Joxpreps

Randolph County is seeking to send Region 5's second seeded playoff team to the semifinals for the second year in a row while Sylvania looks to make their first semifinal appearance since 1994 in a match-up of two physical running games.

The Eagles avenged their semifinal loss to Madison Academy in the 1st round and upset the 2nd-ranked Rogers Pirates last week. Fayette County took care of Jacksonville last week after getting by West Limestone in Round 1. The 2015 state runner-up Tigers would like to make another short trip to Tuscaloosa for the final while Hokes Bluff looks to give themselves another shot at getting to their third state championship game in school history.

The reigning 5A state champion suffered a blow when Mr. Football running back La'Damian Webb went down to injury in the first round. St. Paul's now awaits in Mobile for the quarterfinals and the Saints are interested in getting back to the state finals after championships in 2014 and '15.

Pinson Valley and Austin have been on a collision course even before the season began when Patrick and Bo Nix left Scottsboro for Pinson and Asa Martin returned to Austin from IMG Academy. Now, the unbeaten Indians and Black Bears meet in Decatur for a spot in the semifinals and to see determine the favorite for the 6A state title.

For the second time in three years, the Hoover Bucs missed out on the region championship. They'll have to travel to Alabaster to face the Thompson Warriors for a spot in the Super 7. Thompson looks to make the state finals for the first time since 1982 while the Bucs hope to avoid going 0-for-2 to a region foe in the same season once again.

For the third straight season, the southern half of Class 7A comes down to McGill-Toolen and Central-Phenix City. The Red Devils have fallen to the Yellow Jackets in each of the previous two encounters, but they'll host this meeting. Can Jamey Dubose and Central finally find a way to knock off McGill and make it to the Super 7?

A rematch of last year's first round upset, Muscle Shoals once again heads to Oxford to face the Yellow Jackets in a pivotal second round affair. Both teams will look to establish the ground game, but can the Trojans be the first to break 20 on the Oxford defense?

Kyle Parmley of Starnes Publishing talks about the Mountain Brook-Thompson rematch and if Mountain Brook has much of a chance to pull out the big upset over the Warriors. Kyle also gives his pick on who the Warriors or Spartans will face in the semifinals.

Aliceville wants to get back to the Super 7 for a second straight season but must take on the best team Luverne has put on the field since 2013.

Andalusia ended the season as the top ranked team in the state. St. James fell just shy of winning their third region title in four years but look to be the hottest team in 4A, averaging a margin of victory of +38.4 points over the last seven games. Can the Bulldogs withstand the charge of the Trojans with a much more appealing quarterfinal match-up awaiting?

The last two state finalists from the north half of Class 5A meet up in Kimberly as Mortimer Jordan's multi-faceted rushing attack tries to do what Alexandria couldn't...run over the ferocious Dragon defense. On the other side, Wenonah QB Carlos Rogers has stated this game is about revenge from the 2015 playoff loss to the Blue Devils. The Dragon offense seeks to repeat a 40-point performance from last week against a defense giving up just 13 points a game.

Aaron Daniel (Clay-Chalkville alum) and Jon Lunceford (Homewood alum) break down a big second round match-up between their alma maters. Clay hasn't been able to dominate Homewood in two previous meetings, both at Cougar Stadium. With this game at Waldrop Stadium and Homewood a top region seed, Clay will look to ride the momentum of their school-record fourth shutout on the season while the Patriots must find a way to cope with their injuries and avoid another slow start.

These two teams met in the semifinals last year in a hard-fought 21-14 Mobile Christian win. Gordo has fallen short of the state finals each of the last three seasons in either the semifinals or quarterfinals. Mobile Christian is in the unexpected position of being the third seed from 3A Region 1 but still believe they can return to the Super 7. It's a game many expected to see in the semifinals once again, but who will prevail in a pivotal 2nd round clash?

The reigning 5A champion Beauregard Hornets and Calera Eagles both survived grueling home battles last Friday. Beauregard kicked a late field goal to avenge their lone loss of the season against Greenville while Calera scored a touchdown on the final play to knock off Jackson. With Mr. Football La'Damian Webb's ankle injury hanging in the air as a possible hindrance, how will the 2016 state champions fare against a hungry Calera squad seeking their first quarterfinal since 2007?

The Poets of Sidney Lanier have not lived up to the unfamiliar expectations placed on them this year as they fell short of winning the 6A Region 2 crown over Park Crossing a month ago. Now, they face a tough 2nd round test having to travel to Spanish Fort and face a Toros team that ranks third in 6A in scoring.

In a game that was anticipated for last year's semifinal, the Hoover Bucs head to Trussville to take on Hewitt in a quarterfinal match-up to see who will take one step closer to the state championship in Tuscaloosa. The Huskies fell in last year's quarterfinal game to Gadsden City and would like to avoid another stop on their road to the Super 7 while the Bucs want to get to a possible rematch with Thompson in the semifinals to avenge their only in-state loss before a potential trip to T-Town in December.

The Red Devils from Maplesville are Alabama's most dominant program in the last five years, looking to make their fifth straight state title game and win their fourth straight blue map. To do that, their road will begin with a visit from a familiar foe from just south of Demoplois: Linden. The Patriots are reeling after one of their most disappointing regular seasons in the last decade. Can Linden stun the Red Devils early on?

Cleveland finished on the short end of a three-way tie for first in Class 2A Region 7. After region champion Tarrant's first-round loss to Ranburne, can the Panthers carry the torch going forward? LaFayette is disappointed with a second place finish in Region 5 after winning the league crown last year. How will the Bulldogs handle a tough test at home?

The Weaver Bearcats are once again the fourth seed in Class 3A Region 5, but that didn't stop them from making a run to the quarterfinals last year. Are the Region 6 champion Bears of Plainview good enough to put a stop to Region 5's recent postseason dominance?

Aaron Daniel and Jon Lunceford look at the Class 1A playoffs and try to figure out who's in the best position to challenge the reigning three-time state champion Maplesville Red Devils. Georgiana? Pickens County? Cedar Bluff? Lynn?