Two perennial playoff teams from what’s widely known as the toughest Class 7A region in the Alabama High School Athletic Association will meet on Friday night in a game that – even as early as Week 4 of the 2024 season and the second week of region play – could decide a spot in the postseason.

In The Birmingham News Game of the Week, No. 7 Hoover will travel to fifth-ranked Hewitt-Trussville for a 7 p.m. game between a pair of teams that opened region play with road victories last week. Hoover (2-1) whipped newcomer Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 35-6 while the Huskies (3-0) edged Vestavia Hills 18-14.