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It’s the most wonderful time of the year; football season. Week 1 of football will see most Chambers County teams on the road. Home or away, the local teams are all looking to get a W on Friday. 

 

LaFayette:

Besides Lanett, the only other home game this week will be played in LaFayette. The Bulldogs will play Ellwood Christian Academy for their season opener. The teams have never met before, so fans will have to expect the unexpected.

The 1A Eagles will be making their AHSAA this season against the bulldogs, giving 2A LaFayette a leg up. While LHS is coming off a tough 1-8 season last year, new assistant coaches and a reshuffle of the region bring optimism to the Bulldog’s 2024 campaign. 

The game will be played at Bulldog Stadium at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET.

 

Chambers:

The defending champs are starting off their season a state away in Starkville, Mississippi against Starkville Academy. While the rebels are hungry to be back-to-back AISA champions, they are taking one game at a time. This year, Chambers Academy moved up from 2A to 3A, meaning some new competition. 

Like LaFayette and Elwood, Chambers and Starkville have not met before. The non-region game should be a test for both sides. The Mississippi side went 9-3 last year in the state’s 5A division. However, Starkville lost last week in their season opener. 

For those unable to make it across state lines, Chambers Academy’s official YouTube channel, Chambers Academy Sports Live, will be broadcasting the game at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET. 

 

Springwood:

Springwood will be down the road in Opelika going up against Southern Christian. The Wildcats have won both match-ups against Southern Christian. The most recent victory was last season when Springwood won 50-7 against the Patriots.  

Southern has already opened their season with a win coming into the Springwood game. However, they went 2-5 last season to Springwood’s 9-3. The Wildcats look to start another run for an appearance in the AISA 8-man football championship. So far, the team has reached the goal twice, while never capturing the title. 

Springwood plays in Opelika at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET.

 

Valley:

Last but not least, the Rams will be away taking on the Glenwood Gators in Smiths Station on Friday. Valley has never faced the school before. It will likely be a tough season opener as the Gators went 10-2 and finished runner-up in state. However, the team is debuting in the AHSAA after playing in AISA, leaving plenty of question marks. 

Valley had a talented senior class last year, a few of whom will be playing college ball. Last season the Rams made the playoffs for the first time since 2019, going 7-4. 

Valley plays in Smith Station at 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET.