Patriots aim for 4-0 start

The Homewood High School football team will aim to continue its strong start to the season when it hosts Jackson-Olin Friday in a Class 6A, Region 5 matchup.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Waldrop Stadium.

Homewood enters the game having won its first three contests of the 2017 slate. The Patriots defeated Pelham and Vestavia Hills to open the season before knocking off Parker last Friday in their region opener.

Homewood jumped out to a 20-0 halftime lead then held on late to escape Parker’s Major Brown Memorial Stadium with a 20-14 victory. Defensive back C.D. Daniels recorded a key pass breakup with 40 seconds remaining to seal the outcome.

The triumph came on the heels of Homewood’s dramatic Sept. 1 win over Vestavia Hills, which snapped a 10-year losing streak.

“I tried to guard against a letdown all week after the Vestavia win,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said after the game. “We just didn’t play with the same intensity tonight as we did last week. That one will come back and help us later, having to win a game like that.”

Homewood is off to its best start to the season since 2005, but it will face a challenge this week from a tough Jackson-Olin team. The Mustangs (2-0) enter Friday's matchup coming off a bye. Before its break, the team earned victories over Woodlawn and Central- Tuscaloosa. Jackson-Olin’s defense held those two opponents to eight and 10 points, respectively.

Coynis Miller is one reason why.

The Mustangs’ 6-foot-1, 300-pound defensive tackle can plow through offensive lines and plug running lanes. Miller has been rated a four-prospect by the recruiting website 247Sports and has been offered by both Auburn and Alabama.

Miller and his Jackson-Olin defense will face a Homewood offense that has done enough to pull out tight games. Larkin Williams has played well at quarterback in his first season as the full-time starter. He threw for 172 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s victory over Parker. Against Vestavia Hills, he passed for 113 yards and rushed for 85 more.

TyShawn Buckner, a senior, has emerged as one of Williams’ favorite targets. He has caught passes in Homewood’s first three games, including a 65-yard toss against Parker. Nick McCoy and David Robertson have paced the Patriots’ rushing attack. Lane Gilchrist, a sophomore, has split the uprights consistently as the team’s place-kicker.

After surrendering 22 points in its season opener against Pelham, the Patriots defense has allowed 14 points total the past two weeks. Daniels, Antoine McGhee and John Firnberg have all stepped up and made key plays.

Last year, Homewood beat Jackson-Olin, 13-12. Williams connected with McCoy for an early touchdown, and the Patriots defense stood stout late. That unit made a goal-line stand with just over three minutes to play in the fourth quarter. In the final minute, Homewood’s defense came through once again to secure the victory.

The Patriots lead the teams’ all-time series, 7-0.

Chris Megginson and Steve Irvine contributed to this report.