Raiders, Warriors in 45th meeting of a good county rivalry:
WKUL FM Game of the Week:
Good Hope Raiders (0 & 0) at West Point Warriors (0 & 1)
Friday, 7:00 p.m.
West Point Stadium
LOCAL RADIO: 92.1 FM & WKUL.com
SERIES: West Point 25/18/1
2023: West Point 49 to 32 at Good Hope
LAST WEEK: West Point lost to Haleyville 27 to 24
Good Hope lost to Fyffe (jamboree)
Alan Scott 10th year at Good Hope (53 & 47)
Kevin McCravy 1st year at West Point (0 & 1)
Scott is 2 & 4 vs. West Point
This is the 2nd oldest county rivalry for Good Hope, a total of 44 times the Raiders have dealt with the Warriors. Good Hope has played Hanceville and Vinemont 48 times.
It's 3rd in the rankings of matchups for West Point. The oldest rivalry for the Warriors is 53 vs. Fairview and 51 with Hanceville is 2nd.
Could the road team take victory for the third straight season? West Point last year overcame a 20 to 0 first quarter deficit from a hot James Shabel Stadium to beat the Raiders 49 to 32.
Two seasons ago, both teams slugged it out for a scoreless game through regulation. Good Hope got a TD on its possession in OT as they stunned the Warriors, who had outgained them in total offense, but could not tally anything on their side of the scoreboard.
A game to be remembered from 50 years ago when the two played to a 7 to 7 tie to end the 1974 regular season.
Good Hope would go 7/2/1 that year, getting to the state playoffs for the first time.
Two legendary coaches led the respective teams. Billy Joe Pugh in his 3rd season at Good Hope with West Point being led by the legendary Dafford Smith. Both are members of the Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame.
A strength for West Point from its jamboree vs. Hanceville August 16 and last week vs. Haleyville is throwing the football.
Hunter Hensley accounted for 227 yards and three TDs while on the field for the jamboree with Hanceville. He was 10 of 17 in the Haleyville game with a TD pass.
Good Hope saw super power Fyffe in two quarters of a spring game in May at home and went to Sand Mountain last week in a return trip to scrimmage the No. 1 team from Class 3A.
Now the Raiders set their sights on the 2024 opener on the last Friday of August.
West Point seeks the opportunity to present McCravy his first victory with the game on their home turf and it being a county rivalry battle.
Both will shift into regional play the following week with Good Hope at home in 4A, Region 6 to play Fultondale. West Point gets to see 5A, Region 7 foe Fairview from Dafford Smith Stadium.
Good Hope and West Point engage one another for the fifth consecutive year. The series was not played between 2018 and 2019 and before that, silent on the field from 2012 to 2015.
The Warriors have six victories in the last eight games with the Raiders, dating back to the 2010 season.
Photo of West Point WR Brayden Monfort (8) celebrating a score with teammate Bryant Moon (33) during the Warriors' jamboree game vs. Hanceville August 16.
Photo courtesy of West Point High School.
