Each week this season AHSFHS.org will post games of the week provided by our forum friends better known as the "Barber Shop Gurus". Welcome TheMUBM, Kodyaufan2 and Sloth Nationzz as they analyze games of their choice and even give us a prediction for each contest.

TheMUBM Week 5 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  12-4

Valley Head (0-0) at  Spring Garden (0-0)  at Panther Stadium Valley Head   Spring Garden 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 1A-R8  Class/Region 1A-R8 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 24.3  Power Rating 26.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Spring Garden as a 4 point favorite. Last Meeting:   The Spring Garden Panthers defeated Valley Head by a score of 58-23 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Spring Garden and Valley Head have met 32 times on the field.... Valley Head holds a 19-13 edge in the games played. Comments:    Valley Head enters this contest coming off two straight region wins to stand at 3-1 (2-0). Brayden Hughes has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side of the ball. The CB is a solid tackler who causes havoc and turnovers. Ben Johnson is a good size back that is hard to bring down.     Spring Garden comes in 2-2 (1-1) with a somewhat surprising loss to the much improved Woodville Panthers 41 to 26. SGHS is led by QB Brady Ruark. He is not a big kid but is elusive in the open field.     I think this could be a high scoring game. I like Valley Head because their ability to cause turnovers, but I like the way Ruark runs the SG offense. This is a true toss up for me. Give me the Panthers in a barn burner.   Prediction:  Spring Garden 44 Valley Head 39

Leeds (0-0) at  Jacksonville (0-0)  at Golden Eagle Stadium Leeds   Jacksonville 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 4A-R6  Class/Region 4A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 75.3  Power Rating 60.5 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Leeds as a 13 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Jacksonville Golden Eagles defeated Leeds by a score of 30-7 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Jacksonville and Leeds have met 2 times on the field.... The teams have both won 1 game.

Comments:    While all the talk in the region has been about Moody and St Clair County, Leeds quietly sits at 4-0 (2-0) and coming off a dominating performance against Lincoln 45 to 15. Sam Lollar threw for 1 TD while throwing for 251. WR Taylon Gaiter is dangerous in the open field. Jacquarrious Davis rushed for over 100 yards in the effort.

Jacksonville comes in 2-2 (1-1) and off a blowout of Center Point 42 to 9. The defense, led by LB Bryce Allen (pick 6 last game) is going to have to make big plays like they did against Center Point to try to slow down this potent Greenwave offense.

As we all know, Leeds isn't Center Point. At the end of the day the Greenwave just has too many weapons. Jacksonville is a solid team that I suspect will likely get into the playoffs as the 3 or 4 seed, but this week isn't a good matchup for them.

Prediction:  Leeds 37 Jacksonville 24

Shoals Christian (0-0) at  Phillips Bear Creek (0-0)  at James E. Glass Stadium Shoals Christian   Phillips Bear Creek 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) A-R4  Class/Region 1A-R7 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 0.3  Power Rating 8.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Phillips Bear Creek as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Shoals Christian Flame defeated Phillips Bear Creek by a score of 32-19 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Phillips Bear Creek and Shoals Christian have met 24 times on the field.... Phillips Bear Creek holds a 14-10 edge in the games played.

Comments:    The Flame are 1-3 but coming off their first victory of the year, a nailbiter win over Vina 18 to 8. Unfortunately, they've been dominated in their other outings 54 to 8, 52 to 0 and 68 to 8. They have already equaled their win total from last year.

Phillips is 1-2 coming into the game. Their sole win was also against Vina 26 to 12. Otherwise, they too have been a victim of blowouts, 43 to 0 and 60 to 6.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find much on either team. But the thing is, one of these teams could very likely get the 4 seed in this region. Waterloo and Cherokee are both struggling terribly and both have already knocked off Vina. Without much to go on, I will take the Bears being at home and after hanging with Meek for a half (if you call 22-0 ''hanging with'').

