Here are five games to watch in the Birmingham area this week as region play resumes.

RELATED: Vote for the Birmingham area player of the week.

With four weeks left in region play, teams are jockeying for one of the top four spots that secure postseason play.

The complete schedule follows.

WENONAH (5-1, 2-1) AT RAMSAY (4-2, 3-0) — 5A REGION 5

Time/location: Thursday, 7 p.m., Legion Field, Birmingham

Last week: Wenonah beat Holt 54-0 and Ramsay fell 13-7 to Class 7A third-ranked Auburn.

The skinny: Ramsay leads the series 6-1, including five straight wins. Wenonah is unranked while Ramsay was No. 1 in Class 5A last week. Wenonah scores 34 points a game and gives up 9.3 while Ramsay scores 32.3 points a game and surrenders 14.2. Wenonah coach Nick Howard (9-16, 3rd season) has his first head coaching job. Ramsay’s Ronnie Jackson (23-9, 3rd season) took over the Rams in 2021, leading the team to the 2022 Class 5A championship and second round of playoffs in 2021.

WENONAH players to watch: Offense — QB Anthony Young, RB Dominic Bruce, WR Demarcus Johnson. Defense — DB Micha White, DB Omar Holcomb, DL/OL Edmond Jones, DL Eldridge Shelton.

RAMSAY players to watch: Offense – 3-star QB Kameron Keenan (offers from Colorado, Marshall, Appalachian State), RB Ashton Ashford (UNA commit), WR Tremell Washington, WR Kristian Stinson, OL Lance Williams. Defense — 3-star LB QB Reese (Alabama commit), LB Marquel Patterson, DL Demarcus Wynn, DB Fletcher Taylor (Marshall offer), SS O’Conner Jones (Marshall offer).

BRIARWOOD (3-2, 2-0) AT HELENA (6-0, 3-0) — 6A REGION 3

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Husky Stadium, Helena

Last week: Briarwood beat Oak Mountain 21-0 and Helena downed Jackson-Olin 49-6.

The skinny: Helena won the only meeting between the teams 31-21 last season. Briarwood was not in the Class 6A top 10, but tied for 14th in polling last week and Helena was ranked No. 9. Briarwood scores 16.6 points a game and allows 19.8 while Helena averages 42.8 points and surrenders 11.3. Former Briarwood player and assistant Matthew Forester (36-16, 5th season) took over the program in 2019 after legendary coach Fred Yancey retired. The Lions reached the playoffs three of the previous four seasons under Forester. Richie Busby (81-36, 11th season) is only the second head coach for the Huskies. Busby (39-19, 6th year) also coached at Fultondale (40-17, 5 years) and has guided Helena to the playoffs three times.

BRIARWOOD players to watch: Offense — OL Luke Schultz (Mercer commit), QB Josh Tompson, RB Cooper Higgins, WR Sawyer Click, WR Caleb Keller. Defense — CB Grey Reebals, DT Luke Dickinson, LB Luke Reynolds, DE Garrett Witherington, DT Max Luster.

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.

JOHN CARROLL (5-0, 3-0) AT PLEASANT GROVE (4-1, 2-1) — 5A REGION 5

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Spartan Stadium, Pleasant Grove

Last week: John Carroll was idle, beating Carver-Birmingham 43-26 the previous week and Pleasant Grove upset Class 6A fourth-ranked Parker 22-21 with a dramatic touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute.

The skinny: Pleasant Grove leads the series 10-6, including 48-13 last season for a five-game winning streak in the series. John Carroll was No. 13 and Pleasant Grove was ranked No. 4 last week. John Carroll averages 42.2 points a game (211 points currently, closing in on school record of 296 points from 1998) and allows 18.2 while Pleasant Grove scores 35.4 points and gives up 21 a game. John Carroll’s Will Mara (18-17, 4th season) took over the program in 2020, his first head coaching position. Darrell LeBeaux (59-13, 6th season) has been the Pleasant Grove head coach since 2018 with five straight playoff appearances, including winning to the Class 5A title game in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and the semifinals last year.

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.

PLEASANT GROVE players to watch: Offense — 3-star QB Eric Handley (Wofford commit), 3-star ATH/WR Clarence Taylor (offers from Memphis, Georgia Tech, more), RB Collin Moore, WR Arron Tift, OL Jordan Foy. Defense — DB/ATH Cam Wormley, DL Andre Watts, DB Micheal McGuire, DL Carlos Colston.

MORTIMER JORDAN (5-1, 2-1) AT MINOR (2-3, 1-1) — 6A REGION 5

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Minor Stadium, Adamsville

Last week: Mortimer Jordan beat Cullman 24-20 and Minor lost to Class 7A Florence 27-14.

