Obviously, Leeds and Moody had to take care of business to get to Friday night’s showdown with matching unbeaten records. It does seem, however, those previous games were just a bunch of appetizers with the main course coming Friday night at Moody.

Moody comes into the Class 5A Region 6 showdown with one of the best offensive units in the state. Leeds is extremely stingy on defense. Contrasting styles are just part of the intrigue of a game that matches the Class 5A No. 2 team (Leeds) against third-ranked Moody.

Leeds allowed 63 points in the first seven games. No one has scored more than 13 points on Jerry Hood’s Greenwave and they’ve allowed just one score four times. Defensive lineman Kavion Henderson, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior, has nearly 40 scholarship offers, including Alabama, Auburn and Georgia.

Moody averages more than 40 points per game. Quarterback Cole McCarty is 108 of 144 (75 percent) for 2,177 yards with 32 touchdowns and three interceptions. His top targets are Arkansas commit Davion Dozier (33-841, 25.48 ypc, 15 touchdowns) and Kolby Seymour (30-730, 20.44 ypc, 11 touchdowns). Running back Blaine Burke has 1,056 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Leeds dominates the series, 12-2, but this is only the third meeting between the schools since 2011.

*The top ranked teams in Class 1A and Class 2A each face a tough test on Friday. Elba, the top ranked team in Class 1A, plays host Florala and Class 2A top ranked Fyffe travels to Pisgah.

Elba has used the "A Train" to run through opponents this season. Sophomore running back Alvin Henderson, whose nickname is "A Train," has 1,308 rushing yards on 109 carries with 25 touchdowns. He averages 12.5 yards per carry and 228 yards per game. Elba has outscored opponents, 295-96. Florala’s lone loss this season came to Georgiana. The Wildcats outscored opponents, 263-31 thus far.

Pisgah’s lone hiccup is a 34-7 setback to Sylvania. Other than that, Pisgah has kept pace on its way to a showdown with the machine called Fyffe. Paul Benefield’s Fyffe team outscored its first seven opponents, 373-39. The two teams have not met on the field since 2005.

*Auburn has been the most consistent Class 7A team this season. The Tigers opened the season with a 17-14 win over Hoover and ripped off six consecutive wins afterward. A week ago, Auburn used a big half to overcome Opelika, 51-29, with quarterback Clyde Pittman finishing with 12-of-14 passing for 213 yards with three touchdowns and rushing for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

This week, Class 7A top ranked Auburn travels to play Central-Phenix City, which was the state’s top-ranked team until an overtime loss to Opelika on Sept. 9. This one has the feel of a big-time playoff game.

*Houston Academy has allowed 49 points in seven games this season and 27 of those points came in a six-point win over Straughn. The Raiders are scoring at a clip of 42 points per game. Now, the Raiders face their biggest challenge as they try to claim their first region title since 2013.

Opp has won six consecutive games after a season-opening loss to Andalusia. The Bobcats, who are coached by former University of Alabama head coach Mike Dubose, are the No. 4 ranked Class 3A team in the state. Opp will be the host team on Friday night.

*Sidney Lanier and Carver-Montgomery have met 50 times on the football field. Officially, each has won 25 teams. On Friday, the teams will break that tie in a key Class 6A Region 2 game at Sidney Lanier. A Carver-Montgomery win would set up a region title showdown next week with Pike Road. A Sidney Lanier win would bring the Poets even with Carver-Montgomery.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.

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