Streak snapped
HOMEWOOD – It’s been a long time coming.
The Homewood High School football team hadn’t knocked off crosstown rival Vestavia Hills in 10 tries.
Until Friday night.
The Patriots put forth a lockdown defensive effort and did just enough on offense to produce a 6-0 win over the Rebels at Waldrop Stadium.
“That’s awesome,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said. “We had a great week of practice. I’m so proud of how hard we played for four quarters. I’m really happy for the community of Homewood. It’s been a long time.”
The only dents on the Bob Newton Field scoreboard came via the left foot of Lane Gilchrist, but that was all Homewood needed in a game filled with almost twice as many punts as total points scored.
Gilchrist poked a 35-yard field goal through the uprights in the first quarter, and that 3-0 margin remained until his 28-yard try with 3:14 remaining in the game, to give the Patriots the 6-0 lead.
Berguson called it one of the “best defensive performances I’ve ever seen.”
“It was unbelievable,” he said.
Vestavia Hills (0-1) gained just 12 yards through the air, on three completed passes. The Rebels gained 149 yards on the ground, but only passed midfield once. And that drive ended in a fumble at the 29-yard line, recovered by Homewood’s Devin Bacchus. The Patriots recovered a pair of fumbles on the night.
After Homewood’s final drive ended with the field goal from Gilchrist, the Patriots didn’t give the Rebels much chance at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. A first down pushed the ball out to the Rebels’ 33-yard line, but that was all she wrote.
An incomplete pass led to a sack by C.D. Daniels. On the following play, defensive lineman Antoine McGhee charged into the backfield and tripped up Vestavia quarterback Sean Smyth before he could escape danger. A final Hail Mary attempt on fourth down proved fruitless.
“That was amazing,” McGhee said. “I was hyped.”
Prior to his sack on third down, McGhee was told to “run left.” That’s what he did.
“Coach said go left, and I went left,” McGhee said. “I just said I’ve got to hustle.”
Homewood (2-0) was unable to penetrate the end zone, and only posted 222 total yards of offense, but that was enough in a game defined by the defenses.
“I didn’t at all,” said Berguson when asked if he expected that type of game. “We just played, just all heart, and we played hard for four quarters."
Quarterback Larkin Williams finished 15-of-20 through the air for 113 yards, and picked up 85 yards rushing. TyShawn Buckner led the Patriots with 59 yards on five grabs.
Vestavia Hills running backs William Schaffeld and Reed Stockton combined for 149 yards rushing.
In the end, it amounted to a raucous celebration—one filled with sweet relief and the elation of meeting a challenge that had not been surmounted in a decade.
It also included a Gatorade shower for Berguson.
The Patriots are 2-0. And there’s more to come, starting with a trip to Parker next week to begin Class 6A, Region 5 play.
“Celebrate now, work hard next week,” McGhee said.