The Oak Mountain Eagles have never been here before.

After defeating Clay-Chalkville, 34-18, last week the Eagles find themselves facing arguably Alabama’s best 6A football team in the Hoover Buccaneers.

Eagles’ head coach Jerry Hood said his team is excited to have a chance at proving that statement wrong.

As Oak Mountain takes the field at the Hoover Met Friday night, they will continue to expand the Oak Mountain football history books. Before this year the Eagles’ had not made it past the first round of the playoffs.

&8220;Every week we advance is the biggest week in school history,&8221; Hood said. &8220;We’ve kind of worn that statement out now.&8221;

Nobody expected the Eagles to make it this far, and even fewer expect them to upset the Bucs this weekend, but Oak Mountain has done something this year that few teams have been able to accomplish against the dominant Bucs &045; play them close.

Back in Week 9 of the regular season, Oak Mountain found itself down only a score in the second quarter and only 10 points in the fourth quarter.

&8220;This is a huge game,&8221; Hood said. &8220;It’s the right to play in the state championship.&8221;

Hood said his team is trying to treat this matchup like the fourth lap of a five-lap race.

&8220;You can’t go crazy preparing for them. We’ve won by being level-headed in the past few weeks and we want to do the same this week.&8221;

The Bucs have improved their game since the last time the two teams played, Hood said. But, he said, his squad has taken big strides as well.

&8220;Hoover has gotten better since they beat us,&8221; he said. &8220;But there’s no doubt in my mind that we’re a much better football team then we were when we lost to them.&8221;