Hornets conclude regular season with 3 formidable region opponents in October

Coming off an open week, the Chelsea High School football team has three straight Class 6A, Region 3 games that will likely determine whether the Hornets’ season lasts longer than the regular season slate of 10 games.

Opelika has been a thorn in the Hornets’ side since the two programs were paired in the same region three years ago. In 2014, Opelika hosted Chelsea and won convincingly, 60-14. In the return trip last fall, the Hornets fared much better, but still fell 40-25. The two teams will play in Opelika Oct. 7.

The series between Chelsea and Chilton County has been an entertaining one, and the two teams will try to keep that going the following Friday night. The teams met for the first time in 1996 and have split 12 games between them. If Chelsea is to get a win in the game, the Hornets will have to buck a trend that has remained the same throughout the course of the series. 

Chilton County won the first two matchups, followed by Chelsea taking the next two. That cycle has repeated itself three times, with the Hornets winning the last two games.

Helena is next on the docket Oct. 21 and represents the final region game for Chelsea. The Huskies and Hornets played each of the last two seasons, the first two years of Helena High School’s existence, with Chelsea winning both matchups comfortably. Helena made the jump to Class 6A this year, as its growth has occurred quickly since opening.

The final regular season game, a non-region matchup at Cullman Oct. 27, has special significance to head coach Chris Elmore. Mark Britton, Cullman’s head coach, played for Elmore’s dad, Jerry, at Cullman in 1979.

Jerry Elmore is not the only family member to coach the Wildcats. Grady Elmore, Jerry Elmore’s uncle, coached at Cullman in the early 1950s.

Two wins early in the month should be more than enough for the Hornets to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.