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.
Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park are all in action on Friday night, after Briarwood took on Madison Academy on Thursday. Chelsea hosts Pelham, Oak Mountain hosts Hoover and Spain Park heads to Vestavia Hills.
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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Chelsea (0-4) vs. Pelham (2-2)
- Date: Friday, Sept. 18
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Chelsea High School
Last week: Chelsea fell to Ramsay 39-0; Pelham fell to Homewood 42-7.
What to watch: Chelsea is still searching for its first win of the season and hosts a Pelham team that needs a victory to remain in playoff contention in the region.
Last meeting: Chelsea fell to Pelham 19-7 in 2025. Pelham leads 12-6 in the all-time series.
Next week: Both Chelsea and Pelham have open dates.
Hoover (2-2) at Oak Mountain (1-3)
- Date: Friday, Sept. 18
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Heardmont Park
Last week: Hoover fell to Prattville 30-29; Oak Mountain fell to Vestavia Hills 43-13.
What to watch: Hoover lost quarterback Kaleb Freeman to injury in the second half against Prattville and nearly rallied anyway, with DJ Waluyn's pick-six and a Jordon Ward-to-Ja'Myreion Dickerson two-point conversion putting the Bucs ahead in the fourth quarter before Prattville answered with a touchdown with 13 seconds left. Oak Mountain's Kentrell Tolbert ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns against Vestavia Hills despite the lopsided final score, as both teams are looking to bounce back after region losses.
Last meeting: Hoover beat Oak Mountain 48-21 in 2025. Hoover has won all 24 meetings between the two programs.
Next week: Hoover plays Knoxville Catholic (Tenn.), while Oak Mountain has an open date.
Spain Park (3-1) at Vestavia Hills (3-1)
- Date: Friday, Sept. 18
- Time: 7 p.m.
- Location: Thompson Reynolds Stadium
Last week: Spain Park fell to Thompson 48-14; Vestavia Hills beat Oak Mountain 43-13.
What to watch: Spain Park's CJ Davis ran for 129 yards against Thompson but the Jaguars couldn't keep pace with Thompson. Vestavia Hills answered its own lopsided loss to Thompson with a dominant response, as Charlie Taaffe threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns to six different receivers in the win over Oak Mountain. This is a big game in terms of eventually deciding the top half of the region standings.
Last meeting: Vestavia Hills beat Spain Park 26-8 in 2023. Vestavia Hills leads the series 15-6.
Next week: Both Spain Park and Vestavia Hills have open dates.
