Hornets upset top-ranked Lions
BIRMINGHAM — Chelsea didn’t get its first win last season until mid-October.
This year, the Hornets toppled the top-ranked team in Class 5A before September.
Chelsea High School scored 17 first half points and held up against several Briarwood Christian School drives in its territory late in the game to secure a 17-14 win over the No. 1 Lions on Friday.
“This is great, obviously against a quality opponent,” said Chelsea head coach Dustin Goodwin. “We still feel like we made a ton of mistakes, as well as I know they did. They feel like they left a lot of things on the table. We left our defense in a lot of tough spots, and they fought extremely hard.”
After taking a 17-7 halftime lead, Chelsea allowed Briarwood (0-1) to close the gap midway through the third quarter when Luke Prewett broke free for a 27-yard Lions touchdown. The Hornets (1-1) fumbled two plays later, and Briarwood’s ensuing short field led to a missed 46-yard field goal.
The Lions marched 45 yards early in the fourth quarter but missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt to tie the game. Chelsea quarterback Caleb Moore was intercepted two plays later by Briarwood’s Chase Travis, his second pick of the night, giving the Lions the ball at the Hornets 16-yard line with 4:25 left to play. Briarwood stalled and a 28-yard field goal attempt clanged off the left upright.
Chelsea then went three-and-out, giving Briarwood one last drive starting on the Hornets 33-yard line. On fourth-and-1 from the 24, Briarwood quarterback Jonah Carroll was sacked, losing 11 yards on the play.
“We played hard,” said Briarwood head coach Matthew Forester. “I’m proud of the effort the guys played with, how tough they were. We just made some first-game mistakes. We had our chances, and we just didn’t capitalize. That’s on the coaches. We’ve got to push the boys. We’ve got to put them in the right spots. We’ll get better at that. We’ll respond.”
Chelsea scored on the first possession of the game, going 81 yards in 14 plays, punctuated by Moore’s 2-yard touchdown run. Late in the first quarter, a snap went over Carroll’s head and near the end zone, and when he tried to bat the ball out of the end zone, Chelsea’s Jordan Smith recovered it for a score. On the ensuing kickoff, Prewett took it 99 yards to cut the deficit to 14-7. Chelsea kicker Cooper Neal nailed a 49-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
For Briarwood, Carroll was 16-of-23 for 161 yards. Prewett rushed 11 times for 54 yards and a score. Luke Reebals caught seven passes for 80 yards, while Blake McKenna grabbed six passes for 72 yards.
For Chelsea, Moore was 11-of-17 for 71 yards and two interceptions. He rushed for 28 yards and a score on 12 attempts. Collier Blair rushed 15 times for 47 yards, and Michael Gibbs caught four passes for 26 yards.
Friday’s game was the first for Briarwood since 1990 without Fred Yancey as the head coach. Forester said it was different without him on the sidelines.
“It’s what I want to do,” he said. “It’s been great. There were no nerves. Let’s just play a game, let’s show what we do. We’ll get better. For me, I didn’t realize it when I was younger, but it’s a dream come true being back at your alma mater having the opportunity to lead the next generation of boys, and to follow in Coach Yancey’s footsteps is a huge honor.”
Chelsea plays host to Class 6A, Region 5 opponent Carver-Birmingham next week.
“I think this gives us a shot in the arm,” Goodwin said. “This just gives them validation that they are a good football team that is only going to continue to improve.”
Briarwood remains at home to begin Class 5A, Region 4 play against Pleasant Grove.
“We’ve got to bounce back really quick because we’ve got Pleasant Grove,” Forester said. “They’re one of the best teams in the state, and they’re definitely one of the best teams in our region. We know that’s a big game for us, and we’re expecting another tough, physical battle, and we’re going to be smart and make sure the boys understand what’s at stake. They’ll come out and respond well. They always do.”
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