Prattville, Hewitt-Trussville Set for Clash of 6A Powers.
Two of Alabama's top Class 6A football teams meet Friday night in Trussville when the unbeaten #3 Prattville Lions travel north to take on the #5 Hewitt-Trussville Huskies. Both teams enter the matchup with plenty of momentum.
Prattville is 4-0 after rallying past Hoover 30-29 last Friday, while Hewitt-Trussville improved to 3-1 with a 49-0 shutout of Tuscaloosa County. The matchup features two explosive offenses and several players who have already attracted attention from college programs.
Prattville's offense has been prolific, scoring 52.3 points per game. The Lions have scored 49 points against Niceville, 68 against Stanhope Elmore, 62 against Tuscaloosa County and 30 against Hoover. Last week against Hoover, Prattville had to drive 81 yards for the tying touchdown in less than five minutes in the game, and the Lions pulled off the road win. "You can't have a great victory in life without overcoming some type of diversity," said Lions head coach Bobby Carr. "Our kids just found a way to keep fighting. That is what we talked about. Life is about getting back up when you get knocked down. We all saw that; our kids have a lot of fight in them. We were the last one standing tonight."
Prattville quarterback Will McKay has been one of the state's most productive passers through four games. The junior quarterback has thrown for 1,166 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 61.5 percent of his passes. His 1,166 yards rank third among Alabama high-school quarterbacks in MaxPreps' current statewide statistics, just behind Alabama commitment Trent Seaborn from Thompson.
McKay has a deep group of targets, led by senior wide receiver Deshawn Hall. Hall has emerged as one of the most dangerous big-play receivers in the state. The Auburn commitment has 22 receptions for 386 receiving yards and four touchdowns, averaging 96.5 yards per game. Hall was particularly effective in Prattville's 30-29 victory over Hoover, finishing with 136 receiving yards and a touchdown while scoring the tying touchdown. "I give all glory to God," said Prattville WR Hall. "I thank my teammates for believing in me and getting me that ball. I was glad to be able to come through for my guys."
Sophomore C.J. Brown is another weapon for the Lions. Brown is Prattville's leading scorer with six total touchdowns, while he also has five receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns on the season.
In the running game, junior Marterrious Sankey has provided balance. He is averaging 74.3 rushing yards per game and has scored four touchdowns. Junior Tobias Bell is averaging 47 rushing yards per game.
The Lions' offensive line is made up of Braylon Jackson, Watson Kidd, Maurice White, Daylan Weatherly, and Malik Farris. They have done a great job of giving their quarterback time to throw the football down the field this season.
The Lions' defense only gives up 10.8 points per game in their four wins. Defensive lineman Kameron Ellis, Jayden Milledge, Elijia Brown (Kentucky commit), and Caleb Mitchell lead the Lions' front line.
The linebackers have Jason Crenshaw (Georgia Tech commit), Bryan Thomas, Tyler McIntyre, Ricardo Parker, and Datavius Caldwell. The secondary is led by Kolby King. Rylan Caffee, Darrell Washington, Jamichael Smith, and Clemson commitment Jayden Aparicio Bailey round out the Lions' secondary. Aparicio Bailey played at Oak Mountain last season.
Kicker Bryson Francis kicked three field goals and three extra points in the win at Hoover last week.
Hewitt-Trussville averages 41.3 points per game on offense, but had issues only scoring 20 points against 5A Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in their second game of the season. Quarterback Jack Floyd leads the Huskies' offense. As a freshman last season, Floyd was pressed into duty due to an injury at the quarterback position.
Floyd has completed 67-of-87 passes for 867 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, and has 385 yards on 66 carries and seven touchdowns. "For one thing, Jack is a little bigger," said Huskies head coach Josh Floyd. "Physically, he is stronger. On the field, he is seeing things faster. The game has slowed down for him this year. He was thrown in the fire last year. It is hard for a freshman to play in our region. Jack is a big competitor. He continues to mature as a quarterback."
