Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
Homewood’s Hunter Dunn (34) makes a throw to first for an out in a game against Chelsea at Homewood High School on Thursday, March 17, 2022. 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 suffered a 5-3 loss to Oak Mountain last Monday. The Eagles took an early lead in the second inning on a two-run homer off starter Witt Brown. Homewood took the lead in the bottom of the third when Taylor Patterson hit a three-run bomb to make it 3-2. Oak Mountain then squeezed in a run in the fourth to tie it and added two more in the fifth to make it 5-3. Brown took the loss on the hill, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing 5 hits. Rigdon Gibbons threw 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out 2, walking 2 and giving up 1 hit.
Homewood fell to Hueytown 9-3 on Wednesday. Jack Freeman (3-1) took his first loss of the year on the mound, working 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits, 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. Jake Traffanstedt had an RBI single for the Patriots.
Homewood earned a big win, toppling a ranked Helena team 11-0. The Patrots offense broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning with 4 runs. Brian Condon opened the inning with a single to left and Jack Couch hammered a ball to left that was misplayed, putting the runners at second and third. With two strikes, Griffin Fuller drove in 2 with a single up the middle. Charlie Teel and Patterson followed with run-scoring doubles to make it 4-0. In the sixth, the Pats added 4 more on a sacrifice fly by Teel, an RBI single by Patterson and a two-out single by Tripp Gann. Patterson, Jackson Parris, and Couch each had 2 hits on the evening.
JB Sain improved to 5-0 with his work on the hill. Sain worked out of trouble in the third inning when he walked two following a double. With the bases juiced, he was able to get out of the jam, getting an infield flyout on a 3-2 pitch for the second out and a flyout to second to end the inning. In the fourth, Sain coaxed a 6-4-3 double play ball to extinguish a threat. After working 6 scoreless innings, Sain gave way to Levi Nickoli, who got three outs on seven pitches to wrap up the victory for the Patriots.
John Carroll earned an 18-1 area win over Wenonah on Thursday. The offense slugged six doubles in the contest. Carson McFadden led the charge with 3 hits, including one of those doubles, and 5 RBIs while stealing 2 bases. William Gignilliat knocked in 3 runs and CJ Okon doubled and drove in a pair. Campbell McFadden stole 5 bases and Aden Malpass swiped 4. Luke Wammack, Carson McFadden and Cian Loehnr combined to give up just 2 hits on the mound.
Chelsea earned an extra-inning win on Friday, beating John Carroll 6-5 in eight innings. Jared Kaplan walked with the bases loaded to lift the Hornets to the victory. Walker Thomas homered in the game for Chelsea, driving in a pair of runs. Chris McNeill tallied 3 hits, including a double, while Carson Orr and Campbell McCluney each knocked in a run. Carson Camper was exceptional in relief, going 6 1/3 innings without allowing a run, surrendering just 2 hits and striking out 4.
Homewood traveled to Tuscaloosa on Saturday and came away with an 8-7 win over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. Homewood got on the board first in the game, as Couch drove in 2 in the first inning. The Patriots tacked on 2 more in the following inning, as Teel hit a sacrifice fly and another run scored on a wild pitch. Hillcrest rallied to score 5 runs in the third inning to claim the lead for the first time in the game, taking advantage of three straight walks to hit a grand slam. Homewood answered, though, with Teel launching a 3-run home run to give Homewood the 7-5 lead. Hillcrest cut the lead to 7-6 in the fifth, but the Patriots scored another in the sixth to make it 8-6. Rigdon Gibbons came on in relief in the seventh inning and worked around trouble to preserve the victory. Freshman Jack Ross earned the win after working 1 2/3 innings and allowing 2 runs on 2 hits.
SOFTBALL
The Homewood softball team earned a 6-3 win over Ramsay last Wednesday. Hunter Dunn was the offensive star for the Patriots in the game, as she finished with a pair of extra base hits — a triple and a home run — and scored 3 runs. Katherine Howell also drove in a run, while Zoe Couch was strong in the circle. She went the full 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits with 10 strikeouts. Antonia Henderson homered for Ramsay.
