5 Huntsville area HS football games to watch in Week 3

5 Huntsville area HS football games to watch in Week 3

Here are five games to watch in the Huntsville area this week with the complete schedule following.

AUSTIN (2-0) AT SPARKMAN (2-0)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, Sparkman Field, Harvest

Last week: Austin won 35-3 at Decatur. Sparkman won 65-0 at Huffman.

The skinny: The season is only two weeks old, and these are the only remaining unbeaten teams in Class 7A, Region 4. … Sparkman has yet to yield a point, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 96-0. Neither of the Senators’ games were completed in regulation time. The Hazel Green game was suspended at halftime due to a “major disruption,” while the third and four quarters of the Huffman game were only four minutes long after Sparkman built a 58-0 halftime lead. … The Senators’ touchdowns against Huffman included two fumble returns, a kick return and a punt return. The week prior, Josh Ward threw three TD passes against Hazel Green. … Austin’s Gavin Fuqua ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns against Decatur. He had a TD run in last season’s 24-21 overtime win over Sparkman. Ward passed for three scores in a losing effort. … Austin leads the series 12-9.

JAMES CLEMENS (1-1) VS. BOB JONES (0-2)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, Madison City Schools Stadium

Last week: James Clemens lost 18-13 to visiting Mountain Brook. Bob Jones lost 35-28 at Athens.

The skinny: Bob Jones enters Madison Bowl XII with a 7-4 series lead. The Patriots won 26-19 last season to snap a four-year skid to their crosstown rival. … Bob Jones hasn’t started 0-3 since 2019 (0-4 that year). … The Patriots amassed 503 yards of offense in the loss to Athens, but fumbled the ball away twice in the fourth quarter. … James Clemens quarterback Ty Marsh threw three interceptions against Mountain Brook. … Ty Doughty has been the Jets’ big-play threat, scoring on 41-yard punt return against Mountain Brook and on an 82-yard catch against Gardendale.

CULLMAN (1-1) AT HARTSELLE (1-1)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, J.P. Cain Stadium

Last week: Cullman won 15-13 at Jasper. Hartselle defeated visiting Jackson-Olin 35-8.

The skinny: These Highway 31 foes have one of the state’s most competitive rivalries, historically, with Hartselle leading 50-47-4. But the Tigers have dominated as of late; Hartselle’s 34-3 win last season was its seventh series win in the last nine years, and 11th in the last 14. … Five Tigers players had a hand in four touchdowns against Jackson-Olin — that included a touchdown run from Ri Fletcher, who tallied four TDs last year against Cullman.. Hartselle collected three turnovers against Jackson-Olin. … Cullman’s Garrett Mobley kicked a go-ahead 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter against Jasper, giving Danny Stiff his first win as Bearcats coach.

DECATUR (1-1) AT ATHENS (2-0)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, Larry McCoy Field

Last week: Decatur lost 35-3 to visiting Austin. Athens beat visiting Bob Jones 35-28.

The skinny: Athens quarterback Brogran Gross has shown a hot hand thus far, firing nine touchdown passes. Jay’Shon Ridgle was on the receiving end of five of those scoring tosses. He scored on a 65-yard TD run in last year’s 26-14 loss to Decatur. … Athens is seeking its first 3-0 start since its 2006 state title season. … Decatur scored 51 fewer points in Week 2 than its season opener. The Red Raiders are coming off their lowest regular season scoring output since a 67-3 loss to Austin in Week 2 of 2020. … Decatur owns a 61-28-2 series lead over Athens. The Red Raiders’ victory last season came after losing four straight to the Golden Eagles.

GRISSOM (1-1) VS. HUNTSVILLE (0-1)

Time/location: 7 p.m. Friday, Milton Frank Stadium, Huntsville

Last week: Grissom defeated visiting Hazel Green 42-7. Huntsville lost 35-6 at Oxford.

The skinny: Huntsville has defeated its Rocket City rival the last four times on the field – Grissom picked up a forfeit win during the 2020 COVID-19 season. The Panthers won 27-7 last season in a game that was tied 7-7 at halftime and own a 32-20 series lead. … Grissom’s Seth Leebern accounted for three touchdowns – two rushing and one passing – against Hazel Green. The Tigers gained 261 yards on the ground. … Huntsville’s points against Oxford via Sims Bowman field goals of 29 and 41 yards. The Panthers were down only 14-6 midway through the third quarter.

The complete Week 3 schedule

Thursday’s Game

Asbury at Brindlee Mountain

Friday’s Games

Arab at Douglas

Austin at Sparkman

Boaz at Scottsboro

Brewer at Ardmore

Cedar Bluff at Woodville

Collinsville at Section

Columbia at Muscle Shoals

Cullman at Hartselle

Danville at Susan Moore

Decatur at Athens

Fairview at East Limestone

Falkville at Sheffield

Florence at Albertville

Fyffe at North Sand Mountain

Gadsden City at Buckhorn

Grissom vs. Huntsville, Milton Frank Stadium

J.B. Pennington at Madison Academy

James Clemens vs. Bob Jones, Madison City Schools Stadium

Lauderdale County at Clements

Lee-Huntsville at Hazel Green

Mae Jemison at Fort Payne

New Hope at DAR

Phil Campbell at Elkmont

Priceville at Madison County

Randolph at St. John Paul II, Discovery Middle, Madison

Sand Rock at Pisgah

Tharptown at Tanner

West Limestone at Deshler

Westminster Christian at North Jackson

Whitesburg Christian at Ider

Open week: Guntersville