HS sports recap: Patriots boys tennis qualifies for state
Here's a look back at the last week in Homewood and John Carroll high school sports.
BASEBALL
The Homewood baseball team celebrated senior night with a 7-5 win over Helena. Jackson Parris led the Patriots offense by securing a pair of hits and driving in a couple runs. Jeremiah Gary, Jonathan Box, Tripp Gann, Witt Brown and Brennan Wheat all drove in a run for the Patriots as well. Brown got the win on the mound, with Levi Nickoli earning the save.
John Carroll suffered a 7-3 loss to Leeds on Tuesday. Gabe Wilbur registered a pair of hits, including a double, and drove home a run. Aden Malpass and Hayden Greer each notched RBIs as well, while Mitchell Nutter and Jackson Miller registered multi-hit games.
Homewood’s season came to an end Thursday, as the Patriots were swept by Hazel Green 10-3 and 6-0 in the Class 6A first round playoff series.
John Carroll was defeated in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs by Ardmore over the weekend as well. On Friday, the Cavs dropped the first game 10-8. Wilbur was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Noah Smith, Seth Seidenfaden and Luke Wammack tallied RBIs as well. Greer was 2-for-4 with a double as well. Wammack pitched 4 innings, allowing a run on a hit with 4 strikeouts.
The second game of the series began on Friday before the weather halted things, with the Cavs leading 1-0 in the fourth inning. The game was resumed Saturday and John Carroll picked up a 6-5 win to even the series. Malpass led the team with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, with Miller, Nutter, Wammack and Greer all driving in a run as well. William Gignilliat threw 4 hitless innings, striking out 4.
Ardmore won the decisive third game 10-4. Gignilliat drove in a pair of runs, with Miller and Smith notching an RBI. Malpass was 2-for-4 as well.
SOFTBALL
The Mountain Brook softball team clinched the area with a 6-2 win over Homewood last Tuesday. For the Spartans, Ellie Pitts had a strong showing. She went 2-for-3 at the plate, hitting a double, driving in a run and stealing a pair of bases. She also allowed just 2 unearned runs on 2 hits over 7 innings, striking out 12 batters. Claire Robinett registered a pair of hits and an RBI as well.
John Carroll fell to Mortimer Jordan 17-9 on Thursday. For the Cavs, Emily Williams hit a double and drove home a pair of runs, with MC Golab also tallying a couple RBIs.
John Carroll played in the Hoover Classic over the weekend. On Friday, the Cavs fell to Helena 12-2. Gracie Mills had a strong performance, going 3-for-3 with a double. The Cavs then lost to Curry 11-2. Mallory Ogle went deep, hitting a home run and driving in both runs.
On Saturday, John Carroll fell to Austin 7-6. Kaylynn Nutter hit a triple and drove in 3 runs. Williams hit a double and a triple and drove in a run. John Carroll capped off its tournament with a 6-6 tie with West Morgan. Williams hit a homer and drove in 3 runs to lead the offense. Maggie Mackin was 3-for-3 with a triple, with Ogle also adding 3 hits, including a double and an RBI. Kindal Whistle allowed 5 runs (3 hits) in 6 innings.
SOCCER
The Homewood and John Carroll boys and girls soccer teams were back in action last Monday, all of them picking up wins. Homewood’s boys and girls swept Parker by identical 10-0 scores. John Carroll faced Jasper, with the boys winning 6-1 and the girls winning 10-0. For the Lady Cavs, Belle Buckner scored five goals in the game. Ma Mugavero scored three goals, with Anna Grace Fuller and Emma Kirkpatrick notched a goal as well.
On Tuesday, the John Carroll boys and girls soccer teams posted 10-0 victories over Ramsay. Homewood’s girls suffered a 3-0 shutout loss to Vestavia Hills.
