Patriots, Cavs ramp up for start of region play in September

With high school football underway, the Homewood and John Carroll football teams begin region play in September, barring no additional unforeseen schedule changes due to the effects of COVID-19. Homewood begins the month with its second straight non-region game to begin the season.

In August, the Patriots took on Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa to begin the season. The Patriots were scheduled to play longtime rival Vestavia Hills, but the Rebels’ first two games were canceled because of positive COVID-19 tests within the program.

Bart Sessions is now in his second year as the head coach at McAdory. In his first season with the Yellow Jackets, he led the program to the state playoffs to continue a streak that’s been going since 1997. In 13 meetings between the two programs, Homewood holds an 8-5 edge. Homewood has won the last three meetings, the last one being a 41-20 victory in 2003.

The following Friday, Homewood begins Class 6A, Region 5 play at home against Chelsea, as the Patriots attempt to make a run at the playoffs for the ninth straight year. Last fall, Chelsea made the state playoffs for the first time since 2016. Dustin Goodwin, a former assistant coach at Homewood, is in his third season as Chelsea’s coach.

Chelsea and Homewood have only played twice previously, in each of the last two years as region foes. Homewood has triumphed in both contests, with last fall’s game resulting in a 27-26 Patriots victory.

Homewood concludes the month with a region game against Woodlawn at Lawson Field on Sept. 18. Woodlawn has won just two region games over the past three seasons and is coming off a 2-8 campaign in 2019. The two programs have not met in two decades. Homewood defeated Woodlawn twice in 1998 and 1999 when the programs were last in the same region.

Homewood takes its open week the final Friday of the month. There remains the possibility of Homewood picking up a game that week to make up for the Vestavia Hills contest.

John Carroll also plays three games in September, all of them region contests. The Cavaliers have struggled in region play in recent years, winning just two games over the last six seasons.

The Cavs are in Class 5A, Region 5 this fall, and begin play on Sept. 4 at Carver-Birmingham. The two programs have met five times ever, but not since 2001. The Cavs have won three of those contests, including a 34-7 win in the last meeting. Carver is coming off a 1-9 season in 2019.

On Sept. 11, John Carroll heads to Cordova, a school playing in 5A for the first time ever. Cordova has made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons in 4A. According to ahsfhs.org, the Cavs and Blue Devils have met eight times, in consecutive seasons from 1951-58. Cordova won seven of those contests.

John Carroll finally plays its first home game of the season Sept. 18 against Fairfield. Fairfield has suffered three straight losing seasons, coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2019. Fairfield leads the all-time series between the two programs 23-13-2.

John Carroll takes its open date the last week of September.