Milo's Breakfast Kickoff Classic an "awesome" experience

The Homewood High School football team (1-0) kicked off the 2016 football season in style on Thursday, Aug. 18.

In front of a vocal, pro-Patriot crowd at Samford University’s Seibert Stadium, Homewood overcame a 14-point, second-half deficit to earn a 21-14 victory against Pelham in the inaugural Milo’s Breakfast Kickoff Classic.

It was the first of at least two games that Homewood and Pelham will contest at Samford, as the schools entered into a two-year agreement to play their season openers at Seibert Stadium in 2016 and 2017, with the hopes of extending the series beyond that.

According to Homewood coaches, players and fans, that’s a good thing.              

“Oh, it was awesome. I can’t wait to come back next year,” Patriots head coach Ben Berguson said. “I thought everything went really well. I think we about sold the place out, so it was awesome.”

Homewood City Schools Athletic Director Kevin Tubbs reported that 2,400 fans attended the neutral-site matchup—and that tally excluded both the Homewood and Pelham marching bands.

“Look at the stands,” Tubbs said while observing a sea of fans decked out in red, white and blue. “It’s just really good to get this many people out to a game.”

Tubbs spoke highly of the atmosphere at Samford, praising the school’s athletic facilities. He also underscored the unique opportunity presented by playing a season-opening, Thursday night game on a college campus.

Joe Davidson, assistant athletic director for operations at Samford, helped make it possible. A  coordinator of the kickoff event, Davidson said the mutual support provided by both Samford and the Homewood community played a key role in turning the game into a reality.

“It’s a great way to start the football season in the Birmingham area,” he said.

Homewood students Jack Goldasich and Sara Teichmiller reinforced the positive reviews. Goldasich, a junior, and Teichmiller, a senior, watched the game from a raucous Homewood student section. Both students lauded the high-energy environment that they said was the product of an intimate setting.

“It’s awesome. We’re really close to the field, and there’s a lot of space,” Goldasich said.

Goldasich donned a large, red cowboy hat and sported red, white and blue body paint during the game, as did a contingent of other members in the Pats’ student section.

Teichmiller said she was initially hesitant about the venue choice, especially since Homewood had traditionally played its home opener at Waldrop Stadium. But, like Goldasich, she said the proximity to the field and widespread energy surpassed her expectations.

“I wasn’t sure if I’d like it as much, but it’s a good environment,” she said.

Following their dramatic triumph, Patriot players said they fed off the energy.

Senior running back Chestin Jones, who scored all three of his team’s touchdowns, said he could feel the crowd support radiating down from the stands. He called the positive vibes a blessing, citing them as a critical factor in the team’s fourth-quarter comeback.

Jones’ fellow senior, linebacker Antarius Mitchell, echoed a similar sentiment.

After Mitchell helped turn the tide of the game with a fourth-quarter punt block, he said his final season in a Homewood uniform couldn’t have gotten off to a better start under better circumstances.

“I don’t think my last, first game could be more exciting,” he said.