By Rubin E. GrantWade Waldrop’s first season as Hoover’s head football coach in 2022 ended the same way as Josh Niblett’s final four seasons: with a loss to Thompson in the Class 7A semifinals.But instead of focusing on what happened last year and the previous years, Waldrop is more concerned about the 2023 Bucs pulling together as a team. “We’re a totally … [Read more...]
Carryover Effect: Young Patriots Hoping Success Breeds Success
By Rubin E. GrantWhenever Homewood scores its first touchdown of the 2023 season, it won’t be scored by someone who played for the Patriots last year.The Patriots scored 400 points in 2022, and except for extra points and field goals, all of it came from their class of 30 seniors.Quarterback Woods Ray was mostly responsible, passing for 2,677 yards and 27 touchdowns … [Read more...]
Once in a Lifetime: John Carroll Is Marking 50 Years Since the School’s Only State Championship
By Rubin E. GrantWhen the Toy Bowl Association, an athletic league sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, was founded in 1952, no one could have foreseen how it would pave the way for a state championship team two decades later.The Toy Bowl was the first youth football league in Birmingham and turned into a breeding ground of athletes for John Carroll Catholic … [Read more...]
Turning the Page: Lions Looking to Bounce Back After Playoff Streak Ends
By Rubin E. GrantBriarwood Christian football coach Matthew Forester is ready to turn the page on last season.The Lions saw their streak of 29 consecutive trips to the state playoffs end in 2022 as they finished with a losing record.“We went 3-7 and it was really ugly,” Forester lamented. “It’s not what you want to happen. We’re going to do our best to make sure … [Read more...]
“Athletic Freak”: Ross Develops Into Top-Ranked Recruit in Vestavia Hills’ History
By Rubin E. GrantJordan Ross hears all the wonderful things being said about him, but he’s not taking it to heart.In the spring, 247 Sports ranked Ross, Vestavia Hills’ 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior defensive end, the No. 1 recruit in Alabama in the Class of 2024, describing him as a “total athletic freak of nature.”ESPN 300 ranks him the 24th best recruit in the … [Read more...]