PREP CAPSULES: Defense leads 8th-ranked Loachapoka

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories previewing Friday’s high school football games. Today: AHSAA Class 1A-ICSGA & AISA. Thursday: Class 2A-5A. Friday: Class 6A.

How good is Loachapoka’s defense?

The eighth-ranked Indians still haven’t given up a single point in Class 1A-Region 4 play. That’s how good.

In four region contests, Loachapoka (5-1, 4-0) has outscored its opponents, 157-0.

The latest shutout came last week when Poka took down Winterboro, 30-0. So far, the Indians have shutouts over Notasulga, Donoho and Verbena.

Loachapoka’s offense isn’t too shabby, either. While the defense is allowing just 6.3 points per game, the offense is scoring 32 a game.

Last week, the Indians racked up 318 total yards with 222 of that coming on the ground.

Cory North had 95 yards rushing with two touchdowns while Patrey Hardnett carried for 87 yards.

As for Fayetteville, the Wolves picked up their first win of the season, 16-8, over Verbena.

But one of the Wolves five losses came to Notasulga — the Blue Devils’ only win of 2008 and victory that snapped a 15-game losing streak.

Class 1A
Notasulga (1-5) at Donoho (0-6)
Notasulga and head coach Roland Bell head into Friday’s matchup with a legitimate shot at picking up their second win of the year.

Donoho is a struggling team in Class 1A-Region 4.

The Falcons are winless on the year and have been outscored, 299-23, so far.

Fourteen of those 23 offensive points came last week in a 51-14 loss to Wadley.

Notasulga fell to a very tough, fifth-ranked, Talladega County-Central team, 43-8, last week.

AISA
No. 8 Glenwood (4-2) at Macon-East (2-4)
Marcus Woods rushed for 173 yards last week as Glenwood took down a game Lowndes Academy team, 35-21, in non-region play.

The Gators have lived up to preseason expectations, but the same can’t be said for Macon-East.

The state’s preseason No. 5 team in AISA, the Knights have dropped four of their last five.

That includes a 32-8 loss to Autauga Academy last week.

Coosa Valley (3-3) at Chambers (4-3)
Chambers Academy is on a three-game winning streak following last week’s 44-16 win over Dixie Academy.

Coosa Valley lost to Ashford, 34-6.

No. 2 Edgewood (6-0) at Springwood (3-4)
It’s been an up-and-down year for Springwood, with last week being one of the ups — a 13-8 win over Taylor Road.

But it’s going to be tough to get a fourth win Friday with the state’s second-ranked team heading to Lanett.

Edgewood, from AISA Class 2A, knocked off a strong 3A team last week, previously-ranked Fort Dale, 21-9.

Lyman Ward (1-5) at SMCA (0-6)
Lyman Ward has a prime shot at earning win No. 2 on Friday.

The Rangers pay a visit to South Montgomery County Academy, a team that is winless and has been outscored, 275-30, so far in 2008.

Lyman Ward is coming off a 46-14 loss to Crenshaw Academy.

ICSGA
Heritage (3-4) at Ballard (6-2)
Ballard was originally scheduled to travel to Sharpesburg, Ga., to take on Heritage. But the game was moved to Auburn due to the fact that
Heritage had not had their field’s lights installed yet.

Ballard enters the game trying to bounce back from a lopsided loss to Evangel last week.

Evangel, a team that has been playing 8-man football for at least seven years, downed the first-year Ballard team, 60-20.

tpeavy@oanow.com | 737-2568