PREP FOOTBALL: Central looks to stop Golden, Wetumpka

Editor’s Note: This is the final article in a series previewing this week’s prep football games. Today: 6A

Wetumpka junior Jamal Golden is a 6-foot, 180-pound signal-caller that is lethal with his legs and can throw the ball if need be.

Sound familiar? It does to Ron Nelson.

“God almighty,” said the Central coach. “He isn’t quite the entire package like Calvin Jenkins, but he’s the next best thing I’ve seen. He basically beat Stanhope Elmore by himself.”

How the Red Devils’ defense hems up Golden and the Indians tonight could have a lot to do with how Nelson feels going into his team’s first-round matchup with the Mustangs next week.

Central, the No. 2 seed in Class 6A-Region 3, will host Stanhope — the 3 seed from region 4 — to open the playoffs a week after traveling to face the second-seed Indians in its final regular season game.

“As far as competition, you need to go in feeling good about yourself,” Nelson said. “But not with that false pretense you get from playing someone you’re much better than.”

Wetumpka beat Stanhope, 40-27, in the second week of the season. The Red Devils eked by the Mustangs, 32-29, on a blocked field goal on the final play of the game three weeks later.

Nelson is not exactly relishing the rematch with Stanhope.

“That’s just the luck of the draw,” he said. “I can think of a lot of teams I’d rather play than Stanhope Elmore, but that’s the way it’s gonna be.”

Opelika ... In or Out?
Never has a bye week had so much to do with a team’s playoff fortunes.

The Bulldogs’ loss to Auburn High last week, coupled with wins by Dothan and Enterprise, created a three-way tie for the final two playoff spots in 6A-Region 3.

The tiebreaker that applies to this situation is (n), “the team whose defeated opponents have the most victories.”

And, since Opelika is open this week and the other two teams aren’t, it puts the Bulldogs at a marked disadvantage.

The Bulldogs (22) lead the Wildcats (21) and Tigers (18) right now in defeated opponent wins, with Vigor’s win Thursday putting them up for the moment.

But Enterprise can pick up one win if it beats Jeff Davis tonight, and Dothan can pick up four more if it beats Lee-Montgomery.

Dothan, Enterprise and Opelika have all beaten the same three teams — Russell County, Smiths Station and Northview — so their wins cancel out.

Opelika basically has to hope for Alma Bryant and Carroll-Ozark to lose — since those are two uncommon defeated opponents for Dothan and Enterprise.

A Eufaula loss to Russell County would also help, since both Dothan and Enterprise beat Eufaula.

And an Enterprise win coupled with a Dothan loss would actually help Opelika’s case, since the Bulldogs get the Wildcats’ wins and Enterprise gets Dothan’s.

But, in the same vein, if a winner can’t be decided by (n), it would go to (p) — the team with the most victories. And if Enterprise wins, Dothan loses and Opelika is idle, the Wildcats would get third — with seven wins to the other teams’ six — and Dothan would nab the fourth spot because of those disastrous 75 seconds at Rip Hewes Stadium in early September.

Opelika’s best hope if it doesn’t take third with (n) is for Dothan to win that tiebreak, because the Bulldogs would win a head-to-head for the fourth spot with the Wildcats.

Either way, it’s going to be a nervous — and confusing — off week for Opelika.

dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568

No. 7 Central (8-1) at Wetumpka (6-3)
Central Key Players: RB Cordary Clark-Allen (Sr., 6-2, 195); LB Montrel Crawford (Sr., 6-1, 195); RB Deon Hill (Sr., 6-0, 190)

Stat Pack: The Red Devils have rushed for 285.1 yards per game this year ... Hill has 1226 yards and 14 scores ... Central is hosting its first playoff game since 2004.

Series Information: Wetumpka beat the Red Devils, 41-21, last year.