Three teams in the Enquirer’s coverage area will kick off their seasons this week. Hartselle will host Austin while Brewer travels to Danville Friday night. 

Austin at Hartselle 

Hartselle will host rival Austin to open the season for the third consecutive year. The Tigers will take the field for the first time under first-year head coach Bryan Moore.  

The Black Bears come to JP Cain Stadium looking for their second consecutive win in the series and the fifth in the past six meetings. Austin won last season’s game 45-14. 

The new-look Tigers return three starters on offense and four on defense. Leading the way on the offensive side of the ball will be senior offensive linemen Ryan Garrison and Mac Hardin, along with new quarterback, senior Parker Sawyer. Leading the defense will be returning senior starters defensive lineman Seth Lockett,  linebacker Issac Osteen, cornerback Tevin Shields and junior safety Devron Turney. 

Tickets must be purchased online at https://gofan.co/app/school/AL1001. Tickets will not be available at the gate. 

Brewer at Danville 

Brewer will travel to Danville in a county match-up to open the season. The Patriots defeated the Hawks 37-6 in last season’s opener. 

Danville will take the field looking to continue momentum from the past season’s run to the playoffs. DHS returns seven starters on offense and two on defense. The Hawks are looking for a replacement at quarterback following the graduation of Luke Nail, who signed with the University of North Alabama.  

The team will be led by senior running back Cameron Moore, who totaled almost 1,200 yards from scrimmage last season. 

The Patriots are coming off a season derailed by injuries that saw a 2-0 start end with a 3-7 mark. Brewer returns three starters on offense and three on defense. Leading the way on the offensive side of the ball will be junior quarterback Wyatt Styles, who stepped in for the injured Patrick Johnson midway through the season. 

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Only 840 tickets will be sold on-site. Fans are reminded to please adhere to all masking and social distancing protocols. 

Other Games 

Falkville had its opening week game canceled after Decatur Heritage had a player test positive for the coronavirus. The Blue Devils will host the Fairview Aggies in a game that will not count toward the season record. 

Priceville will host West Point in a jamboree game at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs will play their first regular-season game next week on the road at Brewer. 

All games are Friday at 7 pm.