Local teams brace for critical games in October

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The second half of the high school football regular season gets crammed into the month of October, with five Fridays on the calendar for teams to either jockey for playoff position or play out the string on an ultimately disappointing campaign.

The teams along the U.S. 280 corridor will aim to be contending for playoff position in the season’s final weeks.

Briarwood

Oct. 3 vs. Corner: This is the stretch of the season Briarwood thrived in a year ago, and the Lions beat Corner 31-6 for their first region win of the season. The Yellow Jackets have won 21 total games over the last two years and advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals last fall. 

Oct. 10 at John Carroll: John Carroll gave Briarwood a tough game last fall, with Briarwood hanging on for a 21-17 victory. John Carroll has not knocked off Briarwood since 1995, with the Lions winning the last 11 meetings. 

Oct. 17 – Open: Briarwood takes its open date before one final region game. 

Oct. 24 vs. Hayden: The Lions cruised to a 50-16 victory over Hayden last fall and will cap off the region slate with this matchup at Lions Pride Stadium. Hayden has tasked Chad Eads with rebuilding the program, with the Wildcats only making the playoffs once over the last seven years. Eads spent the last seven years at Gardendale, winning seven playoff games in his time there. 

Oct. 30 at McAdory: Briarwood will cap off the regular season with a Thursday night road trip, as they take on McAdory. The Lions have never been defeated by the Yellow Jackets, and won 55-35 in the season finale a season ago. The Lions hope this is not their final game of the year this time around. 

Chelsea

Oct. 3 at Chilton County: Chelsea gets back into Class 6A, Region 3 play with a trip to Chilton County. The Hornets knocked off Chilton County 35-6 last year to get to 6-0 on the season. Chelsea has won the last five meetings, dating back to 2014. 

Oct. 10 vs. Spain Park: The Hornets get last year’s region winner on their home turf this fall. Spain Park handed Chelsea its first loss of the season in 2024, and the Hornets were unable to scratch out another win. They will look to turn the tide in this year’s game and set up a strong stretch run. 

Oct. 17 at Helena: Chelsea will look to reverse its fortunes against another county rival, as the Hornets head to Helena for a key region game. Helena has won the last four meetings, with Chelsea’s last win in the series coming in 2020. 

Oct. 24 vs. Benjamin Russell: Benjamin Russell pays a visit to Chelsea in the region finale, and the Hornets hope this year’s matchup has key playoff seeding implications. Benjamin Russell beat Chelsea 34-0 last fall, but the Wildcats have a new head coach in Kirk Johnson, who led Montgomery Catholic to back-to-back state titles before moving to Alexander City. 

Oct. 30 vs. Oak Mountain: The Hornets wrap up the regular season with a Thursday night home game against county foe Oak Mountain. The Eagles were able to edge out Chelsea 16-14 last fall on Josh Renfro’s game-winning field goal, snapping Chelsea’s two-game winning streak in the series. 

Oak Mountain

Oct. 3 vs. Hoover: Oak Mountain resumes Class 7A, Region 3 play with a home game against Hoover, a team the Eagles have never beaten in 23 previous tries. They hung with Hoover last fall, before the Bucs pulled away for a 28-10 win. 

Oct. 10 at Vestavia Hills: The Eagles pay a visit to Vestavia Hills for another tough region contest, a team that has given them fits the last three years. Vestavia cruised to a 42-14 win in this matchup a year ago, but Oak Mountain is hoping the progress it has made under third-year head coach Shane McComb continues to show itself. 

Oct. 17 vs. Hewitt-Trussville: Oak Mountain gets Hewitt-Trussville at home this year, and likely has this game circled on the calendar. The Huskies are the lone team that Oak Mountain simply did not compete well against last fall, with Hewitt winning 63-0. 

Oct. 24 at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa: The Eagles cap off the year with back-to-back road games, beginning with the region finale at Hillcrest. Oak Mountain battled in this game last fall, but could not make enough stops in a 50-36 loss. \

Oct. 30 at Chelsea: Oak Mountain and Chelsea finish up the regular season on Thursday night. The Eagles would love a repeat of last year’s 16-14 victory, thanks to Josh Renfro’s game-winning field goal. 

Spain Park

Oct. 3 vs. Pelham: Spain Park returns to region play to begin the month at home against Pelham. The teams have played each of the last three years, with the Jags dominating each contest. Ross Newton is the new coach at Pelham this fall, so it remains to be seen what the Panthers will look like on the field. 

Oct. 10 at Chelsea: The Jags take to the road to face Chelsea next, looking for a repeat performance from last fall. In that game, Spain Park made a mockery of the Under the Lights Game of the Week, dominating and winning 31-3 to send the Hornets to their first loss of the year. 

Oct. 17 at Calera: Spain Park will take its final road trip of the regular season to Calera. The Jags had no trouble last year, defeating the Eagles 42-7, and has won this matchup the last three years. Scott Rials enters his second year at Calera, looking to improve upon last year’s 3-7 mark. 

Oct. 24 vs. Chilton County: Last year’s meeting between Spain Park and Chilton County was the first between the two programs, with Spain Park cruising to a 37-6 victory. Chilton County is now on its fourth head coach in the last five years, after hiring Merritt Bowden. Bowden has plenty of experience in the coaching ranks, with experience in Alabama high school ball in addition to some time coaching in the Canadian Football League.

Oct. 30 vs. Gardendale: Spain Park wraps up the regular season on a Thursday night, hosting Gardendale. The Rockets are typically a solid 6A program and are also under new leadership, with Eric Firestone taking over this year. Last fall, Spain Park won this matchup 35-12.