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

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

There are only three weeks left in regular season play and some regions are pretty much wrapped up, but plenty of teams still have a shot at one of four spots available in each region. The coveted top two spots host first round playoff action.

The complete schedule follows.

PLEASANT GROVE (6-1, 4-1) AT CARVER (4-4, 1-4) — 5A REGION 5

Time/location: Thursday, 7 p.m., Carver Stadium, Birmingham

Last week: Pleasant Grove beat Fairfield 48-13 and Carver lost to Jasper 50-42.

The skinny: Pleasant Grove has won all 11 meetings in the series, including 42-0 last year. Pleasant Grove was ranked Class 5A No. 4 while Carver was unranked. Pleasant Grove averages 37.4 points a game and allows 18.6 while Carver scores 30.3 points and gives up 29.8 points. Darrell LeBeaux (62-13, 6th season) took over at Pleasant Grove in 2018 with five straight previous playoff appearances, including winning to the Class 5A title game in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and the semifinals last year. Rod Carson (32-46, 8th season) has twice been head coach at Carver — 2014-2019 (26-35) and 2022-present (6-11). He’s the second-longest tenured football coach in school history behind only Willie Peake’s 25 years at Carver and led the Rams to their only winning season and playoff appearance (7-4 in 2013) since 2003.

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.

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.

CLAY-CHALKVILLE (7-0, 4-0) AT OXFORD (6-1, 4-0) — 6A REGION 6

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Lamar Field, Oxford

Last week: Clay-Chalkville beat Huffman 72-0 and Oxford was idle, beating Pell City 28-25 the previous week.

The skinny: Clay-Chalkville leads the series 13-5 with two straight wins, including 25-20 last season. Clay-Chalkville was ranked Class 6A No. 2 last week while Oxford was No. 9. Clay-Chalkville scores 40.3 points a game and allows 8.1 with three shutouts while Oxford averages 35.9 points and gives up 13.6 points a game. Drew Gilmer (74-12, 7th season) has his first head coaching job with Clay-Chalkville, leading the Cougars to the playoffs all six previous seasons, including winning the 2021 championship. Sam Adams (74-41, 10th season) took over Oxford (18-12, 3rd year) after coaching at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (56-29, 7 years). Oxford has reached the playoffs each of the past two seasons under Adams.

CLAY-CHALKVILLE players to watch: Offense — 5-star QB/ATH Jaylen Mbakwe (Alabama commit), 4-star WR Mario Craver (offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, more), RB Aaron Osley, RB Taurus Chambers, 4-star OL Jac’Qawn McRoy (Oregon commit), OL AJ Williams (offers from Marshall, Austin Peay, more), OL Adrian Spivey. Defense — 4-star LB DJ Barber (Auburn commit), 3-star DB Tevis Metcalf (offers from Auburn, Arkansas, Colorado, more), LB Rod Ivy, DE Avion Pickett, S Deion Gunn (Marshall offer).

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.

MOODY (7-1, 4-0) AT LEEDS (5-2, 3-1) — 5A REGION 6

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Homer Smiles Field, Leeds

Last week: Moody beat St. Clair County 60-0 and Leeds beat Alexandria 48-14.

The skinny: Leeds’ 13-2 series lead includes three straight wins, 14-13 last season. Moody was ranked Class 5A No. 5 last week and Leeds was No. 9. Moody averages 34.5 points a game and allows 11 while Leeds scores 32 and gives up 16 points a game. Jake Ganus (17-3, 2nd season) was an assistant coach at Thompson before taking over at Moody in 2022, guiding the Blue Devils to the second round of playoffs last season. His 85 percent winning percentage is best among the previous 13 Moody football head coaches. Jerry Hood (140-68, 18th season) took over Leeds (37-16, 5th year) in 2019 and has led the Green Wave to three playoff appearances after previous head coaching stops at Clay-Chalkville (75-26, 8 years), where he led the Cougars to the Class 6A 2014 championship and the title game in 2015, and Oak Mountain (28-26, 5 years).

