Teams preparing for important September schedule
There is great hope that the Cahaba Sun coverage area is in for another successful high school football season. In 2017, Pinson Valley won its first Class 6A state championship, Clay-Chalkville was upended in the semifinals by the Indians and Hewitt-Trussville capped off its second consecutive unbeaten regular season.
All three local teams will look to get their seasons off on the right foot in the month of September, even though the competition will be stiff.
After Hewitt-Trussville opens the season against Cedar Grove (Georgia) at the Hoover Met in a game televised on ESPN on Aug. 25, the Huskies then travel to West Forsyth, a team that went 7-4 and made the playoffs in Georgia last fall, on Aug. 31.
The following Friday, Sept. 7, the Huskies begin their Class 7A, Region 3 slate with a trip to Oak Mountain. Hewitt-Trussville has won the last two meetings between the schools, the most recent a 63-21 win in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. On Sept. 14, Hewitt plays host to Hoover, the team that eliminated the Huskies in the second round of the playoffs last fall.
On Sept. 21, the Huskies head to Spain Park. The two teams met in the first round of last fall’s playoffs, with the Huskies pulling away in the fourth quarter to take a 33-21 victory. Hewitt wraps up the month by hosting non-region opponent Huffman.
Clay-Chalkville opens the season with a quick turnaround, facing Griffin (Georgia) on Saturday, Aug. 25, before playing at James Clemens on Thursday, Aug. 30. After the first two weeks, the Cougars will fall back into a normal routine, as they host Niceville (Florida) on Sept. 7.
The following Friday, Sept. 14, the Cougars will take on Pinson Valley, the crosstown rival responsible for two of their three losses in 2017. The game marks the beginning of the Class 6A, Region 6 slate for Clay-Chalkville, which continues the next week at Gardendale on Sept. 21. Clay wraps up the month with its bye week.
Pinson Valley is not taking the easy route to defending its state title and 15-0 mark from 2017. After the Indians begin the season at Hoover, the reigning 7A champ, they host one of the top 5A teams in Ramsay. On Sept. 7, the Indians begin region play at Shades Valley, who they beat 28-27 in overtime last fall.
Pinson hosts Clay-Chalkville on Sept. 14 in a critical region contest. The Indians have won each of the last three games in the series, after Clay won the initial 10 games in the all-time series. Last year, Pinson won a thriller, 34-32, in the regular season before running away with a 37-7 win in the 6A semifinals.
On Sept. 21, the Indians take a road trip to Oxford, which put together a 12-1 season last fall. Pinson Valley also concludes the month with a bye week.