By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

Week 4 predictions: 10-0. Overall: 21-8.

This week is the definition of a heat check. A heat check is, for those unfamiliar with the phrase, primarily a basketball term. It’s been described elsewhere by writers more articulate and clever than myself, but here’s the gist. In a basketball game, a heat check is the shot at the end of a series of smarter, safer shots. If you hit a layup, then a jumper, then an open three pointer, the heat check is the fadeway step-back three the next trip down the floor. You are checking, literally, to see if you are on fire. After a perfect predicting performance in Week 4, it’s time to see just how hot we are.

 

Oak Mountain at Tuscaloosa County. This Oak Mountain team is good. They are, we swear. Are the Eagles the team we thought they had the chance to be at the start of the season? Probably not. Will this team make the playoffs? Yes. The Oak Mountain road to recovery starts with a win this week against a Tuscaloosa County team that hasn’t put up more than 14 points all year. Oak Mountain 28 – Tuscaloosa County 10.

 

Spain Park at Hewitt-Trussville. Biggest game of the year for Spain Park to date. The Jaguars lost this one at home a year ago in an offensive bonanza, 64-63, and a win on the road against a very talented Husky team would go a long way toward Spain Park’s playoff hopes. This Hewitt-Trussville team is no joke, however, with senior quarterback Zac Thomas and senior running back Jarrion Street doing most of the heavy lifting for a Husky offense that has won three games in a row while putting up an average of 35 points per game. Spain Park has played well all season, and has done nothing to suggest this one won’t come down to the wire, but the Husky offense takes this one at home. Hewitt-Trussville 28 – Spain Park 21.

 

Thompson at Hoover. After a huge win against a talented Mountain Brook team, the Warriors are sitting pretty with a 3-1 overall record. While resident juggernaut Hoover has played the early portion of the 2015 season in a way to suggest that the Bucs’ armor might have more chinks in it than usual, they’re still the top team in the state for a reason. No player on Hoover’s current roster has ever lost to an in-state opponent. That type of success is psychological, and the Bucs have seemingly simply forgotten how to lose close games. Thompson will keep this game interesting, but Hoover will survive another day. Hoover 24 – Thompson 17.

 

Briarwood at Hueytown. The Lions need a win, desperately. After losing their first two games of the season on the last drive of the game and getting shut out against a probably underrated Homewood team, Briarwood simply has to get a W to begin to think about salvaging this year. This is the week for the Lions to do just that against a Hueytown team that has failed to put up more than seven points in three of its four games to date. Briarwood 31 – Hueytown 14.

 

Chelsea at Chilton County. One of the easiest picks of the week. Chelsea rolls here over a Chilton County team that won’t be able to handle the athleticism oozing out of the Hornets’ backfield. Chelsea 45 – Chilton County 17.

 

Pelham at Walker. Walker is undefeated, but has not played great competition to date. Pelham on the other hand is without a win but has played a few of the top teams in the area at the beginning of the year. The Panthers need a win, but haven’t shown enough consistency or ability on the offensive side of the ball to put any faith in them pulling this out, and Pelham drops this one in a heartbreaker. Walker 24 – Pelham 21.

 

Calera at Jemison. The only game of the week easier to pick than the Chelsea game, Calera could win this game by infinity points if it wanted to. The Eagles can legitimately pick how many points they’d like to win by on Friday night, and the first teamers will have a light week. Calera 56 – Jemison 7.

 

Helena at Demopolis. This is the biggest test to date, and potentially of the year for Helena. The Huskies are currently one of three undefeated teams left in the county at 3-0, and haven’t really been tested since a one-point win in their first game of the season. A win against Demopolis, the cream of the crop in 5A Region 4, would be huge for this young program. It’s not meant to be this week, however, as Helena falls from the ranks of the unbeaten. Demopolis 45 – Helena 28.

 

Shelby County at Marbury. After starting the year with so much promise, the Wildcats are in a tough spot. Jemison, Shelby County’s lone victory to date, has turned out to be a dumpster fire, and the Wildcats have now dropped three in a row to throw this season back into questionable territory. This is the week Heath Childers’ team gets back on track with a tough road win over Marbury. Shelby County 27 – Marbury 17.

 

Montevallo vs. Sipsey Valley. You simply have to root for this Bulldog team. The fourth-smallest 4A school in the state, with a roster of only 42, 19 of which are freshmen or sophomores, Montevallo just keeps winning. The Bulldogs have scored more points each week than the week prior through four games, with their most recent victory coming via a 50-18 beatdown of Holt to get to 4-0. Montevallo will have no trouble reaching 5-0 with a win this week against winless Sipsey Valley as the lone home game of the week in the county. Montevallo 45 – Sipsey Valley 14.

 

Vincent at Fayettville. Hopefully a bye week will help the Yellow Jackets team that has yet to get a win as they take on currently undefeated Fayettville on the road. The good news for Vincent, if there is any good news, is that the Yellow Jackets played their closest game of the year against Holy Spirit on Sept. 4, losing by 15. Unfortunately, Fayetteville will roll at home this week, dropping the hapless Yellow Jackets to 0-4. Fayettville 35 – Vincent 20.