Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
John Carroll’s William Gignilliat (24) catches a throw at first base as the runner dives back to the bag in game two of a double header first-round playoff game for Class 5A against Alexandria at John Carroll Catholic High School on Friday, April 23, 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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.
BASEBALL
The Homewood baseball team began last week with a 5-0 win over Pelham on Monday. Senior Jack Freeman went to work on the hill, going 5 shutout innings and giving up only 2 infield hits, while striking out 6. Levi Nickoli relieved in the top of the sixth in a 2-0 game and punched out the Panthers’ third and fourth hitters to start off the inning. He went on to retire six straight hitters.
Offensively, the Patriots scored two in the top of the second when Jackson Parris singled with two strikes to lead off the inning. Tripp Gann followed one out later with a laser double to plate Parris. With two outs and two strikes, Nickoli drove in Gann to make it 2-0. Homewood added on three in the top of the seventh. Aron Marsch was hit by a pitch to lead the inning off and with two outs, the Pats hit three straight doubles, by Taylor Patterson, Parris and Charlie Teel to make it 5-0. Parris and Brian Condon each had 2 hits on the evening.
Homewood took down Ramsay 10-0 on Thursday at historic Rickwood Field. 10-0 win over Ramsay in 5 innings. JB Sain picked up his third win of the year, giving up one hit while striking out 10 Rams. The Pats put up eight runs in the top of the third, taking advantage of several walks, a hit batter and an error. Griffin Fuller had 2 hits and an RBI to lead the way offensively for Homewood. Jack Couch was 1-for-2 with an RBI and added a diving catch in the left center gap to save a triple in the bottom of the first. Parker Sansing ended the game with a diving catch in right, doubling off the runner from first.
John Carroll beat Pinson Valley 6-2 on Thursday at Rickwood Field. Jackson Miller led the Cavaliers offense with 3 doubles and 2 RBIs in the game. Carson McFadden went 2-for-3 and drove in a run as well. William Gignilliat pitched 5 innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 11.
John Carroll fell to Clay-Chalkville 7-6 on Friday.
SOFTBALL
The Homewood softball team pulled out a 10-9 win over Pleasant Grove last Thursday. Zoe Couch capped off the Patriots late rally with a walk-off hit. She finished with 3 hits on the night and allowed 4 runs in 4 innings pitched. Susanna Sheehan went 2-for-5 in the game with a triple and 2 RBIs. Eva White hit a triple and drove in a run as well.
John Carroll played in the Teurlings Catholic tournament over the weekend in Louisiana. On Friday, the Cavs won their first game of the tournament, 11-9 over St. Thomas More. Annie Gregory drove in 3 runs for John Carroll, while Maggie Mackin and Kayla Coley-Drayton each knocked in a pair of runs. Gracie Mills and Charlotte Phillips knocked in runs as well, while Mallory Ogle went 2-for-4 and scored 4 runs in the win.
Homewood played in the Jag Classic at Spain Park over the weekend, splitting a pair of games on Friday. The Patriots began things with an 11-0 loss to Spain Park, but followed that up with an 11-1 win over Pike Road. In the win, Katherine Howell led the offense with 3 RBIs. Hunter Dunn drove in a pair of runs, along with White. Sheehan, Ella Walker and Emma Lawrence each had an RBI as well. Couch pitched well, allowing a run over 3 innings.
John Carroll split a pair of games on Saturday, falling to Pineville 19-0 and beating Catholic New Iberian 19-7. In the win, Gregory excelled, driving in 5 runs and allowing an unearned run in 3 innings of pitching. Coley-Drayton drove home 4 runs, while Mallory Ogle, Mills, Phillips and Mackin each had 2 RBIs. Emily Williams doubled and drove in a run as well.
SOCCER
The Homewood and John Carroll soccer teams were in action last Thursday. The Homewood girls beat Gardendale 10-0, while the boys earned a 4-1 victory over area foe Chelsea. John Carroll’s boys fell to McGill-Toolen 4-2 and the girls fell to St. Michael 2-1.
On Friday, John Carroll’s boys fell to St. Michael 1-0 and the girls fell to McGill-Toolen 3-0.
GOLF
The John Carroll boys golf team knocked off Chelsea 169-195 on Thursday afternoon at Oxmoor Valley Ridge Course. Leading scorers for the Cavaliers were Josh Awbrey (41), Jack Carlisle (42), Sudishan Varadan (42) and Preston Dowling (44).
TENNIS
The Homewood tennis teams swept Pell City on Thursday, beating the boys and girls teams 9-0. In boys singles, Gray Johnson, Ben Kovakas, Jack Farrell, Sam Housman, Foster Laird, Colton Cox, Sam Carr, Pearson Hart and Luke Binet all notched wins. The doubles pairs of Johnson and Farrell, Kovakas and Cox, Laird and Housman, Carr and Will Andress, and Sam Stone and Russell Dearing also won.
On the girls side, Linlee Dunn, Madeline Ann Brockwell, Olivia Milstead, Paige Philips, Ava Dillard, Harper Sheils, Becca Cate-Hubrich and Ella Keenan were victorious in singles. The tandems of Dunn and Philips, Brockwell and Milstead, Dillard and Lauren Brown, and Sheils and Cate-Hubrich won in doubles.
On Thursday, John Carroll knocked off Indian Springs, the boys winning 6-2 and the girls winning 7-2. Will Magruder, Fletcher Hughey, Doug Frederick, Andrew Turkiewicz and Aiden Van Matre won in boys singles.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.