Prediction:  Phillips 30 Shoals Christian 20

Westbrook Christian (0-0) at  Piedmont (0-0)  at Field of Champions Westbrook Christian   Piedmont 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) A-R4  Class/Region 2A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 60.9  Power Rating 68.7 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Piedmont as a 10 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Piedmont Bulldogs defeated Westbrook Christian by a score of 40-27 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Piedmont and Westbrook Christian have met 6 times on the field.... Piedmont holds a 6-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Westbrook Christian comes in 3-0 off a 53 to 7 drubbing of Locust Fork. The Warriors have outscored their opponents on average 46 to 7 this season. Brody Blevins threw for 201 yards and pair of TD's and also punched one in on the ground.

Piedmont also comes in 3-0 and off a bye week. They're outscoring their opponents by an average of 47 to 5. The Bulldogs can come at you from so many different angles with Pinto, Mixson and Howard to name a few.

Westbrook is having a special year, but Piedmont isn't your average opponent. The Bulldogs have too much firepower in this one. Couple with their great offense, they're a turnover machine on defense and I think they'll frustrate the Warriors offense.

Prediction:  Piedmont 42 Westbrook 14

kodyaufan2 Week 5 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  12-4

Addison (0-0) at  Hackleburg (0-0)  at Ray Family Stadium Addison   Hackleburg 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 1A-R7  Class/Region 1A-R7 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 49.6  Power Rating 43.8 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Addison as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Addison Bulldogs defeated Hackleburg by a score of 46-16 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Hackleburg and Addison have met 18 times on the field.... Addison holds a 13-5 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Comments: This is your classic matchup of unstoppable force meets immovable object with the Addison offense versus the Hackleburg defense.

Coach Mark Hastings has Addison back to their usual selves in Year 1 at the helm. 2024 was an uncharacteristic season for the Bulldogs, going just 6-4 and losing in the first round of the playoffs. This year they are 4-0 and are averaging 58 points per game. However, they've yet to face a good defense, as the four defenses they've faced are allowing 29, 63, 45, and 49 points per game.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Hackleburg Panthers. Last year they reached the Class 1A Semifinals behind a high-scoring offense and a great defense. Their offense may not be quite as good this year, although it's still solid, but their defense looks even better. They've allowed just 19 points through three games, including a 33-0 shutout of the usually high-scoring Meek offense. They are still much better offensively than I expected them to be after losing a QB as good as Blaise Vickery, but that's where longtime coach Rod Hudson has the program-they just reload instead of rebuilding as they search for their 3rd straight season of reaching at least the Quarterfinals.

You know the old adage-defense wins championships. Addison has been impressive when it comes to scoring this season, but they haven't faced a defense like Hackleburg's yet. I think I trust the matchup of the Hackleburg offense vs the Addison defense more than the matchup of the Addison offense vs the Hackleburg defense.

Prediction:  Hackleburg 28, Addison 26

Clarke County (0-0) at  J.U. Blacksher (0-0)  at John M. Sawyer Memorial Stadium Clarke County   J.U. Blacksher 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 2A-R1  Class/Region 2A-R1 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 37.3  Power Rating 39.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have J.U. Blacksher as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Clarke County Bulldogs defeated J.U. Blacksher by a score of 21-0 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   J.U. Blacksher and Clarke County have met 11 times on the field.... Clarke County holds a 11-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Comments: This one will likely decide the region champion of Class 2A Region 1. This region has belonged to Clarke County for several years now, but J.U. Blacksher has the chance to win their first region championship in 10 years.

J.U. Blacksher is having their best season in quite some time, and given that they're a Junior-laden team, they should be even better next year. The first word that comes to mind when watching their offense is ''vicious'' They run right at teams and dare them to stop it. Their run blocking is ferocious. You'll rarely see them fail to finish through a block, and their ballcarriers are extremely difficult to bring down. Their Quarterback, Hunter White is just a Sophomore, but he's looked really good leading this offense so far. The Bulldogs have also had a bye week to prepare for Clarke County, so they could have a real shot at taking control of the region with a win.

Clarke County has been a very steady program over the past several years. They haven't been able to replicate their state championship run of 2021, but they are vying for their fifth straight region championship, and J.U. Blacksher is likely the last major challenge standing in their way of that goal. It's almost cliche at this point to say that many high school teams put their best athlete at QB, but it's probably true for Clarke County with Sophomore QB Peebo Pugh. He has a great burst of speed, but has a decent arm to go with it, and they do a great job of scheming players open in the passing game to help open up space for the run game.

