By Rubin E. Grant Grace Carr doesn’t play volleyball for personal glory. For her, it’s all about the team. “Whenever I step on the court, I play for the team,” Carr said. “I don’t want to let anybody down.” Mountain Brook’s senior outside hitter didn’t let her team down for a moment this season. She brought her ‘A’ game to the court game in and game out. In fact, in her … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantJohn 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, … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantJust before the start of the state cross-country meet last Saturday, Homewood junior Jon Fielding Stogner received a text message from Crawford Hope.Hope had been the Patriots’ top runner all fall but was not allowed to run in the sectional and state meets for disciplinary reasons. All he could do was cheer on his teammates from home.“He texted me … [Read more...]

 By Rubin E. Grant Vestavia Hilis sophomore Crawford West’s victory in the Class 7A girls state cross-country meet last Saturday might have surprised some, but not Rebels boys champion Ethan Strand. Strand expected it. “I told her from the beginning of the season that she could do it,” Strand said. “She just works really hard and she kept getting better every … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantWhen Mountain Brook beat Briarcrest Christian School in the final of the Juanita Boddie Invitational in August at the Hoover Finley Center, Spartans head volleyball coach Vickie Nichols didn’t realize how big a deal it was.Nichols knew the victory meant the Spartans were champions of the Boddie tournament for the first time in school history, and she … [Read more...]