By Rubin E. Grant
John David Smelser was a star baseball player at Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa High School. He was the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s 2007 Alabama Mr. Baseball.
He also played baseball in college at Jacksonville State, Shelton State Community College and the University of Alabama.
So, how did he wind up coaching high school basketball? Well, his mother, Sherri Blount Smelser, had a lot to do with that.
“Basketball was my first love,” said Smelser, who was also Hillcrest’s starting point guard while in high school. “My mother was an assistant coach at Alabama. She was there with (former Tide women’s head coach) Rick Moody when they went to the (1994) Final Four, so I’ve always been around basketball.”
This month, Smelser embarked on his first season as Vestavia Hills’ head girls basketball coach. The Rebels played seven games in the first two weeks of the season, posting a 5-2 record.
“I think we play nine games before Thanksgiving,” Smelser said, referring to two more games earlier this week against Central-Tuscaloosa and Phillips in the Mountain Brook Turkey Jam.
Smelser was named the Rebels’ head coach in the spring, replacing Laura Casey, who resigned following last season.
Smelser researched the team and the community before applying for the job.
“When the job came open, I started watching film of them,” he said. “I was able to see how good they could be. I was excited to come coach these girls.”
The city also was instrumental in the decision for him and his wife, Claire, to move to Vestavia Hills.
“The community was a big part of attracting me to Vestavia, how close-knit it is, even though it’s a big high school,” Smelser said. “There’s a lot of school spirit here. Everybody loves the Rebels.”
Winning Record
Smelser comes to Vestavia Hills from Tuscaloosa Academy, where he led its girls basketball program to consecutive state championships in the Alabama Independent School Association in 2018 and 2019. His 2019 championship team was named the national champion by the National Athletic Association of Private Schools.
Smelser pointed to his players as being mostly responsible for both titles.
“Great players make great coaches,” he said. “At TA, I had some great players. When you have great players, you have to hold them to a standard. When they’re not working hard, you have to push them every day to hold to the standard.”
Smelser has brought the same approach to the Rebels. He wants his players to think defense first and offense second. The Rebels held each of their first seven opponents to fewer than 50 points.
“The girls are learning a new system, so it’s a learning curve for them,” Smelser said. “I’ve got a good group to work with. They work hard and have bought in to what we’re doing. They give effort and are trying to get better every day.
“I have an aggressive defensive system. One of the things these girls do is get after it. They like playing defense.”
The Rebels have a young team with only two seniors, 6-foot post player Arden Plugge and guard Anna Wood. Despite the youthfulness, Smelser likes the makeup of his roster.
“We’ve got about nine or 10 girls, and any of them could start,” he said. “We really don’t have a first five.”
Plugge has committed to UAB to play softball. “Arden is really athletic,” Smelser said. “She can run and shoot the ball.”
Juniors Alison Stubbs and Josie Edwards bring versatility.
“Alison is our most versatile player,” Smelser said. “She does everything. I think she’s one of the best defenders in the state. She plays soccer, so she understands angles and positioning.
“Josie started a lot of games last year and she’s going to play a lot of minutes. She’s like Stubbs; she can play every position. She’s relentless.”
Twins Emma Smith and Ally Smith, both sophomore guards, will see plenty of playing time.
Freshmen Anna Towry, a guard, and Suzy Woodruff, a forward, also will contribute, as will sophomore guard Carley Smith and junior forward Julie Dixon.
Vestavia Hills finished with an 18-10 record last season but didn’t advance beyond the area tournament. The Rebels compete in Class 7A, Area 6 along with Mountain Brook, Spain Park and Hewitt-Trussville.
Smelser believes the Rebels can challenge for the area title and a postseason berth.
“My expectations are to win now,” he said. “This is not a rebuilding type thing. We want to get to the playoffs.”
