonville.

Alexandria (4-0) at Piedmont (5-0)

This one has all the feel of a playoff game between two traditional powerhouses.

Alexandria appears to be back to the Valley Cubs of old, while Piedmont continues to be one of the more dominant teams in North Alabama.

Speaking of dominant, the Valley Cubs have been just that in this series. They hold a 40-11 advantage with four ties throughout the years, including a 25-20 victory in their last meeting with the Bulldogs back in 2021.

A lot has changed for both in the five years since that game, but I still think the result will be much the same. I like Alexandria in a close one.

The pick: Alexandria.