Strong start leads Patriots to season-opening win
HOMEWOOD – The Patriots raced out of the gate on Friday night.
On the very first play of the season, Homewood High School quarterback Larkin Williams threw a swing pass to speedy receiver Trae Ausmer, who bolted away from the Hueytown defense and was only corralled 64 yards later.
It was one of several big plays that set the tone for the evening, as Homewood (1-0) started strong and held off Hueytown, 18-7, on Thursday night in the Hoar Program Management Kickoff Classic at Samford University’s Seibert Stadium.
“We started strong. We had a bunch of big plays,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said.
That first big gain set up Homewood’s first score, a 7-yard run by KeOnte Davis four plays later to put the Patriots up 6-0.
That wasn’t even Ausmer’s longest grab of the night. Midway through the second quarter, Williams again hit Ausmer, who wouldn’t be caught this time. He beat the Hueytown defense — which bit on a Williams pump fake — and scampered to the end zone for an 82-yard touchdown, one that put Homewood up 18-0.
Ausmer, a junior listed at 5-foot-4, 120 pounds, broke out in the season’s initial contest and finished with 151 yards on six catches.
“Trae Ausmer had a big night tonight,” Berguson said.
Williams also hit Marcus McGhee for a 47-yard gain in the first quarter, and finished the first half with 251 yards. Williams wrapped up his evening completing 20-of-34 passes for 288 yards and a score. McGhee had eight grabs for 109 yards.
The Patriots got their second touchdown of the evening on a slick reverse, as Wesley Williams ended up with the ball running against the grain of the defense. Wesley Williams beat a pair of Hueytown defenders to the pylon for a 6-yard score. That drive was set up by a Hueytown fumble inside its own 5-yard line and put Homewood up 12-0.
Homewood’s offense was unable to sustain much beyond the quick start, but the defense held up its end of the bargain. Running backs Roydell Williams and Antonio Mason found no room to run almost all evening, and the Golden Gophers finished with just 41 total rushing yards.
“(Defensive coordinator Freddy) Lawrence and all our defensive coaches did a great job with the game plan to stop both of them,” said John Firnberg, who recovered the fumble to set up Homewood’s second touchdown.
Berguson said he believes Homewood’s front seven could be “the best we’ve ever had,” but the secondary came up big a couple times in the first half as well. Michael Kash and Dewayne Smith each grabbed interceptions in the first quarter to set the tone for a strong defensive evening.
Khardi Dalton garnered the most carries for a Homewood backfield short on returning experience, as he gained 61 yards on 17 carries.
Hueytown scored its only touchdown following Larkin Williams’ only blemish of the evening, a fourth-quarter interception. On the ensuing play, Reid Lafoy hit Roydell Williams along the visitor sideline for a 28-yard touchdown to make it 18-7. Roydell Williams picked up a 68-yard reception in the final minute to give him 126 receiving yards on the night.
Homewood renews its longtime rivalry with Vestavia Hills next Friday. The Patriots shut out the Rebels, 6-0, last fall and picked up a win in the series for the first time in a decade.
“We needed to gain some confidence in this game because there’s so many unknowns going into that first game,” Berguson said. “We got the big one next week against Vestavia, so we had a to get a win tonight.”
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