Patriots upset at Shades Valley
IRONDALE -- The Homewood High School football team's potent offense met a stout Shades Valley defense on Friday night.
Shades Valley kicked a late field goal to win 10-8, giving Hoemwood its second loss of the season and first in Class 6A, Region 5 play.
Shades Valley’s Wuilman Guerrero, an El Salvador native, capped off a nearly six-minute drive for the Mounties with a 19-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the game, creating a thrilling finish to an exciting final quarter. Homewood had a few chances after the ensuing kickoff but was unable to pull off a miracle.
Shades Valley running back Jordan Pearson led the Mounties strong ground game throughout the game, finishing with 218 yards on 28 carries and a 65-yard touchdown run that opened the scoring in the third quarter.
Mounties quarterback J’Caius Moore wasn’t successful throwing the ball against a tough Homewood secondary but had key runs on his team’s final drive. His first run on that drive appeared to be a 42-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper but was called back to the Homewood 25-yard line for offensive holding. A few plays later, facing a third down and one at the Homewood 16, Moore rushed for 6 yards to bring his team within field goal range.
While Homewood quarterback Woods Ray was able to pick up 175 yards through the air and 38 more on the ground, the Shades Valley defense shut out the Patriots through three quarters, forcing two turnovers and coming up with huge stops when needed.
Homewood used a balanced attack to move the ball down the field on its first drive of the game, but a fumble recovered by Shades Valley ended the threat at the 14-yard line.
On the last Homewood drive of the first half, the Patriots found themselves in Shades Valley territory, but Ray’s pass toward the home sideline was picked off by a Mounties defender, maintaining a scoreless first half.
The Mounties secondary knocked away several passes on key third downs, while the front seven kept Homewood’s ground game contained, holding running back Mondrell Odell to 54 yards on 18 carries.
“It was tough,” said Homewood coach Ben Berguson. “I thought Shades Valley did a great job defensively. We never got into a rhythm on offense.”
In the final quarter, Homewood took the lead for the first time, though it did not last.
Following an outstanding punt, the Patriots defense forced a safety, which cut the lead to five and gave Homewood the ball back.
On the next drive, Jordan Kiwoi rushed for 14 yards, followed by a 5-yard rush by Ray and a 7-yard pass from Ray to J.C. Daniel, his favorite target on the night.
A few plays later, the Patriots faced a pivotal fourth down and 14 from the Shades Valley 29-yard line. Ray hit his brother Harvey for a 19-yard completion down the sideline, and then rushed for a two-yard touchdown on the quarterback keeper a few plays later.
The two-point conversion attempt failed, however, keeping it a one-point game at 8-7, and allowing Shades Valley to only need a field goal to win the game.
Ray finished 15-of-31 passing with 175 yards and one rushing touchdown and one interception, while Daniel finished with six catches for 79 yards.
The season continues with one of Homewood’s toughest tests next week against region foe Mountain Brook.
“We’ve got to go back to work and get our confidence back,” Berguson said.
Shades Valley travels to Chelsea next week.