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Week four saw a lot of close games that didn’t end well for teams in the Greater Valley Area, but there’s still a lot of season left.

Valley and Beulah were off, and Chambers Academy was the only team in the area to get a win.

Lanett and Springwood both lost by less than three points, and LaFayette is still searching for answers. Luckily for the Bulldogs, they’re off this week.

We’re halfway through the season, and teams will start their playoff pushes right now.

 

Game of the week: Handley (5-0) at Lanett (2-3)

The Lanett Panthers are coming off of a heartbreaking 26-25 loss to Luverne, and they’ll have to face a Handley team that has been red hot all year.

This is the first year Lanett has started 2-3 since 2014, but they’re schedule has been incredibly difficult this year.

Handley is coming off of a 26-15 victory over Central of Clay County, and stopping their rushing attack will be the key to Lanett’s victory.

Lanett head coach Clifford Story knows he has to stop the run to win.

“We’re going to prepare like we always do,” Story said.

“We’re going to break it down. Handley has always been a great team. They’re going to get really physical. We need to be ready to respond.”

Handley running back Jamarius Haynes has been unstoppable this year, and he even had 476 rushing yards in one game this season.

Handley is also ranked second in 4A by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Lanett is 42-24-2 all-time against the Tigers, but Handley has won two straight against the Panthers.

Lanett will have to face one of the highest ranked 4A teams in the state, but they will do so at home.

The game will be played at Morgan-Washburn Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.

 

Russell County (1-3) at Valley (2-2)

The Valley Rams are coming off of a bye week after dominating Sylacauga on the road 46-14.

They’ll have to face a Russell County team who is coming off of a 49-7 loss to Wetumpka.

Russell County is a 6A team, but the Rams will have the advantage of the bye week.

The Rams are 17-3 all-time against the Warriors, but Russell County won 35-20 last year.

This game will be a good test to see how Valley matches up with current 6A programs even though the Rams dropped down to 5A this year.

The game will be played at Ram Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.

 

Chambers Academy (3-2) at Bessemer Academy (1-3)

The Chambers Academy Rebels are on a roll with three straight wins. They’re coming off of a 42-0 win over Banks Academy, but now they’ll have to face an AISA 3A team.

Bessemer earned their first win of the season last week by beating Monroe Academy 31-20.

Even though Bessemer is a larger school, they lost earlier this year to Banks, who Chambers Academy just blew out.

This will only be the third meeting between these two schools, and Chambers Academy leads the series 2-1.

Their most recent meeting was 2019, and Bessemer won 42-20.

Chambers Academy will rely on their run game to carry them to victory. Running back Luke Tarver has been unstoppable this season both on offense and defense. He had three rushing touchdowns and two fumble recoveries in their win over Banks.

The game will be played at Bessemer Academy on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.

 

Southern Christian (1-1) at Springwood (3-1)

The Springwood Wildcats have been running over teams in 8-man football, but they couldn’t stop Cornerstone Christian last week in their 52-50 loss.

The Wildcats lost on a deep pass from Cornerstone, and Springwood had some injuries that bit them.

Springwood will be back at home after a three-game road trip, and they’ll have to face a team who hasn’t played since Sept. 2.

This will be the first two meetings between these two teams, but it’s only Southern Christian’s third year as a football team.

While it’s Springwood’s first year playing 8-man football, the Patriots have been playing 8-man for their three years as a program.

The game will be played at Wildcat Stadium on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.

 

Beulah (0-4) at Prattville Christian Academy (2-2)

The Beulah Bobcats are coming off of a much needed bye week after losing to Walter Wellborn 62-7.

The Bobcats have struggled on both sides of the ball through the first half of this season, and they’ll have to face a Prattville Christian team who is coming off of a 28-14 win over Greensboro.

Beulah will have to figure out how to get their offense going as they’ve only scored 19 points in four games this year.

Prattville Christian is a 3A team, but it will be a non-region game for the Bobcats.

Beulah is 3-3 all-time against the Panthers, and the Bobcats have won the last two.

The most recent matchup was a 60-6 Beulah win in 2019.

The game will be played at Prattville Christian on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.