By Rubin E. Grant Mountain Brook senior swingman Colby Jones had to think for a moment while trying to remember when the Spartans last played a basketball game at Spartan Arena. “It’s been a minute,” Jones said before recalling the opponent, Sidney Lanier of Montgomery.Mountain Brook routed Sidney Lanier 73-46 on Dec. 14 at Spartan Arena, then spent the rest of … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant From the moment Kelsi Hobbs arrived at Samford University from John Carroll Catholic High School, she had one goal in mind: leave her mark on the Bulldogs’ volleyball program. “The seniors on the team when I was a freshman left a legacy,” Hobbs said. “We weren’t the best team going into the season, but we were all-in and they taught us what we needed to do … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Growing up as a University of Alabama college football fan, I wasn’t a fan of Pat Sullivan when he played quarterback for Auburn. But I was glad to see Sullivan win the 1971 Heisman Trophy because no player in the history of the state had won the prestigious award. When I came to Birmingham in 1979 and started my sports writing career, I interviewed Sullivan … [Read more...]

Vestavia Hills came up short in its bid to win the Special Olympics Alabama Unified Flag Football Game last Wednesday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Baldwin County Schools’ Unified football team downed Vestavia Hills 27-20, giving the Bandits, coached by Mike Conner, their third consecutive title. Baldwin County beat Vestavia Hills 26-18 in 2018 but lost to the Rebels 27-26 in … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Hoover girls basketball coach Krystle Johnson was more than a little cranky after the Bucs’ first loss of the season. After opening the season with three double-digit victories, the Bucs suffered a humiliating 42-29 setback at Ramsay. “I don’t think (Ramsay) was that good,” Johnson grumbled. “We just played that bad.” Hoover was without its leading scorer, … [Read more...]