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Week 5 Football Primer: Eagles host Lions

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Photo by Erin Nelson

Here's a look at this week's local high school football games.

Hewitt-Trussville (3-2) at Huffman (0-5)

Last week: Hewitt-Trussville fell to Hoover 17-7; Huffman dropped a 35-20 decision to Shades Valley.

What to watch: Hewitt-Trussville struggled offensively last week against a stout Hoover defense, so the Huskies will be looking to gain back some of its confidence on that side of the ball against a struggling Huffman squad. The Huskies have been showing signs of improvement throughout the first half of the season, and they should be able to continue that positivity this Thursday.

Last meeting: The two teams have played plenty over the years, with Hewitt-Trussville beating Huffman 60-19 on Sept. 24, 2021. Hewitt has won 10 straight in the series and leads 24-18 overall.

Hoover (4-1) at Mountain Brook (5-0)

Last week: Hoover defeated Hewitt-Trussville 17-7; Mountain Brook shut out Jackson-Olin 48-0.

What to watch: These two teams have spent plenty of years as region foes, but with Mountain Brook descending to Class 6A a couple years ago, they haven’t played since 2019. The Spartans’ only on-field win since 1985 came in 2011. This will be an intriguing matchup between one of 6A’s top teams and one of the contenders in 7A. Both defenses have proven to be strong, so this could be a low-scoring affair.

Last meeting: Hoover knocked off Mountain Brook 34-10 on Oct. 25, 2019. Hoover holds a 34-8 lead in the series.

Briarwood (2-2) at Oak Mountain (2-3)

Last week: Briarwood took its open date; Oak Mountain fell to Tuscaloosa County 34-31.

What to watch: Both teams are coming off painful losses, even though Briarwood has had a week to stew on it. The Lions surrendered a 20-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to Pelham two weeks ago, while Oak Mountain gave up the game-winning touchdown to Tuscaloosa County last week despite leading for much of the contest. 

Last meeting: Oak Mountain knocked off Briarwood 35-0 on Sept. 25, 2015. The teams have split four previous meetings.

Chelsea (1-4) vs. Pelham (1-3)

Last week: Chelsea suffered a 48-3 loss to Thompson; Pelham fell to Helena 31-24 in overtime.

What to watch: The story for both of these teams this year is establishing building blocks under first-year head coaches. That’s difficult to do playing in tough regions like both of these teams, but there has been evident progress. Chelsea knocked off Oak Mountain a couple weeks ago, while Pelham has suffered three one-possession losses outside of a thrilling comeback win over Briarwood.

Last meeting: Chelsea knocked off Pelham 31-28 on Sept. 24, 2021. Pelham holds a 9-5 edge in the series.

Pinson Valley (2-2) at Homewood (4-1)

Last week: Pinson Valley blew past Oxford 44-20; Homewood outlasted Benjamin Russell 31-24.

What to watch: This is an interesting 6A top 10 matchup for the non-region week in the middle of the season, as Homewood cracked the rankings following its win over Benjamin Russell last Friday. Pinson Valley has proven to be a strong team yet again in Lee Guess’ first season as head coach, while Homewood is nothing if not a battle-tested team at this point.

Last meeting: Pinson Valley knocked off Homewood 42-7 on Nov. 8, 2019, in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.

Clay-Chalkville (5-0) at Thompson (3-2)

Last week: Clay-Chalkville toppled Center Point 56-19; Thompson thumped Chelsea 48-3.

What to watch: This game could be a classic between two of the best teams in the state, as both are reigning state champions. If the Cougars and Warriors push all their chips in for this game, despite it not counting toward any region standings, it will be an intriguing matchup. The Cougars rebounded last week after a sluggish win over Pinson, while Thompson is rounding into form after three straight wins.

Last meeting: Clay-Chalkville beat Thompson 27-7 on Aug. 27, 1999. The Cougars have won each of the two meetings between the schools, but this will be the first matchup in the 21st century. 

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