By Loyd McIntosh photos by Jordan Wald and Loyd McIntosh
Vestavia Hills
Vestavia Hills entered the Class 7A postseason with an 8-2 record and a five-game win streak, including a late-season 39-30 win over rival Hoover. The Rebels looked poised to continue that momentum in their first-round matchup at Auburn High School on November 7. Earlier in the year, Vestavia Hills had handled Auburn 42-14, and in the playoff rematch the Rebels again came out firing, racing to a 21-0 lead behind touchdowns from senior running back Carson Purdy and quarterback Charlie Taaffe, who finished with 350 total yards and three scores.
But Auburn settled in and mounted a steady comeback, leaning on an explosive offense that piled up 563 yards and controlled possession for 30 minutes. Despite Vestavia’s early surge, the Tigers seized control in the second half and stunned the Rebels 52-41. Vestavia Hills closed its season at 8-3, showing flashes of dominance but unable to slow Auburn’s late-game surge.
Homewood
Homewood rode into the Class 6A playoffs with major momentum of its own. The Patriots finished the regular season 9-1, went a perfect 6-0 in Region 5, and captured their first region title since 2022. They opened postseason play on November 7 hosting Pell City, a 7-3 squad with notable wins over Pinson Valley, Pelham and Mountain Brook. After a sluggish start offensively, the Patriots gained control thanks to a pivotal special teams play, as Rodregus “Rod” Lambert broke through for a blocked punt early in the second quarter, setting up a touchdown run by Kaleb Carson in a 28-14 victory. “It wasn’t a designed play at all,” said head coach Ben Berguson. “We weren’t going after that ball. Rod just got through and blocked it, and it gave us the jolt we needed.”
Homewood returned to Waldrop Stadium for the second round and once again dug out of an early hole, ultimately defeating Hartselle 31-24. Trailing 10-3 late in the first half, the Patriots evened the score on a four-yard touchdown run by Carson as time expired. After Hartselle briefly regained the lead in the third quarter, Carson answered with a fourth-and-long touchdown pass to Jackson “Chappy” Chapleau to tie the game 17-17. Moments later, defensive back Joey Luckianow forced and recovered a fumble deep in Tiger territory, and Carson capitalized immediately with a 16-yard touchdown run. Homewood added a late score to secure the win and advance to the semifinals.
The Patriots’ season ended the following week on the road, falling 35-17 to powerhouse Clay-Chalkville, the number-one team in 6A. Still, Homewood closed out an outstanding 2025 campaign at 11-2, the program’s best mark since its early-2000s state-title era, while remaining perfect in Region 5 and extending its playoff streak to 14 consecutive seasons.
Mountain Brook
Mountain Brook entered the postseason on a surge, finishing the regular season 7-3 with key wins over Hueytown, Oxford and a dramatic overtime victory against Homewood. The Spartans opened the playoffs on November 7 with a commanding 38-0 shutout of Mortimer Jordan, dominating from the opening series. Quarterback Cayden Hofbauer and running backs Stuart Andrews and Trey Vincent powered a balanced attack, while the defense smothered the Blue Devils, allowing just 56 total yards and a single first down in the first half.
The Spartans continued their postseason tear the next week with a 35-14 win over Fort Payne. Mountain Brook exploded for 35 points in the first half and piled up 555 yards of offense, 460 on the ground. Hofbauer delivered one of his best outings of the season with 175 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus a passing score. Andrews bruised his way to 169 yards and a touchdown, and Vincent added a 60 yard scoring run before halftime as Mountain Brook advanced comfortably to the quarterfinals.
Their playoff run ended last Friday in a 24-7 loss to undefeated Muscle Shoals. Turnovers and stalled red-zone drives cost the Spartans early, and the Trojans built a 17-0 halftime lead that Mountain Brook could not overcome. Despite the loss, head coach Chris Yeager praised his team, especially the outgoing seniors. “We got to do something that very few people get to do. We got to be football players, high school football players,” Yeager said. “The things that you give away, the things that you sacrifice for your teammates and your community… those are the things you walk away with from this game, and they walked away with a lot.”.
