PREP CAPSULES: Lanett ready to rebound from loss

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of stories previewing Friday night’s high school football games. Today: Class 2A-3A. Friday: Class 5A-6A.

Lanett knew it was facing a big challenge last Friday.

As a Class 2A team, few figured the Panthers could hold on to its perfect record against a much larger Class 5A Valley team.

Granted, the Panthers had defeated Valley the previous year. But history told that Valley was the typical winner of the rivalry matchup.

And when the final horn sounded at the Valley Sportsplex, it was the homestanding Rams walking away with a 35-12 win.

That ended Lanett’s 17-game regular-season winning streak.

But for the Panthers and head coach Ronnie Sikes, there were more important things to think about for the remainder of the season. The
Valley game may have hurt some pride, but the most important focus comes when fellow Class 2A-Region 5 teams line up on the opposite side.

And Lanett’s focus will be put to a huge test this Friday. The ninth-ranked Panthers will hit the road to play No. 2 Clay County.

And Clay County is no stranger to big games, finishing last year as the Class 3A runner-up before dropping down to 2A this season.

Lanett will try to rebound by doing what it did during its four wins to open the year — pound the ball with running backs Scutt Morgan and Anthony Evans.

Class 2A
Reeltown (4-1) at Zion Chapel (1-4)
With nine returning starters back on the both sides of the ball and a wealth of depth to work with, Reeltown is playing like a team destined to make a run in the Class 2A playoffs.

When the Rebels dropped their first game of the season to a Dadeville team that went 0-10 in 2007, some wondered if Reeltown could recover.
It did.

For one thing, the loss to Dadeville has now proven to be not such a shocker, as the Tigers are ranked No. 8 in Class 3A at 5-0.

And Reeltown has rattled off four consecutive wins. The latest came last Friday when Reeltown took out Class 1A power Loachapoka, 24-14.

The Rebels put up 24 points on an Indian defense that had only allowed 14 all season and pitched three consecutive shutouts.

While Zion Chapel won last week, 67-16, over Kinston, it had lost its four previous contests, scoring 8 points each in two games, 7 in another and just 6 in its opener.

Class 3A
No. 8 Dadeville (5-0) at Montgomery Academy (4-1)
Dadeville will put its perfect record to the test Friday with a trip to a strong Montgomery Academy team.

Last week, Dadeville easily won over Randolph County, 35-0. Montgomery Academy downed St. James, 40-20.

Beulah (0-5) at Trinity (3-2)
Just a year after making the Class 3A playoffs, Beulah is simply trying to find a way to get a win on the board.

So far, 2008 has been a rough one for the Bobcats with injuries and plain bad luck halting chances for wins.

And it won’t be easy to get in the win column Friday.

Trinity, despite being only 3-2 on the year, was ranked No. 2 in Class 3A early in the season.