PREP CAPSULES: Auburn High set for top-ranked Prattville

The 2008 football season has been a magical one for Auburn High.

But the Tigers aren’t ready to settle for just 12 wins — their sights are set on a trip to Birmingham for the Super 6 and a chance at the
school’s first-ever state championship.

But Birmingham is still two more wins away, and picking up the first of those two will be no easy task as Auburn (12-0) visits national power Prattville (10-1) tonight at 7 p.m. inside Stanley-Jensen Stadium for a Class 6A third-round matchup.

“Our kids our excited about this opportunity,” Auburn head coach Tim Carter said. “I tell you what, it’s a lot better to be here right now than at home counting
helmets.”

Auburn is in the third round for just the second time in school history.

The last time the Tigers got this far into the postseason was 2001. That year Auburn beat Baldwin County, 20-10, to advance to the semifinals, where it was eliminated by Daphne.

Auburn has been stellar on both sides of the ball, averaging 36.8 points per game on offense while allowing just 18 per game on defense.

Last week the Tigers matched their highest point total of the year when they whipped Wetumpka, 49-21 — a game in which Auburn led 42-0 at one point.

While Auburn finds itself in a rare spot in the third round, Prattville is no stranger to being this deep into the postseason.

The Lions (10-1) are the two-time defending 6A state champions and haven’t lost to a team from the state of Alabama since 2005 — a streak of 39 games.

Last week the Lions jumped all over Opelika early, leading 14-0 just three minutes into the game before running away with a 44-11 win.

And Carter knows allowing Prattville to repeat the big start from a week ago won’t fly if his team expects to escape Stanley-Jensen with a win.

“You have to play 48 minutes against them,” Carter said. “You definitely don’t want to start bad, but even if you get up on them you have to continue to play at a high level because they’ll keep playing at a high level.”

In preparation for today’s trip to Prattville and a stadium with an artificial playing surface, Auburn practiced Thursday at the Auburn University practice facility on AU’s Sprint Turf field.

Prattville eliminated Auburn from the postseason last year, beating the Tigers in Auburn, 24-13, in the second round.

Class 1A
Linden (12-0) at Loachapoka (9-2)
Loachapoka will be trying to reach the state semifinals for the first time in school history, but will have to upset unbeaten Linden and its two dangerous running backs to do so.

Loachapoka has reached the third round five times since 1986, but has been unable to advance further.

The last trip into the third round for the Indians came in 2005 and ended with a loss to Brantley.

Loachapoka reached the third round by beating region rival Talladega County-Central for the second time this year, 15-7.

Linden has torn through its schedule this year on the legs of running backs Maurice Tate and Shantrell Braxton.

The two have combined to rush for 3,535 yards and 60 touchdowns.

Tate has amassed 2,117 yards and 41 touchdowns, leaving him five TDs shy of the state single-season record. Braxton has added 1,418 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Class 2A
Reeltown (11-1) at Pickens County (11-1)
Just a year after missing the playoffs and finishing with a 4-6 record, Reeltown finds itself two wins away from a berth in the Class 2A title game.

The Rebels are on an 11-game win streak after dropping the first contest of the year to Dadeville.

Reeltown’s offense is putting up strong numbers — averaging 38.5 points per game while the defense has been simply spectacular.

The Rebels’ defense is allowing just 6.4 points per game, and before allowing 10 points to American Christian last week had shut out five its last six opponents.

Pickens County is also riding an 11-game win streak with an offense averaging 38.3 points per game and a defense allowing just 11.6 points.

tpeavy@oanow.com | 737-2568