This matchup will see the physicality of J.U. Blacksher against the speed of Clarke County. Blacksher actually gave Clarke County a decent game a year ago, and despite the athleticism advantage for Clarke County, I think Blacksher has a real shot in this one.

Prediction:  J.U. Blacksher 26, Clarke County 21

Geraldine (0-0) at  Holly Pond (0-0)  at Thomas-Michelfelder Field Geraldine   Holly Pond 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 3A-R8  Class/Region 3A-R6 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 60.8  Power Rating 41.1 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Geraldine as a 18 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Geraldine Bulldogs defeated Holly Pond by a score of 45-6 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Holly Pond and Geraldine have met 5 times on the field.... Geraldine holds a 5-0 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Comments: Holly Pond has been a great story this season, and they are just one win away from matching their win total from last season after their 3-1 start to this season. But they're about to face Geraldine, who appears to be one of the best teams in 3A.

Holly Pond has historically been one of the worst teams in the state. They've played football every year since 1963, yet they have never won a region championship. They might be facing an uphill battle this week against Geraldine, but the opportunity is nonetheless in front of them. Since getting shut out in their opener, they've averaged 50 ppg on offense. They grinned out a win over a good Sylvania team that has them in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2018.

Geraldine appears to be a juggernaut this season. They've scored at least 41 points in all three games and have broken the 60-point mark twice, and their closest game was a 41-14 win over 5A Sardis in their season-opener. They nearly knocked off eventual champions Mars Hill in the 2nd Round of the playoffs last season, and they might turn out to be the biggest threats to Mars Hill in the North again this season.

Following their win over Sylvania, Holly Pond seems well on their way to making the playoffs, but it would a real miracle for them to pull off this upset. Geraldine might be a real threat to the likes of Mars Hill, Piedmont, and Fyffe in the North.

Prediction:  Geraldine 54, Holly Pond 20

Tallassee (0-0) at  Bullock County (0-0)  at Bryant Foster Field Tallassee   Bullock County 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 4A-R4  Class/Region 3A-R2 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 51.2  Power Rating 55.2 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Bullock County as a 6 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Bullock County Hornets defeated Tallassee by a score of 19-17 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Bullock County and Tallassee have met 8 times on the field.... Tallassee holds a 6-1 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Comments: It's been talked about a lot on this site and on the podcast, but Bullock County is in the midst of perhaps their best season in school history. Tallassee narrowly won this matchup last season, and expect it to be a tight one yet again.

Keep your eye on Bullock County Quarterback #14 Ty Wallace. This kid is lightning in a bottle for the Hornets, and he's only a Junior. In their last game against Munford, he had 8 carries for 246 yards. He's rushed for over 200 yards per game this season along with 12 total TDs. They another great running back in Senior Caiden Ivey, who also rushed for 100 yards against Munford. The Hornets have never won a region championship, but if they can beat Tallassee, the rest of their schedule sets up favorably for them, as the only game they might not be favored in would be at Handley.

It's hard to really get a read on Tallassee. I had them as my preseason pick to win this region, but then they started the season off with a 59-3 loss to Montgomery Academy. They then pulled off two big victories over Elmore County and Munford, before falling to Booker T. Washington. The tigers went 9-3 and reached the Quarterfinals last season, so a significant falloff would be unexpected for sure. Regardless of the outcome of this one, I think this is a playoff team, but this game will show us whether they'll be at home or on the road in the first round.

Bullock County has never beaten Tallassee in seven previous meetings. 4A Region 3 looks primed to be a very messy region by the end of the season, but Bullock County might be good enough to avoid the chaos that happens behind them.

Prediction:  Bullock Co. 28, Tallassee 21

Sloth Nationzz Week 5 Picks

Last Week:  3-1    Season Total:  10-6

Northridge (0-0) at  Central Tuscaloosa (0-0)  at Falcon Stadium Northridge   Central Tuscaloosa 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 5A-R3  Class/Region 5A-R3 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 68.9  Power Rating 67.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Central Tuscaloosa as a 1 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Central Tuscaloosa Falcons defeated Northridge by a score of 31-30 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Central Tuscaloosa and Northridge have met 13 times on the field.... Northridge holds a 9-4 edge in the games played.

