Sam Chandler
Homewood Cross Country
Homewood High School's Will Stone didn't stick with the pack for long at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational, held Saturday, Sept. 9, at Oakville Indian Mounds Park in Oakville, Ala. The Patriot junior pulled away from the most of the field about halfway through the 5K race before dropping his final pursuer, Vestavia Hills' James Sweeney, with one-quarter mile to go. Stone won the boys large school division in a personal-best 15:36.
Over the course of the year, The Homewood Star will keep you up to date on the various Homewood High School athletic teams. Here is the fourth installment. If you missed last week's edition, click here.
FOOTBALL
The Homewood High School football team enjoyed its open date last week. The 5-0 Patriots return to action this Friday in a Class 6A, Region 5 contest at John Carroll.
VOLLEYBALL
The Homewood High School volleyball team picked up a pair of area wins during the week before heading to Hoover’s Over the Mountain Tournament over the weekend. The Patriots swept Shades Valley (25-13, 25-16, 25-17) and Parker (25-20, 25-14, 25-8).
The Patriots went 1-4 in the Over the Mountain Tournament, grabbing a 2-0 (25-10, 25-13) win over Parker, while suffering losses to Spanish Fort, Huntsville, Northside (Ga.) and Grissom.
Homewood plays Shades Valley on Monday, at Ramsay on Tuesday and hosts Indian Springs on Thursday, for Teacher Appreciation Night.
CROSS-COUNTRY
Led by Will Stone’s third-place showing, the Homewood boys charged to a fifth-place team finish on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic. More than 350 runners from 51 high schools competed in the varsity race.
Stone crossed the 5K finish line at Tom Sawyer Park in 15 minutes, 47 seconds to secure his top three finish. It was his third time this season breaking 16 minutes.
Alvin Finch also contributed a solid performance, clocking a personal-best 16:47 to place 38th overall. Azariah Kipchumba (49th, 17:04), Jackson Merrell (54th, 17:07) and Jack Gray (71st, 17:25) rounded out the Patriots’ top five.
Like Stone, Celie Jackson posted a low finish to pace her Homewood girls. Jackson placed sixth in 19:16 as she led her team to a ninth-place finish. Audrey Nabors (49th, 20:57) was the only other Patriot to finish among the top 50. Hanna Brook Gibbons (101st, 21:44), Adah Allen (108th, 21:51) and Zoe Nichols (134th, 22:13) rounded out the team’s top five.
Homewood cross-country will return to action on Saturday at the Jesse Owens Invitational in Oakville.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Andy Smith, a sophomore at Auburn, ran 26:17 for 8K at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday. He was the Tigers’ eighth runner across the finish line and placed 197th overall.
-- Who did we miss? What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
