Under the Lights football gameday.
Friday night means gameday for the local high school football teams, and Under the Lights is back to cover Football Friday.
Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park are all in action on Friday night with non-region matchups.
For updates throughout Friday night and all season, follow sports editor Kyle Parmley on X (@KyleParmley) and the Under the Lights social media accounts (Facebook and X).
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Game of the Week
Homewood (1-0) at Briarwood (1-0)
- Date: Friday, Aug. 28
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Lions Pride Stadium
Last week: Homewood beat John Carroll 31-14; Briarwood beat Moody 35-7.
What to watch: Both teams opened the season with double-digit wins, setting up this yearly non-region clash with plenty of momentum on both sides. Briarwood manhandled defending state champion Moody last week in a bit of a surprise manner, while Homewood simply took care of business in the Battle of Lakeshore against John Carroll. This game will reveal a little bit more about the strengths and weaknesses of both sides before region play begins.
Last meeting: Homewood beat Briarwood 27-0 in 2025. Homewood has won the last two meetings in this series after Briarwood had won three of the four before that.
Next week: Homewood hosts Mountain Brook to begin region play, while Briarwood hosts Westminster Christian.
Chelsea (0-1) vs. Gardendale (0-1)
- Date: Friday, Aug. 28
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Chelsea High School
Last week: Chelsea lost to Southside-Gadsden 30-7; Gardendale fell to St. Clair County 34-7.
What to watch: Chelsea will look to bounce back from a season-opening loss under new coach Tad Niblett. The Hornets will get that opportunity against a Gardendale program that has fallen on hard times in recent seasons.
Last meeting: Gardendale beat Chelsea 41-28 in 2017. Gardendale has won three of the four meetings between the two programs.
Next week: Chelsea travels to Calera to begin region play, while Gardendale hosts Jackson-Olin.
Oak Mountain (0-1) vs. Buckhorn (1-0)
- Date: Friday, Aug. 28
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Heardmont Park
Last week: Oak Mountain fell to Pelham 45-38; Buckhorn defeated Decatur 23-20 in overtime.
What to watch: Oak Mountain fell in a shootout to open new coach Jason Kervin's tenure and will look to tighten things up against Buckhorn. The Eagles held a two-touchdown lead in the second half but were unable to hang on, presenting the Eagles with both plenty of positives but some things to improve upon. Buckhorn effectively jumped up a class, remaining a Class 6A team after the reclassification.
Last meeting: Oak Mountain beat Buckhorn 31-6 in 2011. The two programs have split their four all-time meetings.
Next week: Oak Mountain travels to Spain Park to begin region play, while Buckhorn hosts Hazel Green.
Spain Park (1-0) vs. Bessemer City (1-0)
- Date: Friday, Aug. 28
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Jaguar Stadium
Last week: Spain Park beat Sparkman 17-13; Bessemer City defeated Pell City 31-14.
What to watch: Spain Park opened the season with a tight win on the road and returns home looking to build on it under fifth-year coach Tim Vakakes. Bessemer City has been a program on the rise in recent seasons, making the playoffs the last three years and winning a playoff game last fall. The Purple Tigers will be a solid test for the Jags early in the season.
Last meeting: Bessemer City beat Spain Park 42-35 in 2019. The two programs have split their four all-time meetings.
Next week: Spain Park hosts Oak Mountain to begin region play, while Bessemer City hosts Paul Bryant.
