Hornets in good position for playoff spot
In its first game since cracking the top 10 of the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A rankings, the Chelsea High School football team faced its toughest obstacle of the season.
A road trip to Region 3 foe Opelika would have been circled before the season as one of the most difficult tests of the season. Over halfway through, that sentiment remained the same.
Chelsea (5-2, 2-2 Class 6A, Region 3) made the trip to face the region-leading Bulldogs last Friday, Oct. 7, and unfortunately, did not fare as well as it hoped.
The rushing attack of No. 4 Opelika – led by Weldrin Ford – proved too strong in a 48-24 victory. Ford hammered the Hornets for 243 yards and three first-half touchdowns on 19 carries.
“Win or lose, this is a great team and a great bunch of coaches and great bunch of players. I’m still extremely proud of them. We just got out-played tonight by a team that was better than us tonight,” Chelsea head coach Chris Elmore said following the game.
Chelsea’s Matthew Marquet was 11-of-17 passing for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the game. The Hornets spread out its rushing attack between Zalon Reynolds and Marquet with 56 yards each, while Austin Stallworth had 36 yards. Jay Vickers had 42 yards receiving on four catches, while Lee Rickard and Hunter Blackburn had 28 and 24 yards, respectively.
Josh Gregg, Vickers and Stallworth each scored in the game for Chelsea.
With the loss, Chelsea still has work to do, but has positioned itself well in the state playoff hunt. The Hornets made the postseason for the first time since making the jump to 6A in 2012 last fall, and are looking to make that a reality for the second consecutive season.
Friday at 7 p.m. at Chelsea High School, the Hornets will take on Chilton County, a team that is 3-5 overall, 1-4 in Region 3. The Tigers are coming off a close loss to Benjamin Russell and a victory over Pelham last week.
There is a scenario in which the Hornets could clinch a playoff berth following this week’s action. A Chelsea win over Chilton County coupled with a Helena loss against Benjamin Russell would guarantee the Hornets of at least a playoff spot, awarded to the top four teams in each region.
Region 3 has presented itself as top-heavy throughout the season, as Opelika, Benjamin Russell, Chelsea and Wetumpka have seemingly distanced themselves from the rest of the region.
Opelika is unbeaten in the region, while Wetumpka and Benjamin Russell are 3-1 in region play. Wetumpka is 7-1 overall, with its only loss coming to Chelsea.
Chelsea concludes its region schedule next week, Oct. 21, at home against Helena.
- Chris Megginson contributed to this story.