By Loyd McIntosh
Homewood and John Carroll Catholic once again renewed their historic rivalry on opening night Friday, as the Patriots handled the Cavaliers, 31-14, at Pat Sullivan Field.
The 38th meeting between old friends, the 2026 “Battle of Lakeshore,” saw the two teams coming off vastly different 2025 campaigns. Homewood finished last season with an 11-2 record, capturing their 19th region title before falling to 6A state champions Clay-Chalkville in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, John Carroll went 3-7 last season, 1-5 in region play, including a 51-7 loss to the Patriots.
Despite their polar trajectories, both teams are in rebuilding mode, with the Patriots losing 30 seniors to graduation, including starting quarterback Kaleb Carson, and the Cavaliers replacing their entire defense in 2026. It was that backdrop that added drama to what was otherwise a rather mundane opening night contest.
Homewood alternated between two quarterbacks for most of the game: junior Timothy Roshell and senior Jack Myers, who got the nod for the Patriots’ opening possession.
Myers led the Pats on a balanced opening drive, handing the ball to running back Jackson “Chappy” Chapleau—a senior with the best name in high school football—and completing four of seven passing attempts. The Patriots capped the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Myers to Beckham Newell, taking a 7-0 lead at the 7:34 mark in the first quarter.
Leading the Cavaliers’ offense were two players with state of Alabama football pedigrees and ties to the John Carroll coaching staff. Quarterback Harrison White is the son of Auburn great Stan White, while wide receiver T.J. Richardson—starting for the Cavaliers as an eighth grader—is the son of former Alabama running back Trent Richardson.
John Carroll’s opening drive got off to a promising start with White completing four of his first seven passing attempts. However, Homewood’s defense held, stalling the drive at the Patriots’ 46-yard line, a pattern that held for most of the contest.
Holding a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, Homewood took firm control in the second. Myers led the Patriots on a 12-play, 60-yard drive, capped by a two-yard plunge by Chapleau midway through the second quarter. Roshell handled quarterback duties on the next possession, leading the Patriots on a 54-yard, nine-play drive, punching it in on a quarterback keeper from the six-yard line late in the quarter.
Immediately following the touchdown, lightning in the area forced the officials to call for a weather delay, holding up play for close to 30 minutes. Once play resumed, the Patriots held John Carroll to another punt on their final possession of the first half, holding a 21-0 lead at halftime.
Homewood scored their final touchdown with another Myers-to-Newell strike for 13 yards at the 7:12 mark of the third quarter, pushing the lead to 28-0.
John Carroll’s offense finally woke up on a trick play, with White pitching to running back Aubrey Coker, who found a wide-open Richardson down the right sideline for a 45-yard gain to the Homewood three. The Patriots’ defense forced a fourth down; however, Coker broke through for a one-yard touchdown at the 3:06 mark in the third quarter.
Homewood placekicker Jozy Hicks added a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, pushing the Patriots’ lead to 31-7. John Carroll kept grinding, however, finding the end zone one more time on a four-yard run from backup running back Diesel Ephraim.
Final score: Homewood 31, John Carroll 14.
Homewood Head Coach Ben Berguson said he is proud of the way both quarterbacks played and is not ready to hand the reins to either one just yet. He also called the exceptional performances of Newell, Chapleau, and running back Cyn’Mauree Debruce.
“I thought both quarterbacks managed the game well,” Berguson said. “They both have totally different styles. (Roshell) is really slippery, and (Myers) sits back in the pocket and throws it, and I thought they both played really well tonight.
“Beckham Newell had a big night at receiver, and the two running backs, Cyn’Mauree Debruce and Chappy Chapleau, had big games, too,” Berguson added.
Berguson was also happy with the team’s physical play on offense and defense, although he acknowledges that there were too many dropped passes and the team got a little complacent after building a big lead.
“Physically, we imposed our will on them. We controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Berguson said. “I’m really pleased with our effort, but we had too many drops, for sure. I think we got a little undisciplined in the second half, but that can be cleaned up between week one and week two.”
Despite the loss, John Carroll Head Coach Will Mara said he sees a lot of potential in the 2026 Cavaliers, especially with a brand new defense facing a team like Homewood opening night. He said the experience will help the team improve down the road.
“I’m proud of the way we fought at times. They do a great job at Homewood, but that’s why we play this game week one. We want to see what we need to work on,” said Mara. “We want to get to that speed of the game, and we want to be able to get exposed a little bit.
“Homewood’s really good,” Mara continued, “and that’s why we do this. We want to be able to be prepared going into week two, week three, and as we get into area play.”
Homewood finished with 381 total yards, 208 passing and 173 rushing. Additionally, the Patriots had six plays of at least 10 yards. John Carroll had 207 total yards, 182 passing and 25 rushing.
Homewood (1-0) will take on Briarwood on the road next week, while John Carroll will take a bus ride down I-20 to take on Talladega on Friday, August 28.
