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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – The rain didn’t dampen the Briarwood Christian Lions offense as they took the fight to one of their local foes from just down Cahaba Valley Road.

Briarwood defeated the Westminster School at Oak Mountain Knights 3-1 on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Lions Pride Stadium.

It was the Lions’ first win of the season after going 0-3 against a challenging Boys Showcase division at the Southern Shootout. Briarwood lost three games to Class 7A opponents, including a 2-0 loss to state runner-up Auburn High School, a 2-0 defeat to Prattville and 1-0 loss to Baker.

Westminster OM, on the other hand, entered the matchup off a 6-3 opening night win on the road at Montevallo. The Knights battled back from giving up a hat trick in the first half to score three unanswered goals in the second half to get to 1-0 on the season.

That set up a matchup between the two teams separated by just a couple of miles of road, albeit at a new location as the inclement weather forced a change from Westminster’s new temporary home of Dunnavant Valley Fields to Briarwood’s turf field at Lions Pride Stadium.

The Lions got onto the board just 10 minutes into the game as Reece Frost offered up a chance to Sawyer Felton, who converted for the hosts’ first goal of the 2025 season.

Briarwood doubled up that advantage just eight minutes later as Thomas Lanier found Carson Tucker and the two veterans connected for an 18th-minute goal, which gave the Lions their second goal going into the halftime break.

Lanier and Tucker connected once again in the second half, but this time, Lanier was on the receiving end. He scored in the 55th minute off an assist from Tucker to keep Briarwood in front.

In the end, the Lions defense surrendered just one goal all match, giving the hosts a two-goal victory for their first win of the young season.

Briarwood will take its 1-3 record into the Lakeshore Shootout Gold Division. The Lions will face Randolph on Friday, Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m., Georgia’s Northgate on Friday, Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. and Oxford on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. All matches will take place at Calera’s Eagle Sports Complex.

As for the 1-1 Knights, they will be off until Presidents Day when they will welcome The Mount Vernon School from Georgia for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff at Dunnavant Valley Fields.