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Playoff Football Primer: Patriots head to Arab for 1st round

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Photo by Erin Nelson

The playoffs are finally here, with many local teams looking to keep their seasons going for at least a few more weeks.

Oak Mountain (6-4) at James Clemens (10-0)

Matchup: Class 7A first round. Oak Mountain is the No. 4 seed from Region 3 and James Clemens is the No. 1 seed from Region 4.

Last week: Oak Mountain fell to Clay-Chalkville 48-0; James Clemens took its open date.

What to watch: Last fall, Region 3 made a clean sweep of Region 4 in the first round of the state playoffs and this is one of those potential upsets. One of the keys to this game will be the health of Oak Mountain quarterback Evan Smith, who has not played since an injury against Thompson on Oct. 15. James Clemens has had a dream season in the first year under head coach Chad McGehee, who was the Hoover defensive coordinator previously. James Clemens has come out on the right side of every game so far, including four games won by seven points or less.

Last meeting: Oak Mountain beat James Clemens 60-43 in the first round of the 7A playoffs on Nov. 11, 2014, in the only previous meetings between the schools.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Thompson and Florence in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Mountain Brook (9-1) vs. Southside-Gadsden (5-5)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Mountain Brook is the No. 1 seed from Region 5 and Southside-Gadsden is the No. 4 seed from Region 7.

Last week: Mountain Brook shut out Austin 34-0; Southside lost to Etowah 27-14.

What to watch: Mountain Brook won its region for the second straight year, so it draws a favorable matchup in the first round. The Spartans defense has allowed virtually nothing all season, especially of late. They have pitched three shutouts over the last four games and looks to stop a Southside team scoring 20 points per game. Southside is coached by Miles Holcomb, a former Hoover assistant.

Last meeting: Mountain Brook beat Southside 35-0 on Oct. 17, 1997. The teams have met 10 times, all of those between 1986 and 1997, with Mountain Brook winning seven of them.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Jackson-Olin and Cullman in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Briarwood (9-1) vs. Fort Payne (6-4)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Briarwood is the No. 2 seed from Region 5 and Fort Payne is the No. 3 seed from Region 7. 

Last week: Briarwood blew past Corner 40-15; Fort Payne got back on track with a 32-7 win over North Jackson.

What to watch: Fort Payne went from potentially winning its region to traveling in the first round of the playoffs due to its loss at the end of region play two weeks ago. So, Briarwood will be getting a first round opponent that will be challenging. Briarwood has put together a tremendous season and is in the playoffs for the 29th straight season. The Lions’ defense has held opponents under 20 points in each of the last four games as well. Fort Payne is coached by Chris Elmore, previously the head coach at Chelsea.

Last meeting: Briarwood beat Fort Payne 30-26 on Nov. 6, 2015, in the first round of the state playoffs. The Lions have won all three meetings between the schools, all of which have occurred in the postseason.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Clay-Chalkville and Decatur in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Chelsea (4-6) at Oxford (6-4)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Chelsea is the No. 4 seed from Region 5 and Oxford is the No. 1 seed from Region 7.

Last week: Chelsea fell to Calera 31-21; Oxford lost to Central-Phenix City 53-7.

What to watch: Chelsea comes into the playoffs having lost its last two games, coming on the heels of a four-game winning streak. The Hornets will travel to Oxford to play a Yellow Jackets team that has battled through plenty of transition and adversity in its first year under coach Sam Adams. But with Oxford’s win over Fort Payne two weeks ago, it clinched the region title for the third straight year. Chelsea enters the game as an underdog, but the task is not as daunting as it may have been in previous seasons.

Last meeting: Oxford knocked off Chelsea 55-14 on Nov. 8, 2019, in the first round of the state playoffs. Oxford has won two of three meetings between the teams.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Muscle Shoals and Pinson Valley in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Homewood (6-4) at Arab (8-2)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Homewood is the No. 3 seed from Region 5 and Arab is the No. 2 seed from Region 7.