Comments:    A great matchup in the city of Tuscaloosa! This one has big time playoff ramifications towards it. Central Tuscaloosa is looking to make its way back to the playoffs but fell to Bessemer City last week. Northridge has been up and down this season but with region play starting up, it should not be hard for them to make their way back into November playoff football.

My real question is how does Central Tuscaloosa bounce back after a bad loss. Bessemer City is a good team, but that game they lost they got beat soundly. So my question is how do they bounce back after the defeat? As you can see it is predicted to be a very close game, and history favors Northridge, and so will I as I am picking them to win this football game.

They have played a better schedule and I think that will show on Friday night. Give me Northridge in a close contest.

Prediction:  Northridge 21 Central Tuscaloosa 20

Oxford (0-0) at  Mountain Brook (0-0)  at Spartan Stadium Oxford   Mountain Brook 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 5A-R6  Class/Region 5A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 73.0  Power Rating 69.3 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Oxford as a 2 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Mountain Brook Spartans defeated Oxford by a score of 42-14 in week 5 at Home  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Mountain Brook and Oxford have met 4 times on the field.... The teams have both won 2 games.

Comments:    Two teams that I don't think anyone really thought would be in this spot in the season. Both had pretty unexpected losses alongside an expected loss. Like Mountain Brook lost to Parker. Oxford lost to Central Carrollton out of Georgia. Then Oxford fell to Moody, and almost Pinson Valley. Mountain Brook lost to Pell City.

So this game has major region implications as the winner is likely going to be getting better playoff seeding or maybe even home field advantage.

Both teams have confused me up to this point, but one has been more consistent than the other and that is Mountain Brook which is why I will be picking them to win!

Prediction:  Mountain Brook 23 Oxford 20

Briarwood (0-0) at  Wenonah (0-0)  at Bell-Culpepper Stadium Briarwood   Wenonah 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) AA-R2  Class/Region 4A-R5 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 58.0  Power Rating 59.8 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Wenonah as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Briarwood Lions defeated Wenonah by a score of 40-22 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Wenonah and Briarwood have met 7 times on the field.... Briarwood holds a 5-2 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Another big time region matchup between these two Birmingham schools. The Lions of Briarwood have been off to a great start in region play.

Their schedule is difficult but they are one of the better 2-2 teams in the state of Alabama. Their win over Ramsay looks just as good after the Rams dominated Corner.

Wenonah had a weeks worth of rest to think about their last game which was a loss to Corner. I think the Dragons have a good chance to win this game but I really like what I have seen from Briarwood up to this point in the season. I think they are going to challenge for the region title, and it continues against Wenonah.

Give me Briarwood to win in a tight game!

Prediction:  Briarwood 28 Wenonah 24

Huntsville (0-0) at  Sparkman (0-0)  at Sparkman Field Huntsville   Sparkman 0-0 (0-0)  Record 0-0 (0-0) 6A-R4  Class/Region 6A-R4 NR  ASWA Ranking NR 68.9  Power Rating 62.6 AHSFHS Power Ratings have Huntsville as a 4 point favorite.

Last Meeting:   The Sparkman Senators defeated Huntsville by a score of 36-28 in week 5 on the road  on Fri., Sep. 19 during the 2025 football season. Series:   Sparkman and Huntsville have met 27 times on the field.... Huntsville holds a 18-9 edge in the games played.

Comments:    Interesting game for sure. What do we know about Sparkman? Are they going to make the playoffs? Well if they want to, it'll start against Huntsville, who is having a nice start to their 2025 season.

Sparkman has played a pretty tough schedule up to this point if you look at it. Do not just look at the record they've played tough teams like Hillcrest Tuscaloosa, Spain Park, and Austin. However this is a must win for them to get into the playoff race.

Did anyone realize Huntsville has not made the playoffs since 2022? I am certain they want to change that narrative quickly. Last weeks loss to James Clemens does not concern me, I think James Clemens was just ready to rally after an embarrassing defeat. However I think Huntsville will win this game but it will be much closer than many will expect. Sparkman gets up to play these last few years in region games.

They are a tough team. But give me Huntsville in a victory.

Prediction:  Huntsville 29 Sparkman 27