By Loyd McIntosh photos by Jordan Wald
Basketball season begins soon, and all three of the Over the Mountain high school boys’ teams are looking to build on excellent campaigns from 2024–2025. Each squad returns key players and adds newcomers with plenty of potential. Here’s what to expect when the season tips off in early November.
Vestavia Hills
Vestavia Hills will look to improve on a 2024-2025 season that saw the Rebels go 18-11 overall and 3-3 in area play. Head coach Patrick Davis says the coaching staff will be replacing seven seniors from last year’s squad, including leading scorer Adam Barksdale, now playing college basketball for the University of
Montevallo.
However, two of those seniors were lost to season-ending injuries, opening opportunities for underclassmen to gain valuable experience, even if it meant having to improvise at times. “It was an interesting year, losing a couple of guys and adjusting on the fly position-wise,” Davis says. “It’s a challenge, but challenges are fun.”
Among the players who stepped up big last year and look to have a strong campaign is senior Emory Bear. A 6-4 guard who has been a key part of Rebels basketball since 2023, Bear started every game during his junior year and will be central to the team’s success this season. “He was actually a varsity player as a sophomore, which is a tough thing to do at our level,” Davis says. “He definitely has the most experience and welcomes that leadership role.”
Vestavia Hills has two additional seniors poised for breakout seasons: Brett Brown and Jon Allen Harper. “Both are varsity players from last year who will see an increased role in terms of minutes and what we expect them to produce,” says Davis. A fourth senior, Zac Cunningham, is out for the season due to a shoulder injury, and Davis says they hope he is ready to play baseball for the Rebels this spring.
Davis is also bullish on junior Johnny Towry, a 6-7 junior who was thrust into a major role following an injury to the Rebels’ starting forward. “He was thrown into a starting role as a 10th grader, and it was kind of swim or sink for him, and he swam more than he sank,” Davis says. “He’s another guy that comes with a lot of experience, and we expect a lot from him this year.”
Vestavia Hills opens the regular season on Tuesday, November 11, at Bob Jones in Madison.
Homewood
Homewood is coming off an impressive 2024-2025 season in which the Patriots won 26 games and finished second in 6A Area 9 play but came to an early end with an AHSAA first-round playoff loss to Mountain Brook.
The 2025-2026 Patriots will be veteran-heavy, only losing three seniors from last year’s squad, although two are now playing at the college level, taking a lot of production with them. However, head coach Elijah Garrison believes they have the experience needed for a solid campaign.
Two of the key athletes coming back are Kaleb Carson and Daniel Vinson, players who have been playing at the varsity level since their sophomore years. Carson has led the Patriots in scoring the last two seasons, while Vinson has led the team in minutes played. Carson, of course, is the starting quarterback for the Homewood football team. Garrison says the team will be ready for Carson to take the reins whenever football season ends.
Other players Garrison expects great things from this season include seniors Drew Vail and Drew Susce. Vail had a great year as a freshman on the junior varsity, but injuries derailed his minutes the last two seasons. However, Garrison says he is healthy now and is excited about his potential.
Susce is a big-time threat as an outside shooter who made 70 three-pointers and shot 40 percent from behind the arc in 2024-2025. “I’m expecting that same production from him this year,” Garrison says.
Homewood begins the 2025-2026 schedule at home on Thursday, November 6, hosting Tuscaloosa Central. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.
Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook is coming off an excellent 2024-2025 campaign, which saw the Spartans go 26-6 overall, 3-1 in area play and make a deep run in the AHSAA playoffs, losing in the Sweet 16 to Oxford. While the season ended a little sooner than he would have liked, head coach Tyler Davis is optimistic about the team’s chances to compete for a state title this season.
The Spartans have 10 players returning from last year’s squad, including nine seniors, one of whom is scoring leader Trey Davis, coach Davis’ son. Trey has been a major contributor since his sophomore year and made 78 three-pointers, shooting 40 percent as a junior. Also, as the Spartans’ point guard, he led the team in assists last season and excels in distributing the ball to his teammates at the right time. Additionally, Trey Davis understands Mountain Brook basketball inside and out.
“He does a good job of understanding the importance of making others around him better, and he’s also been around Mountain Brook basketball his whole life, so he understands the culture and expectations,” Davis says.
Also coming back is guard Parker Wright, who also shot over 40 percent from behind the three-point line last year, and Hill McCluney, a three-year letter winner at center. “(Parker) shoots the ball at an extremely high clip, but he’s also an excellent ball handler and can be a playmaker for us as well,” Davis says. One key to success, Davis says, will be keeping everyone injury-free due to the Spartans’ up-tempo style of play that requires a deep, healthy bench. “We press and play fast, so we like to play a lot of guys.”
Mountain Brook opens the 2025-2026 season at home against Spain Park on Monday, November 10, at 7 p.m.
Catch the Girls’ basketball preview in the next issue of Over The Mountain Journal.
