Halloween weekend is here, which means it’s also the last one for high school football’s regular season.

There’s still work to be done for Cherokee County, Cedar Bluff and Gaylesville if they want a playoff treat. But will their respective opponents Fairview, Sand Rock and Verbena dig into their bag of tricks and spoil their fun?

Meanwhile, Collinsville and Spring Garden have already brewed up their playoff potions. But will both prides of Panthers be purring or howling their way into postseason?

As for Piedmont, the Bulldogs might just have the right idea by taking this week off, because you just never know what might happen around All Hallows’ Eve.

Let’s see ‘What In The World Is Zombie Shannon Fagan Thinking?’ in the final regular season chapter of the 2026 regular season.

Collinsville (7-2, 6-1) at Valley Head (1-8, 0-6)

Collinsville is one scary team heading into the Class 2A state playoffs. I look for the Panthers to carve up the Tigers and put them out of their misery in this one.

The pick: Collinsville.

Gaylesville (4-4, 2-4) at Verbena (6-3, 4-3)

Gaylesville was oh-so-close to a playoff berth last week, but Cedar Bluff hexed their plans. Now the Trojans must win on the road against a tough Verbena team and hope Sand Rock spooks the Tigers.

After consulting my Magic 8 ball regarding the Trojans’ playoff chances, it replied “very doubtful.”

The pick: Verbena.

Ranburne (6-3, 4-3) at Spring Garden (5-4, 5-1)

Spring Garden got humbled last week at Woodville and saw its chances of winning a region championship disappear. The Panthers still have a home playoff game next week against South Lamar, but first they have to deal with a tough Bulldog team that will also be playing at Luverne in next week’s Class 2A state playoffs.

Spring Garden has historically struggled against Ranburne. They’ve won only once against them in eight meetings. And this Bulldog team has played pretty well on the road this season, losing only once at undefeated Reeltown.

I’m afraid Ranburne continues to haunt the Panthers.

The pick: Ranburne.

Sand Rock (4-5, 3-4) at Cedar Bluff (4-5, 2-4)

The first of two Foothills Tractor Mahindra Games of the Week treats features a cat fight between two county rivals this evening.

Sand Rock quarterback Alec Ashley haunted the Tiger defense last season. He had a near-record performance by completing 27-of-35 pass attempts for 462 yards and eight touchdowns. Ashley also ran for 27 yards on six carries and finished with 489 total yards in a 68-40 shootout.

Preventing Ashley from having another explosive night is the top priority of Cedar Bluff’s defense. While I think the Tigers have a little more success than they did last year, I still think Ashley manages to make enough plays to cast a spell on them.

The pick: Sand Rock.

Fairview (5-3, 4-3) at Cherokee County (5-3, 5-1)

Our second Foothills Tractor Mahindra Halloween football treat features the Warriors entertaining the Aggies on Friday night.

Fairview has been eliminated from playoff contention, is coming off an open week, and is also 2-0 against the Warriors.

With it being Halloween weekend, this has the makings of being a nightmarish matchup for Cherokee County, which is trying to secure a home game in next week’s Class 4A state playoffs.

But I’m not buying into an Aggie jinx.

The past three weeks, the Warriors have been clicking on all cylinders. They’ve averaged 46 points and have given up less than two touchdowns in wins over Sardis, Good Hope and Crossville. Like I said with Collinsville earlier, this is one scary team to be facing right now. I look for the Warriors to be a nightmare for the Aggies.

The pick: Cherokee County.