Goodbye, Hartselle. It's been fun!

By Staff
Justin Schuver, Sports Editor
This will be the last column I write for the Hartselle Enquirer. I will be starting a new job Nov. 5 at the Andalusia Star-News, a newspaper owned by Boone Newspapers, Inc., the parent company of the Enquirer. It has been a joy to work in the town of Hartselle. I can really tell that this town is passionate about its sports and it has been a great experience to cover your sons and daughters.
It's hard to narrow down the best memories I will take from this job, but I'll choose two. First, I loved covering the Priceville basketball team during its Final Four run in 2006. I've never seen a team suddenly get so hot so quickly, and it was fun to see how long that run would last.
And if I had to pick one game that I will remember, it will be last year's Hartselle win over Gardendale in the Class 5A playoffs. It had it all – a traffic jam that caused the team to arrive late, a miraculous 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter, and one of the most up-beat post-game interviews I've ever seen. That game is a perfect example of why high school football in Alabama is such a joy to experience.
This was my first job out of college, and I know I made my share of mistakes. Hopefully I can learn from these mistakes as I continue with my career, and it is my sincere hope that my replacement does an even better job than I did.
Here are my final weekly picks (including the last Notre Dame prediction you should ever have to read):
Hartselle Tigers (4-5) at Huntsville Panthers (8-1): Last year, Huntsville had two of the better wide receiver prospects in the state in Quindarius Carr and A.J. Walker. Yet losing those two stars hasn't had an effect on the talented Panthers, who were 8-0 before dropping their most recent game against Florence. The defense is experienced, returning nine starters from last season, and the numbers have borne that out – Huntsville has allowed just 12.1 points per game.
Hartselle should have the defense to match-up with Huntsville early, but eventually the Panthers' offense led by running back Grant Streams will take over. Regardless of the outcome, this is a talented opponent who will give Hartselle a good test heading into the Class 5A playoffs…Panthers 34, Tigers 20.
Falkville Blue Devils (5-4) at Priceville Bulldogs (5-4): Although both teams come into Friday night's game with the same record, the Bulldogs are playoff bound while Falkville failed to qualify for the postseason.
Falkville will be looking to this game as its 'playoff game,' but the Bulldogs have won four of their last five and will keep it going with a win in front of their home fans…Bulldogs 24, Blue Devils 17.
Brewer Patriots (3-6) at Arab Knights (1-8): This has been a strong year for the Patriots, who end the 2007 season with a winnable game that could give Brewer its first four-win season since 2000. Arab has had a rough time this season, losing six straight and allowing an average of 35.2 points per game in those losses…Patriots 21, Knights 17.
Speake Bobcats (8-1) at Danville Hawks (1-8): The Hawks would love to close out the 2007 season on a positive note after picking up their first win last week at Hanceville. Speake, meanwhile, comes in with one of the most prolific offenses in the state – the Bobcats average 41.8 points per game. Although it's a rivalry game and anything can happen, it's hard to see the Hawks winning this one…Bobcats 31, Hawks 14.
LSU Tigers (7-1, 2-1 in the SEC) at Alabama Crimson Tide (6-2, 4-1): It's been an up-and-down season for Alabama, which is currently at a high point after blowing out Tennessee two weeks ago. Meanwhile, LSU fans would love for nothing more than to beat the coach who they call "Nick Satan" in Baton Rouge. The Tigers should win this one with their defense, which is one of the best in the country and more than capable of slowing down D.J. Hall and the rest of the Crimson Tide attack. It should be a close game, but LSU still is in the national championship race and will play like it…Tigers 21, Crimson Tide 17.
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (4-5) at Auburn Tigers (6-3): Auburn gets a breather before its last two tough games against Georgia and Alabama….Tigers 54, Golden Eagles 3.
Navy Midshipmen (4-4) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-7): Navy enters this game with a 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame, and this might be the Midshipmen's best chance to break that mark of futility. Navy's biggest problem is its defense, which has been awful this season and recently allowed 59 points to Division I-AA Delaware. Even Notre Dame's NCAA-worst offense should put up points against these Midshipmen (who are ranked 105th in total defense). The Notre Dame defense will make enough stops on Navy's triple-option and the Irish will pick up their second win of a trying season…Fighting Irish 31, Midshipmen 17.