Todd Kwarcinski
Briarwood Baseball
Action in an AHSAA Class 5A baseball playoff game between Headland and Briarwood on Friday, April 21, 2017, at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama.
Spring sport championship season is always busy in this part of the state, both due to the number of spring sports and how successful many local schools are at them.
The high school baseball playoffs have begun for Classes 1-6A, with 7A action set to begin this weekend.
Last week, the Class 5A top-ranked Briarwood baseball team swept Headland with ease. This week, the Lions will travel to No. 2 Faith Academy for a critical second round series. A doubleheader will begin at 4 p.m. Friday, with a third game at 1 p.m. Saturday if needed.
Chelsea's baseball team also made it through the first round of the 6A playoffs, with a little more drama than Briarwood. The Hornets won the first game comfortably, before a tight loss in Game 2 and a walk-off win in Game 3.
Chelsea stays home for its second round series, as the Hornets take on Benjamin Russell. Friday's doubleheader will start at 4 p.m., with an if-necessary game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Oak Mountain and Spain Park were the top two finishers in Class 7A, Area 6 to seal their playoff berths. In the opening round this week, the Eagles will host Huntsville (4:30 p.m. doubleheader Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday if needed) and the Jags travel to Grissom (5 p.m. doubleheader Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday if needed).
Chelsea's girls and both Briarwood soccer teams qualified for the playoffs, and will begin play this week. The Lady Hornets will host Homewood on Friday at 6:30 p.m., while Briarwood hosts Demopolis in both the boys and girls first round games. The Lions will play a doubleheader of sorts on Saturday, with the girls game starting at 4 p.m., followed by the boys game at 6 p.m.
Both Oak Mountain and both Spain Park soccer teams qualified for the 7A playoffs, which will begin next week.
At the state tennis tournament, the Briarwood boys won the Class 4A/5A state championship. The girls were completing a match on Wednesday to determine second and third place. Spain Park's girls team made the state tournament for the first time in school history, and came away with a runner-up finish.
Softball is about to begin postseason play as well, with the playing of area tournaments. Spain Park and Oak Mountain finished tied for first in Area 6, and a coin flip determined that the Jags would host the area tournament, set for May 3-5. Chelsea finished second in its area and will play at Helena, beginning May 2. Briarwood's area tournament will be played at Shelby County.
Track and field sectionals are set for this weekend at Mountain Brook. In golf, sectionals are set for the beginning of next week.