Selma High and Keith High are off to their best starts in years.

The Saints travel to McAdory, while the Bears entertain 1A powerhouse Maplesville on Friday night.

Meadowview Christian School (MCS) plays host to Ezekiel on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Selma High at McAdory: The Saints (3-1) have looked strong defensively all season long, including their 23-0 loss to Opelika.

First-year Selma coach Willie Gandy is pleased with the Saints’ effort, but sees ] room for improvement.

“I’m really proud of the way our guys stay focus and play hard for all four quarters,” Gandy said. “Defensively, we played lights out. We’re still working to get the offense where we want them to be.”

Maplesville at Keith: The Bears (3-1) have never beaten the Red Devils, losing all seven games in the series. No. 2 Maplesville (3-0) won 57-0 last year.

Quarterback Jared Edwards is among the seniors that has played well for the Bears. Keith will need a strong offensive performance to pull off the upset.

Southside at Beulah: The Panthers (1-2, 1-1 Region 3, Class 3A)  tries to bounce back on the road at Bobcat Stadium.The Bobcats (3-1, 1-1) won 42-34 last season.

“It’s a huge region game,” Panthers coach Charles Moody said. “We want to come out and play discipline and sound football in a hostile situation. They have two really good runnng backs and a good offensive line. We have to play disciplined on both sides of the ball.”

Morgan Academy at Glenwood: The Senators (1-3, 0-1) need a victory to keep their AISA state playoff  hopes alive.  The Senators beat No. 7 Glenwood (4-1, 1-0) 22-14 last season.

One of the few bright spots for the Senators is the play of running back Holt Utsey, a member of The Selma Times-Journal’s All Dallas County team.  Utsey has rushed for over 600 yards this season, including 215 yards against Lee-Scott last week.

“We’ve had a good rivalry over the last few years,” Senators coach Josh Thacker said. “We hope to continue that Friday.”

Dallas County at Sipsey Valley: The Hornets (1-2, 1-0 Region 3, Class 4A) travel to Tuscaloosa County for a showdown against the Bears.

Heath LeVert won his first game as the Hornets’ head coach last week against Sumter Central. LeVert looks for continued improvement against Sipsey Valley, who won 28-8 last year.

“We have to continue to grow and build on the successs we had last week,” LeVert said. “Sipsey Valley likes to throw the ball around and we have to be sound on the back end of the defense this week. Offensively, we need to control the ball and limit the amount of time their offensive is on the field. Long, sustained drives will be the key to our success.”

Ezekiel at Meadowview Christian School: The  winless Trojans (0-3) make their home debut at Wasden Field against the Knights.

“They are a good football team, very fast and love to throw the football,” MCS coach Bob Taylor said.

Francis Marion at Ellwood Christian Academy: The Eagles (0-3, 0-1) entertain Francis Marion (0-2, 0-1) at Memorial Stadium. The Eagles must find consistency on the offensive and defensive lines.