NEW BROCKTON, Ala (WDHN) — The playoff hunt in high school football is heating up, and this week’s Game of the Week features two teams just outside the bubble as the New Brockton Gamecocks host the Ashford Yellowjackets.
“Coach Barnett, he’s done a phenomenal job. His kids have a lot of grit,” said Ashford head coach David Stapleton III. “He’s got some playmakers on his team and does a really good job of getting them the ball. They fought through adversity, which is admirable.”
The Yellowjackets come in with just two wins on the season, but one of those was against the region-leading Dale County Warriors. With three one-score losses, the Yellowjackets believe they can compete with anyone if they play all four quarters.
“Just like the Dale County game, we came out swinging all four quarters,” said Ashford senior wide receiver Tylan Peterman. “It was kind of tough at one point with the rain, but we gotta come out like that every game.”
New Brockton has struggled with slow starts but is coming off a second-half comeback win over Geneva. Barnett’s squad hopes to use that momentum to get going earlier in this week’s game.
“We’re going to bring the same mentality we had after halftime,” said New Brockton senior wide receiver Baylon Foster. “We should stop coming out slow. We can beat a lot of teams if we just play like we did in the second half. We’re not going to be a second-half team anymore; we’re going to be a four-quarters team from now on.”
New Brockton also has the home-field advantage, with this game being their Homecoming. However, Ashford’s players don’t see it making a difference.
“Playing on the road don’t make any difference than playing at home,” said Ashford senior linebacker Maddox Tillery. “Straughn is said to be the hardest place to play at on the road, but when we were on the field, we couldn’t even hear the stands. It don’t make a difference to us.”
For Ashford, the team’s strength lies in senior Aaron Lewis, who contributes on both sides of the ball. New Brockton’s defense knows that limiting his impact is priority number one.
“He pops out on film immediately,” said Barnett. “When you turn it on, he’s the first thing you see. He makes things go on offense and is very disruptive on defense too.”
New Brockton lineman Jared Petitt echoed those thoughts: “Facing a mobile quarterback like him, it’s a respect thing. He can throw, he can run. You have to keep him contained and make him do what you want. It’s going to be a fun matchup.”
Both teams have something to prove Friday night, knowing a win could fuel a playoff push.
“If we can find a way to win Friday night, that puts us squarely in the playoff picture,” Barnett said. “We’ve got to win two out of the last three, but it’s going to be a dogfight.”
Stapleton believes his team is close to breaking through: “The margin between good and great is small, and we are close. But we’re tired of being close. We still have everything we want in front of us, and I think it’ll be a fantastic game.”
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