By Loyd McIntosh
Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook received national recognition as two of the top high school athletic programs in the 2024-25 MaxPreps Cup, an annual competition recognizing the top 100 high school athletic programs.
The MaxPreps Cup recognizes overall team performance across all recognized varsity sports, awarding points during the school year for state titles and high finishes.
Vestavia Hills was ranked the No. 5 high school program in the country and the top program in Alabama, with 1,901 points. The Rebels’ student athletes had a tremendous 2024-25, winning state titles in boys’ bowling, golf, tennis, track, and girls’ soccer and tennis. Additionally, Vestavia Hills was the state runner-up in boys’ swimming, cross-country, indoor track, and wrestling, and girls’ indoor track, vaulting the Rebels 78 places over their 2023-24 MaxPreps Cup No. 83 ranking.
“I am so incredibly proud of our coaches and athletes not only for their prowess on the athletic fields but also for their dedication in the classroom,” said Laura Casey, Vestavia Hills High School Athletic Director. “It is not often that a school reaches a top 5 athletic program ranking and has an equally impressive academic reputation.
“Our athletes and coaches are both fiercely competitive and committed to pursuing excellence,” Casey added. “We certainly don’t reach this ranking without the collaboration, cooperation, and dedication of our amazing training staff, supportive teachers and community partners, as well as the support of our parents and fans who cheer us on along the way.”
Mountain Brook was ranked No. 46 in the nation with 1,249 points, and No. 4 in the state ranking, just behind Hoover and Scottsboro high schools. Unranked in 2023-24, the Spartans won state championships in boys’ and girls’ cross-country and boys’ and girls’ tennis, and were state runner-up in girls’ indoor and outdoor track and girls’ soccer.
Additionally, while not factored into the MaxPreps Cup scoring formula, Mountain Brook won its third straight AHSAA Class 6A Wrestling Duals title in 2025.
“It’s pretty remarkable that we are in the mix of this competition year in and year out,” said Andy Urban, Mountain Brook High School Athletics Director. “It doesn’t matter the depth of the players, the age of the players, the current standard of how we do business keeps us in those conversations on a yearly basis.
Urban also highlighted the football, baseball, and girls’ and boys’ soccer teams, which all made deep runs in the playoffs, and also credited the greater Mountain Brook community for their support of the student athletes and the athletic department overall.
“Our community does a great job of supporting us by both being at games and financially, so we can challenge ourselves and put our kids to the test and to give them the best opportunity to be successful,” he adds. “Beyond state champions, we had a lot of teams finish in the top four to six of 6A. We had a lot of success across the board and maintained a high level of success in 6A.”
MaxPreps.com is a nationwide online platform that covers high school sports by providing scores, schedules, stats, player profiles, rankings, and news. It serves as a comprehensive resource for athletes, coaches, fans, and recruiters to follow teams and athletes across multiple sports.
Learn more about the 2024-25 MaxPreps Cup at https://www.maxpreps.com/news/WJzgsZ68Rkyms1NwX2pkZw/cherry-creek-of-colorado-wins-2024-25-maxpreps-cup-recognizing-nations-top-overall-high-school-sports-program.htm.
