The Road to the Super 7 begins this week as the 2019 AHSAA football season begins.
RELATED: Get ready for this week’s game in metro Huntsville
Let’s look at this week’s top five games involving teams from metro Birmingham:
Hueytown at Homewood
Where: Thursday, 7 p.m., Waldrop Stadium in Homewood
The skinny: Hueytown is led by Alabama RB commit Roydell Williams, who ran for more than 2,700 yards last year. … These two teams have played for the last five years, with Homewood winning four times. The Patriots won 18-7 last season. … Homewood has won at least nine games in six of the last seven seasons, including back-to-back 10-win seasons. … Homewood’s offense will likely feature RB KeOnte Davis and WR Tre Ausmer, but the Patriots lost 10 defensive starters. Kameron Gaines, a safety, is the only returning starter on defense.
Pinson Valley at Hewitt-Trussville
Where: Friday, 7 p.m., Hewitt-Trussville Stadium
The skinny: Pinson Valley has won two straight Class 6A state titles and has gone 28-1 during the last two seasons. … Both teams must replace star quarterbacks, with Pinson losing Mr. Football Bo Nix and Hewitt losing Alabama signee Paul Tyson. … The field will be filled with prospects, including Hewitt DB and Alabama commit Malachi Moore, Hewitt RB and Auburn commit Armoni Goodwin and Hewitt DL and LSU commit Eric Taylor and Pinson Valley DB/WR Ga’Quincy McKinstry, one of the state’s elite Class of 2021 prospects. … Pinson Valley coach Patrick Nix is just 2-4 in season openers as an Alabama HS head coach, including last year’s season-opening loss to Hoover. He is 56-19 overall. … Hewitt-Trussville also lost its 2018 season opener.
Hoover vs. Central-Phenix City
Where: Friday, 7 p.m., Cramton Bowl in Montgomery
The skinny: This game is part of the AHSAA Kickoff Classic, and it features the top two teams in the ASWA’s preseason Class 7A rankings. … Central, the defending Class 7A champ, has big-time prospects all over the field, including uncommitted 4-star WR E.J. Williams, Bowling Green QB commit Tucker Melton and Auburn commit Javion Cohen on the offensive line. … Hoover is led by senior QB and Ole Miss commit Robby Ashford. … Hoover has won a state title in five of the last seven years, but the Bucs finished 9-4 last year for the first non-10-win season since 2007. … These two teams opened the 2016 season against each other at Cramton Bowl, with Hoover winning 23-7.
Davidson at Thompson, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Saturday, 7 p.m. (approximately 30 minutes after Dothan vs. Clay-Chalkville, which kicks off at 3 p.m.), Thompson High Stadium
The skinny: This is the second game of the Go Gold Bowl, a doubleheader that Children's of Alabama and The Elaine Roberts Foundation and is intended to raise awareness of childhood cancer research. … Thompson is fresh off its first trip to the 7A championship game, the Warriors first state-title berth since the early 1980s. … The Warriors roster features defensive end/linebacker Jeremiah Alexander, a 2022 recruit who already has multiple SEC offers, and receiver Michael Pettway, who had more than 1,000 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns last season. … Davidson makes the long trek from Mobile. … The Warriors finished 6-5 last year and this year’s roster features Ole Miss DE/LB commit Cedric Johnson.
Minor at Ramsay, 7 p.m., at Legion Field
Where: Saturday, 7 p.m. (approximately 30 minutes after Parker vs. Carver-Birmingham, which kicks off at 4 p.m.), Legion Field
The skinny: Ramsay starts the season ranked No. 15 in AL.com’s preseason Power 25 and No. 2 in the preseason ASWA Class 5A rankings. … Ramsay’s defensive line features Tim Keenan and Jeremiah Williams, two of the state’s elite 2021 prospects. … These schools have played only twice, in 2016 and 2018, and Ramsay won both. The Rams earned a 13-8 victory last year. … Adrian Abrams enters his second season as Minor’s head coach, the first time the Tenacious Tigers have had the same head coach in back-to-back seasons since 2016.
Other games (kickoff set for 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted):
Friday’s games (Aug. 23)
Northridge at Mountain Brook
Huffman at Bessemer City
Calera at Pelham
Parker at Carver-Birmingham
Center Point at Philadelphia (Miss.)
Oak Mountain at Chelsea
Corner at Northside
Fairfield at Jackson-Olin
Fultondale at Maplesville
McAdory at Helena
Mae Jemison at Gardendale
John Carroll at St. Clair County
Sylacauga at Leeds
Midfield at Hale County
Montevallo at Marbury
Mortimer Jordan at Pleasant Grove
Walter Wellborn at Oak Grove
Childersburg at Shelby County
Spain Park at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa
Vincent at White Plains
Wenonah at Linden
Sumter County at Woodlawn
Autauga Academy at Bessemer Academy, at Birmingham-Southern College
Saturday, Aug. 24
Clay-Chalkville vs. Dothan, 3 p.m., at Thompson High
Parker vs. Carver-Birmingham, 4 p.m., at Legion Field
Off or playing in preseason games this week: Briarwood Christian, Minor, Shades Valley, Tarrant, Vestavia Hills
