MONTGOMERY – When defending Class 5A state football champion Ramsay High School and Birmingham city rival Wenonah kick off tonight’s important Class 5A, Region 5 contest  at Legion Field, both teams are playing for much more than just a win.
      “This give our schools a chance to show everyone just how well we play football in the City,” said Ramay head coach Ronnie Jackson.
     His counterpart, Dragons’ head coach Nickolas Howard agrees. “Playing Ramsay at Legion Field in the (AHSAA TV Network/WOTM) Game of the Week is a big deal to both schools,” he said. “ I think we have a lot of positives going on in Birmingham at our schools. We have good coaching staffs and good players who are all working very hard. We are glad to get to show what we are doing to others.”
     Tonight’s game, which kicks off  7:05 P.M., is being produced by Vince Earley and his talented crew from WOTM TV. Caleb Brooks and Mickey Shadrix will be in the announcers’ booth for the game, which will be shown live over WOTM, My68 TV in Birmingham, and the AHSAA TV Network member cable affiliates. It also will be live streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform and WOTM.tv.
     Ramay (4-2) comes into the game tied with John Carroll Catholic at 3-0 at the top of the Region 5 standings. Wenonah (5-1) is tied at 2-1 with Pleasant Grove in what has proven to be one of the toughest 5A regions in the AHSAA.
    The Rams rolled to a 13-2 record last season capping off the year with a 41-20 victory over Charles Henderson in the Super 7 Class 5A state finals at Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. The season included a 41-6 win over Wenonah – which finished 3-6 in Howard’s second year at the helm. This year, the Dragons have been consistently strong with their only loss a 35-21 loss to Pleasant Grove. Outside that contest, Howard’s strong, rugged defense has allowed only 21 points in five Wenonah wins.
     Ramsay has lost two games – a 20-17 setback to Class 6Acity rival Parker and a 13-7 defeat to Class 7A Auburn, which finished as state runner-up last season to Thompson. The Rams have plenty of experience, and perhaps the best inside linebacking tandem in the state. Quinton “QB” Reese has  recorded 97 tackles this season with 17 resulting in losses. He has 264 career tackles and  43 tackles for losses. The 5-foot-10 junior already has eight career sacks as well.
    Teammate Marquel Patterson, also a junior, has 97 tackles and 12 for loss. He has 181 career tackles as well. Defensive tackle Demarcus Wynn, a bruising 6-foot, 265 senior, has 44 tackles on the year and a team-leading nine sacks – which ranks among the tops in the state.
    The Rams’ offense is averaging 30.7 points a game against a very tough slate of opponents and allowing only 14.2.  The backfield is anchored by two key starters from last year’s championship run. Quarterback Kam Keenan, a strong 6-3, 215-pound junior, has completed 80-of-141 passes for 1,211 yards and 13 touchdowns this season with just four interceptions. His top receivers are speedy Tremell Washington, who has 25 catches for 419 yards and three TDs, and Kristian Stinson, a 6-3 senior, with 22 receptions for 490 yards and five scores. Senior Ashton Ashford, who scored five touchdowns to earn MVP honors in the 2022 Super 7 finals, is the team’s leading rusher with 51 carries for 258 yards and five TDs.
     With good depth and experience on his side, Jackson is taking nothing for granted, however. 
“Wenonah has a strong history and has a very good team,” he said. “We expect it to be a big challenge, a great game. After winning the state title last season, I keep pointing out to our players that every team we play is going to give us their best shot, and we have to be prepared for that each week.”
      Wenonah’s 5-1 record is includes more wins than the Dragons won in Jackson’s first two seasons combined. “The reason we are having more success this year is really not a secret,” Howard said, “It is because of hard work. Our kids are putting in the time and the effort to get better every day. For us, it’s all about working hard.”
     The proof is in the results. Wenonah is yielding just 9.3 points per game, which ranks third in the state in Class 5A trailing only Gulf Shores (8.3) and Central, Clay County (9.0). In the Dragons’ five wins, that defensive average drops to just 4.2 points per game thanks in big part to three shutout wins.
      The tough running of  senior Dominic Bruce helped keep the ball in Wenonah’s hands at a much better rate this season. He has 53 carries for 632 yards and eight touchdowns. Quarterback Anthony Young is the second-leading rusher on the team with  349 yards and five TDs on 44 carries. He has also completed 32-of-65 passes for 517 yards and seven touchdowns with just two picks. Bruce is averaging 11.9 yards per carry and Young, 7.9. Wenonah is rushing for 219.3 yards per game thus far this season with 18 rushing touchdowns. When Young does throw, he’s likely targeting 6-4 senior receiver Demarcus Johnson, who has 13 receptions for 315 yards and six scores – and 24.2 yards per catch.
     Senior middle linebacker Joshua Grant has 33 tackles, including three sacks. He had 11 tackles in a win over Jasper.
      The AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week is one of at least five varsity games scheduled for tonight  over the NFHS Network. A total of approximately 160 broadcasts are currently scheduled for the NFHS Network tonight and tomorrow night.
       To access the AHSAA Game of the Week the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ahsaa/gamdf1fb90ae9
      Among the top games being live-streamed over the NFHS Network across the state Friday night as play heads into the second half of the regular season include: Class 1A: Linden (4-1) at Sweet Water (4-1); Lynn (4-1) at Pickens County (4-2); Class 2A: Highland Home (6-0) at Luverne (6-0); Class 3A: Fayette County (4-1) at Oakman (5-1);  Class 4A: Deshler (4-2) at West Morgan (5-0; Class 5A: John Carroll Catholic (5-0) at Pleasant Grove (4-1); Scottsboro (5-0) at Guntersville (5-0); Class 6A: Briarwood Christian (3-2) at Helena (6-0); Muscle Shoals(5-1) at Hartselle (5-1); Class 7A: Dothan (5-1) at Central-Phenix City (50); and Thompson (4-1) at Hewitt-Trussville (5-1).

       The AHSAA Radio Network’s Scoreboard Show will also air across the state Friday night. Go to www.ahsaaradionetwork.com for network information.