The Saraland Spartans will square off against the Pike Road Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Saraland comes in on 11 and Pike Road on six.
Saraland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They managed a 35-31 win over Spain Park. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Spartans' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked fourth, while the Jaguars are ranked 32nd).
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Jamison Roberts and Brock Bradley. Roberts had a great game and rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Bradley was balling out in the loss, throwing for 343 yards and four TDs while picking up 11.8 yards per attempt.
Saraland's defensive line made their presence known, laying out Bradley four times. Spain Park's QB won't forget Leslie Lj Nobles anytime soon given he sacked him three times.
Meanwhile, Pike Road won against McGill-Toolen two weeks ago with 28 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Patriots put the hurt on Bessemer City with a sharp 28-6 victory. Considering the Patriots have won eight matchups by more than 21 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Pike Road didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Gavin Rivers and O'Mari Smith. Jhaylon Smith was another major factor on D, picking up a sack, making eight total tackles, and defending one pass.
Saraland's record now sits at 11-0. As for Pike Road, their record is now 10-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Saraland has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 160.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Pike Road struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 211.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Everything came up roses for Saraland against Pike Road in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 47-12 win. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.