John Carroll suffered a tight 6-5 loss to Pell City on Wednesday. Pell City took the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh and held on. For the Cavaliers, Charlotte Phillips drove in a pair of runs, while Kayla Coley-Drayton, Annie Gregory and Emily Williams each knocked in a run as well.
Chelsea earned a 9-6 win over Homewood on Thursday in an area contest. Jadyn Buff led the way for the Hornets from the leadoff spot, going 2-for-4 with a triple and 3 RBIs on the night. Erwin had another big game, doubling twice and driving in a pair of runs. Julie Amacher also racked up 2 RBIs, while Riggins and Brooke Jones knocked in runs as well. Evan White and Dunn drove in runs for the Patriots, while Couch racked up 4 hits and scored 3 runs.
John Carroll picked up a pair of area wins Thursday, beating Fairfield 20-0 and 15-0. In the first game, Mallory Ogle homered and drove in 4 runs in the game, while throwing 3 hitless innings. Gracie Mills drove in 3, while Phillips, Gregory and Coley-Drayton each knocked in a pair. Maggie Mackin, MC Golab and Williams also knocked in runs. In the second game, many of the younger players saw time for the Cavs. Caroline Golab drove in a pair, while Williams and Avery Seidenfaden doubled and drove in a run. She also pitched 3 hitless innings, striking out 7. Payton Tomberlin and Kealy Deason also drove in runs.
SOCCER
The John Carroll girls soccer team beat Parker 10-0 last Monday. Marlee Banks, Belle Buckner, Emma Kirkpatrick, Chapel Dent, Anna Grace Fuller (two), Tori Botthof and Mia Wos (two) all scored goals for the Lady Cavaliers. John Carroll’s boys earned a 10-0 win over Parker as well.
Homewood’s boys notched a 2-1 win over Spain Park on Monday.
On Wednesday, the John Carroll boys beat Parker 10-1. The girls also beat Parker, winning 10-0 behind goals from Botthof (two), Fuller (two), Ren Elder, Ruby Thornton, Kirkpatrick, Olivia Messina, Claire Harrison and Haley Nguyen.
John Carroll’s boys fell to Hoover 3-0 on Thursday. Homewood’s girls defeated Northridge 3-0 that night and Homewood’s boys beat Thomspon 4-0.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Homewood track and field team competed in the Husky Hilltop Classic hosted by Helena last Saturday. For the girls, Jordan Reaves won the pole vault competition by clearing 11 feet. On the boys side, JC Daniel won the high jump competition by clearing the bar at 6 feet, 2 inches.
The girls 4x800-meter relay team placed second, Chandler Binkley was second high jump, Magi Williams was second in triple jump, Naeemah Gamble was third in shot put, Ben Murray was second in the 800, Spenser Lamb was third in the 300-meter hurdles, the boys 4x800 relay team was third and Elliott Allen finished third in pole vault.
John Carroll competed in the Friday “Knight” Invitational, hosted by Arab. Arthur Langley led the team with a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter run and Kenneth Beck placed third in the 400.
GOLF
The John Carroll girls golf team knocked off Vestavia Hills 184-227 on Wednesday afternoon.
TENNIS
The Homewood tennis teams swept Briarwood last Monday afternoon, with the girls winning 6-3 and the boys earning an 8-1 victory. Boys singles winners were Gray Johnson, Ben Kovakas, Jack Farrell, Foster Laird, Colton Cox and Henry Erickson. The doubles tandems of Johnson and Farrell, Kovakas and Cox, and Laird and Erickson, Sam Housman and Sam Carr, and Charlie Reeves and Will Andress. Girls singles winners were Olivia Milstead, Paige Philips, Ava Dillard, Harper Sheils and Becca Cate Hubrich. Doubles winners were Milstead and Madeline Ann Brockwell, Dillard and Lauren Brown, Sheils and Hubrich, and Ella Keenan and Lolo Theos.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnesmedia.com.