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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood wide receiver Kylen Newell (15) makes a catch during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood players celebrate an interception during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) hands off to running back Evan Ausmer (2) during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) hands off to running back AJ Crear (23) during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood running back Eric Davidson (28) waits to make a catch a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood running back Evan Ausmer (2) returns the opening kick off during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Pike Road running back Ja'michael Jones (21) runs with the ball during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Pike Road quarterback Cason Myers (15) throws a pass during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) gives the play call to his offensive line during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood's punter punts the ball during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
A host of Homewood Patriots bring down the Pike Road ball carrier during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood defensive lineman Will Keown (95) and Pike Road offensive lineman Zion Stevens (50) during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood defensive back George French (0) drops back in coverage during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood wide receiver King Walker (14) tries to make a diving catch during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood wide receiver Kylen Newell (15) fights for yards after a catch during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) fights off tacklers to get the pass off during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) throws a pass during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Pike Road kicker Shane Ikerman (43) kicks an field goal during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
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Photo by Richard Force.
Homewood quarterback Will Myers (11) loses a fumble to Pike Road defensive lineman Malik Blocton (1) during a first-round playoff game between the Homewood Patriots and the Pike Road Patriots at Pike Road Stadium on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 in Pike Road, Alabama. Photo by Richard Force.
The Homewood High School football team dropped a heartbreaker in the opening round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday night.
Pike Road hit a field goal early in the fourth quarter to earn a 10-9 win over Homewood.
Neither team could do much on offense for most of the evening, with Homewood gaining 214 total yards, to Pike Road’s 141 yards.
Pike Road got on the board in the first quarter with Malik Blocton’s interception return for a touchdown. The ball slipped out of quarterback Will Myers’ hands and into Blocton’s arms. Blocton ran it back 60 yards for the touchdown to make it 7-0. Blocton was a force all game, finishing with six tackles and two for loss.
Homewood got rolling in the second quarter with a couple of productive drives. A.J. Crear scored on a 1-yard run to cap off a six-play drive. Homewood’s extra point attempt was blocked to keep the score at 7-6, but the Patriots gained the lead later in the frame on Whit Armistead’s 32-yard field goal.
However, that was all the Patriots offense could muster on the night.
Pike Road's Hunter Ikerman kicked a short field goal early in the fourth quarter to claim the 10-9 lead. Pike Road defensive lineman Rod Favor blocked a Homewood punt with less than four minutes to go in the game as well.
Pike Road tailback Ja’Michael Jones, who missed the previous week’s game against Booker T. Washington, managed just 65 yards on 23 carries in the defensive battle. Quarterback Cason Myers completed 9-of-15 passes for 105 yards.
Kaleb Carson played the final three quarters at quarterback for Homewood. Carson completed 11-of-22 passes for 112 yards.
Crear led the Patriots with 78 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Kylen Newell had nine grabs for 106 yards for the Patriots as well.
Pike Road hosts Spanish Fort next week in the second round of the playoffs.
Homewood’s season ends with a 6-5 record.
“I thought both teams played well,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said. “They won the battle for field position in the second half. We needed somebody to make a play in the second half. We had a good football game.”
Brian Hodge contributed to this report.
