5 Birmingham area football games to watch in Week 5
Here are five games to watch in the Birmingham area this week as region play continues.
The complete schedule follows.
VINCENT (4-0, 2-0) AT B.B. COMER (4-0, 2-0)
Time/location: Thursday, 7 p.m., Legion Stadium, Sylacauga
Last week: Vincent beat Fayetteville 50-13 and B.B. Comer downed Ranburne 42-7.
The skinny: B.B Comer leads the series 14-5, including 36-35 last season, and has won four straight. Both Class 2A, Region 4 teams are ranked, B.B. Comer No. 1 and Vincent No. 6. B.B. Comer averages 39 points a game and surrenders 8.5 with a shutout while Vincent scores 40.75 points and allows 8.25 points a game with two shutouts. Adam Fossett (98-76, 16th season) is in his sixth year at B.B. Comer (43-22) with four straight trips to the playoffs, including last season’s championship appearance before losing to Fyffe. He also coached at Smiths Station (2-18, 2 years), Childersburg (23-21, 4 years) and Winterborro (30-15, 4 years). Lucas Weatherford (28-29) is in his sixth season as a head coach, all at Vincent with two playoff appearances.
VINCENT players to watch: Offense —RB Rykelus Robertson, QB Casen Fields, WR Mattson Davis, WR Phoenix Maxwell, OL Grayson Gulde. Defense —LB Ray Albright, LB Aiden Gasaway, DL Ethan McElrath, DB Aiden Poe.
B.B. COMER players to watch: 3-star RB/LB Kamore Harris (Memphis commit), QB/DB Devin Harvey, WR/DB Richard Weed, RB/WR/QB Raelon Sims, OT/DE Chris Wilson, LB Noah Wimmer, DE/LB Datreon Wells.
CARVER-BIRMINGHAM (2-1, 1-1) AT JOHN CARROLL (4-0)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., John Carroll Field, Birmingham
Last week: Carver fell to Wenonah 19-14 and John Carroll beat Hayden 44-6
The skinny: The series is tied at four wins each, Carver winning 20-14 last season and neither team has won consecutive games in the series. It’s a Class 5A, Region 5 game. Carver averages 17.3 points a game and gives up 13 while John Carroll scores 42 points and surrenders 16.25 points a game. Rod Carson (31-43) is in his second stint at Carver — 2014-2019 and 2022-present — and his eight total seasons makes him the second-longest tenured coach in school history behind only Willie Peake’s 25 years at Carver. It’s the first time John Carroll started the season with four straight wins since 1999. Will Mara (17-17) is in his fourth season as a head coach, all with John Carroll.
CARVER players to watch: Offense — QB DJ Wade, WR Tman Threatt, WR Nyjhiem Hicks, WR Steve Sigler, WR Kendall Peterson. Defense — DB Artez Jones, LB Jakoby Smith, LB Dewayne Harris, DL Frank Story, DL Jacoby Dennison, DB Cortland Warner.
JOHN CARROLL players to watch: Offense — QB Carson McFadden, WR Zach Archer, RB Mitchell Nutter, RB Koron Wright, TE Ryan Redmond. Defense — S Zach Archer, DE CJ Wyatt, LB Max Plaia, DT Nic Gagliano, LB Tristen Rutledge.
HELENA (4-0, 2-0) AT PELHAM (2-1, 0-1)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Ned Bearden Stadium, Pelham
Last week: Helena beat Chilton County 37-10 and Pelham lost 28-21 to Briarwood.
The skinny: Pelham leads the series 4-3, but Helena has won the past two, including 31-24 in overtime last season. The Class 6A, Region 3 matchup pits rivals Pelham — Helena opened in 2014 with students who previously attended Pelham — ranked No. 9 last week, against unranked Helena, but among the top 14 last week. Helena scores 43.25 points a game and surrenders 12 points while Pelham averages 22 points a game, allowing opponents 18.3 points a game. Helena coach Richie Busby (79-36, 11th season) is only the second head coach for the Huskies where he’s 39-19 in his sixth season, also coaching at Fultondale (40-17, 5 years). He has guided Helena to the playoffs three times. Mike Vickery (32-45, 8th season) has compiled an 8-7 record in his second season with the Panthers after a 24-38 record in six years at Northridge. Pelham reached the playoffs last season.
HELENA players to watch: Offense — 3-star RB Jordan Washington (offers from UAB, Memphis, Tulane, more), WR/Return specialist Hunter Hale, WR Torrey Ward, QB Carson Acker, OL Reece Mims, OL Grant Vines. Defense — LB Joseph Roberto (offers from Maryland, UAB, Washington State, more), 3-star LB Nathan Thomason (Memphis commit), DL Parker Copeland, DB JT Alvis (offers from Mississippi State, Missouri, Penn State, more), DB Kevin Pinkard.
