Photo by Jimmy Mitchell.
Chelsea’s Ladarius Gary (2) returns a kickoff during a game against Oak Mountain on Aug. 23 at Chelsea High School. Chelsea finishes Region 5 play Oct. 18 at Minor.
The playoff fates of local high school football teams will ultimately be decided in the month of October.
Region play began in September and wraps up in the season’s 10th week at the end of October. The top four teams in each region will qualify for the state playoffs. Oak Mountain and Spain Park are both in Class 7A, Region 3, while Briarwood is in 5A and Chelsea in 6A.
Briarwood has a four-game region slate in October, as the Lions look to make the playoffs for the 27th consecutive season. The Lions host John Carroll on Oct. 4, a team they dispatched 42-12 last fall. Briarwood plays one of two Thursday games in three weeks Oct. 10, as it travels to Parker, who they triumphed over last year in a 41-7 victory.
The Lions host Ramsay on Oct. 18 in a game likely to have important region ramifications. Ramsay handed Briarwood its only region loss a season ago in a 21-7 victory. The Lions wrap up their regional games Thursday, Oct. 24, with a road trip to Fairfield. Last fall, Briarwood shut out Fairfield 26-0.
Briarwood concludes the regular season at Hueytown on Nov. 1.
Chelsea is attempting to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016 and conclude the regular season with three region games followed by two non-region contests. On Oct. 4, the Hornets head to Helena. The two teams played a tight game last fall, with Helena prevailing 28-21. The following Friday, the Hornets host Homewood, who beat them 34-7 last season.
Chelsea finishes Region 5 play Oct. 18 at Minor, the team they knocked off last fall 31-27 for their first win of the Dustin Goodwin era. Chelsea picked up its only other 2018 win the following week at Calera in a 35-3 thrashing. This year, Calera visits Chelsea on Oct. 25.
The Hornets wrap up the regular season at Pell City on Nov. 1.
Oak Mountain plays its final four region contests in October, beginning with a trip to Mountain Brook on Oct. 4. The Eagles failed to win a region game last year and are hoping to change that this fall. Last season, the Spartans knocked off Oak Mountain 21-0. On Oct. 11, the Eagles host Tuscaloosa County, a team that delivered Oak Mountain a disappointing 10-7 defeat a season ago.
Oak Mountain concludes the region slate with a pair of road games, at Spain Park and at Vestavia Hills. Spain Park defeated the Eagles 21-0, and the Rebels beat them 28-14 last season. The Eagles finish the regular season at home against Pace (Florida) on Nov. 1.
Like Oak Mountain, Spain Park plays its last four Region 3 games in October. The Jags begin with a tough home game against Thompson, a team that beat them 35-7 last fall. Spain Park follows that with a trip to city rival Hoover, who beat the Jags 32-7 last year.
Spain Park hosts Oak Mountain on Oct. 18 and heads to Tuscaloosa County on Oct. 25, before hosting Shades Valley on Nov. 1. The Jags defeated all three of those teams last year to conclude the season on a three-game winning streak.
Playoffs begin Nov. 8.
