By Loyd McIntosh
For a decade, the Vestavia Hills High School boys bowling team has been among the most successful programs in the state, winning multiple regional and state championships since first becoming eligible in 2015. The program is one of the most diverse sports at Vestavia Hills, bringing together kids with various backgrounds and abilities.
Under the direction of Head Coach Todd Evans, the Rebels are on track to compete for another title. Ranked No. 1 in the state and, at the time of this writing, headed for another Area 4 and region championship, the program has come a long way since Athletic Director Jeff Segars unexpectedly named him head coach. “I was hired to be a P.E. teacher when one day Segars comes up to me and goes, ‘Hey, you’re the bowling coach,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a good one,’” Evans laughs. “He said, ‘No, I’m being serious. You’re the bowling coach.’”
Evans admits he didn’t know what was going on that first year but leaned on the knowledge of girl’s head coach Debra Broome to learn the ropes. Fewer than 10 kids came out for the team that first year, and while they had a pretty good year, they were knocked out in the state playoff, a turning point for Evans and the program as a whole. “When I coached football, after every loss I would write down how we got beat, and after that first loss in bowling, I wrote down ‘Me’ because I couldn’t help the kids,” Evans says. “It was the first time I’d ever coached in my life where I felt completely lost.”
Evans worked with Ryan Nance, owner of Ryan’s Pro Shop at Vestavia Bowl, to learn the intricacies of bowling, developing into one of the area’s premiere coaches. He has also made bowling a popular sport at Vestavia Hills, growing the program from nine bowlers in 2015 to 22 bowlers for the 2024-25 season. Evans says the diversity of the personalities adds to the team’s chemistry. “I’ve got kids who play baseball and football, and I’ve got kids who play baritone saxophone and Dungeons and Dragons. It works because we create a kind brotherhood.”
That brotherhood extends away from the alley as well. Evans has imbued the bowling team with a healthy sense of social responsibility. Over the years, the team has raised money for local Alzheimer’s organizations, partnered with Special Olympics, and is now doing service projects for elderly and disabled Vestavia Hills residents. Evans also relies on the varsity team members to mentor the junior varsity, including two team members with Down syndrome— Joshua Maners and Vaughn Rainer—and have helped the team members learn to be responsible citizens as well as competitors. “Joshua and Vaughn have been awesome for our team,” Evans says. “They get to compete in a real varsity sport, and it helps the other guys to keep a perspective on what’s important in life.”
Junior Douglas Dellaccio, one of the bowling team’s leaders, says the camaraderie and opportunities to make a difference in his community are among the top factors that help him and his teammates form a bond away from the bowling alley. “We have that friendship that allows us to bowl as a team and not just as individual players,” says Dellaccio “We really build off each other’s energy, and I think that’s what really helps us.The Vestavia Hills High School bowling team (20-1) will compete in the Area 4 Tournament at Oak Mountain Lanes on Wednesday, January 15, and then host the AHSAA Region Tournament on Thursday, January 23, and Friday, January 24, at Vestavia Bowl.