The skinny: Minor leads the series 16-9-2, including a 56-20 win last season. Minor was unranked while Mortimer Jordan was tied with Briarwood at No. 14. Mortimer Jordan averages 38 points a game and gives up 27.5 while Minor scores 16.2 points and allows 13.6 points a game. Mortimer Jordan coach Dusty Goode (86-42, 11th season) is in his second stint with the Blue Devils (77-39, 10th year) after taking off the 2021 season. Goode led the Blue Devils to seven playoff appearances (14-7 record), including the 2015 Class 5A title game, losing to St. Paul’s. He also coached at Dora (9-3, 1 year). Adrian Abrams (24-32, 6th season) took over the Minor program, his first head coaching job, in 2018 after serving as defensive coordinator at Hoover. He has guided the Tigers to three playoff appearances.

MORTIMER JORDAN players to watch: Offense —QB Garrett Ames, RB Terence Gaines, WR Coleman Maldonado, WR Daunte Williams. Defense — LB Deandre Williams, LB Baker Armstrong, DL Jojo Brown, CB Jayden Dudley.

MINOR players to watch: Offense — ATH Paul Allen, WR Carlos Moore, WR Tylan Amerson, RB Khamari Bell, RB CJ Richardson. Defense — LB Que Hill, DB Jaylen Chatman, 3-star DL Drew Collins (offers from UAB, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, more), DL Davien Sheperd, LB Nate Kelley.

THOMPSON (4-1, 3-0) AT HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE (5-1, 3-0) — 7A REGION 3

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Hewitt-Trussville Stadium, Trussville

Last week: Thompson lost to Class 6A second-ranked Clay-Chalkville 36-33, missing a tying field goal on the game’s final play, while Hewitt-Trussville beat Huffman 62-0.

The skinny: Thompson leads the series 9-6 with four straight wins, including 14-12 last season. Thompson was ranked Class 7A No. 1 last week and Hewitt-Trussville was No. 6. Thompson averages 39.6 points a game and gives up 13.2 while Hewitt-Trussville scores 40 points a game and allows 16. Mark Freeman (251-56, 25th season) has led Thompson (87-19, 9th year) to four straight Class 7A titles and reached the title game five straight seasons. Freeman also has two state titles at Spanish Fort (50-7, 4 years) after coaching at Gulf Shores (13-9, 2 years) and he won four state championships at Bessemer Academy (101-21, 10 years). Josh Floyd (177-61-1, 20th season) took over at Hewitt-Trussville (78-32, 10th year) in 2014 and led the Huskies to the playoffs eight of the previous nine seasons. Floyd also coached at Shiloh Christian (99-29, 10 years) in Springdale, Ark., leading the Saints to four state championships and another trip to the title game.

THOMPSON players to watch: Offense — QB Trent Seaborn (offers from Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, more), RB AJ Green (offers from Marshall, Arkansas State, more), RB Michael Dujon, WR Deuce Oliver (Eastern Kentucky offer). Defense — 3-star DB Kaleb Harris (offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Penn State, Florida State, more), 4-star DB Anquon Fegans (offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, USC, Michigan, more), LB Jayden Davis, LB Tyler Hicks (offers from Austin Peay, UNA, Wofford).

HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE players to watch: Offense — TE Donovan Price (offers from UAB, Tulane, Austin Peay, more), QB Peyton Floyd, WR Jacob Serena, WR Jadon Loving, OL Trevor Pruet. Defense — DB Riggs Dunn, DL Tyrell Averhart, DE Ayden Moore, DE Drew Ollis.

BIRMINGHAM AREA SCHEDULE

(All games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY

Gardendale at Jackson-Olin

Wenonah at Ramsay

FRIDAY

Ashville at Fultondale

Banks at Clarke Prep

Bessemer Academy at Lee-Scott

Bessemer City at Brookwood

Briarwood at Helena

Calera at Pelham

Carver-Birmingham at Fairfield

Coosa Valley at Crenshaw Christian

Corner at Northside

Demopolis at Shelby County

Greensboro at Midfield

Haleyville at Oak Grove

John Carroll at Pleasant Grove

Leeds at Southside-Gadsden

Mortimer Jordan at Minor

Northridge at McAdory

Oak Mountain at Hoover

Paul Bryant at Hueytown

Pinson Valley at Huffman

Ranburne at Vincent

Shades Valley at Center Point

Sipsey Valley at Montevallo

Spain Park at Tuscaloosa County

Tarrant at Winfield

Thompson at Hewitt-Trussville

Vestavia Hills at Chelsea

Woodlawn at Parker

Some information provided by the Alabama High School Football Historical Society website.