Week 4 football preview: Phil Campbell, Russellville face tough region tests on the road; RBHS, THS, Vina host
Belgreen (3-0) at Tanner (0-4)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Rip Swanner Stadium (Tanner, Ala.)
Last time out: Belgreen earned a 34-0 Homecoming win over rival Tharptown on September 5.
Series history: BHS is 0-1 against Tanner all-time having lost to the Rattlers 47-13 last season.
What to expect: Even though undefeated Belgreen comes into this contest against a winless opponent, this will probably rank as the Bulldogs’ toughest contest yet, it being the biggest school that BHS has faced so far this season. But Belgreen has been impressive this campaign, blowing out each of its first three opponents while averaging 43 points per game. The defense has done its part so far this season, too, allowing just two touchdowns! If that spectacular trend continues, Belgreen could very well enter week five with twice as many wins this year as it did all of last season.
Next week: The Bulldogs travel to face Cherokee High School.
Phil Campbell (1-2, 1-1) at Winfield (2-2, 0-1)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Estes Hudson Stadium (Winfield, Ala.)
Last time out: Phil Campbell held on to beat region foe Oakman 36-30 in the Bobcats’ first home game of the season.
Series history: PCHS is 5-13 all-time against Winfield. Last season, the Pirates beat Phil Campbell 43-28 to continue a five-game winning streak over the Bobcats. Phil Campbell’s last win in the series was back in 1997 when the Bobcats pulled out a 35-19 victory.
What to expect: Phil Campbell enters this game off the back of a big region victory over Oakman last week and should carry the residual confidence stemming from that win into this contests. It will be a tough challenge, no doubt, but the Bobcats have playmakers in junior quarterback Hayston Scott, who rushed and passed for over 100 yards last week, and sophomore running back Braxton “Koolaid” Downey, who scored four rushing touchdowns against Oakman. If Phil Campbell can cut down on turnovers and penalties and play well defensively, the Bobcats do have the offensive firepower and balance to keep up with a Winfield team averaging nearly 30 points per game this year.
Next week: PCHS will host Class 1A Hackleburg on Friday, September 26.
Red Bay (2-1, 1-0) vs. Lexington (3-1, 2-0)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Fred Bostick Jr. Stadium
Last time out: Red Bay earned a massive region victory over the defending Class 2A Region 8 champs Winston County in a 29-28 thriller.
Series history: RBHS is 10-17 all-time versus Lexington. Last season, Lexington walked away with a 35-24 win to make it four straight over the Tigers. These two teams have met as region opponents every year since 2020, the last year Red Bay beat Lexington.
What to expect: This will be another tough region contest for the Tigers, one they’ll be glad to have at home. Though you wouldn’t characterize the opponents the Bears have faced to this point to be elite by any means, they’ve still averaged 48 points per game and are surrendering just 12.5 points per game on defense. Lexington’s one loss came at the hands of Class 3A Lauderdale County and it was a close game. Red Bay will of course need another big game from senior running back Jaxon Vinson, who has been phenomenal again this year for the Tigers; good quarterback play from the senior Jeremiah Thorne; and the defense will once again have to come up big like they did in the Winston County win last week. I imagine there will be a few plays where a couple of inches can decide the outcome.
Next week: Red Bay hosts state line rival Belmont and welcomes back former head coach Michael Jackson to Fred Bostick Jr. Stadium.
Russellville (2-2, 2-0) at Ardmore (2-2, 0-2)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Cooper Field (Ardmore, Ala.)
Last time out: Russellville defeated East Limestone 20-7 in an ‘ugly’ win at Golden Tiger Stadium.
Series history: The Golden Tigers are 9-1 all-time against Ardmore. All but one game between these two programs has been in region play; the one non-region matchup, which was played way back in 1937, was the one meeting Ardmore has won. Last season, Russellville defeated Ardmore 38-7.
What to expect: I should probably get out of the prediction business because I know I’m not very good at it, but I don’t think Ardmore is going to be a walkover this year for the Golden Tigers. Yes, look at Ardmore’s last two games—a beatdown by Priceville followed by another shellacking by No. 4 Fairview—and you can arrive at the opinion that Ardmore isn’t very good. And maybe they’re not. But if you look at them, they have a big offensive line, they’ve got a quarterback that can throw it fairly well, and they have an athletic running back that can make defenders miss in space. So, while Russellville’s defense has played pretty well all season and has, for the most part, kept opposing teams out of the endzone, they may end up with a tough job on Friday night. What the Golden Tigers need is for the offense to shake off the game against East Limestone last week where it had just two first downs heading into the fourth quarter; Russellville may require more than seven points from the offense in this contest.
Next week: RHS is off with a bye week.
Tharptown (0-3, 0-0) vs. Decatur Heritage (0-3, 0-1)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Tharptown Stadium
Last time out: Tharptown was on a bye week last week. Previous to that, the Wildcats fell on the road to rival Belgreen 34-0.
Series history: Tharptown is 0-7 all-time vs. Decatur Heritage. Last year, THS was defeated 68-0 at DHCS.
What to expect: Something’s got to give between these two winless Class 2A Region 8 programs. While it appears that the Tharptown defense has marginally improved over the course of the season, the offense has scored just eight points. The Wildcats will need much more than that if they want to pick up a first win over Decatur Heritage, a team that is averaging 18 points per game. Both squads are coming off a bye week headed into this matchup, so both should be as healthy as possible and prepared.
Next week: Tharptown hosts Vina on Friday, September 26.
Vina (0-3, 0-2) vs. Cherokee (0-4, 0-2)
Date: Friday, September 19, 2025
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Franklin-Hester Stadium
Last time out: Vina fell 18-8 at Shoals Christian last Friday.
Series history: Vina is 8-16-1 against Cherokee in a series that dates back to 1934. Cherokee has owned the series as of late with four straight wins over VHS. Vina’s last W against the Indians was in 2020. Last season, Cherokee won the matchup 48-8.
What to expect: This is another matchup this week where something has to give for two winless teams. I said last week that Shoals Christian was probably the easiest game Vina had left on its schedule; that’s still true, but Cherokee isn’t exactly a juggernaut. Vina can turn things around this week and get a huge region win, the Red Devils just need to get some things going on offense to have a shot in this game.
Next week: The Red Devils travel to Tharptown next Friday.