Series record: Etowah 13, Boaz 6
Last meeting: 2011 – Etowah 27, Boaz 8
Last week: Southside 27, Etowah 26; Arab 20, Boaz 17
There’s a logjam behind Fort Payne in the Class 5A, Region 7 standings.
Etowah, Boaz and Arab have identical 4-2 region records and are tied for second place. Southside is one game behind.
Therefore, the winner of this game is in the playoffs while the other slots are still to be determined.
According to Etowah coach Sam McCorkle, Arab is in, unless Columbia comes up with a huge upset tonight. And the winner of
Etowah-Boaz is in. McCorkle also said that the winner would finish as region runner-up, making this a huge game for both teams.
But believe it or not, Southside’s fate relies on this game too.
“People in Southside never want Etowah to win, but it’ll be worse this week,” he said. “If we win, Southside will be out but if Boaz wins, Southside is in and we’re out.”
“Every year since I’ve been here, it’s been like this,” McCorkle added. “There’s never a clear-cut 1-2-3-4. But that makes it more exciting for everyone involved.”
Boaz has had another good season – a hallmark of coach Drew Noles.
McCorkle noted that the Pirates have a strong run game, a good quarterback who can throw well and a stout defense.
“We’ll have to really focus and play a good game to have a chance to win,” he said. “Both of us are coming off heartbreaking losses and that will make emotions even higher. This should be a really fun game for the fans. But it’s also the type that makes coaches age quicker!”
Last week against Southside, Tyler Bishop completed 5-of-11 passes for 82 yards.
Dylan Tucker led Etowah in rushing with 57 yards on two carries. Devin Horton ran 13 times for 55 yards, while Dominick Pinson added 40 yards on eight attempts.