The Reset: Soccer teams advance to final four
Over the course of the year, The Homewood Star will keep you up to date on the various Homewood and John Carroll high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
SOCCER
Last Monday, the John Carroll girls soccer team blew past Pike Road 5-0 in the second round of the Class 4A-5A playoffs. Homewood’s boys defeated Clay-Chalkville 11-1 in the second round of the 6A playoffs as well.
On Tuesday, Homewood’s girls blew past Shades Valley 10-0, while the No. 2 John Carroll boys fell to top-ranked Indian Springs 2-1 in the second round of the playoffs.
Homewood’s girls locked up their spot in the state final four with a 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Thursday night in the 6A semifinals. Sunny Ferren got the Patriots on the board with a goal in the first half, as the team took a 1-0 edge into the break. Ferren scored again in the second half and Anna Harbin added a goal to send Homewood to the win.
The Homewood boys earned their own spot in the final four with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mountain Brook on Friday night in the 6A semifinals. After a scoreless regulation period and two overtime periods, the game was decided in penalty kicks, after which Homewood held a 5-3 edge. Jacob Sitton notched the decisive penalty kick after goalkeeper Luke Keown made two saves in the shootout.
Bryan Sokell, Gage Estep, Hardy Smith and Sam Malone also netted penalty kicks in a perfect shootout for the Patriots.
John Carroll’s girls also held on for a 6-5 victory over Indian Springs on Friday night, sealing a spot in the 4A-5A final four.
The state semifinals and finals will be held at John Hunt Park in Huntsville this weekend. John Carroll’s girls face Montgomery Academy on Thursday at 3 p.m., with the final set for Friday. Homewood plays in the semifinals on Friday, with the girls facing Southside-Gadsden at 9 a.m. and the boys playing Fort Payne at 11 a.m. The finals are set for Saturday morning.
BASEBALL
The John Carroll baseball team saw its season come to an end last Monday in a 6-3 loss to Alexandria in Game 3 of the first-round Class 5A playoff series. Alexandria jumped on top with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, but John Carroll rallied to tie it at 2-2 in the fourth inning. Seth Seidenfaden hit a solo home run and Mitchell Walker’s bunt hit knotted the game later in the inning.
The Valley Cubs extended their lead in the next two innings, tacking on three in the fifth and another in the sixth to make it 6-2. The Cavaliers went down fighting, with Luke Harris making it 6-3 on a solo homer in the seventh. John Carroll eventually brought the tying run to the plate, but a line drive double play ended the ball game. The Cavs finished the season with a 12-12 record and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
Homewood’s season came to an end on Friday in the second round of the 6A playoffs. Hartselle swept the Patriots by scores of 7-2 and 3-0. In the first game, Owen Isenhower and Brian Condon drove in runs, while Will Heisler hurled four innings. In the second game, Charlie Teel’s strong performance on the mound was not enough. He allowed three runs on just three hits with seven strikeouts.
Homewood finished the season with an 18-12 record and advanced to the round of 16 for the eighth consecutive year. The Patriots will graduate seven seniors.
SOFTBALL
Last Tuesday, the Homewood softball team beat Clay-Chalkville 11-1. Susanna Sheehan homered for the Patriots and drove in three runs. Ella Walker racked up four hits, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, and drove in four runs. Zoe Couch pitched six innings, surrendering just one run on two hits with 11 strikeouts.
Homewood fell to Pelham 10-3 on Wednesday.
Homewood advanced to the regional tournament after placing second in the Class 6A, Area 9 tournament over the weekend. In the first game on Friday, the Patriots outlasted Mountain Brook 11-10 in a back-and-forth contest. Susanna Sheehan notched the go-ahead hit for the Patriots in the seventh inning after they surrendered the lead in the previous inning. Jakaria Byrd had a big game, going 3-for-3 with a grand slam and five RBIs. Walker drove in three runs as well.
In the winner’s bracket game, Homewood fell to Chelsea 11-1. Sheehan led the Patriots offense with three hits in the game.
That set up a rematch with Mountain Brook in an elimination game, and the Patriots won 13-10 in much the same way. After jumping out to 10-2 lead, Homewood surrendered eight unanswered runs, as Mountain Brook tied the game at 10-10 in the seventh inning. But Katherine Howell’s first career home run came at the most opportune time, as her three-run walk-off shot lifted Homewood to the win. Howell was one of four Homewood players with three hits in the game and drove in six runs.
Byrd, Hunter Dunn and Abby Brown all had three hits as well, with Dunn and Brown driving in a pair of runs each. Walker knocked in a pair and Sheehan went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.
Homewood fell to Chelsea 11-1 on Saturday in the area tournament championship game. Hunter Dunn hit a home run to provide the lone offensive output for the Patriots.
Homewood has qualified for the regional tournament, which takes place in Montgomery next week.
John Carroll is set to host the Class 5A, Area 9 tournament this week.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Homewood and John Carroll track and field teams competed at the outdoor state meet in Gulf Shores last weekend. The Homewood boys finished sixth and the girls placed eighth.
John Carroll’s Sean Montenegro won the Class 5A boys javelin competition to lead the Cavaliers.
For Homewood, Spenser Lamb won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles competitions, Brooke Walden won the pole vault, Cross Derriso finished third in pole vault and the girls 4x400-meter relay team finished third.
GOLF
Last Monday, Homewood girls golf team finished in a tie for second in the Class 6A, Section 4 tournament with a score of 261, qualifying for the sub-state tournament this week. Aidan Haithcock led the Patriots with a round of 80.
Homewood’s boys qualified for the sub-state tournament as well with their performance at the section tournament, finishing third. Joshua Peters placed in the top five overall with a score of even par.
John Carroll’s boys team won the Class 5A, Section 2 tournament with a team score of 351, beating Central of Clay County by three strokes. Shishan Varadan paced the Cavaliers with a round of 79.
The sub-state tournaments are set to be played this week.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com