Wildcat opponents
look strong for 2010
The schedule includes the defending 4A state champ, 5 solid county teams and a perennial powerhouse.
Guntersville opens the football season Thursday night at home with Boaz. Here’s a little information about each team on the schedule, listed in the order the Wildcats face them:
Boaz - Boaz went 7-3 last season, losing to Athens in the first round of the 5A playoffs. They graduated most of their backfield, but, like the experienced secondary, they return this year. Guntersville won last year’s game 21-13, but the Pirates won 2 straight before that. Guntersville leads the series 44-21-2.
Crossville - Crossville moves up from 3A to 4A this year. They went 3-7 last year, but return several offensive players experienced both in the passing and running games. The last time Guntersville played Crossville was in 1945. The Wildcats lead the series 2-1.
Butler - Butler moves down this year from 5A to 4A. The school is part of the Huntsville City system. They went 0-10 last year, but return their quarterback and key receivers. Guntersville has never before played Butler.
North Jackson - North Jackson is a perennial powerhouse. The Chiefs went 9-4 last season, which included both a loss to Guntersville and a win over the Wildcats. Guntersville beat North Jackson 30-23 in the regular season en route to the region championship. North Jackson then beat Guntersville 16-14 in the second round of the playoffs. North Jackson leads the series 11-7. The Chiefs are said to be loaded again this season. They’re ranked No. 5 in 4A. An interesting note is that no other North Jackson opponent has won as many games against the Chiefs as Guntersville. Scottsboro and Ft. Payne have 5 wins each over North Jackson while Athens and Deshler have 4 each.
Arab - Arab lost its starting quarterback from last year, but has a lot of other players coming back. The Knights went 5-5 last season and upset Guntersville 17-14. The Wildcats had won 4 in a row before that. Guntersville leads the series 50-26-2.
Fairview - The Aggies had their best season in school history last year, going 8-3. But they’ve lost 3-year All State quarterback Trett Hardeman and his receivers to graduation, so it should be a different team this year. Guntersville is 13-1 all-time against Fairview and won last year’s contest 33-0.
Douglas - The Eagles made some big strides last year, winning 4 games and setting a school record for most points in a season. They lost several skill players, but do have some experienced players coming back. Guntersville leads the series 9-1. The Wildcats eked out a 14-6 win in this game last year.
DAR - DAR has gone 6-4 in back-to-back seasons and is still looking for that edge to get over the hump and make the playoffs. Coach Hunter Holland likes his starting 11, but is gravely concerned about the lack of depth. Guntersville leads the series 2-0.
Cherokee Co. - The Warriors ran the table last season, going 15-0 en route to the 2009 4A state championship. Their quarterback, Coty Blanchard, was named Mr. Football. He and several other starters from last year’s championship team have now graduated. Guntersville and Cherokee split their last 2 meetings in 2006 and 2007. GHS won 39-14 in 2006 and Cherokee County won 27-24 in 2007. Guntersville leads the series 11-5. Cherokee County is ranked No. 6 in 4A.
Albertville - Guntersville and Albertville are said to have the longest running series of any high school rivalry in Alabama. The Wildcats notched a milestone with last year-s 35-7 win. It gave Guntersville its first lead ever in the series 45-44-6. Guntersville has won 6 straight over its neighbor, but there’s a lot of excitement about football in Albertville this year. The Aggies are reported to have the best group of backs and receivers in the county.