By Tyler WaldrepJohn Carroll coach Logan Colafrancesco felt a little nervous about how the players would receive him when he met with them for the first time in the spring. Turns out, he didn’t have anything to worry about. “Sometimes I’ll sit there with my hands on my hips in practice not paying attention and somebody will come hit me, and I’ll look and it will be a … [Read more...]
Upwardly Mobile: Spartans Look for Improvement in 2016
By Lee DavisMountain Brook coach Chris Yeager would be the first to say that the past two seasons have not been vintage times for his football program. The Spartans ended 2015 with their second consecutive 3-7 record, one of the few times in recent decades that Mountain Brook has posted back-to-back losing marks. Despite the disappointments, optimism on Bethune Drive … [Read more...]
Stepping Up: Bell Leaning on Players to Lead Eagles Back to a Playoff
By Tyler WaldrepOak Mountain coach Cris Bell didn’t need a visit to the hospital to realize things needed to change for his team, but that’s what he got. In February, spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the open spaces in the spine, crushed the nerves between Bell’s L2 and L5 vertebrae and left him unable to walk for nine days. “I remember they would move me from the bed … [Read more...]
Repeated Efforts: Jaguars Hope to Be Consistent Program
By Lee Davis When Spain Park coach Shawn Raney talks about great seasons in Jaguar football history, he’s just as likely to discuss 2007 as he is 2015. That may seem strange because Raney wasn’t Spain Park’s coach in the 2007 season. But there’s a lesson from that year that he wants his players to carry into 2016. “The last time Spain Park reached the state championship … [Read more...]
39th Parallel: Anderson and Vestavia Just Keep Winning
By Lee DavisAs Buddy Anderson enters his 39th season as head football coach of the Vestavia Hills Rebels, he’s become accustomed to the media questions about his possible retirement date. His answer to the question now is similar to what it was 10 years ago, and probably what it will be 10 years in the future, assuming Anderson still is coaching. “Coaching is what God … [Read more...]