Chilton County presents chance for Hornets' first win

The Chelsea High School football team is still searching for its first win of the season after last Friday’s 37-10 loss to Opelika. This week, it could break through.

The Hornets (0-7, 0-4 in Class 6A, Region 3) will play at Chilton County, which is 1-7 overall and 0-5 in the region. The Tigers’ lone win came on Sept. 29 against Russell County.

Last year, Chelsea used its high-powered offense to blow past Chilton County, 63-35.

This year’s tilt isn’t likely to feature as many points, as both teams have generally struggled to find their stride on offense. Chelsea, for one, has fought through the growing pains of replacing all 11 starters.

Quarterback Turner Griffin and running back Kendrick Simpson lead the attack. Simpson rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown in last week’s defeat, with his second-quarter score cutting Opelika’s lead to 23-7 at the half.

“When you’re 0-6 and get down to a team as good as they [Opelika] are, it would be easy to quit, but our guys didn’t, and I’m proud of them for that,” Chelsea head coach Chris Elmore said after the game. “Our defense played great all night, and it should’ve been 9-7 at the half.”

The Hornets will aim for a faster start against Chilton County. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Tiger Stadium.

-Robert Carter contributed to this report.