AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week
MONTGOMERY – For two teams that are meeting on the football field for the first time in both schools’ history, Thursday night’s Pike Road vs. G.W. Carver football battle scheduled for Cramton Bowl, there will be a lot riding on the outcome.
Thursday night’s Class 6A, Region 2 clash will be the AHSAA TV Network/WOTM TV Game of the Week. Pike Road (5-3) comes into the contest at 4-1 in region play. The host Wolverines (7-1) are unbeaten in the region at 5-0. The math is simple. Thursday’s winner will be the Region 2 champion and claim the region’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming AHSAA Class 6A state playoffs. The loser will be No. 2.
The Patriots of Coach Ed Rigby dropped a heartbreaking 14-13 decision to Stanhope Elmore last week – a setback that snapped a 23-game region wining streak dating back to 2018. In fact, Pike Road, which moved to Class 6A for the first time this season, never lost region game in while in Class 5A. The school, which existed as a small rural school in Montgomery County from 1922 to 1945 and then a middle school until the City of Pike Road opened the doors for the new school in 2018, rolled through the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons going 19-0 in region play and 29-0 in the regular season. The Patriots reached the playoffs for the first time in 2018 – losing its initial playoff game in Class 3A. The program went 1-1 in the playoffs through the next two seasons, the first one in 3A and the second in 5A, and then rolled to a perfect 14-0 season in 2021 winning five straight playoff games to claim the Class 5A state crown. That leaves one win streak still intact – Pike Road’s current five-game post-season winning streak.
Rigby took over the Pike Road program this season after guiding Eufaula and Elba to a combined 81-30 record with nine straight trips to the state playoffs. His 2014 and 2015 Elba teams finished with back-to-back 14-1 records in Class 2A, losing to Fyffe 28-17 in the 2014 finals and beating the same Red Devils 36-22 for the state crown in 2015.
Carver, coached by Marcus Gardner, comes into Thursday’s Game of the Week riding a 10-game Class 6A, Region 2 winning streak. Gardner, in his second season as head coach, led the Wolverines to a third-place finish last season, but this year, Carver has outscored opponents 263-168 and has lost one game – 46-32 to powerful Catholic High School of Baton Rouge (LA), which won the Division I state crown in Louisiana last season.
Carver’s proud program has produced a number of outstanding players through the years with at least 10 making it all the way to the NFL. This year’s team touts two of the nation’s top defensive recruits, 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive lineman James Smith, rated by many as the top recruit in the Class of 2023 from the state, and linebacker Jaquavious Russaw, a 6-2, 230-pounder touted as one of the top rushing ends in the nation. Offensively, the Wolverines rely heavily on big-play receiver/quarterback Jamar Green and receiver Marquan Jamerson.
Rigby’s Patriots have been punishing on offense thanks to a powerful running attack that is averaging almost 350 yards per game. Sophomore Anthony Rogers, who shared time in the backfield as a freshman on last year’s state championship with current Ole Miss sensation Quinshon Judkins, has rushed for 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns on 100 carries. He has also been dangerous on kick returns. Senior De Aundre Williams has 345 yards and four TDs on 68 rush attempts and quarterback Kaleb Foster, a junior, has run the offense with precision. Though he does not pass much, he has been very accurate when he does throw currently owning a 63% completion rate.
The talented backfield has a strong offensive line in front of them with senior Vysen Lang, a 6-6, 330-pound tackle, leading the way. Lang, Carver’s Russaw and Smith were named last week to the Alabama All-Star squad which will play Mississippi’s All-Stars in the 36th annual Alabama-Mississippi Classic at Mobile in December.
The AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week is one of 10 games set for tomorrow night, and one of several this week that will decide region championships. Among Friday night’s headliners are Leroy (7-0) at Millry (8-1) in Class 1A, Region 1; Reeltown (6-1) at Highland Home (9-0) in Class 2A, Region 3; Randolph County (9-0) at Dadeville (7-0) in Class 3A, Region 4; Montgomery Catholic ((9-0) at Andalusia (9-0) in Class 4A, Region 2; Priceville (9-0) at Randolph (8-1) in Class 4A, Region 8; Faith Academy (7-1) at UMS-Wright (8-0) in Class 5A, Region 1; Russellville (5-3) at Fairview (7-1) in Class 5A, Region 8; Saraland (8-0) at Theodore (8-0) in Class 6A, Region 1; Gardendale (6-2) at Mountain Brook (7-1) in Class 6A, Region 5; Hoover (8-1) at Thompson (7-2) in Class 7A, Region 3.
WOTM TV will be producing Carver-Pike Road clash, which will be shown over the AHSAA TV Network’s participating stations across the state. The contest will also be live streamed over the NFHS Network and over wotm.tv. Executive producer is Vince Earley of WOTM TV. The commentators will be longtime TV personality Mickey Shadrix and for high school and college coach Rick Rhoades. WOTM TV has put together a strong network of cable affiliates across Alabama. Thursday’s game will be live on WOTM TV and WABM TV MY68 as well as Comcast Channel 17, WOW Channel 3, APT Channel 25.5 and most Spectrum networks. Check out the listings on the AHSAA website at the following link:
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/montgomery-county-public-schools-montgomery-al/gam6886b014cc
To access the AHSAA Game of the Week over the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/montgomery-county-public-schools-montgomery-al/gam6886b014cc
The AHSAA Radio Network’s Scoreboard Show will also air across the state Friday night. Go to www.ahsaaradionetwork.com for network information.
- To check out this week’s up-to-date AHSAA football standings by class and region, go to the following link:
https://www.ahsaa.com/Portals/0/Sports/Football/Standings/2022/2022%20FB%20Regional%20Standings%20-%20thru%20Week%207%20results%20-pdf2.pdf?ver=SGqeDDUCmJcDA9dfkSWCEA%3d%3d×tamp=1665606137062
2022 AHSAA TV NETWORK
FOOTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK
SCHEDULE
All Games also airing Live at 7 p.m., on WOTM TV/
AHSAA TV Network, WABM TV MY68, and NFHS Network
Week 0: Aug. 18 Helena 28, Chelsea- KICKOFF CLASSIC, CRAMTON BOWL
Aug. 19 Auburn 17, Hoover 14 – KICKOFF CLASSIC, CRAMTON BOWL
Week 1: Aug. 25 Southside-Selma 42, Hokes Bluff 7
Week 2: Sep. 1 Mountain Brook 49, Minor 14
Week 3: Sep. 8 Valley 46, Sylacauga 14
Week 4: Sep. 15 Auburn 58, Lee-Montgomery 7
Week 5: Sep. 22 Anniston 30, Piedmont 28
Week 6: Sep. 29 St. Michael Catholic 49, Orange Beach 41
Week 7: Oct. 6 Fayette County 35, Gordo 0
Week 8: Oct. 13 Sparkman 55, Huntsville 14
Week 9: Oct. 20 Pike Road vs. Carver-Montgomery, Cramton Bowl, 7 p.m.
Week 10: Oct. 27: Hueytown at Gardendale
Leave a Reply