The Southside Panthers (4-3) are getting excited for their homecoming game this Friday night against the Central Hayneville Lions (2-5).

“If you want to see a spectacle, you need to come here Friday,” Southside head coach Daniel Flowers said.

The game against the Lions gives Southside a break from region play after a tough road loss to Montgomery Academy last week that put them in third place in the Class 3A Region 3 standings.

Flowers wants to get off to a quick start, and try to put the game away early. He said the team needs to cut down on their errors, and have a more complete ball game.

“We need to pick up the mistakes we made last week and play good football,” he said. “I just want to finish the year strong and give the fans a good show. I don’t want it to be a close game.”

The Panthers have gone back and forth between starting Gneil Johnosn and Malik Johnson throughout the season, and Flowers plans to continue to use both against the Lions.

Last season, Southside defeated Central Hayneville 44-16.

SELMA AT MCADORY

The Selma High Saints (4-3) will face the McAdory Yellow Jackets (4-3) in McCalla for the first of three straight road games to finish the season.

Even though both teams share the same overall record, their region records are opposites of one another. The Saints have had trouble getting wins in the games that count with only one region victory, but the Yellow Jackets are in second-place with only one region loss.

Selma head coach Christopher Raymond doesn’t let the standings effect his mode of thinking, and remains focused on getting his players to work on getting the little things right.

“With us, it’s still about execution,” Raymond said. “It’s fundamentals. It’s just doing the little things you’re supposed to do to win a football game.”

The Saints have been inconsistent, but are coming off a big 56-41 region win over Brookwood. The Yellow Jackets represent one of the final two region opponents left on the schedule. They are a balanced team with explosive football players, according to Raymond.

“It’s a big ball game for us,” he said. “It’s the next step in where we want to be. You’ve got to beat teams like this to gain the respect of people throughout the state of Alabama.”

DALLAS COUNTY VS. JEMISON

The Dallas County Hornets (1-6) will host the Jemison Panthers (2-5) in Plantersville this Friday night.

The Hornets have had a tough time winning games this season, but according to head coach Cliff Matthews there’s still a chance the playoffs aren’t out of sight.

However, the chances are low and mostly out of the Hornets’ control.

“If we somehow happen to lose this game and Marbury still beats Central Tuscaloosa, that game will still have playoff implications next week,” Matthews said.

Instead of depending on the stars to align, the Hornets are still motivated in practice to get the little things right.

Jemison runs the flex bone offense, and according to Matthews, the Hornets will need to play assignment football if they’re going to stop the Panthers running attack.

It’s also homecoming week for DCHS, and Matthews is taking his team on a pre-game trip to Alabama State University in Montgomery for an extra team bonding experience.

“We’re going to do a college tour and visit the [football] facilities as well,” Matthews said. “I wanted to reward the players that stuck with us as a team, and also show them life outside of Selma. It’s a good time to get my seniors a taste of college.”

KEITH AT R.C. HATCH

The Keith High School Bears (4-3) will be looking for their fourth straight region win on the road against the R.C. Hatch Bobcats (2-5) on Friday night in Uniontown.

“Usually around Week 4 is when we start to really hit our stride,” Keith head coach Harry Crum said. “After that, things really started coming together.”

Since Week 4, the Bears haven’t scored less than 30 points and their only loss was in overtime against Southside High School. According to Crum, the key to keeping the momentum going will be limiting mistakes and executing their base plays.

“We don’t let up off the gas,” he said. “Our kids have confidence in what we do, so we just try to stick with what we know how to do and do that well.”

The Bears are currently tied for second in the Class 2A Region 4 standings with Thorsby with a 3-1 region record. The game against the Bobcats is just one of the final two region match games left on the schedule.

According to Crum, the yearly matchup with R.C. Hatch is always a hard-fought game. Fortunately for Keith, they are 27-0 against the Bobcats all-time.

“It’s like an Ali vs. Frazier boxing match, and everybody is just giving it everything they’ve got,” Crum said. “Hopefully, the story will go the same this year. We’re really striving to get that win.

MORGAN AT PIKE LIBERAL

The Morgan Academy Senators (4-4) are going to Troy Friday night to face the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (7-2) in their final region game of the season.

In 2016, the Patriots defeated the Senators 13-6. But Morgan owns the all-time series record 10-5 against Pike.

Morgan is tied for third place in the region, while Pike is in second place.

The Senators have a 2-2 record in the region and need this victory to have a shot at the playoffs.

Defeating Pike would bring the Patriots region record to 3-2 for a tie.

However, Fort Dale Academy has an opportunity to also finish 3-2 in the region if they defeat Hooper Academy on Friday night.