Week 0 Football Primer: Spartans open season at Northridge
High school football season begins this week for many teams, as the majority of programs now choose to utilize Week 0 to play a real game, as opposed to a jamboree. Here’s a look at some of the opening week’s slate of games from around the area:
Mountain Brook (0-0) at Northridge (0-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Northridge High School
Mountain Brook opens its season with a road trip to Tuscaloosa, where the Spartans take on Class 6A Northridge.
What to watch: Mountain Brook is replacing a bevy of starters on offense, but the Spartans return nine on defense. While quarterback Strother Gibbs gets settled as the new starter, Mountain Brook will need its defense — now led by former Hoover defensive coordinator Robert Evans — to hold down the fort.
Impact player: Mountain Brook running back AJ Gates impressed in his time behind Harold Joiner last season, and now it’s his time to show what he can do. The Spartans will rely on him a great deal in the early going.
Last meeting: Mountain Brook defeated Northridge in the first round of the state playoffs, 17-7, on Nov. 5, 2010.
What this game means: Not much in the grand scheme of things, but the Spartans would like to take care of business and open the season with a victory over a 6A foe.
Homewood (0-0) vs. Hueytown (0-0)
Date: Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Seibert Stadium (Samford University)
Homewood plays its season opener at Samford University for the third consecutive season, as the Patriots take on Hueytown in the Hoar Program Management Kickoff Classic.
What to watch: Homewood has won its first game of the season each of the last three years and the Patriots are coming off a 10-win season. But over the summer, the Patriots lost a key piece on both sides of the ball, as defensive back Jaden Alexander suffered a knee injury and wide receiver Tre Roberson transferred to Thompson.
Impact player: Hueytown running back Roydell Williams is rated a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, but Homewood managed to limit him to just 36 yards on 19 carries last fall.
Last meeting: Homewood improved to 9-0 on the season with a 23-7 win over Hueytown on Oct. 27, 2017.
What this game means: Homewood head coach Ben Berguson spoke in the preseason about raising the expectations for the Patriots program in terms of consistency. Coming off a 10-win season in 2017, it will be important for Homewood to get the season off on the right foot.
John Carroll (0-0) vs. St. Clair County (0-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Pat Sullivan Field
John Carroll kicks off the 2018 season with a home game against Class 5A semifinalist St. Clair County.
What to watch: John Carroll improved immensely in 2017 in head coach Logan Colafrancesco’s second season at the helm. The Cavaliers won their first two games, but lost seven of the last eight.
Impact player: John Carroll sophomore quarterback Nicholas Sellers got some playing time last fall, but Colafrancesco believes he is ready to take the next step as a player and be the team’s full-time starter.
Last meeting: St. Clair County ran away from John Carroll, 39-14, on Aug. 28, 2015.
What this game means: St. Clair County surpassed expectations under first-year coach Matt Glover last fall, so this season opener will immediately let the Cavaliers know where they stand amongst local 5A competition.
Chelsea (0-0) at Oak Mountain (0-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Heardmont Park
Chelsea and Oak Mountain renew a local rivalry on Friday night to open the season.
What to watch: Chelsea is coming off a 2-8 season with a young team last fall, and Dustin Goodwin has arrived as the Hornets new head coach. Oak Mountain failed to reach the playoffs last year despite posting a 5-5 record and finishing the season with two straight wins.
Impact player: Chelsea running back Collier Blair burst onto the scene as a freshman last fall, putting together an impressive campaign. Listed at 5-foot-6, 156 pounds, Blair still manages to pack a punch with the ball in his hands.
Last meeting: Oak Mountain kicked off the season with a 21-10 win over Chelsea on Aug. 25, 2017.
What this game means: Oak Mountain head coach Cris Bell, entering his seventh season, spoke in the preseason of raising the bar for the program, in terms of expecting to reach the playoffs every season. While there are no region implications on the line, a win over Chelsea would be a good start to the season. Chelsea lost its first seven games of the season in 2017, so a win over a local foe early on would do wonders for the team’s confidence.
