Jackson-Olin tops Patriots in region title game
BIRMINGHAM – The Class 6A, Region 5 championship came down to only a few big plays.
Despite being outgained by nearly 70 yards, Jackson-Olin pulled out an 18-10 win over Homewood High School on Thursday night in the de facto region title game, thanks to a defense that stepped up when needed and an opportunistic offense.
Jackson-Olin (9-0, 6-0 in region) gained 165 total yards on the evening, with nearly all of it coming on just four plays. Outside of those big plays, both defenses were the story. Both Homewood and Jackson-Olin hang their hats on defense, and the miserable conditions — wind and steady rain persisted throughout the contest — only enhanced the advantage those defenses had over the opposing offense.
“I hate we had to play a region championship under these conditions, but congrats to them,” said Homewood head coach Ben Berguson. “They handled the weather better than us.”
The Mustangs hit a 45-yard pass on their second possession that ultimately ended up unfruitful, but back-to-back plays at the end of the first quarter gave them an initial lead. David Robertson Jr. (a Homewood transfer) hit the hole for 36-yard touchdown immediately following a 25-yard pass play. The score gave Jackson-Olin a 6-0 lead, and the Mustangs would never trail.
Robertson carried the ball 18 times in the game, but mustered just 50 rushing yards, as the Patriots defense bottled him up outside of the touchdown run.
Homewood (7-2, 5-1) cut the deficit in half with a 23-yard Lane Gilchrist field goal midway through the second quarter.
The home team seemed content to take that lead into the halftime break, but Homewood’s defense had other ideas. Antoine McGhee recovered a fumble at the Mustangs 16-yard line with time winding down in the second quarter. But the Patriots started the drive with successive false start penalties and turned the ball over on downs.
“They’re really good,” Berguson said of Jackson-Olin’s defense. “We had our opportunities, though. We should’ve scored right before halftime and we didn’t take advantage of that. They just made fewer mistakes than us.”
On the Mustangs’ first play of the third quarter, they made Homewood pay, as Brandon Ward hit Kentrel Calhoun for a 48-yard touchdown pass to put Jackson-Olin up, 12-3. Ward completed 4-of-10 passes on the night for 114 yards.
Homewood responded, going 58 yards in six plays on its next drive to cut it to 12-10, punching it in on KeOnte Davis’ 3-yard run after a 31-yard sprint by Trae Ausmer got the Patriots close.
Neither team gained a first down in the final eight minutes of the third quarter, as the wet field took effect. But Jackson-Olin put the game away in the fourth quarter when Ahmad Williams stepped in front of a Williams pass, taking it 50 yards down the sideline for the score to put the Mustangs up 18-10.
Berguson said, “It was tough. Larkin couldn’t throw the ball well tonight. But you can’t turn the ball over in a region championship either.”
Williams injured his foot in last week’s win over Carver-Birmingham, and estimated before the game that he was between 60- and 80-percent healthy. He completed 15-of-35 passes on the evening for 178 yards. Ausmer had 69 yards, Marcus McGhee caught five balls for 43 yards and Wesley Williams had three catches for 59 yards.
Homewood outgained Jackson-Olin, 232-165, on the evening, but those big plays were the difference. Four plays accounted for 154 of those yards for the Mustangs.
“You can’t out-scheme Homewood,” said Jackson-Olin head coach Tim Vakakes. “You’ve got to out-Homewood Homewood. You’ve got to be basic, you’ve got to be good, and you’ve got to play hard.”
Homewood concludes its regular season next week by hosting Paul Bryant, before hosting Athens in the first round of the 6A state playoffs the following week. Jackson-Olin plays Parker next week.
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