Weekend recap: Bucs, Jags on the move

Another exciting Under the Lights Game of the Week? That makes five weeks in a row early in the season where our Game of the Week pick has delivered incredible results.

Last Friday, Oxford overcame a two-touchdown deficit to beat Mountain Brook 29-28 with a late two-point conversion. It looked like Mountain Brook had just taken enough time off the clock to secure the win, but Oxford's late drive was a masterpiece. And head coach Sam Adams was not swayed from his decision to go for two touchdowns and the win after the touchdown.

No team ever wants to lose, but I have to believe that Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager and his team come away from the Class 6A, Region 6 game encouraged. The Spartans have had some ups and downs in the first half of the season, but the game against Oxford proved that they definitely have what it takes to compete with the region's top team this fall.

If we look at which teams are still undefeated at this point, Chelsea, Clay-Chalkville, Homewood and Spain Park all have flawless records at the halfway point of the season.

Chelsea improved to 4-0 with a dominant win over Calera. I'm sure head coach Todd Cassity appreciated the win with a couple of touchdowns, unlike the Hornets' dramatic back-to-back wins in previous weeks. The Hornets still have a few games to win before a big clash with Spain Park in a few weeks.

Homewood continued its run with a convincing win over Jackson-Olin on Thursday, improving its season record to 5-0. The Patriots have been virtually unstoppable so far, but their biggest challenge of the year comes this week with a trip to Mountain Brook.

Spain Park gave it their all last week against a combative Benjamin Russell. The Jags have done a great job of responding to big wins and avoiding disappointments so far, and they'll have their hands full this week at Class 7A James Clemens.

Clay-Chalkville is 4-0 and travels to Thompson this week for a high-profile duel.

Hewitt-Trussville responded impressively to the heartbreaking loss to Hoover, pulling away from Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa with a dominant second half and improving its record to 4-1 on the season. The Class 7A, Region 3 victory was a huge accomplishment and secures the Huskies a spot in the playoffs.

Hoover welcomed Prattville to the climax of its schedule, defeating the previously unbeaten Lions in a regional match on Friday night. Hoover is now 3-0 in Region 3 and appears headed toward a matchup with Thompson in a month that could decide the regional title. This week, the Bucs host one of the top teams in 6A in Parker.

Oak Mountain got back on track, scoring two late touchdowns to beat Tuscaloosa County in a back-and-forth game. The Eagles may not be on the level of the playoff teams in Region 3, but they have improved significantly and have done an excellent job of shutting down their opponents in each of their three wins.

Vestavia Hills gave Thompson everything it wanted and more. They held the lead at halftime before faltering in the second half. The Rebels just couldn't avoid losing the ball in the final two quarters, which dashed any hopes of an upset. The Rebels have an off-date this week before finally hitting the more manageable part of their schedule.

It's tough for Briarwood right now. The Lions fell to 0-5 with another deeply disappointing loss, this time to Wenonah. With the score tied, Briarwood was on the move and seemed to be pushing for the game-winning point. But an unfortunate fumble turned it into the game-winning point for Wenonah instead.

I'm watching the weather closely this week. Forecasts Monday afternoon have future Hurricane Helene moving through the Southeast on Thursday, which gives me hope that Friday's weather won't be too unpleasant. But stay tuned. It's already been one of those active weather football seasons.

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Here’s a first look at the Week 6 list:

• Briarwood vs Leeds
• Chelsea at Paul Bryant
• Clay-Chalkville near Thompson
• Hewitt-Trussville in Pinson Valley
• Homewood at Mountain Brook
• Hoover vs. Parker
• John Carroll in Montevallo
• Spain Park at James Clemens

This is a weekly column by sports editor Kyle Parmley. Follow him on X at @KyleParmley.

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