Wenonah High versus Cullman. Sound familiar?

It should. These two teams played in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs last year.

And they’ll meet again tonight in the exact same scenario.

Cullman won the last meeting 48-13. The Bearcats used that game as a springboard for a second straight run to the Class 5A semifinals.

Top-ranked Cullman (10-0) enters tonight’s postseason game with similar aspirations, but with a completely different team.

Despite losing five defensive starters, a few offensive linemen and a record-setting quarterback in Tyler Caldwell, Cullman is once again a contender in the northern half of the Class 5A playoff bracket. The Bearcats are coming off two straight semifinal appearances, but have not played in the state championship game since 1972.

Cullman has its sights set on a trip to the Super 6. Wenonah (6-3) is looking for its first playoff win since 1997.

Wenonah advanced past the first round five times in the 1990s, but has not won a postseason game since beating Lee-Huntsville in the first round of the ’97 Class 5A playoffs. The Dragons have lost in the opening round five times since then.

That includes last year’s lopsided defeat at Oliver Woodard Stadium.

But Wenonah returns several key players from that team, including quarterback Brandon Allen and a 6-foot-2, 162-pound speedy receiver in Lance Lee.

“They’ve got a veteran squad. That’s for sure,” Bearcats coach Mark Britton said. “And with all the speed they have, this is a game that concerns me. It could be one of the tougher first-round matchups we’ve had.”

With Allen and Lee back, the Dragons have put together one of their best seasons in years. Wenonah has won three straight, beating Carver-Birmingham, Selma and Tarrant — the season finale with the Wildcats was won via forfeit after a brawl broke out in the second quarter with the Dragons leading 12-0.

Even though Wenonah has several explosive skill players on offense, the Dragons have not put up huge numbers. Wenonah is only averaging 19.6 points per game and has been held to fewer than 20 points in five of nine games.

Wenonah’s six wins can be attributed to defense. The Dragons have held opposing teams to a dismal 13 points per game and kept three teams — Woodlawn, Brookwood and Tarrant — from scoring a single touchdown.

Wenonah only gave up four touchdowns in its six wins — Central-Tuscaloosa and Selma scored one each, while Carver scored two.

The Dragons have also played better away from home. Wenonah is 5-1 in road games this season, but is only 1-2 at its home stadium.

“Some teams are like that,” Britton said. “Some teams just seem to play better on the road. This team seems to be that way. Plus, they played here last year, so they kind of know what to expect from us.

“But our guys have played pretty good at home this year, and we’ve had a pretty good week of practice. I’m pleased with that. Hopefully we’ll be able to come out and do some good things early and keep them from gaining any momentum.”

That’s what happened in last year’s matchup.

Cullman linebacker Josh Barksdale intercepted a pass early in the first quarter, and Logan Campbell blocked a punt. The Bearcats were also able to pressure Allen, sacking the Dragons quarterback three times and forcing him to fumble once.

“One thing is for certain, our guys need to adjust to their speed early,” Britton said. “That’s going to be very important. This is a veteran team with a lot of explosive players. They’ve got some guys that can hurt you.

“If we could come out and do some good things early, that would be beneficial. But I think you could say that about every game.”

Scoring points hasn’t been a problem for Cullman this season. The Bearcats are averaging 38.6 points per game.

It’s also been a balanced offensive attack. Bearcats junior quarterback Dylan Skipper has completed 135 of 211 passes for 2,155 yards. He’s thrown 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Cullman has three receivers with more than 400 yards. Drew Forrest leads the Bearcats’ receiving corps with 60 catches for 977 yards and 15 touchdowns, while Riley Stewart has caught 34 passes for 571 yards and eight touchdowns. Connor Adams has 25 catches for 450 yards and two touchdowns, while Thomas Moss has 14 receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown.

On the ground, Cullman has rushed for 1,525 yards. Ben Moore has accounted for 828 yards rushing, but the junior will not be available for the first round of the playoffs.

Adams will take Moore’s place at running back. The senior — who normally plays receiver — has rushed for 468 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Kickoff for tonight’s playoff game with Wenonah is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Oliver Woodard Stadium.

In other local playoff action, Vinemont travels to Elkmont in 3A, while Fairview heads to Deshler in 4A.

Justin Graves can reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com.