Tuscaloosa area high school football predictions for third round playoff games
The path to the Alabama High School Athletic Association's Super 7 Championships is getting closer for many teams.
Here is a look at some of the top games in the Tuscaloosa area in the quarterfinal round of the AHSAA playoffs. The Tuscaloosa News will be present at Hillcrest at Saraland.
Last week, Anna went 2-2 with her picks, putting her at 34-11 on the season.
Game of the week:
Hillcrest (12-0) at Saraland (12-0)
Hillcrest takes a trip down to Saraland to try and knock off the defending Class 6A state champions. This highly anticipated matchup features the Spartans, the No. 1 team in Class 6A, and the No. 3 ranked Patriots.
These teams are familiar high stakes meetings. Two years ago, Hillcrest defeated Saraland 24-6 in the quarterfinals, then the Spartans got their revenge and defeated the Patriots 56-31 in the second round of playoffs last season.
Saraland has the second highest-scoring offense in the state, averaging 40.7 points through its 12 games this season. That fiery offense is led by quarterback KJ Lacey, a Texas commit, along with wide receiver and Alabama commit Ryan Williams.
The Spartans' offense will be up against a Hillcrest defense that is No. 5 in the state, allowing 85 total points and an average of 7.1 per game through the 12 games the Patriots have played. Last week in the win over Helena, the Hillcrest defense accounted for two touchdowns, and it has allowed 13 points through the first two rounds of the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how it can contain the high-powered Spartans offense.
Anna's pick: Saraland wins 54-42
Eufaula (9-3) at Demopolis (10-2)
This matchup is a battle between two of the remaining No. 1 seeds in Class 5A. It will be the third time these two programs face off against each other, and the first time they compete in almost three decades. Demopolis enters the matchup after narrowly defeating B.C. Rain 13-6 last week, while Eufaula defeated Faith Academy 41-14.
Demopolis is having a great first season under first-year head coach Lance Tucker. After getting knocked out in the second round of playoffs for the last three years, Demopolis broke through and made its way to the quarterfinals this year. Now, if it gets the win over Eufaula, it can make its way to the state semis for the first time since 2017.
Demopolis will have to contain a productive Eufaula offense that is averaging 36.4 points per game. The Tigers defense, though, has two shutouts this season along with holding six of its 12 opponents to under 10 points.
There is no doubt this game may come down to the wire, but may the best Tiger win.
Anna's pick: Demopolis wins 24-21
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Tuscaloosa Academy (10-2) at Pisgah (11-1)
Tuscaloosa Academy has made it to the quarterfinal round of playoffs for its second-straight season in the AHSAA. Now, it faces its toughest competition yet in Pisgah.
The Eagles have an extremely productive offense, setting a program record for most points scored in a regular season with 536. Now, through their two playoff games, Pisgah has run that total to 602. That is 60.2 points per game.
However, Tuscaloosa Academy has plenty of offensive firepower of its own behind quarterback Preston Lancaster, who has scored more than 50 touchdowns this year and thrown for more than 3,500 yards. Lancaster also has a talented group of receivers including Mills Powell, Kaleb Colgrove, and Nic Evans, among others.
Expect to see a lot of points on the board on Friday night between these two fiery offenses.
Anna's pick: Tuscaloosa Academy wins 35-28
Wadley (11-1) at Pickens County (9-3)
Pickens County finds itself in the quarterfinals for the eighth-straight season. It will be up against a Wadley team it has seen before in recent years, and one that is coming off of an 81-27 victory over South Lamar last week, a team that beat Pickens County 21-20 in Week 4.
Two years ago, these two teams met in the semifinals, with the Bulldogs winning 41-36 but going on to lose in the state championship game. Last year, though, the Tornados got a hint of revenge, knocking out Wadley in the first round, 34-15.
Wadley enters the game with a slight edge. Its offense is averaging 44 points per game, while its defense is holding opponents to 13. Pickens County's offense averages 30.3 points per game, while its defense allows 16.6 points a game.
Friday night will be a battle as both teams compete for a spot in the state semifinals.
Anna's pick: Wadley wins
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @annaesnyder2
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: AHSAA football: Tuscaloosa area third round playoff predictions
