Florala battles Brantley in key region game; Pleasant Home, Red Level play season finales

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, November 1, 2023

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After 11 weeks, the 2023 high school football season has reached the end of the regular season with five teams in action this week and one school celebrating homecoming.

Florala at Brantley
Florala (7-2, 5-2 1A Region 2) will travel to Brantley (5-4, 5-2) and look for its eighth win of the season along with clinching the third seed in the region.

With both teams sitting in a current tie, the winner of this week’s game will finish third place in the region, while the loser will fall to fourth. Both teams are already assured of making the state playoffs.

This will be the 31st contest between the two teams in a series that was first played in 1943. The Bulldogs hold a 26-3-1 lead over the Wildcats as the two schools have played every year since 1998.

Florala took to the road and had little trouble with a 53-3 win at Kinston last week. Brantley also fared well and defeated Red Level by way of a 54-13 home win.

The Bulldogs picked up a 53-25 road win over the Wildcats in 2022.

Opp vs. Ashford
Opp (3-6, 3-4 3A Region 2) will host Ashford (4-5, 2-5) in a must-win situation and hope for outside help to gain a berth in the state playoffs as the regular season comes to an end.

Opp currently sits in fifth place in the region and needs a win coupled with a loss from Pike County to reach the state playoffs for the fourth straight season.

This year’s contest will be the 23rd game between the two teams since it was first played during the 1952 season. The Bobcats have a 15-7 all-time lead against the Yellow Jackets.

Opp fell at county rival Straughn, 47-0, last week. Ashford doubled up Northside Methodist, 40-20, on the road.

The Bobcats took down the Yellow Jackets in a road game last year, 20-6.

Pleasant Home at Georgiana
Pleasant Home (1-8, 0-7 1A Region 2) will take the road and play its final game of the season in a region contest at Georgiana (7-2, 6-1).

This year’s game will be the 14th matchup between the two teams since they first locked horns on the gridiron in 2010. The Panthers have a 9-4 lead over the Eagles as the teams have split their last two meetings.

Pleasant Home fell on the road at Elba, 64-14, last time. Georgiana was off last week but earned a 56-7 win at Red Level two weeks ago in its previous contest.

The Panthers made the trip to the Eagles last year and came away with a 60- 14 win last year.

Red Level vs. Samson
Red Level (2-7) will look to close out the season strong and square off against non-region foe Samson (2-7) in a battle that also serves as homecoming this week.

The 2024 homecoming queen and court will be presented before the game at 6:30 p.m.

This battle of the Tigers will be the 17th matchup with SHS holding a 12-4 lead since 1948. RLS seeks its first win in the series since the 2010 season.

Red Level fell on the road last week, 54-13, at Brantley. Samson also struggled away from home and fell short to Ariton, 37-7.

Samson defeated Red Level, 38-24, in a road contest in 2022.

Straughn vs. Providence Christian
Straughn (8-1, 7-0 3A Region 2) will get the week started early and welcome Providence Christian (5-4, 5-2) for a home region contest in the regular season finale Thursday night.

This will be the sixth meeting between the two teams since they first played on the gridiron in 2016. The Eagles have a slight 3-2 lead in the series, and the Tigers look for their first home win.

Straughn clinched its fifth region title in school history with a 47-0 shutout win over county rival Opp last week. Providence Christian fell in its final home contest of the regular season to its longtime rival Houston Academy, 56-14.

The Tigers made the trip to Dothan last season and took down the Eagles, 19- 7, in a defensive struggle from both sides.