Ramsay and Guntersville have met on the football field just four times, but each game has had the added importance of a winner-take-all-and-keep-playing outcome.

Guntersville beat the Rams the first two times, a second-round playoff game in 2014 and a first-round affair in 2015. In 2021, Ramsay beat the Wildcats in the opening round of the playoffs and last season, the Rams rolled by Guntersville 45-9 in the second round on the way to a Class 5A state title.

Friday night at 7 at Legion Field, it’s the semifinals with a ticket to Tuscaloosa and the Super 7 awaiting the winner.

“We’re 2-2 against them in the playoffs since I’ve been the head coach,” Guntersville’s Lance Reese said. “I’ve got nothing but respect for Ramsay. They are a well-coached team with great athletes and, obviously, they are the defending state champions.”

Eighth-ranked Guntersville brings a 12-1 record into the matchup, riding a five-game winning streak with a pair of heart-pounding late victories the past two weeks. The Wildcats scored on their final possession on the road to eliminate John Carroll 20-17 in the second round. Last week, Guntersville knocked off Pleasant Grove 31-21 with a pick-6 82-yard touchdown by Treyvan Avery sealing the win late.

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Guntersville intercepted three Pleasant Grove passes and recovered a fumble. The Wildcats have 13 interceptions this season and are ranked fifth in Class 5A in scoring defense, surrendering 11.4 points a game – right behind Ramsay’s 11.2 points allowed per outing.

“Last week, we struggled on offense in the first half,” said Reese, who is 119-41 in 14 years as Guntersville head coach and was defensive coordinator when the Wildcats won the 2006 state title. “Our defense kept us in the game. In the second half, Pleasant Grove started scoring and our offense started matching their scoring. It will take a great effort on both sides this week.”

Ramsay head coach Ronnie Jackson, who is 30-9 in his third season leading the No. 2 Rams after working as the team’s offensive coordinator for Rueben Nelson since the school re-started its football program in 2012, said his defense will have to contend with a strong Guntersville offensive attack.

“They have a really good coach and a good staff,” he said. “They will be very disciplined and they will come to play ball. They’ve got a really good offensive line, their quarterback is pretty good and the running back is a good one. They have weapons we’ll have to watch out for.”

Ramsay’s defense is led by linebacker and Alabama commitment QB Reese (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) and junior linebacker Marquel Patterson. Reese has 160 total tackles, 66 solo, with 24 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks. Patterson has 152 tackles, 47 solo, with 19 TFL.

“At one point, QB was leading the state in tackles and Marquel was second. I think they are second and third now,” Jackson said.

“QB is our No. 1 guy,” the coach said. “He’s the captain of the team and he really leads by example. He’s the hardest-working player I’ve ever coached. He goes hard all the time, at practice, before he gets to practice he’s doing something and after practice. Our guys are really motivated through him. He gets everything started and sets the tempo.

“He’s a sideline-to-sideline guy,” Jackson said of Reese, whose father is former Auburn linebacker/defensive end Quinton Reese. “When he shows up, they are going to feel it. Some of the tackles I’ve seen this year, sometimes I feel sorry for that opponent. It’s like, ‘Man, I hope he gets up.’ When he gets there, man, oh, my goodness. I haven’t seen a guy like him in high school in a long time.

“We have a lot of guys who are pretty good on that side of the football. It starts up front with Demarcus Wynn (68 tackles, 21 TFL), our defensive tackle. Cameron Carson is a defensive end who has 39 tackles and 4 sacks.

“O’Conner Jones leads our secondary at safety (4 interceptions, 29 tackles) and Fletcher Taylor just had a pick-6 last game (a 40-27 win at Moody) that kind of sparked our team in a hostile environment. He got us back focused.”

Guntersville averages 34.8 points a game, ninth-best in Class 5A, according to Alabama High School Football Historical Society research. Senior quarterback Eli Morrison has completed 128-of-211 passes for 1,788 yards and 19 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. Junior running back Enelson Delva has gained 1,439 yards on 228 carries for the Wildcats after being pressed into No. 1 back duty after a preseason hamstring injury to Julyon Jordan.

“Julyon had offers from Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech coming into the season,” Reese said. “He was the guy most people were thinking about, but he pulled his hamstring and Enelson came in and has done a great job for us. He’s a guy you love to see have success. He was a scout team guy last season and got little attention. But, when he got an opportunity because of Julyon’s injury, he’s made the most of it.”

Jordan returned to duty late in the season and has 539 yards on 63 carries with 7 touchdowns.

Guntersville sends four wide receivers out, with three of them standing 6-foot-4 and one is 6-5. “All of them are capable of catching the ball,” Reese said. “We’re in the spread and try to have good balance between the run and the pass.”

Junior Cam Logan, at 6-5, leads the receiving corps with 32 catches for 511 yards with 6 TDs. Sophomore Dadrien Waller has 30 receptions for 504 yards and 4 scores. Date Peterson has caught 24 passes for 327 yards and 3 TDs. Avery, who scored on the long interception return last week, has caught 19 passes for 226 yards and 4 touchdowns.

“Our offensive line is led by Royce Baucom (6-4, 300-pound right tackle) has eight college offers,” Reese said. “He’s not committed, but he’s probably going to sign in the early signing period. He’s a three-year starter and one of our 15 seniors. They all take great pride in our team and have shown great leadership, especially in the playoffs.”

Guntersville’s top tackler is senior linebacker EJ Havis, who has 80 total stops – 57 solo – with 12 tackles for a loss. Junior linebacker Avery Clifton has 68 stops with 8 behind the line of scrimmage. Defensive end Brooks Frazier, a 6-1, 200-pound senior, has 53.5 total tackles and junior linebacker Gus Harris has 42.5. Junior defensive back Braden Holsonback leads the team with 5 interceptions.

The defense will have to account for a Ramsay attack that averages 38.1 points a game, fourth-best in Class 5A, led by junior quarterback Kam Keenan, who has passed for 2,781 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s hit 172-of-280 throws with 8 interceptions. “Kam is a good kid and one of the smartest on our team,” Jackson said. “He does an awesome job leading the team.”

Senior running back Ashton Ashford leads a balance rushing attack with 129 carries for 916 yards in 10 games. He’s scored 16 touchdowns and averages 91.6 yards a game with five games of at least 100 yards. “He’s kind of just like last year,” Jackson said of the first-team All-State pick as a junior. “He didn’t run the ball a lot throughout the season, but once we got to the playoffs he played well.”

Ashford ran for 1,881 and 26 TDs last season. The 5-9, 180-pounder has committed to play next season at Alabama State.

Sophomore Jayden Martin has 678 yards on 56 carries through 10 games with 6 TDs.

The Ramsay receivers are led by Kristian Stinson, a 6-3, 175-pound senior, with 42 receptions for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns. Junior Tremell Washington has 56 catches for 979 yards and 8 scores.

“I think we just want to stay the course,” Jackson said, “and continue doing what we’re doing. Our recipe works. It’s basically, play hard-nosed defense and get the ball to our playmakers. If we can do that, hopefully and prayerfully, we can live to fight another week.”

The survivor on Friday will meet the winner of the No. 1 Gulf Shores vs. Eufaula game on Thursday, Dec. 7, in the championship game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.