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Photo by Richard Force.
Joey Luckianow (49), left, and Randall Jaquez (34).
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Photo by Savannah Schmidt
John Griffin (3).
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Photo by Richard Force.
Kaleb Carson (3).
A check of a thesaurus should have Homewood football as a synonym to the word consistency.
The Patriots are the picture of it. Homewood has qualified for the state playoffs 13 years in a row and has advanced beyond the first round nine of those years.
They appear to be primed to make that 14 straight years this fall, as Homewood has the pieces in place to be one of the top Class 6A teams yet again.
“I think it’s just the closeness of this community and our team,” Homewood head coach Ben Berguson said. “They do everything together, so they’re really close, and they play for each other.”
Berguson said this year’s team has 29 seniors on the roster. One of those is quarterback Kaleb Carson, who got a few starts toward the end of last season for an injured Will Myers and thrived.
“Kaleb got a lot of experience last year, which gives him a lot of confidence going into this season,” he said.
Plenty of seniors, a starting quarterback ready to take over and a reliable defense are among the factors that give Berguson high hopes entering 2025.
OFFENSE
Carson is the type of quarterback who “wants the ball in his hands” in the big moments, according to Berguson. That bodes well for the Patriots’ offense. That unit was successful last fall, posting 33.8 points per game.
The running back room will search for some new names to become stars this season. Senior Davis Griffin appears to be capable of handling the bulk of the carries, with Chappy Chapleau and Reid Goldstein also pushing for their opportunities.
Berguson said this year’s receiving group is the deepest and tallest in program history. Tomon Felton is the one with the most returning experience and production, and the Patriots are hoping he’s poised for a big season. David Walden and Davis Litton are expected to produce out of the slot, with sophomore Kamryn Foster eager to make a name for himself.
Henry Delk, Cornell Warren, Landon Pettus, Winn Heath and Caleb Jackson are all part of that position unit as well.
Adding to the competition to catch passes from Carson are tight ends Hayes DeCoudres and J.T. Watts, two versatile and talented players who can catch passes and block.
The offensive line will need to prove itself, with only two returning starters. Henry Studinka is the returning center and Bardon King is back at guard. Gray Keown has moved over from the defensive line, while Tristan Bell and Edwin McBride are expected to become new starters as well. Asher Ketcham, Walker Bostick and Drew Berguson are also in competition and will get their chances.
DEFENSE
Homewood’s defense under coordinator Freddy Lawrence is always among the most consistent in the state and gets better throughout the season. The Patriots averaged allowing just 14.8 points per game in 2024.
This year’s unit has plenty of returning contributions in the front seven, while looking to fill a few holes in the secondary.
Along the line, Randall Jaquez will be a starter at nose guard for the third year, while Ford Hawkins is back and is a dependable force up front. Rod Lambert is back from injury, while Major Moorer and Dennis White will be in the rotation. Berguson also mentioned freshman Jakari Haynes as a future standout.
At linebacker, Luke Eldridge is the returning leader on the inside. At outside linebacker, Joey Luckianow and Henry Templeton are back, giving the Patriots plenty of experience in the middle of the defense. Parker Lindsey, Charlie Dabbs, Darren Stitt and J.D. Jordan are names to watch as well.
In the secondary, seniors George French and John Martin are back at corner. John Griffin is a starting safety for the third year in a row. Those three give the Patriots plenty of confidence, and new names will need to step up and help out as well. Guys like Ollie Whitten, Locke Tyree, Michael Luckianow, Quincy McGhee, Tate Burdeshaw and Bryon Long will all get their shot.
SPECIAL TEAMS
While specialists aren’t part of the mainstream recruiting services, Hardy Butler is officially the first five-star prospect Berguson has had the privilege of coaching. Butler was recently awarded a fifth star by Kohl’s.
At punter, Gabriel Carlson has come on strong over the summer and given Berguson reason to believe he can take over that role. Carson is also an option at kicker, with Ketcham and Judson Eanes also in play.
