We’ve had a couple weeks of non-region games to settle back into the idea of football season, but the games are about to get really important really quickly.
It will be a chance to see whether the first two weeks will prove to be a predictor of things to come or merely an outlier.
For example, how about Vestavia Hills High School putting the smackdown on a couple of rivals in the season’s first two weeks? After running past Mountain Brook in Week 1, the Rebels were at it again last Friday, blowing out Homewood 43-0. Granted, Vestavia’s roster is simply better than those two Class 6A foes. But this week, the Rebels head to Thompson and we’ll see how much momentum they carry into that matchup.
Spain Park has also impressed thoroughly against a pair of 6A opponents to start the season. On Friday, the Jags jumped out early and throttled Briarwood 37-6. Spain Park’s offense looks balanced and the defense looks strong, and both of those will be firmly tested this week. The Jags host city rival and region opponent Hoover in a big one.
Speaking of Hoover, the Bucs are 0-2 for the first time in nearly a decade. But fear not Bucs fans, the sky is not falling. The last time Hoover started the season with two straight losses, the Bucs went on to win the state title. Hoover has simply played two really strong teams to begin the year, in Auburn and Oak Grove (Miss.), and it had plenty of chances to put last week’s game in the win column.
Chelsea got in the win column with a strong win over Calera. The Hornets’ Emerson Russell had a huge night, carrying the ball 22 times for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns. Not a bad night, I’d say.
Oak Mountain was unable to win its second straight game to start the year, as the Eagles suffered a tough defeat at Pelham, despite taking the lead late in the third quarter. The highlight of the night for Oak Mountain was the pass defense, as it limited Pelham’s passing attack to just 55 yards and an interception.
Hewitt-Trussville got a stiff challenge from Gadsden City, but the Huskies were able to pull away and get to 1-1 on the young season.
Mountain Brook rebounded from the disappointment of Week 1 with a low-scoring win over James Clemens on Thursday night. That’s a nice win over a 7A team for the Spartans.
Clay-Chalkville didn’t have a big offensive night in a 17-3 win over Hueytown, but that defense looks elite so far.
And finally, John Carroll has gone to 2-0 after backing up the upset win over Homewood with a blowout victory over Marbury. I’ll get to see the Cavs at Fairfield this Thursday, and am looking forward to seeing if they can continue that momentum.
Region play begins for most teams this week. Here’s a look at the games we’ll be covering at Starnes Media:
- John Carroll at Fairfield (Thursday)
- Mountain Brook at Minor
- Briarwood at Chilton County
- Chelsea at Tuscaloosa County
- Hewitt-Trussville at Oak Mountain
- Homewood vs. Helena
- Hoover at Spain Park
- Vestavia Hills at Thompson
- Clay-Chalkville at Pell City
You can check out all of our high school football photos from the season here.
