Offensive fireworks lead Patriots to win
HOMEWOOD -- Homewood High School quarterback Woods Ray has spent the past seven years of his life playing football with receivers like Jackson Parris and Charlie Reeves.
Seven years of football, three of which have come as leaders on Homewood’s varsity team, have led to great chemistry between Ray and his receivers. So perhaps what happened Thursday night at Waldrop Stadium against visiting Calera should not have come as a surprise.
Ray took off for the Patriots, passing for 354 yards and rushing for 68 more — good for 422 total yards — along with five total touchdowns. Parris finished with 137 receiving yards on seven receptions and a touchdown, while Reeves hauled in 88 yards on six catches with two scores.
In a game that featured an opening onside kick recovery, a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and big plays in abundance, the Patriots stars got it done, leading their team to a 48-38 victory in the Class 6A, Region 5 matchup.
“It’s really nice knowing you can trust guys around you and knowing if you put the ball up in the air, they’re going to come down with it,” Ray said after the game.
Homewood found itself trailing 28-24 at the halftime break but outscored the Eagles 24-10 in the second half, finding a way past an explosive Calera offense that was paced by quarterback Preston Stokes and receiver Braylyn Farrington.
Homewood coach Ben Berguson said after the game he hadn’t anticipated getting in a “Big 12 shootout.” The team played better in the second half, he said, and learned how to play from behind after last week’s dogfight with Helena, a game the Patriots won 24-15.
“I’m glad to get out of here with a win,” Berguson said.
The game started with Calera recovering an onside kick attempt and scoring on the second play of scrimmage. Stokes found Farrington from 41 yards out to put the visitors up early.
Homewood answered on its next drive, with Ray finding Reeves from 13 yards out.
Farrington scored again on the first play of the second quarter for Calera, putting the Eagles up 14-7.
Just a few plays later, Ray electrified the home crowd, finding a wide open Tripp Gann, his tight end, over the middle for a 78-yard score, tying the game again.
Throughout the night, Ray was able to both run and pass effectively, keeping the Calera defense guessing. He was helped by the two featured Homewood running backs, Mondrell Odell and Calyb Colbert, both of whom had 12 carries for about 40 yards each, with Colbert scoring a touchdown on the night.
“We were able to run the ball and get the short game going, so they went man and so we were just able to beat them over the top,” Ray said. “I was able to use my legs and extend plays and that really helped us tonight.”
Following the touchdown pass to Gann, Farrington scored again for the Eagles, this time from 53 yards out. Berguson called the wideout a “difference maker” for Calera.
The Patriots tied it up on a touchdown run from Ray on their next drive, but that didn’t last long.
On the ensuing Calera drive, Stokes’ pass was deflected a few yards past the line of scrimmage but fell safely into the hands of Farrington, who shed nearby defenders for a 63-yard touchdown.
Homewood kicker Whit Armistead made his first of two field goals on the night to close out the first half scoring.
The Patriots took the lead early in the second half following a touchdown pass from Ray to Reeves from 20 yards out.
Following Ray’s last touchdown of the night, a 23-yard pass to Parris following a bad Calera punt to put Homewood up 38-28, Calera moved the ball down to the Homewood 6-yard line, benefiting from a defensive pass interference call against Homewood and a 13-yard rush by Stokes.
But on third down, Parker Sansing laid out Calera running back Amari Brundidge in open space, forcing Calera to settle for a field goal to bring them within one possession.
Colbert punched it in for the final Homewood touchdown of the night a few minutes later, making it 45-31 early in the fourth quarter.
On the next kickoff, Farrington would complete an impressive performance with a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown that saw him evade would-be tacklers and change directions more than once on his way to the end zone, making it a 45-38 game with just under 10 minutes left.
But that would be as close as the Eagles would come, as they were unable to find any points on their last two drives. Sansing would show up again for the Homewood defense, breaking up a big third-down pass with three minutes left in the game.
For Calera, Farrington finished with 295 total yards, with 203 coming through the air, and all five touchdowns for his team. Stokes finished 18 of 32 with 261 passing yards and three touchdowns. Calera also struggled with penalties all night, finishing with 100 yards on 12 penalties, three of which gave Homewood first downs on separate drives.
Homewood moves to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in region play to begin the year, while Calera drops to 1-3 overall.