In a game that felt more like a track meet than a playoff contest, the Vestavia Hills Rebels saw their promising postseason run come to an end Friday night in a 52-41 loss to the Auburn Tigers in the opening round of the AHSAA Class 7A playoffs.
Despite a hot start and another standout performance from quarterback Charlie Taaffe, the Rebels couldn’t hold off a surging Auburn offense led by quarterback Carson Myers.
The Rebels started strong, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three possessions, jumping out to a commanding 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Senior running back Carson Purdy opened the scoring with an 8-yard touchdown run, followed by an 11-yard keeper by Taaffe and another short burst from Purdy.
Everything seemed to be clicking early behind Taaffe’s passing attack, a balanced run game, and a stingy defense that forced two early Auburn fumbles. However, the momentum shifted sharply in the second quarter.
Auburn’s Myers responded with a relentless mix of quarterback runs and short passes, cutting into the lead and eventually tying the game at 21-21 before halftime. Taaffe’s lone interception of the night set up an Auburn score, and by the time both teams went into the locker room, the Rebels’ early dominance had evaporated.
The fireworks continued in the second half as both offenses went toe-to-toe. Taaffe ripped off a 69-yard run early in the third quarter to set up his own 12-yard touchdown, briefly reclaiming the lead for Vestavia Hills. Kicker Sloan Morgan added a pair of clutch field goals from 43 and 31 yards, but every Rebel score was quickly answered by the Tigers.
Auburn’s Myers was unstoppable, accounting for five rushing touchdowns and throwing for another, including a back-breaking 80-yard strike to receiver Antonio Welch late in the third quarter that gave Auburn a 38-34 lead. From there, the Tigers’ ground game—powered by Myers and running back Jaeden King—controlled the clock and wore down the Vestavia defense.
Taaffe finished with 350 total yards, including 243 through the air and 107 rushing, while accounting for three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing). Purdy was equally effective, scoring twice on the ground and adding 39 receiving yards. Price LaMaster hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to keep Vestavia’s hopes alive.
Despite outgaining Auburn in the first half and matching them in offensive execution for much of the night, the Rebels couldn’t overcome Auburn’s 563 yards of total offense and 30 minutes of possession time.
With the loss, Vestavia Hills closes the 2025 season with a record of 8-3.
