Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

The Hartselle Tigers suffered a tough and shocking loss last Friday night to Florence, but there is no time to dwell on that anymore as they prepare for a tough road game at Muscle Shoals. Both teams come in with a 3-1 record and have played two of the same opponents in Florence and Athens. Hartselle defeated Athens 35-7 and lost to Florence 35-14, while Muscle Shoals defeated Florence 41-21 and Athens 35-14. Hartselle has not played at Muscle Shoals since 2014, when the current seniors were freshman, and they have not won over there since 2007 (did not play 2010 or 2011).

Recent history:

Going into last season, Muscle Shoals held a six game winning streak dating back to 2009. However, Hartselle got the win last season in a double overtime thriller. The Tigers dominated the game but mistakes and then a big kickoff returned for a touchdown got them back in the game. Hartselle won in double overtime off a touchdown pass from Trevor Oakes to Garrett Wade.

Team strengths and weaknesses:

At first glance Friday night you might think you’re watching the same team. “It’s going to look a lot the same,” said Hartselle head coach Bob Godsey. Both teams are cut from the same cloth. Hartselle and Muscle Shoals strengths come from their defenses. Both teams also have a run-first option offense that is going to wear you down with a relentless and methodical attack.

Keys to victory:

Since both teams are out of the same mold, the key to slowing them down will be similar. Both teams lay their success on the run game. Hartselle and Muscle Shoals both have athletic quarterbacks that can make just as good of plays with their legs that they can with their arm. Both teams also have powerful running backs that have both started since they were freshman (Taylor Easterling for Hartselle and Carlos Davis for Muscle Shoals). This game could come down to literally who makes one less mistake than the other. Both teams are going to rely on defense, play ball control and attack with a relentless ground game. A fumble here or an interception there could be the difference at the end.

Players to watch:

Hartselle:

Luke Godsey- last year during this game was when quarterback Trevor Oakes made a name for himself. Could this year be the same for Godsey? Godsey has shown ability to make plays with his legs, but he has an underrated passing ability that has gotten better each game.

Stone Powell- Someone for the Hartselle defense is going to have to be tasked with keeping Carlos Davis at bay. That could be very well be linebacker Stone Powell’s job. Powell has made good plays this season, but stopping Davis will be his toughest job yet.

Muscle Shoals:

Terrell McDonald- just like Hartselle, Muscle Shoals also has a quarterback that can make plays with his legs and arm. McDonald is a big body that you could also see line up at receiver throughout the night. Hartselle struggled with Florence’s tall receivers last week.

Carlos Davis- Davis has been Muscle Shoals’ running back for four years, and he has been electric in those years. “We’ve been chasing him for four years,” Godsey said. “He is one of the best players this region has ever seen.” It’s no secret that the Trojan’s success hinders on Davis’ ability to make plays. “He’s a really good back and we have to get him on the ground,” Godsey said. “That’s what we did last year.”

Player comments:

Bouncing back from a big loss and preparing for a road trip to Muscle Shoals at the same time is a big challenge. “We have to come back like it didn’t happen and focus on Muscle Shoals,” Said senior Riley Wood. “It’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but we can’t let it affect us. We don’t want to lose two in a row.” Muscle Shoals is a tough place to play, but Wood feels they are ready for that. “You just have to block out the noise because it’s going to be loud,” Wood said. “We have the best fans in the world though and sometimes even at a place like Muscle Shoals, it feels like a home game.”

Coach’s comments:

Hartselle is coming off a tough loss, but that loss could wind up being a blessing in disguise. “Really last Friday night becomes an advantage. It opens everyone’s eyes,” Godsey said. “We lost our focus last week and didn’t get it done and that’s the bottom line.” Muscle Shoals presents a big challenge, and Godsey knows his team will have to perform better than last Friday to get the win.  “The biggest thing is we have to tackle better. Jackson (Terry) went out early and we got on our heels a bit because he’s like the quarterback of the defense,” Godsey said. “This is a big game and it always is. We’ll show up and we’ll play well.”

Overall:

This setting up to be an old school throwback kind of game that features a lot of physicality. Points could be hard to come by, but Hartselle and Muscle Shoals always deliver a classic.