PELHAM players to watch: Offense —QB Clayton Mains, WR CJ Tolbert, RB Mike Grayson, OL Cash Tatum, OL Tyler Mason. Defense — 3-star LB Will Felton (South Alabama commit), 2-star LB Bishop Rellah (Navy commit), DL James Schmucker, DB Markell Bell, DL Uriah Barginere.
OXFORD (4-0, 2-0) AT PINSON VALLEY (1-2, 0-1)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Willie Adams Stadium, Pinson Valley
Last week: Oxford beat Huffman 52-0 and Pinson Valley fell 41-0 to Clay-Chalkville
The skinny: Oxford leads the series 7-5 and has won three straight against the Indians. It’s a Class 6A, Region 6 game. Oxford was ranked No. 10 last week. Oxford averages 40.5 points a game and allows 10.5 points while Pinson Valley scores 11.7 points and gives up 24 points a game. Sam Adams (72-40, 10th season) is in his third year at Oxford (16-11) after coaching 7 season at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (56-29). Oxford has reached the playoffs each of the past two seasons under Adams. Gentrell Eatman (16-45, 7th season) is in his first season with the Indians after coaching at Woodlawn (7-23, 3 years) and Greene County (8-20, 3 years).
OXFORD players to watch: Offense — 3-star QB Mason Mims (offers from Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, UAB, more), WR Camare Hampton (offers from UAB, Jacksonville State), WR Nick Richardson, RB Jaydon Thomas, RB DK Wilson. Defense — 4-star DE Keenan Britt (offers from Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, more), LB James Tapley, LB Hudson Gilman, DB Cedric Twyman, DB Latreveon Figgers.
PINSON VALLEY players to watch: Offense — WR Keywone Posey, WR Rico Freeman, OL Taft Price, RB Josh Woods. Defense — DB Kaden Edwards, DB Jacarlos Hunter, LB Cam Benefield, LB Jamaricus Thomas, DL Reco English.
WEST BLOCTON (2-2, 0-2) AT MONTEVALLO (3-0, 2-0)
Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Theron Fisher Stadium, Montevallo
Last week: West Blocton fell 28-27 to Sipsey Valley after leading by 21 points while Montevallo beat Dallas County 42-8.
The skinny: The series is tied with 32 wins each and two ties after West Blocton broke a seven game winning streak by Montevallo with a 7-6 win last season. It’s a Class 4A, Region 3 game. West Blocton averages 24.75 points a game and surrenders 21.75 while Montevallo scores 29.3 points a game, giving up 13 points a game. DreMail King (16-20, 4th season) is 8-7 in his second season at West Blocton after coaching one season at Greensboro (6-5) and one at Sumter Central (2-8). Montevallo is the first head coaching job for Blake Boren (22-14, 4th season) —his father, Charlie, coached Montevallo 1998-2002 — and he has guided the Bulldogs to the playoffs twice.
WEST BLOCTON players to watch: Offense —OL Landyn Scurlock, RB Nate Barron, QB Trey Lawley, WR Markell O’Neil. Defense — DB Kevin Montgomery, DL Tony Mancuso, DL Brody Cook, LB Levi Carey, DB Brayden Morrison.
MONTEVALLO players to watch: Offense — QB Braxton King, WR Javon Rogers, RB Rozario Conwell, WR Christian Tolbert, Defense — DE Charlie Adams, LB EJ Morton, LB Hunter Lutz, SS Peyton King.
BIRMINGHAM AREA SCHEDULE
(All games at 7 p.m. unless noted)
THURSDAY
Jasper at Wenonah
Vincent at B.B. Comer
FRIDAY
Banks at Coosa Valley
Bessemer Academy at Chambers Academy
Bessemer City at Hueytown
Calera at Chilton County
Carver-Birmingham at John Carroll
Chelsea at Thompson
Clay-Chalkville at Center Point
Corner at Dora
Fultondale at Oneonta
Gordo at Tarrant
Hayden at Pleasant Grove
Helena at Pelham
Hewitt-Trussville at Hoover
Homewood at Benjamin Russell
Jackson-Olin at Mountain Brook
Lincoln at Moody
McAdory at Central-Tuscaloosa
Oak Grove at Curry
Oxford at Pinson Valley
Parker at Gardendale
Ramsay at Fairfield
Shades Valley at Huffman
Spain Park at Vestavia Hills
Tuscaloosa County at Oak Mountain
West Blocton at Montevallo
Winfield at Midfield
Woodlawn at Mortimer Jordan
Some information provided by the Alabama High School Football Historical Society website.