Several important games await Patriots in September

With high school football season recently arriving, the Homewood High School football team will use the next month of the season to establish whether or not it will be viewed as a contender for the Class 6A, Region 5 championship.

But before the Patriots dive into region play, they will travel to longtime rival Vestavia Hills on Aug. 31 after the season-opener against Hueytown on Aug. 23. Last fall, Homewood defeated the Rebels, 6-0, winning the rivalry for the first time in a decade. That victory seemingly propelled the Patriots to a 9-0 start.

Homewood gets no easy start to region play, as it hosts Pelham on Sept. 7 in the first game at Waldrop Stadium this fall. The two teams have played each of the last four seasons, with Homewood winning all four, but three of those games were decided by seven points. 

Pelham is entering its fourth year under the direction of Tom Causey, and the program has improved each year, going from winning a combined three games his first two years to finishing 5-6 last fall.

The following week, on Sept. 14, Homewood travels to take on Helena. The Huskies have a new head coach in Richie Busby, who came over from Fultondale after five seasons, including an 11-1 season in 2017.

Homewood has its bye week the following week, before entertaining non-region opponent Center Point. The Eagles have a new coach in George Bates, who found success in previous stops at Parker and Minor. In the month of October, Homewood will play four consecutive region games.

Be sure to follow The Homewood Star online to keep track of the Patriots football team throughout the fall. Weekly previews and game recaps can be found at thehomewoodstar.com on Friday nights. 

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@hwdstar) for live updates during football games throughout the season.