Last week: Homewood suffered a 10-7 loss to Pelham; Arab knocked off Boaz 45-14.

What to watch: Homewood survived a tiebreaker scenario to make the playoffs, but the Patriots enter the playoffs on a four-game losing skid. Homewood has struggled over the last month, never scoring more than 18 points in any of those four contests. A key to the game will center on the health of quarterback Woods Ray, who was injured in the loss at Briarwood two weeks ago. Arab is having one of its best seasons in recent memory, winning eight games for the first time since 2012.

Last meeting: Homewood defeated Arab 20-14 on Aug. 28, 1981, in the only previous meeting between the schools.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Hartselle and Gardendale next week in the second round of the playoffs.

Hewitt-Trussville (8-2) at Bob Jones (5-5)

Matchup: Class 7A first round. Hewitt-Trussville is the No. 3 seed from Region 3 and Bob Jones is the No. 2 seed from Region 4.

Last week: Hewitt-Trussville took its open week following 10 straight games; Bob Jones lost to Prattville 43-31.

What to watch: Hewitt-Trussville enters the playoff looking to take full advantage of its bye week. The Huskies were banged up in the middle of the season, but finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak and healed a little more last week. Bob Jones put together a three-game winning streak to lock up a playoff berth but has lost its last two contests heading into the postseason.

Last meeting: Hewitt-Trussville beat Bob Jones 52-18 on Oct. 6, 2017. The Huskies have won four of six meetings between the programs.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Hoover and Sparkman in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Hoover (10-0) vs. Sparkman (4-6)

Matchup: Class 7A first round. Hoover is the No. 1 seed from Region 3 and Sparkman is the No. 4 seed from Region 4.

Last week: Hoover took its open week; Sparkman lost to Muscle Shoals 42-7.

What to watch: Hoover took its bye week last week to heal and hit the reset button heading into the playoffs. The Buccaneers captured the region title for the first time since 2018 and are in the playoffs for the 22nd straight year, looking to get back to the state championship game for the first time since 2017. Sparkman is a team that started strong this season, but struggled down the stretch, dropping four of its final five games.

Last meeting: Hoover notched a 49-14 win over Sparkman on Nov. 6, 2020, in the first round of the state playoffs. Hoover has won all five meetings between the two programs.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Bob Jones and Hewitt-Trussville in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Clay-Chalkville (10-0) vs. Decatur (4-6)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Clay-Chalkville is the No. 1 seed from Region 6 and Decatur is the No. 4 seed from Region 8.

Last week: Clay-Chalkville shut out Oak Mountain 48-0; Decatur fell to Huntsville 21-7.

What to watch: Clay-Chalkville has been the top-ranked team in Class 6A for the last month and has its sights set on a potential state title berth. The Cougars have been dominant all season, with its defense finishing the regular season with consecutive shutouts. Decatur won its last three region games to sneak into the playoffs.

Last meeting: Clay-Chalkville beat Decatur 38-10 on Nov. 21, 2014, in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. Clay has won three of the four meetings between the programs.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Briarwood and Fort Payne in the second round of the playoffs next week.

Pinson Valley (7-3) at Muscle Shoals (9-1)

Matchup: Class 6A first round. Pinson Valley is the No. 3 seed from Region 6 and Muscle Shoals is the No. 2 seed from Region 8.

Last week: Pinson Valley edged Lee-Montgomery 15-14 with a game-winning field goal; Muscle Shoals throttled Sparkman 42-7.

What to watch: Pinson Valley is coming off a state championship, but the Indians have their work cut out for them if they have any plans of repeating. Muscle Shoals has just one loss on the year, that being to an unbeaten Hartselle team. Muscle Shoals’ defense has allowed exactly seven points in three of the last four games as well.

Last meeting: Pinson Valley knocked off Muscle Shoals 26-14 on Nov. 22, 2019, in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. Pinson has won two of the three meetings between the programs.

What’s next: The winner gets the winner between Oxford and Chelsea in the second round of the playoffs next week.

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