WAAY Big Game Friday Night's Game of the Week for Week 7 is Sparkman (5-1, 3-1 region) vs. Bob Jones (3-3, 3-1 region).
The playoff picture is starting to take shape, but just making the playoffs is never the goal. This Friday, the chance to host a postseason game is on the line as the Patriots and Senators battle for second place in 7A Region 4.
“Right now, it’s six teams really in the hunt for four spots and every game here on out is crucial,” Bob Jones head coach Kelvis White said.
“Every week in our region is big, so anytime you can get a win’s a good thing,” Sparkman head coach Ronnie Watson said.
A week ago, the Senators were the top dog in the region. That changed on Friday night when they suffered their first loss of the season to James Clemens. The Jets became just the second team to score on Sparkman this season, taking control of the region with a 31-30 win.
“Friday, you know, we just didn’t execute well enough,” Watson said of the loss.
On the other side of the field, the Patriots season started with three straight losses, but they haven’t dropped a game since. Now, sitting at 3-1 in the region, a win Friday could be just what they need.
“It would mean a lot, especially the way we started and the injuries we had to overcome and kind of the way our coaches and players had to kind of reinvent ourself a little bit to find a way to win,” White explained. “So it’ll be a big moment, but either way, I'm proud of them still. But again, this is a game that I think, if we go out there and execute, I think we can win.”
Both squads are currently in position to make the playoffs, but neither coach wants to play in the Magic City.
“This will put us in a pretty good position to host a playoff game, so that’s kind of what we’re trying to accomplish,” White explained.
For the last three years, the Sparkman and James Clemens game has been a battle of brothers with Laron White at Sparkman and Kelvis White at Bob Jones. But even though Laron is gone, the game still carries a lot of weight.
“I talked to him the other day. I told him he got to stay neutral now. He can’t cheer for me -- I wish he would cheer for me but I know he wouldn’t,” Kelvis joked. “He still loves Sparkman and I know it’s going to be a little different but at the end of the day we still gotta go out there and compete.”
We’ll see how the region stacks up on Friday night at Madison City Stadium.
