Enterprise gets set for playoff matchup with Fairhope

The Enterprise Wildcats (7-3) are back in action this week on the road at the Fairhope Pirates (9-1, 8-0) as the Class 7A State Football Playoffs get underway on Nov. 5.

Enterprise is coming off a bye week after closing out the regular season on the road in a 42-28 loss to Auburn. Fairhope, on the other hand, handled Murphy 49-18 in its regular season finale last week.

The two sides have not met since 2013 but Enterprise has plenty of experience playing teams in Fairhope’s part of the state in recent years. The Wildcats traveled to Davidson and Theodore last season, while also traveling to both Theodore and McGill-Toolen in 2019.

The only common opponents Enterprise and Fairhope shared his season was Davidson, who the Wildcats defeated 55-7 and Fairhope upended 37-7. Fairhope’s only loss came in the season opener against Spanish Fort and since that time the Pirates have won nine straight and outscored their opponents 318-111 during that stretch.

Fairhope’s offense is averaging 33 points and 336 yards per game, while the Pirate defense is giving up just 14 points per game. On the flipside, Enterprise is averaging 43 points and 439 yards of offense, while giving up 25 points and 288 yards per game on defense.

Both Enterprise and Fairhope possess two of the top running games in the state as Fairhope’s 2,621 rushing yards is good for No. 13 and Enterprise’s 3,702 yards tops the entire state, according to Maxpreps.

Both Enterprise and Fairhope’s similarities continue as the two sides both possess a three-headed attack on offense. Fairhope is led by senior running backs Qualin McCants (892 yards and 11 touchdowns) and Glenn Patrick (875 yards and 15 touchdowns), while quarterback Caden Creel has thrown for 645 yards and three touchdowns along with 467 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Enterprise’s dynamic duo of junior running back Mykel Johnson (1,065 yards and 20 touchdowns) and sophomore running back Amare Griffin (1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns) have become the first Enterprise pair to surpass 1,000 yards in the same season. Senior quarterback Quentin Hayes has also been dynamic throwing for 605 yards and one touchdown along with 629 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground despite playing only on a limited basis for the first four weeks of the season.

In recent weeks the Enterprise defense has struggled – especially against the passing game – as Enterprise’s young secondary got even younger with injuries and departed players plaguing the group. The Pirates will surely want to establish the run as they do each week but the Wildcat coaching staff will likely be expecting Fairhope to take shots in the passing game, as well.

The Enterprise defense has been led this season by sophomore linebacker Marzavious Reed, who has totaled 84 tackles, 14.5 tackles-for-loss, six sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 12 quarterback hurries as he fills the stat sheet each week. Sophomore safety Eric Winters has also become a playmaker in the secondary recording 54 tackles, one tackle-for-loss and two interceptions this season. Senior defensive lineman DJ Buckner has recorded 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries this season, as well.

The Pirates and Wildcats will meet this Friday at 7 p.m. at Fairhope Municipal Stadium in Fairhope with the winning team facing off against the winner of Auburn and Baker the following week.