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   The best of the best in Alabama High   
  School Football over the past 100 seasons.






2024 Team Previews 

  


Homewood Patriots

Head Coach: Ben Berguson (eleventh season)
Career Record: 11 seasons, (82-49)
At Homewood: 10 seasons, (76-43)
Stadium: Waldrop Stadium
2024 Enrollment:  1,002
Rank:  39th in the AHSAA, 7th in Class 6A

 History 
Overall Record:   393-217-2   (64.0%)
Last 25 years:   212-92   (70.0%)  (Rank: 41st in the AHSAA, 9th in Class 6A)
Since 2010:   105-57  (64.8%)  (Rank: 79th in the AHSAA, 15th in Class 6A)
Last Playoff Appearance:   2023
Last Region Championship:   2022
Last Winning Season:   2023
Last Losing Season:   2019

 2023 
Class:  6A              Region:   3
Record:  6-5
Region Record:   4-2, (fourth)
Playoff Record:   First round loss to Pike Road by a score of 10-9.
Final ASWA Poll:   Not Ranked
Scoring:  267 (24.3)
Defense:  237 (21.5)


 2024 
Class: 6A              Region:   5
Strength of Schedule: 59-53 (53%) (129th in the AHSAA, 23rd in Class 6A)
Region Strength:  29-36 (45%)
Non-Region Strength:  30-17 (64%)



 2023 Results 
 8/25  @ John Carroll  (5A)   31-36   L  
 9/1  vs. Vestavia Hills  (7A)   0-43   L  
 9/8  vs. Helena  (6A)  *  17-31   L  
 9/15  @ Calera  (6A)  *  43-21   W  
 9/22  @ Benjamin Russell  (6A)  *  41-21   W  
 9/29  @ Pinson Valley  (6A)   10-7   W  
 10/6   OPEN 
 10/13  vs. Chilton County  (6A)  *  34-13   W  
 10/20  vs. Pelham  (6A)  *  31-21   W  
 10/27  @ Briarwood  (6A)  *  13-20   L  
 11/2  vs. Jasper  (5A)   38-14   W  
 Playoffs 
 11/10  @ Pike Road    9-10   L  

 2024 Schedule 
 8/23  @ John Carroll  (5A)       
 8/30  vs. Briarwood  (5A)       
 9/6  @ Mortimer Jordan  (6A)  *      
 9/13  vs. Woodlawn  (6A)  *      
 9/19  @ Jackson-Olin  (6A)  *      
 9/27  @ Mountain Brook  (6A)       
 10/4  vs. Gardendale  (6A)  *      
 10/11   OPEN 
 10/18  vs. Parker  (6A)  *      
 10/24  @ Minor  (6A)  *      
 11/1  vs. James Clemens  (7A)       
 11/8  vs. Athens        
 11/15  @ Fort Payne        


Class  6A Region  5
Team 2023 Record Region Scoring                            
Parker (6A) 12-2 6-0528-206
Mortimer Jordan (6A) 8-3 4-2383-292
Gardendale (6A) 3-8 3-3376-441
Homewood (6A) 6-5 4-2267-237
Minor (6A) 4-6 2-4200-238
Woodlawn (6A) 2-7 1-5128-358
Jackson-Olin (6A) 0-10 0-6108-416

 2024 Preview 


       Homewood completed the 2023 season with a 6-5 record. With their 4-2 region record and a fourth place finish in Class 6A region three, the Patriots earned a spot in the playoffs in 2023. Homewood's season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs when they fell to Pike Road by a score of 10-9.

       The Patriots had some tough luck last season as three of their five losses were by less than eight points.

       Since 2010, Homewood has gone a combined 105-57. Their 64.8% winning percentage ranks 15th in Class 6A over the past fourteen seasons.

       Over the past 25 seasons, Homewood has finished a combined 212-92. Their 70.0% winning percentage ranks 9th in Class 6A and 41st in the AHSAA. The Patriots have been successful on the football field with twenty-one winning seasons during this time.

Graduated All-State Players:
       Homewood lost 6A All-State  offensive lineman Jaxon Brooks to graduation. He was named to the second team last season.

Head Coach:
       The Patriots are led by head coach Ben Berguson who is entering his eleventh season at the helm. He has compiled a record of 76-43 over the past ten seasons at Homewood. Under his direction the Patriots have qualified for the playoffs a total of ten times. They have won three region crowns with Coach Berguson. Over the course of his career, Coach Berguson's teams have qualified for the playoffs a total of eleven times and won three region championships.

Season Outlook:

       The Homewood Patriots will play in Class 6A region five during the 2024 season. Following realignment, the Patriots remain in 6A but move from region three over to region five.

      

       The Patriots have reached the playoffs the last twelve seasons and hope that streak will continue this year. Last year they lost their first three games to quality opponents before rebounding to win six of the next seven games.

       This season the Patriots will face seven teams that qualified for the playoffs last year. Their non-region opponents finished last season with a combined record of 30-17. This year they will see John Carroll and Briarwood to open the 2024 football season and later host Mountain Brook and James Clemens.

       This will be a much more experienced squad than last season as most starters return on both sides of the football. Look for another banner year for the patriots in 2024.

       Coach Berguson told us about this year's team at Homewood. ''The Patriots started the 2023 season 0-3 with a young and inexperienced football team. They reeled off 5 impressive wins in a row to qualify for the state playoffs, losing to semifinalist Pike Road 10-9 in the 1st round. The Patriots return 9 starters on defense and 8 on offense to begin the 2024 season.''

    The Patriots should be in contention for a playoff spot in region five this season. Hosting a first round playoff game on their home turf would be an advantage. They have reached the playoffs every year since 2011 and will once again be in the hunt for a spot in 2024.

Players to Watch in 2024:
      QB Will Myers will be returning after completing 111-of-158 passes for 1,424 yards and 10 TDs in 2023. He also rushed for an additional 502 yards and scored 12 TDs.

      WR Kylen Newell will also be back after catching 43 passes for 567 yards and 3 TDs.

      Also returning will be MLB Luke Eldridge who gathered up 93 tackles (47 solo) as a sophomore.

Returning Starters:
OFFENSE: #11 QB, Will Myers; #3 ATH, Caleb Carson; #2 RB, Evan Ausmer; #15 WR, Kylen Newell; #60 OL, Walker Williams; #50 OL, Bardon King; #82 TE, J.T. Watts; #80 TE, Hayes DeCoudres
DEFENSE: #33 ILB, Trust Darnell; #6 ILB, Luke Eldridge; #49 OLB, Joey LucKianow; #5 CB, Maleik Smiley; #7 CB, R.C. Gartman; #8 S, C.J. Tidmore; #3 S, John Griffin; #34 NG, Randall Jaquez; #46 DE, Ford Hawkins
NEWCOMERS: #8 WR, Tomon Felton; #58 OL, Clay Thornton; #0 CB, George French; #1 CB, John Martin; #2 OLB, Henry Templeton

Season Opener:
       The Patriots open the 2024 season on the road against non-region opponent John Carroll on Friday, August 23 at John Carroll Field. Last year the John Carroll Cavaliers finished with an overall record of 9-3 and in third place in Class 5A region five. The Cavaliers lost in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs to Guntersville by a score of 20-17.

       Homewood and John Carroll have met a total of 36 times on the football field. The Patriots have a 27-7-2 record against the Cavaliers. They last met in 2023 with John Carroll winning by a score of 36-31.

  


Great Moments in Alabama High School Football History

Luverne 'Toad' Wise was the first female football player in Alabama and may have been the first in the country. She was a kicker for the Escambia County Blue Devils in 1939-40.