By Erik Harris
CLAY — Yes, Clay-Chalkville is fresh off the heels of a statement road win over No. 3 Shades Valley that all but secured a region championship. But there is more to do, and it starts with Woodlawn (1-6, 0-4 Class 6A, Region 6).
The Colonels will take the field at Cougar Stadium on Friday night having lost their last eight road games, dating back to October 2012.
Woodlawn will likely have to go elsewhere to break its drought, as the Cougars (7-0, 4-0) are 14-2 while playing at home over that stretch.
Clay-Chalkville sophomore wide receiver Nico Collins hauls in a 34-yard touchdown reception on Saturday at Shades Valley.
file photo by Ron Burkett
This season started nicely for the Colonels with a 42-38 win over Class 2A Tarrant, which ended a 12-game skid. But six straight losses have made the August victory a distant memory.
Offense hasn’t come easy for Woodlawn. It has managed only 55 points through the six losses while giving up an average of 45.2 points per contest.
The Colonels will have to change their ways to slow the Clay-Chalkville offense, which just hung 59 points on Shades Valley and is averaging 50.8 points per game this season.
Junior quarterback Tyrell Pigrome operated his unit to 537 yards of offense, 297 of which came on the ground. Senior running back Terrelle West amassed 172 yards from scrimmage.
Friday night could be a great opportunity for head coach Jerry Hood to play some young guys, assuming his team plays like it has all season.
If the Cougars take care of business Friday, they secure at least a share of the Region 6 title. An Oct. 24 game at Gardendale could determine the overall region winner. The bigger challenge, perhaps, could be finding somewhere to hang the hardware.
