Patriots defense dominates in region opener
HOMEWOOD -- Homewood High School head coach Ben Berguson feels his front seven is the best the Patriots have had under his watch.
The group of defensive linemen and linebackers set an early tone in the Class 6A, Region 5 race on Friday at Waldrop Stadium with a 27-7 win over Pelham. The Patriots held the Panthers to just 10 rushing yards and 60 passing yards in the dominant win.
Pelham didn’t get a first down that wasn’t aided by a penalty until there were nine minutes left in the game, and didn’t score until there was 3:36 left.
“I’ve been preaching all week to make a statement in this region tonight, and I think we did that,” Berguson said. “What helped us get this win tonight was that the level of competition we played over the last couple of weeks helped us tonight.”
Homewood improved to 2-1, 1-0 in region play. Pelham, which averaged 43.5 points per game in wins over Calera and Bibb County, dropped to 2-1, 0-1. Homewood’s first two games were a win over Class 6A Hueytown and a loss to Class 7A Vestavia Hills.
Senior quarterback Larkin Williams threw touchdown passes of 7 yards in the first quarter and 18 yards in the third quarter to junior receiver Marcus McGhee. KeOnte Davis scored on a 1-yard run for the Patriots, and Lane Gilchrist hit two 35-yard field goals in the second quarter to help give the Patriots a 20-0 halftime lead.
Davis ran for 91 yards on 15 carries for the Patriots, and Khardi Dalton rushed 14 times for 75 yards. Williams hit 13 of 27 passes for 101 yards.
“What I was most pleased with was how well we ran the ball tonight,” Berguson said. “We’d been struggling the last couple of weeks, but our offensive line really played well tonight.
“They were blitzing in the middle, and it allowed us to get it on the perimeter a couple of times.”
Pelham also lost three fumbles. Safety Kameron Gaines recovered the first two. The first, which was caused when DeWayne Smith stripped Pelham receiver Edward Gipson, gave the Patriots possession at the 17 early in the second quarter and culminated in Davis’ 1-yard touchdown run.
Gaines recovered a third-quarter fumbled punt. It led to Homewood’s last touchdown, the 18-yard pass from Williams to McGhee.
“We came down on the punt and I guess I scared him a little bit,” Gaines said. “On film, I’m a hard hitter. I saw him drop it, and it was my opportunity to get on it.
“(On the first one, Smith) stripped him. That was my opportunity to get on the ball.”
Pelham’s touchdown came in the final minutes when Gipson, a Division I recruit, took a short pass and raced across the field to score from 31 yards out.
By then, Gaines and the rest of the starting Homewood defense had been on the bench, allowing reserve players to get a chance.
“We knew that No. 2 (Gipson) was their best receiver and that, without him, they were not going to score on us,” Gaines said. “So we had to lock him up. We double-teamed up. We had a safety and a corner on him and we were trying to limit his touches.
“We read the run. Our front seven, they’re unstoppable. Nobody can block them. They’re strong, physical and fast off the ball.”
Homewood continues region play next Friday at Helena.
To purchase photos from the game, click here.