Patriots look to keep on cruising
After his team’s 28-6 victory over Jackson-Olin last Friday, head coach Ben Berguson said his Patriots performance exemplified “Homewood football.”
It was a high, and merited, compliment.
Homewood dominated every facet of the Class 6A, Region 5 matchup, as it turned what was expected to be a tight tilt into a lopsided rout. The Patriots defense forced five turnovers, the offense controlled the tempo and the special teams contributed a couple of key plays.
The triumph moved Homewood to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in the region.
“We’re in a great spot in the region,” Berguson said. “We’re in the driver’s seat.”
On Friday, the Patriots will aim to keep their foot on the pedal against a Helena team that is coming off a loss to Pelham. Kickoff for the non-region game is set for 7 p.m. at Waldrop Stadium.
Payback will almost certainly be on Homewood’s mind, as it fell to Helena last season, 25-7. The Patriots offense was held in check in the loss, while the defense surrendered yards through the air and on the ground.
But this year’s matchup has the potential to produce a different result. As their record suggests, the 2017 Patriots are much improved on both sides of the ball.
The defense has allowed an average of fewer than seven points per game in each of the last three contests. It shut out Vestavia Hills to snap a 10-game losing streak, gave up 14 points to Parker and gridlocked Jackson-Olin.
Five Patriots recorded interceptions in the win over Jackson-Olin, including senior linebacker Devin Bacchus. Bacchus swatted a ball out of midair and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. He said the second-quarter play was inevitable.
“They threw it two times, and I’d seen it go right over my head twice,” Bacchus said. “It was bound to happen.”
Apart from Bacchus’ snatch, the game’s four other interceptions came in the second half. Jackson-Olin’s final four drives, in fact, ended with a Patriot pick. The airtight performance represented a vast improvement from the week prior, when Homewood nearly coughed up a 20-0 lead over the final two quarters.
“What I was really proud of was the way we came out and played the second half,” Berguson said. “I challenged them at halftime because we didn’t do anything last week in the second half.”
The offense, too, has found its stride under the direction of junior quarterback Larkin Williams, who has grown into his own throughout the first four games. He passed for 122 yards, rushed for 57 more and scored two touchdowns in the win over Jackson-Olin.
Behind him, running backs David Robertson and Nick McCoy have created coverage problems of their own. Both pose a pass-catching threat in addition to their rushing ability. McCoy carried the ball for 104 yards and a touchdown in last week’s victory. Robertson caught a 19-yard, third-quarter touchdown from Williams that all but finalized the outcome.
“We just looked put together,” Williams said after the game. “Everybody seemed like they were clicking.”
Helena leads the all-time series with Homewood, 1-0. The Patriots will take their bye next week before returning to region play at John Carroll on Oct. 6.