By Loyd McIntoshAfter a slow start in 2024, Vestavia Hills rebounded - to use a basketball term - in a major way. The Rebels dropped their first three games - including a flukey, last-second loss to region rivals Hewitt-Trussville in the second game of the season - then went on a tear. The good guys finished the season winning six of their eight games, including a … [Read more...]

By Loyd McIntoshBy all accounts, a 9-win season record and a trip to the second round of the AHSAA playoffs would be considered a successful campaign. However, Homewood High School Head Football Coach Ben Berguson can’t help but think the 2024 Patriots - to borrow a phrase from the world of business - left some money on the table.The Patriots finished the 2024 season … [Read more...]

By Loyd McIntoshEarlier this summer, the 21st edition of the World Police & Fire Games was held in Birmingham, bringing more than 8,000 athletes from all over the world to participate in the Olympic-style athletic event held every two years. Many over-the-mountain first-responders took part in an array of sports, representing the United States in a celebration of the … [Read more...]

By Nausicaa ChuOn May 3, the Mountain Brook High School (MBHS) varsity girls lacrosse team walked onto the field at Hoover’s Buccaneer Stadium for what head coach Tom Lewis describes as “just another game.” When they walked off, they were state champions.  Three hours later, the MBHS varsity boys lacrosse team stepped onto the field. After a fast break, stellar … [Read more...]

   By Anne Ruisi   Photos by Jordan WaldIt’s said it takes a village to raise a child, but at the Levite Jewish Community Center, it takes a family of diving enthusiasts to coach the Dive Club—specifically Helen Smith and her daughters, head coach Kirsten Thomas, and assistant coaches Bailey Avina and Monica Hackney. “I started as a volunteer dive … [Read more...]