Spain Park (0-0) vs. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (0-0)
Date: Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Jaguar Stadium
Spain Park opens the 2018 season with a home date against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, a team that advanced to the Class 6A semifinals last fall.
What to watch: Spain Park is breaking in a new starting quarterback in Mason Pronk, who takes over following the graduation of Braxton Barker. Pronk is a senior that has bided his time and waited for his chance. The Jags got off to a 3-0 start last season but hit a lull in the middle of the year. They will attempt to avoid that lull this time around.
Impact player: Spain Park defensive lineman Cedric Tooson has been wreaking havoc in opposing backfields for a couple years now and is expected to do more of the same this fall.
Last meeting: Spain Park shut out Hillcrest, 24-0, on Nov. 2, 2007.
What this game means: The game won’t have direct playoff implications for either team, but it will present a strong test for Spain Park to kick off the 2018 season. The Jags will quickly know where they stack up against stiff competition.
Briarwood at Vestavia Hills
Date: Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Thompson Reynolds Stadium
The Lions and Rebels meet in their annual jamboree game. This contest will likely feature both varsity teams for the first two quarters, with the final two quarters being contested largely between freshman and junior varsity players.
Pinson Valley (0-0) at Hoover (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018
Time: 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Location: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium
The defending state champions from Classes 6A and 7A will meet on the gridiron on national television to begin the season on Saturday.
What to watch: How much success the Pinson Valley offense has against Hoover’s defense could go a long way towards deciding the outcome. Pinson returns star quarterback Bo Nix, an Auburn commit, who will have to pick apart a defense that allowed 16.5 points per game last year.
Impact player: Hoover running back Larry McCammon had a breakout season last year. The only thing holding McCammon back last season was fumbles. If he doesn’t put the ball on the ground, he could have a huge game.
Last meeting: Hoover and Pinson Valley have never met on the football field.
What this game means: Each of these teams has state title aspirations and this game will have no direct impact on that, but it will be important for each program to put forth a positive showing in front of a national TV audience.
Hewitt-Trussville (0-0) vs. Cedar Grove (GA) [1-0]
Date: Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018
Time: 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Location: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium
Hewitt-Trussville plays in the second half of the Hoover Met doubleheader, broadcast on ESPN, to open its 2018 season.
What to watch: Hewitt-Trussville has gone unbeaten each of the past two regular seasons, but faces a stern test out of the gate in 2018 against a Cedar Grove team that advanced to the Class AAA semifinals in Georgia last fall.
Impact player: Cedar Grove wide receiver and Georgia commit Jadon Haselwood is rated a five-star prospect by 247 Sports, so the Huskies will have to know where he is on the field at all times.
Last meeting: Hewitt-Trussville and Cedar Grove have never met on the football field.
What this game means: It’s the same as with most teams in the season opener. No playoff implications, but it’s important for each team to put together a solid showing, particularly on national TV.
Clay-Chalkville (0-0) at Griffin (GA) [1-0]
Date: Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018
Time: 4 p.m. CT
Location: Lakewood Stadium (Atlanta)
Clay-Chalkville travels to Atlanta to play Griffin in the Cam Newton C1N High School Classic to open its 2018 season.
What to watch: Clay-Chalkville, a Class 6A semifinalist last fall, plays a Griffin team that posted a 9-2 record last fall. The Cougars rode a strong defense to a big season under first-year coach Drew Gilmer and have the makings of a similar team this fall.
Impact player: Clay-Chalkville defensive tackle DJ Dale is a one-man wrecking crew on the Cougars defensive front. The Alabama commit can make life miserable for any offense.
Last meeting: Clay-Chalkville and Griffin have never met on the football field.
What this game means: With a tough opener and a quick turnaround (the Cougars play again Thursday at James Clemens), it will be important for Clay-Chalkville to not only be competitive, but also come out of this game relatively healthy as they embark on a tough 2018 schedule.