Patriots qualify for playoffs with win over Pelham
HOMEWOOD -- Homewood High School extended its winning streak to five games following a 31-21 over Class 6A, Region 3 foe Pelham on Friday night at Waldrop Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Kaleb Carson got his first start for the Patriots in the place of an ailing Will Myers, leading Homewood to victory.
“You’re always one play from being the starter. I thought Kaleb did excellent tonight. He did a great job running the football team, and made smart decisions all night,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said following the game.
“It feels amazing,” said Carson. “It’s good to let everyone know that I can do this as well. I think our team believes in ourselves and coach believes in us.”
Carson was effective in leading a Patriots offense that put up impressive numbers en route to an important region victory. Carson went to the air when necessary, but relied on a running game that wore down the Pelham defense as the game wore on.
“We just broke their will and ran the ball down their throat,” said Berguson. “I thought we physically dominated tonight. “We controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. I thought A.J. Crear had a huge run and so did Evan Ausmer.”
Homewood opened the game with an 80-yard drive, as Carson handed the ball to Ausmer for most of the series. However, Carson notched his first touchdown pass at the 8:27 mark of the first quarter on his second attempt of the night, an 18-yard screen pass to King Walker for the score. At the end of the first quarter, Homewood held a 7-0 lead over Pelham.
Carson scored his first rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter, barreling up the gut for a 3-yard touchdown, pushing the Patriots lead to 14-0.
Pelham cut the lead in half with just under two minutes remaining in the first half, as Clayton Mains hit Marcus Arnond on a 7-yard toss to the back of the end zone. Homewood went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.
In the second half, the Patriots' running attack broke the back of the Panthers defense, scoring on a pair of big plays. Ausmer darted down the left sideline for a 49-yard touchdown with 6:20 in the third quarter, while Crear scored with just under a minute to play in the third on a 23-yard run. Homewood led 28-7 going into the final quarter. Whit Armistead added a 23-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter, pushing the Patriots lead to 31-7.
Pelham did make the game interesting late, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and recovering two onside kicks. However, Homewood’s defense forced a turnover on downs with just 15 seconds to play to secure the victory.
Following a difficult start to the 2023 season in which they dropped their first three games, the Patriots have notched five straight wins, including region victories over Calera, Benjamin Russell, Chilton County, and Pelham, improving to 5-3 overall and 4-1 in region play. More importantly, Homewood officially earned a spot in the playoffs.
“We started 0-3 and we’ve reeled off five in a row now and I’m really proud of this team. That’s what good teams are supposed to do, get a little bit better each week. It’s really a remarkable turnaround,” said Berguson.
“We’re peaking at the right time,” he added. “We qualified for the playoffs tonight, so next week, we’ll play for homefield advantage.”
Berguson has led Homewood to the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season, the most of any other Homewood coach in program history.
The Patriots offense gained 319 total yards, rushing for 235 yards and passing for 84 yards. Carson was 7-of-11 passing with 84 yards and a touchdown, while gaining 73 yards on 11 carries. Ausmer ran for 122 yards on 14 carries and Crear ran for 71 yards on 8 carries.
Walker hauled in 3 catches for 38 yards and the touchdown.
Homewood will be on the road to face Briarwood next Friday in the final region game.
Cavs lock up playoff berth
John Carroll Catholic High School officially wrapped up its first playoff berth since 2009 with a 35-12 win on the road at Jasper.
The Cavs improved to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in Class 5A, Region 5.
John Carroll hosts Wenonah next Friday in the Cavs' final region contest.