Unbeaten Hillcrest, Off a Bye, Looks to Keep Rolling at Struggling Brookwood
Hillcrest has spent the first half of the 2026 season making the rest of Class 5A, Region 3 look outmatched. Brookwood gets its shot at the Patriots on Thursday night, with a chance to turn around a rough season.
Hillcrest (5-0, 3-0) comes in rested after an open week and hasn't been seriously tested since a 42-20 road win at Hewitt-Trussville in Week 2. The Patriots have outscored opponents 265-47, including region wins over Hueytown (63-7), Central (53-13) and Northridge (43-7).
Brookwood (1-4, 0-3) is headed the other way. The Panthers opened with a 38-13 win at West Blocton but have dropped four straight: Central (49-24), Northridge (45-19), McAdory (40-20) and Bibb County (42-31).
The common opponents tell the story. Hillcrest beat Central and Northridge by a combined 76 points; Brookwood lost to the same two teams by 51. The Panthers have allowed 40 or more points in four straight games, and Hillcrest has hit that mark in all five of its games.
Hillcrest's offense runs through a deep backfield. Senior quarterback Jordan Shambley, a UAB commit, leads the attack, and starting running back Jacobi Harris is a threat both running and catching the ball out of the backfield. Junior Dylan Taylor, a County High transfer, ran for three touchdowns against Northridge, and sophomore Anthony Shepherd broke loose for a 45-yard score in that game. Senior receiver Brenden Williams gives Shambley a reliable target in the red zone.
The defense is built around Alabama commit Jeremiah Beverly, a disruptive edge rusher Brookwood will have to account for on every snap. The Patriots can also score on defense: sophomore Jaylin Bennett returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown against Northridge.
There is one area Hillcrest will want to clean up. Northridge picked off Shambley twice in the first half and kept the game tied 7-7 at the break before the Patriots scored 36 straight. A Brookwood team that needs turnovers to hang around will be looking for the same chances.
Brookwood's best answer may be Revelation Clark, a two-way threat. In the Panthers' loss to Northridge, the defensive back made six tackles, broke up a pass, and caught six passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. That performance earned him a Schutt Sports 5A Player of the Game nomination for Week 3. Clark is the most likely to force a turnover against Shambley, and he's also Brookwood's best bet for a big play on offense.
The Panthers' offense has shown some life, scoring 31 against a strong Bibb County team last week. If Brookwood can get Clark the ball in space, control the clock, and keep Beverly out of the backfield, it can keep this closer than the numbers suggest.