MOODY players to watch: Offense — 3-star RB Blaine Burke (Arkansas State commit), 3-star QB Charlie Johnston (offers from Pittsburgh, Louisiana Tech, Miami-Ohio, Toledo), WR KD Barnes, WR Braden Wright, WR Aidan Robinson, OL Brennan King, OL Jaxon Huckeba. Defense — LB Zane Smith, LB Gavyn Baker, DB AJ Madison, 3-star DB Sidney Walton (offers from Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky, UAB, more), DL Cam Mallory, DL Logan Hall, OLB Barock Willis (Ole Miss offer).

LEEDS players to watch: Offense — QB Conner Nelson, ATH Taylon Gaiter, RB ZJ Dale, RB Grayson Ford, OL Carlos Plascencia. Defense — 4-star DL Kavion Henderson (Arkansas commit), DL Chris Burge (offers from Missouri, Maryland, UAB, more), DL Joseph Stone, LB Miles Jones, LB Will Ford, LB Josh Lee, DB Reece Bittner.

PELHAM (4-3, 1-3) AT HOMEWOOD (4-3, 3-1) — 6A REGION 3

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Waldrop Stadium, Homewood

Last week: Pelham lost 41-14 to Benjamin Russell and Homewood beat Chilton County 34-13.

The skinny: Homewood leads the series 16-7 and has won eight of the past nine games, including 28-0 last season. Neither team is ranked. Pelham scores 22.3 points per game and surrenders 20.1 while Homewood averages 25.1 points and allows 24.6 points a game. Mike Vickery (34-47, 8th season) took over at Pelham (10-9, 2nd year) last season and guided the Panthers to the playoffs after his first head coaching job at Northridge (24-38, 6 years). Ben Berguson (80-47, 11th season) has guided Homewood (74-41, 10th year) to the playoffs each of the previous nine seasons. His first head coaching job was at Spain Park (6-6, 1 year) in 2010.

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.

HOMEWOOD players to watch: Offense — QB Will Myers, RB Evan Ausmer, WR Kylen Newell, OL Jaxon Brooks. Defense — NG Randall Jaquez, OLB Talton Thomas, ILB Trust Darnell, CB Malek Smiley.

WENONAH (6-2, 3-2) AT FAIRFIELD (2-6, 2-3) — 5A REGION 5

Time/location: Friday, 7 p.m., Clements Field, Fairfield

Last week: Wenonah beat Hayden 49-7 and Fairfield fell to Pleasant Grove 48-13.

The skinny: Wenonah leads the series 16-15, but Fairfield has won two straight and four of the past five games, including 26-0 last season. Neither team was ranked. Wenonah averages 33.4 points a game and surrenders 16 while Fairfield scores 24.9 points a game and gives up 42.3. Wenonah coach Nick Howard (10-17, 3rd season) has his first head coaching job and a Friday win locks up a playoff spot for the Dragons for the first time since 2017. Shepherd Skanes (5-31, 4th season) took over at Fairfield (5-14, 2nd year) and guided the Tigers to the 2022 playoffs. He also coached at Ellwood Christian (0-17, 2 years).

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.

FAIRFIELD players to watch: Offense — RB Justin Murray, QB Jumaria Hamilton, WR Cade Austin, 3-star ATH Jedan Gilbert (offer from Morehouse), OL Joshua Willams, TE Corve Taylor. Defense — ATH Danzell Lambert, DL William Tate, DE Jordan Reed, DB Jelani Miller.

BIRMINGHAM AREA SCHEDULE

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

THURSDAY

Pleasant Grove at Carver-Birmingham

FRIDAY

Banks at Pickens Academy

Benjamin Russell at Briarwood

Bessemer Academy at Valiant Christian

Brookwood at McAdory

Calera at Helena

Carbon Hill at Midfield

Central-Tuscaloosa at Bessemer City

Clay-Chalkville at Oxford

Coosa Valley at Southern Academy

Curry at Corner

Gardendale at Woodlawn

Good Hope at Fultondale

Holt at Montevallo

Hoover at Chelsea

Huffman at Pell City

John Carroll at Jasper

Marbury at Shelby County

Minor at Parker

Moody at Leeds

Mortimer Jordan at Mountain Brook

Northridge at Hueytown

Oak Grove at Cordova

Oak Mountain at Vestavia Hills

Pelham at Homewood

Pinson Valley at Shades Valley

Ramsay at Hayden

Spain Park at Hewitt-Trussville

Sumiton Christian at Tarrant

Tuscaloosa County at Thompson

Vincent at Isabella

Wenonah at Fairfield

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