By Rubin E. Grant A few months after enjoying one of the best days of his young life, Crawford Hope experienced months of misery. As a freshman at Scottsboro High School, Hope won the Class 5A 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the 2018 Alabama High School Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships. But that summer, Hope suffered a stress fracture of his … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. GrantMountain Brook won three consecutive Class 7A state volleyball championships from 2014-2017, but it’s safe to say the Spartans have never had a season like the one they have had this fall. The Spartans opened the season ranked No. 1 in Class 7A and closed the regular season ranked No. 1. They swept the top three tournaments played in the Birmingham … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant The Hoover Bucs will have to run a gauntlet if they are going to win their first state volleyball championship. The Bucs (32-14) will face Enterprise (32-14) in the first round at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 2019 AHSAA Volleyball State Championships at the Birmingham Crossplex. Should they advance, the Bucs likely would have to face Mountain Brook (56-7) in … [Read more...]

Mountain Brook senior middle linebacker Clark Griffin has become adept at the game of hide and seek.Since he’s not big by linebacking standards – Griffin’s only 5 feet, 9 inches and 190 pounds — he employs his crackerjack style of football to avoid blockers and bring down ball carriers.“Against big linemen, I use my quickness and instincts to my advantage,” Griffin … [Read more...]

By Rubin E. Grant Kory Chapman doesn’t have the football in his hands often, but when he does, he wants to revel in it. “I’m thinking celebration after I score,” Chapman said. Twice this season, Hoover’s 5-foot-11-inch, 185-pound senior strong safety has had a rollicking good time with the ball in his hands. He returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown against … [Read more...]