On Thursday, the Homewood boys finished in a 3-3 draw with Grissom. John Carroll’s boys and girls took down Gadsden City, with the boys winning 7-0 and the girls prevailing 3-1. Belle Buckner scored twice and Anna Grace Fuller scored the other goal for the Lady Cavs. Freshman goalie Lizzie Jehu recorded her 200th save of the season in the win.
The playoffs begin this week. Homewood’s boys and girls will be at home Thursday for the first round of the Class 6A playoffs. The girls play Shades Valley at 5 p.m., followed by the boys playing Pell City at 7:30 p.m.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Homewood and John Carroll outdoor track and field teams competed in the Hewitt-Trussville Invitational last weekend.
Brooke Walden won the pole vault competition, clearing 12 feet, 6 inches. Neily Stephens won the javelin toss, reaching 121-5. Grayton Murray won the 1,600-meter run in 4 minutes, 19 seconds.
Other girls reaching the podium were Maris Owen (third in 400), Emma Brooke Levering (third in 1,600), Sarah Derriso (second in 300-meter hurdles) and Magi Williams (second in long jump).
For the boys, Colvin Bussey (second in 800), Murray (third in 800), Slate Rohrer (third in 110 hurdles and third in 300 hurdles) and Hunter Drake (third in long jump and second in triple jump) made it to the podium as well.
For John Carroll, the girls 4x800 relay team placed second. Arthur Langley finished second in the 1,600 and James Edmonds was third in pole vault.
Homewood competes at Northridge and John Carroll competes at Lincoln at section meets this week.
TENNIS
The Homewood girls tennis team finished third in the Class 6A, Section 5 tournament last week in Pelham. Mountain Brook swept all the singles and doubles titles, with Altamont finishing in second. For Homewood, Madeline Ann Brockwell made the finals at No. 2 singles and Becca Cate Hubrich reached the No. 5 singles final.
The John Carroll boys and girls finished second in their section tournaments last week, to qualify for the state tournament later this week. Josh Wittman won in singles, while teammates Will Magruder, Doug Frederick, Tim Meehan and Liam Skates all finished as the runner-up. Aiden Van Matre finished third. All three doubles pairs — Magruder and Wittmann, Frederick and Meehan, and Van Matre and Truman Vines — finished in second.
On the girls side, Josie Benson won in singles, while Samantha Magruder, Ava Arteaga, Sophia Samaniego, Jenna Jordan and Annie Morgan each finished as runner-up. The doubles pairs of Benson and Arteaga, Magruder and Reese Unnopet, and Morgan and Samaniego, finished second.
Homewood’s boys finished as the runner-up in the section tournament, qualifying for the state tournament. The Patriots racked up 39 points, a few shy of Mountain Brook’s winning score of 44 points. Gray Johnson, Sam Housman and Winston Jones won singles titles, with Mathias Praetholm, Colton Cox and Camden Cox finishing as finalists. Two Homewood doubles pairs reached the final as well, with Johnson and Praetholm and Cox and Charlie Reeves finishing as runners-up.
Homewood’s boys compete in the Class 6A state tournament at the Mobile Tennis Center on Monday and Tuesday. John Carroll will play in the 4A-5A tournament Thursday and Friday.
GOLF
The John Carroll boys golf team defeated Calera last Tuesday 121-178. Freshman Ryan Wagley posted the lowest round with a nine-hole score of 38. Hayes Cation carded a 40 and PJ DiChiara finished with a 43 to get the team total. Jeb Bettis shot 44, Preston Dowling shot a 45 and Carson McFadden posted a 48.
Homewood’s boys finished third in the Bert McGriff Invitational in Cullman last week. Jonathon Peters finished in third as an individual, shooting rounds of 74 and 74.
John Carroll’s boys edged Helena 160-164 on Wednesday afternoon. The team score is the lowest for John Carroll in two years. DiChiara led the way for the Cavs by shooting a 38. Bettis shot 40, while Dowling and McFadden fired a 41. Ryan Redmond carded a 45 and Wagley finished with a 46.
Want to see something else mentioned? Feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.