By Loyd McIntosh
By all accounts, a 9-win season record and a trip to the second round of the AHSAA playoffs would be considered a successful campaign. However, Homewood High School Head Football Coach Ben Berguson can’t help but think the 2024 Patriots – to borrow a phrase from the world of business – left some money on the table.
The Patriots finished the 2024 season with a 9-3 overall record and went 5-1 in 6A, Region 5 play, putting up big offensive numbers against most of their competition, including 41 points over Minor, 49 over Mortimer Jordan, and 52 over Jackson-Olin and Woodlawn.
Homewood’s losses were all close calls. The Patriots lost to Mountain Brook, 27-22, dropped a close one to area rival and eventual 2024 state champs Parker in mid-October, and, most frustratingly of all, a 3-point heartbreaker to Fort Payne in the second round of the playoffs.
Homewood outplayed Fort Payne for most of the game, running up 505 yards of total offense to 372 by Fort Payne, forcing a fumble, blocking a field goal, and leading by four points midway into the 4th quarter. However, Fort Payne closed things out with a touchdown following a Homewood fumble to win 35-32.
Over six months later, the loss still stings, but Berguson says the lessons the returning players learned from the experience are fueling their desire for revenge in 2025. In the lead-up to the 2025 season, Berguson has been laser-focused on one concept: closing the deal.
“They didn’t like it. They want to prove that they’re better than that,” says Berguson. “Our big thing all spring and summer is just finishing because we lost 3-1 possession games last year.”
The Patriots will return six starters from both the offense and defense, and 30 seniors back in 2025, a good problem to have for the current season, but one that he half-jokingly says makes him nervous about 2026.
“The only thing scary about that is a lot of our backups are seniors. I’m already worried about next year,” laughs Berguson.
Offensively, the Patriots are loaded with talent at several key positions, including tight end with seniors Hayes DeCoudres and J.T. Watts – two of the state’s top tight ends – returning for their senior years, and wide receiver, where Berguson says they have more depth than Offensive Coordinator Heath Brunner knows what to do with.
“We’ve got a good problem at receiver, for sure,” says Berguson. “Coach Brunner’s just got to figure out a way to get all of these guys on the field.
Among the wide receivers are Tomon Felton, a 6-2 senior and three-year starter and a star on the Homewood track team, of whom Berguson says is “really good at stretching the field vertically.”
Additionally, David Waldon will return as the starting slot senior after missing some action due to injury last year, and Cam Foster, a rising sophomore who earned extensive playing time as a freshman.
Berguson says receiver is perhaps the team’s strongest position; juniors Cornell Warren, Caleb Jackson, and Landon Pattus are also expected to get plenty of playing time.
At the end of the day, he says, it all comes down to the quarterback, a position Berguson says is in the capable hands of senior Kaleb Carson.
Carson played quarterback for the second half of 2024 after an injury to starter Will Myers, putting up some impressive numbers in the process. A dual-threat quarterback, Carson ran and threw for 8 touchdowns and amassed 487 rushing yards and 912 passing yards last season. Berguson says Carson is stepping into the leadership role nicely, and his toolset opens up an array of options for the Patriots offense.
“What’s so special about him is he knows how to adapt to so many different situations. He really sees the field, and he’ll make something out of nothing,” says Berguson.
Carson says he learned a lot about himself through that experience and believes is battle-tested and ready to lead the Patriots’ loaded offense.
“I learned that I can come in and be the guy and not be nervous that kind of situation,” Carson says. “I know I can come in and be my self, and know that I have the guys surrounding me to support me.
“I’m looking forward to spreading the ball around,” he adds. “We have some great receivers and great running backs.”
At running back, Berguson says the Patriots have three athletes that can handle the rock at any time: senior Davis Griffin, junior Chappy Chapleau, blessed with great speed and one of the best names in sports, and sophomore Reid Goldstein.
Defensively, Berguson says they are stacked at linebacker, a key position in Homewood’s aggressive 3-4 formation under Defensive Coordinator Freddy Lawrence. The entire linebacker core of starters and backups is seniors, and is led by outside linebacker (OLB) Joey Luckianow.
Luckianow ranked second in tackles for the Patriots with 79 total tackles, 37 solo, in 2024. At 6-3, 200 pounds, Luckianow is one of the top-rated linebackers in the state and is key to the Patriots’ success on defense. “He plays to the field, he’s really good at playing in space,” Berugoson says.
Like his head coach, Luckianow says the way 2024 ended left a bad taste in his mouth, and he and his teammates are focused on starting and finishing strong in 2025. Additionally, he believes the Patriots’ defense will give opposing offenses more than they can handle, and is looking forward to a little payback against Parker and Mountain Brook this season.
“I would say one of our strengths this year is our pass defense. I feel like it’s going to be really hard to get the ball off our (defensive backs) because they’ve been working hard all summer,” Luckianow says. “And, we’ve got some linebackers and our linemen that are really tough against the run.
“We’d love to get a win against Parker and Mountain Brook. We came up a bit short last time, and I think that would be two great teams to really give our payback to,” he adds.
Other key players on defense are OLB Henry Templeton and inside linebackers Luke Eldridge and Parker Lindsey. Berguson also feels confident about the secondary with seniors George French, John Martin, and three-year starter John Griffin back for their senior years.
On the defensive line, Ford Hawkins is back for his senior year, as well as Randall Jacquez. At 5-9, 230 pounds, Berguson says Jacquez is a handful to deal with up front. “He’s good at getting in the backfield and disrupting everything,” Berguson says.
Berguson is also high on rising junior Major Moore, a 6-4, 210-pound defensive end. “He’s a speedster,” says Berguson. “His motor never stops running off the edge.”
Homewood will host John Carroll to kick off the 2025 season on Friday, August 22.
