White BBQ sauce, back ailments can't dampen another 'Cats win
DECATUR—The legendary white barbecue sauce, invented here in 1925, was almost the only adversity endured by Wildcat Sports Network broadcasters Friday who feasted on Enterprise High School's first-round, 32-21, playoff win over Austin High School.
For dawdling Enterprise fans watching the Cats board buses to return home Friday, yes, you saw your scribe being escorted from Austin Football Stadium, slumped in a John Deere Gator, by police and a stadium official.
That being said, Enterprise (7-4) hosts Baker High School's Hornets (9-2) Friday in second-round playoff action.
Enterprise beat Baker in 2022 (35-26) and 2016 (51-14), both in first-round playoff games.
Friday marks the first post-season game Enterprise has hosted since 2015, when the Cats lost a second-round heartbreaker to Smiths Station, 41-34.
Friday's victor plays the Auburn vs. Thompson winner.
For Enterprise, a win Friday puts the Cats into the third round for the first time since 1993, when we beat Opelika, 14-3, a week before a 21-20 overtime loss in Phenix City.
In 36 appearances, Enterprise has a 29-31-1 playoff record that includes state championships in 1979 and 1982.
In 12 playoff years, Baker has 2-11-0 record and hasn't advanced to the third round.
The Hornets' double-overtime, 17-14 win against Hewitt-Trussville last week was their first post-season win since 1984.
Baker's 2024 losses were to 4A Jackson (10-1) and Mary Montgomery (9-2).
Jackson plays at Bibb County, but Mary Montgomery was eliminated by Vestavia Hills; the other two 7A Region 1 playoff teams, Daphne and Fairhope, also lost first-rounders.
Besides Enterprise, 7A Region 2 championship contenders Auburn, Central/Phenix City and Opelika are still hunting the 2024 trophy.
Auburn hosts Thompson, Central travels to James Clemens and Opelika travels to Hoover Friday.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, college football is sailing uncharted, testy waters as the playoff picture seemingly changes as often as a seven-day tide schedule, due to NIL, NCAA decisions, the Transfer Pothole, and ESPN/ABC, now just another Mickey Mouse amusement outfit.
It's still too soon to finalize the 12-team, first-round pairings, but it's almost certain no 2024 team will ever be considered an all-time best college powerhouse, especially while the sport is doing its best emulating a tsunami when all the water disappears from sight.
Let's see, there's Indiana, Boise State, Army, BYU, Washington State, Kansas State and Tulane in current Top 25 polls.
Sadly, Indiana vs. Tulane is an unlikely Game of the Century.
Hmmm.
Hopefully this year, Florida State folks won't whine about being omitted from any post-season championship glory, because combined, FSU (1-9), Troy (2-7) and Auburn (3-6), are barely bowl eligible, while Vanderbilt (6-4), TCU (6-4), Tulane (8-2) and Duke (7-3) are in, baybeee ...
Elsewhere, check these recent sports headlines:
- "Vanderbilt Quarterback Restraining Order Denied After Recent NCAA Lawsuit."
- "$72 Million College Football Head Coach Calls Out SEC for Scheduling Bias."
- "College Football Playoff rankings release show: Live coverage/predictions/how to watch on Presidential Election Night."
- "Pike Liberal Arts, Charles Henderson, Coosa Central and Fultondale ousted from playoffs for playing ineligible players."
- "d'Arnaud signs with Angels"
Finally, about police "manhandling" your un-tased scribe into the WSN/Sam Boswell mini-van.
The escortation happened four hours after chronic back/leg ailments collided head-on with white barbecue sauce to completely deflate 75-year-old sails.
Oh, yeah,
Go Cats ...
