By Loyd McIntosh Photos by Jordan Wald
Hith the first half of the 2026 season in the books, one thing is perfectly clear: Vestavia Hills is a very good football team.
As of this writing, the Rebels are 4-1 and have outscored their opponents 128-90 through their September 18 win over Spain Park, 30-7. The Alabama Sports Writers Association ranks the Rebels No. 4 in 6A and MaxPreps.com has them ranked No. 3 among all classifications.
The Rebels roster is chock-full of talented athletes, but perhaps the biggest story of 2026 is the emergence of Vestavia Hills quarterback Charlie Taaffe. In 2025, Taaffe split time at quarterback with Price LaMaster, helping to lead the Rebels to an 8-3 record and a berth in the AHSAA playoffs.
During his junior year, Taaffe threw for just over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for 662 yards and three touchdowns. His performance gave Head Coach Robert Evans and Offensive Coordinator Josh Franklin the confidence to put the ball in Taaffe’s hands full time. “This summer, both Coach Evans and Coach Franklin were telling me that if I do good, if I have a productive year, that we’ll go far,” says Taaffe. “That motivated me to go all in and be the best player for my team that I can be.”
In 2026, Taaffe has been nothing short of spectacular. In his four games as the starter (he missed the loss to Thompson in Week 3 due to an injury), Taaffe has accounted for 1,142 yards of Vestavia Hills’ total offensive production with 12 touchdowns in four games, an average of 285.5 yards and three touchdowns per game.
He’s completed 45 of 63 passing attempts for a completion percentage of 71.4 percent, four touchdowns, a ridiculous 15.2 yards per completion and no interceptions.Taaffe is also the Rebels’ rushing leader gaining 458 yards on 63 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per carry and eight touchdowns.
Clocked at 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash, Taaffe’s modus operandi last season was simple: run first. And with that kind of speed, why not? That’s what makes his development as a passer this fall all the more remarkable. “I’m feeling a lot more comfortable standing in the pocket,” Taaffe says, adding that the offense has “a lot of moving parts,” and credits offensive coordinator Franklin for helping him improve his mental and physical quarterback skills.
“One of the biggest things is understanding the protections because last year, I knew the passing concepts, but the protection with the O-line, I didn’t really understand what everyone was doing,” Taaffe says. “But this year I understand where people are going to be moving.”
Last year, Taaffe says if his primary receiver was covered, he would typically tuck the ball under his arm and run. He and Franklin spent many hours over the summer breaking the offense down bit by bit, until the schemes became second nature. Now he has the ability to quickly pivot to his second and third read, knowing where his receivers and offensive linemen should be at any moment during the play.
“Every day after practice over the summer, we would go over every moving part,” says Taaffe. “Before that we would just go over first read, second read, third read. Now, I know what every single person is doing.”
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there are some excellent receivers to throw to on the roster. Senior Luke Stubbs currently leads the receiver corps with 25 receptions for 320 yards, including an incredible diving catch for a touchdown during the Rebels 43-13 win over Oak Mountain on Friday, September 11.
Other receiving leaders include Powell Curry with seven receptions for 211 yards, for an impressive 31.6 yards per catch, and LaMaster with five catches for 97 yards. However, Taaffe says the receivers excel at the intangibles, the blue-collar skills and grunt work that don’t show up on the stat sheet. “They’ve taken their run blocking to the next level. They’re all in with the team and willing to just go in and block someone whenever their name is called,” Taaffe says.
While there is still a lot of football left to be played this season, Taaffe is having the time of his life, and if everyone can stay healthy and continue to perform at an optimal level, he says the 2026 Rebels have a solid chance to send shockwaves throughout Alabama. “It’s been a blast, especially playing with people that I’ve grown up with,” says Taaffe. “We’re all seniors now, and we’re the leaders of the program. It’s been fun seeing everyone on the field together and seeing everyone succeed together.”
Taaffe adds, “I think we can go all the way. We have a real chance to host a playoff game or two, which hasn’t been done (since 2013), so that would be awesome. We’re just going to keep working and, eventually, go all the way.”
