AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week

       MONTGOMERY – Some high school football rivalries get better with age.
       Like this week’s AHSAA TV Network Game of Week pitting the Fayette County Tigers (6-0) at Gordo High School Thursday night.
       The two teams played for the first time in 1917 – with the Green Wave falling to Fayette 103-0. Roll forward to this decade and Gordo has won the three games by a combined score of 86-6.
       Two of the oldest rivals in the AHSAA, both programs have had proud programs with 1,352 wins between them. Fayette County ranks third all-time with a 711-362-35 record since starting football 109 years ago in 1914. Gordo is 642-363-31 in 105 seasons with its first contest played in 1915. Thursday’s game will be 76^th time the two teams have met. The Tigers lead the series 42-31-2.
       For the first time in a long, long with, both schools are being guided two new head coaches. Jared Porter, a Winfield alum who spent the last eight seasons as an assistant coach for the Green Wave, replaced Hall of Fame Coach Waldon Tucker prior to the start of the 2022 season. Tucker, who came out of an eight-year retirement in 2020, closed with a 322-144-3 career record, which ranks fifth all time in the AHSAA. He guided the Tigers to a 15-0 record and the Class 4A state title in 1996. Gus Smith, who served as defensive coordinator at Mobile Christian, was hired to replace veteran Gordo head coach Ryan Lolley. Lolley, who was 99-18 over the last nine seasons, took the head coaching position at Class 6A Northridge.
       WOTM TV will be producing the clash which will be shown over the AHSAA TV Network’s participating stations. 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. 
      Fayette County and Gordo both dropped from Class 4A to Class 3A this season and currently sit atop Region 5 still undefeated in region play. The Tigers are 3-0 and the Green Wave is 4-0. Gordo opened the season beating Class 4A Sipsey Valley 50-7 but suffered its only loss the next week losing to Bibb County 56-21. Since, the Green Wave has reeled off five straight wins beating Winfield (49-42), Midfield (56-13), Tarrant (49-0), Pickens County (48-18), and won last week over Carbon Hill (56-14). Smith’s team leads Class 3A with  46.7 points per game.
      Fayette County opened Porter’s head-coaching tenure with two tough wins over Cordova (28-24) and Sulligent (47-37). The Tigers followed with victories over Tarrant (45-0), Carbon Hill (59-8), Marion County (59-28), and Oakman (35-7). Fayette comes into this week’s battle averaging 45.5 ppg, which ranks second behind Gordo in Class 3A. The two teams currently rank 7^th and 9^th overall in the state scoring rankings.
     Both teams have gotten strong leadership at the quarterback position. Fayette County quarterback Blake Johnson has improved with each week. He was 8-of-14 passing last week for 130 yards and one TD in the Region 5 win over Oakman. Running back Dylan Schloerb rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries and Hollis Strawbridge le  the defense with six tackles, a fumble recovery and pass interception. Gordo quarterback Brax Garrison completed 8-of-12 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win over Carbon Hill. Running back Rayshawn Williams had just six carries for 110 yards  with touchdown runs of 5 and 61 yards and scored a third TD on a 66-yard pass reception. Receivers Ethan Wilder and Kohl Summerville have become prime targets for Garrison’s passes.
     St. Michael Catholic downed Orange Beach 49-41 in a key Class 4A, Region 1 tussle in last week’s AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week. Next week’s Game of the Week will feature Sparkman at Huntsville in a Class 7A, Region 4 game that could hold the key to which school wins the region title.
     The AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week is one of 35 games set for tomorrow night. Several games were moved from Friday to Thursday due to weather concerns stemming from Hurricane Ian in the Gulf. Central-Phenix City (4-2), coming off a tough loss to IMG Academy, travels to Dothan (5-1) in a key Class 7A, Region 2 battle at Rip Hewes Stadium; Lynn (4-1) hosts Pickens County (4-2) in Class 1A, Region 5 with both teams still unbeaten in region play; and in Class 3A, Region 2, Houston Academy ((5-0) hosts Straughn (4-1) with both teams tied for the region lead at 3-0. Each of those games are also scheduled to be live streamed over the NFHS Network.
     WOTM TV has put together a strong network of cable affiliates across Alabama. Tonight’s game will be live on WOTM TV as well as WABM TV 68 in Birmingham and most Spectrum networks. Check out the listings on the AHSAA website at the following link:
https://www.ahsaa.com/Portals/0/Sports/Football/Super%207/WOTM-Cities-November2020.pdf?ver=OVOVtQ2dCsWzvgoL086upQ%3d%3d&timestamp=1605813191158

     To access the AHSAA Game of the Week over the NFHS Network, go to the following link
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/ahsaa/gam2aad388e8c

   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%206%20results.pdf?ver=QzAcob4QmNeCJIFTTxKqbg%3d%3d&timestamp=1664805887162

   For this week’s scoring leaders, go to:
https://www.ahsaa.com/Portals/0/Sports/Football/Standings/2022/2022%20FB%20Sciorng%20Leaders%20-%20thru%20Week%206%20results.pdf?ver=OHimcCoJIljyGXWrL4OTDg%3d%3d&timestamp=1664805886401

                       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 at Gordo

Week   8:   Oct. 13            Sparkman at Huntsville

Week   9:   Oct. 20            TBA
Week 10:   Oct. 27            Hueytown at Gardendale

     Thursday’s full schedule of games is posted below: