CullmanTimes.com - Cullman, Alabama

Local Sports

Discussion

October 21, 2010

PREP FOOTBALL: RIVALRY RENEWAL

Bearcats and Tigers haven’t played since 2007 but have met 80 times over the years

By Justin Graves The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — Mark Britton has participated in the Cullman High-Hartselle rivalry many times, both as a coach and player.

His players?

Well, most of them haven’t.

That’s because one of the area’s most heated prep football rivalries has been dormant for three years because of scheduling difficulties created when the Alabama High School Athletic Association placed Cullman in a nine-team region following the 2007 season.

But consider this longtime rivalry, which dates back to 1916, dormant no more. Cullman will renew its oldest rivalry tonight when the Bearcats travel to face top-ranked (5A) Hartselle in a Region 6 contest that has heavy playoff ramifications.

“It’s always a big game anytime Cullman and Hartselle play,” said Britton, who is in his 10th season as Cullman coach. He also played for the Bearcats during his prep career. “Yeah, a lot of our kids have never participated in this rivalry before. But they know what it’s about because they’ve heard our coaches, former players and people in the community talk about it.”

Hartselle coach Bob Godsey agreed.

“It’s very important to both communities, regardless of what sport it is,” Godsey told the Decatur Daily.

“There are a lot of things that go into this. Anytime Hartselle and Cullman play, it’s always exciting and action-packed.

“(Our players) are really excited about the fact they will finally fully get to experience a Hartselle-Cullman game. They’ve played in JV on the way up, but there’s nothing like playing on a Friday night in front of a packed house with all that’s riding on this game.”

With a win, Cullman (6-2, 5-1) could knock Class 5A’s No. 1 team down to the third seed in Region 6 while securing a home playoff game in the process.

“I don’t know how you could come up with a better scenario,” Godsey told the Decatur Daily. “I would think that when the schedule came out, both schools saw we’d be playing in the last region game of the year and kind of hoped for this particular scenario.”

The last time Cullman and Hartselle met, it was a classic. After beating the Tigers 45-20 in the regular season, the Bearcats had to overcome a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter to pull out a 42-41 win in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs in 2007.

Hartselle has emerged as the Region 6 frontrunner thanks to a stingy defense. The Tigers (7-1, 6-0) have held opponents to 8.4 points per game, giving up more than seven points only twice — against Athens and Decatur.

Cullman will try and become the third team to eclipse that mark with an offense led by running back Ben Moore.

Running behind a veteran offensive line — led by one of the state’s top prospects in Spencer Region — Moore has rushed for 1,378 yards and 16 touchdowns, averaging nine yards per carry and 172 yards per game.

The Bearcats senior also leads the team in receiving with around 300 yards.

Hartselle will counter with a versatile running back of its own. Malcolm Fossett may not be the physical specimen that Moore is — he’s a generous 5-foot-6, 160 pounds — but the Tigers star has been effective.

Fossett and quarterback Will Lang, who has only thrown one interception, have led a Hartselle offense that’s averaging 36.9 points per game.

“They’re a really good football team,” Britton said. “We’ll have to play our best game.

“But our kids are excited, and I feel like we’ve made some progress (in recent weeks). I feel like we started to turn the corner in the Mortimer Jordan. Some of our young kids are improving, and that’s what we want.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hartselle’s J.P. Cain Stadium.

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

Text Only
Local Sports