Patience has finally paid off for coach Jerry Stearns and the boys down at Kingwood Christian School.

After a couple of winless seasons as underclassmen, senior linebacker Lakin Spinks and junior quarterback Andrew Pearce are now part of a formidable Kingwood team that will roll into Columbiana with a 2-0 record Friday night.

They’ll face a bunch with equally high expectations in the Cornerstone Chargers, who also enter the matchup

at 2-0 after outscoring their opponents 71-6 to start the season.

Both teams should be playoff bound come November.

Kingwood will look to pick up yards with its high-powered passing attack but must do so against the strength of the Cornerstone defense &045;&045; the Chargers have intercepted eight passes in two ballgames.

Austin Vinsant leads a highly effective Cornerstone running game against Kingwood’s big defensive front.

Both teams appear to match up well against the other’s strengths in what could shake out to be a fight to the finish.

Expect a back-and-forth contest with plenty of points as the Lions face the Chargers at Michael B. Willis Memorial Field.

With Cornerstone’s all-purpose senior Ty Youngblood out with an ankle injury, the edge goes to Kingwood.

u Game of the Week prediction: Kingwood 38, Cornerstone 35.

Calera returns home Friday night to face an 0-2 R.C. Hatch team that fell to Billingsley last week.

The Eagles righted the ship after losing the opener to Montevallo by thumping Keith in week two.

u Prediction: Calera 40, R.C. Hatch 16.

Vincent will look to pick up its first win of the season on the road against Keith, a team that struggled in lopsided losses to A.L. Johnson and Calera.

Running back Desmond Yowe should have a big night against the Keith defense.

u Prediction: Vincent 42, Keith 12.

After a big win against rival Calera, Montevallo was embarassed in a shutout loss to Tarrant during the school’s homecoming last Friday night.

The Bulldogs bring their 1-1 record to Chelsea, hot off a win over Fayette County.

u Prediction: Chelsea 35, Montevallo 20.

Briarwood Christian School again looked like the team that has dominated Class 5A in recent years with a huge win over Shelby County.

The Lions will look to keep the ball rolling at home against a 1-1 Valley team that downed Talladega, 35-24.

u Prediction: Briarwood 35, Valley 14.

Shelby County won’t have time to catch a breather after a loss to Briarwood with a trip to Alexander City Friday night.

Benjamin Russell welcomes the Wildcats with a 1-1 record fresh off a 37-0 trouncing of Chilton County.

u Prediction: Benjamin Russell 35, Shelby County 17.

Oak Mountain will be reeling this Friday night after picking up the biggest win in school history over No. 3 Spain Park.

The Eagles host Vestavia, losers to Pelham by some last-minute heroics last week at Ned Bearden Stadium.

u Prediction: Oak Mountain 24, Vestavia 17.

Pelham was another surprise team in Class 6A, Region 6 last week as they handled the Rebels at home.

The Panthers will face another tough test against Mountain Brook, which lost to Hewitt-Trussville, 19-7.

u Prediction: Pelham 30, Mountain Brook 17.

Spain Park lost all-star quarterback Neil Caudle to a knee-injury last week, then fell to Oak Mountain.

The Jags will face a Thompson team that fell just yards shy of knocking off nationally ranked Hoover.

If the Warriors can get past What if? they shouldn’t have any trouble dismantling Spain Park at home.

u Prediction: Thompson 38, Spain Park 17.

Coosa Valley Academy is still in search of its first win and will host 1-1 Jefferson Christian, which beat Meadowview, 14-0.

u Prediction: Jefferson Christian 21, Coosa Valley 7.

Shelby Academy continues to dominate in AISA play and takes on a 1-1 Central team that beat East Memorial 62-6 last week.

u Prediction: Shelby 35, Central 7