Daniel Williams leads the Huskies' ground game. The sophomore running back leads the Huskies' ground game. Williams has an offer from the University of Tennessee-Martin and looks for other offers to come this season. "Daniel is a special back," added Floyd. "If we can keep him healthy the next couple of seasons, he will be one of the best backs we will have here. He is a talented kid. He works hard and comes to improve every day. Confident in what he does. Good vision; he is hard to tackle." Williams had 316 yards on 53 carries and four touchdowns. Also, Williams is a good receiver out of the backfield.
Jackson Martin and linebacker Harrison Malone will get carries for the Huskies. Malone is a leader on the defensive side of the ball but will get some carries to spell Williams or if the Huskies have short-yardage opportunities.
The Huskies have Demitri Hall, Dylan Price, and tight end Riley O'Neil that will be used in the passing game. Both Hall and Price can bust the big play with a long pass play for Hewitt-Trussville. Both have great hands and speed. Both will be problems for opposing secondaries.
The Huskies' offensive line has some experience with seniors Micah Fantroy and Calvyn Speigner. Both were starters from last year. Marion Woodley and Searcy Ellis played last season. Hunter Jordan and Anders Hardy add depth to the offensive line.
The Huskies' defense has allowed 108 points in four games this year and will face one of the top offenses in Class 6A. Defensive lineman D'ante Seals leads the Huskies' defense that only returns three starters from last year. Seals has committed to Troy University. "He didn't get to play our first game and is coming off an injury," said Floyd. "The last few games he has played well. He has a lot of experience for us and has made big plays in those big games."
Samuel Starkey, Michael Ross, and Landon Donner are in the mix for the Huskies' defensive line spots. Linebackers Ryker Dummitt, Hunter Futrell, Parker Neigott, Jayden Berry, and Malone will see plenty of playing time.
Malone is another player with extensive experience at linebacker. "He is a huge leader for us on defense," said Floyd. "He makes a lot of big plays for us. He plays both ways for us. Really pleased with him and is a really good football player."
The secondary has Zion Westry, Caleb Scott, Kahilil Braswell, Parker McGoot, and Bryant Wisdom. Wisdom can play linebacker if needed. Braswell leads the team with three interceptions this season.
The Huskies have kicker Banks Lloyd and punter Anthony Hrbacek on special teams.
The matchup could ultimately come down to which defense can slow the opposing quarterback. Prattville has the explosive passing game and college-level receivers to challenge Hewitt's secondary. Hewitt, meanwhile, has the quarterback-run combination of Floyd and Williams capable of forcing Prattville's defense to defend every inch of the field.
For Prattville, the goal will be to prevent Floyd from turning broken plays into big gains while containing Williams between the tackles and on the perimeter. For Hewitt-Trussville, stopping McKay and Hall will be priority No. 1.
The Huskies have already demonstrated that they can beat elite competition. Their 56-42 season-opening victory at Auburn showed the offensive potential of Floyd and the Huskies, while the 40-24 victory over Hoover proved they could win a physical game against a highly regarded Class 6A opponent.
Prattville, however, has shown something different: an ability to win when everything is on the line. The Lions trailed Hoover late before Hall's dramatic touchdown gave Prattville the 30-29 victory. Now they travel to Trussville in search of another statement win.
The game also carries significant implications for the Class 6A landscape. Both programs aspire to play deep into November, and a victory Friday would give either team another major piece of evidence that it belongs among Alabama's elite.
Hewitt-Trussville has home-field advantage, a dynamic young quarterback and a defense that has gained confidence over the past two weeks. Prattville has an undefeated record, explosive playmakers and a roster loaded with college prospects.
That combination should make Friday night's matchup one of the most intriguing games on the Week 4 schedule. When the lights come on at Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, it will be more than a homecoming game. It will be a measuring-stick game between two programs that believe they have what it takes to make a serious run through the postseason.
