Cullman (8-3) at Southside (11-0)
Last week’s results: Southside 30, Wenonah 14; Cullman 20, Moody 14
Last meeting: First meeting
By Gene Stanley/Sports Correspondent
In the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs tonight (Nov. 15), Southside High faces a Cullman team that has been struggling on offense of late.
The Bearcats scored only seven points in a Week 9 loss to Muscle Shoals and followed that with a seven-point loss to Center Point.
Cullman was then shut out in the first half against Moody last week before coming back and scoring enough for the win.
“We literally won on the last play of the (Moody) game,” Bearcat coach Mark Britton said. “Our offense hasn’t been clicking well at all.”
Southside coach Ron Daugherty isn’t ready for Cullman to come out of its slump, either.
“There aren’t any pretenders at this point,” he said. “Even if they’re not scoring well, Cullman is a tough team, and we’ll have our hands full.”
Southside and Cullman have never met on the football field.
“Even though there’s no history between us, I know Etowah and Fort Payne are two quality programs and they beat both of them,” Britton said. “We’ll have to find a way to slow them down. There’s no way to stop them but to win, you have to slow them down.”
At this stage of the playoffs, luck also comes into play.
“We’ll need a little luck to win,” Daugherty said. “Whichever team works the hardest usually gets lucky, so we’re working as hard as possible.”
Southside won last week with physicality.
“I don’t think [Wenonah] was used to being hit that hard, over and over again,” Daugherty said. “So we just hit them and ran right up the middle. I think they might’ve been stunned a bit.”
Against the Dragons last week, Dantley Coker rushed 28 times for 228 yards and three touchdowns, while Chance Usry had two sacks and an interception.
