It’s rare for a team to have its home opener, senior night, and a de facto region championship game all on the same night, but the Panthers achieved the trifecta September 11 at Ned Bearden Stadium.

After completing a three-game road trip to open the season, and honoring the Class of 2021 in a pre-game ceremony, Pelham (3-1, 2-0) outlasted Stanhope Elmore (2-2, 1-1) to claim the top spot in 6A Region 3, earning an important head-to-head tiebreaker as the battle for a region championship heats up. While Helena and Wetumpka will certainly be heard from in the region race, the win puts Pelham alone at the top of the standings for the moment.